Bengaluru, Oct 2 (PTI) When Malipeddi Bhagyawati sat down to spin, as part of the lecture-demonstration of the various processes involved in the making of Patnulu khadi, organised in a small school in Bengaluru, she was in for a surprise. The 20-odd teenaged students stumped her by jumping to answer what 'balni' or 'eku' is. They not only knew that the single spindle charkha she was using was rare these days -- although it was made uber popular by Gandhi -- they also knew the various processes of spinning, from ginning to carding.
Also Read | Shillong Teer Results Today, October 3 2024: Winning Numbers, Result Chart for Shillong Morning Teer, Shillong Night Teer, Khanapara Teer, Juwai Teer and Jowai Ladrymbai. The 60-year-old from Ponduru in Andhra Pradesh, the area where the unique Patnulu khadi is made, had already been to a couple of such lec-dems in the city before she came to this particular school in the hinterlands of Bengaluru. For Samyuktha Gorrepati, a textile designer from Hyderabad, who has been trying to help the weaving community, including spinners, build sustainable weaver business enterprises for the last couple of years, this awareness shown by the teenagers is one of the missing links that has led to the downfall of handloom weaving in India.
Also Read | Samantha Ruth Prabhu-Naga Chaitanya Divorce: After Facing Flak, Telangana Minister Konda Surekha Withdraws Comments Blaming KTR. "Traditionally, weavers cannot exist without spinners and they both cannot ex.