India's Benarasi handloom sari faces extinction

COVID-19 threatening the viability of a cherished heritage craft

Ziyaul Mustafa's wooden handloom has stood virtually unused since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Without urgent government support, Varanasi's hand-woven sari industry faces extinction. (Photo by Mohammad Muqeed)

SONIA SARKAR, Contributing writer

October 31, 2020 08:05 JST

The gold, red, and magenta threads that festoon Ziyaul Mustafa's wooden handloom are soiled.

Hanging unwoven for more than six months, Mustafa runs his fingers along the listless threads each morning. He has not earned a single rupee since the day in March when India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a lockdown to control the COVID-19 pandemic.