Salawas Durry Udhyog

Out here on Pali Main Road, near the Luni Chaurah in Kakanni, the wind can get quite dusty. We spend most of our time at the workshop where the durries are made. It’s a craft that’s been around this area for a very long time, and we’re just continuing what our families did. The rhythmic sound of the looms is what fills the air from morning until the sun goes down. Most of the folks working here live nearby, so it’s a tight-knit group. We sit on the floor a lot, working the threads and making sure the patterns are coming out right. It’s not a fast process, but that’s fine. People stop by on their way to Pali because we’re right by the main road. The sun hits the front of the building hard in the afternoons, so we usually take a break then. We have piles of yarn in different colors stacked up against the walls. It’s a simple setup in Kakanni, far away from the big city noise, which suits us just fine. Sometimes we sit outside by the road to have a bit of tea and watch the trucks go by. The work is hard on the hands and the back, but it’s what we know. We don’t use fancy machines; it’s mostly just handwork and patience. It’s been this way for generations at the Salawas Durry Udhyog and we just keep it going.