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River Weaves
Brocades of Banaras
Open to All
Contributors
Exhibition Opening: 11:00 am | Friday, 15 August
Timings: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Exhibition on show until Wednesday, 20 August
Walkthroughs:
Fri, Aug 15 | 5:30 pm
Sat, Aug 16 | 12:00 pm & 5:30 pm
Sun, Aug 17 | 12:00 pm & 5:30 pm
Mon, Aug 18 | 12:00 pm & 5:30 pm
Tue, Aug 19 | 12:00 pm & 5:30 pm
Wed, Aug 20 | 12:00pm
Panel Discussion:
Handlooms—Past, Present and Future: Fri, 15 Aug | 11:30 am – 1 pm
Laila Tyabji, Ratna Krishna Kumar, Nandita Das, Chandra Jain & Shoba Narayan
RSVP here
River Weaves: Brocades of Banaras offers an immersive experience.
Banarasi brocade isn’t any old textile, but rather a living archive of artistry, memory, and devotion. River Weaves invites you into this world, where each thread tells a story of beauty shaped by generations of skill.
Conceived by craft champion Chandra Jain and brought to life by Siddhartha Das Studio, this immersive exhibition explores the richness of Banaras handloom tradition. From luminous motifs echoing Mughal gardens and temple carvings, to rare sarees dyed with natural pigments after 125 years, River Weaves traces a powerful journey of revival.
The exhibition moves beyond finished fabrics to reveal the unseen labour (degumming, spinning, dyeing, weaving) and centres the voices of the weavers who have quietly and dutifully carried this tradition forward for centuries.
But this legacy faces a fragile future. With fewer artisans able to continue and the next generation drifting away, the craft stands at a crossroads. River Weaves holds space for reflection, and more importantly, for hope.
The exhibition is guided by Chandra Jain’s vision and decades-long dedication to reviving Indian handloom traditions. Curated by Chiara Nath and Siddhartha Das of Siddhartha Das Studio, an award-winning, multi-disciplinary practice known for powerful storytelling of cultural heritage. Their design showcases each Banarasi brocade on display as a tribute not only to exquisite design, but to a way of life rooted in patience, precision, and pride.
This event is far more than your average exhibition. It is a call to action. For if we do not celebrate our traditional crafts, who will?
In collaboration with:
Contributors
Chandra Jain
Chandra Jain is a long-time advocate of India’s crafts and textiles. As Founder-President of Kadambari and a passionate promoter of Banaras brocade for over two decades, she has played a pivotal role in reviving and supporting traditional artisans through design, awareness, and market development.
She has curated and led numerous landmark exhibitions across India, and her work has been recognized for its impact on sustaining endangered craft traditions. Chandra’s approach combines cultural integrity with contemporary relevance, making heritage accessible and meaningful to modern audiences.
Chiara Nath
Chiara Nath has over two decades of experience across design, fashion, music, and food. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she was formerly Design Head at Satya Paul and has worked with leading brands like Titan, Taj, and TVS.
Siddhartha Das
Siddhartha Das, founder of the studio and an alumnus of NID Ahmedabad, is an award-winning designer with over 20 years of experience across design, architecture, art, and craft, leading cultural projects across India and abroad.
