“When the monsoon fails, the loom doesn’t stop,” says Lakshmi Devi, a weaver in Vidarbha. “We don’t have the same signs anymore, the wind, the smell of rain, the timing. But we still wait, and we still weave.”
For artisans like her, climate change is not a distant worry; it’s a daily reality. Her indigo dye doesn’t set the way it used to. The cotton dries too quickly, or not at all. The colours fade faster. The rhythm of nature that guided her grandmother’s hands is now unpredictable.
But she still weaves. Carefully. Slowly. Adjusting her process. Listening to the sky. Holding onto tradition in a world that is shifting.
Fact: One sari dyed with natural indigo can take up to 20 buckets of water, each drop a prayer!
The Climate Is Changing, and so are Our Crafts
Across India, more than 200 million people depend on agriculture and craft-related livelihoods, many of them in rural areas directly tied to the land. These communities are among the first to feel the impact of climate change. In Kutch alone, over 50% of artisan households have reported facing difficulties in dyeing and production due to reduced rainfall in the past decade. In Odisha, warmer winters are disrupting silk worm cycles, leading to a 30% drop in silk yields in certain regions. Even indigo, the heart of many natural dye practices, has become harder to grow due to changing soil conditions and inconsistent water supply.
Fact: A single silk cocoon is affected by a change of just 2°C in temperature.
Kala Srishti: Quiet Shifts, Lasting Change
Craft isn’t just a creative practice; it is deeply seasonal, sensory, and rooted in the natural world. When those roots shake, so does everything built upon them.
At Kala Srishti, we work closely with artisans who are not only keeping their traditions alive but also adapting them. These makers are quietly becoming climate leaders in their way, rethinking processes, choosing mindful materials, and adjusting techniques to reduce environmental strain.
Many of our artisan partners now use low-water dyeing methods and natural fixatives in place of chemical ones. Local, hardy materials like organic cotton, bamboo, wild silk, and neem wood are becoming their canvas of choice. Rainwater is being stored for dye baths, scrap fabric is reused in new designs, and broken patterns are embraced rather than wasted.
Fun Fact: Choosing handmade over mass-produced reduces your carbon footprint by up to 50%.
The Future of Craft Is the Future of the Planet
Craft is survival. Each thread spun, dyed, and woven under shifting conditions reflects intent, care for the land, the method, and what comes next. Choosing Kala Srishti means standing with artisans who are adapting, responding, and continuing with clarity, not sentiment. Because in a world that shifts without warning, holding onto what’s handmade isn’t a trend, it’s a choice to stay rooted.