Sekhawati Handlooms Fatehpur

Our place, Sekhawati Handlooms, is tucked away in Ward Number 23 in Fatehpur. Most people find us by looking for Lachchiram Ji Ka Kuwa, which is a well-known old well nearby. We focus on handloom work, which means there’s a lot of manual weaving and physical effort going on. It’s a slow process and you can’t really rush the machines if you want the fabric to actually hold up. The looms make a specific rhythmic sound that you get used to after a while, though visitors find it loud. We aren't some big factory with robots; it’s just us using our hands and feet to run the equipment. Sometimes the thread snaps and we have to stop everything to tie it back together by hand. It can be frustrating but that’s just part of the craft. The building we’re in is quite old and stays relatively cool even when the sun is beating down on Fatehpur. We keep the finished pieces folded up on the wooden shelves. People come in looking for specific patterns that their grandmothers might have liked. We try to keep those old styles alive because that’s what we were taught when we were younger. It’s a quiet life for the most part, just weaving and talking to the neighbors who pass by the well. We don’t have a fancy showroom, just the workspace where we spend our days. It’s honest work and it keeps the traditions of this part of Rajasthan going.