Iqbal Ahmad Handloom

You can find us at No. 130 in North Laddhawala. We are tucked away right behind the District Hospital. It’s a quiet spot most of the time, except for the sounds of the looms. Handloom work is what we’ve always done. My father and his father were in this trade too. The building is old and has a lot of character, though it could probably use a fresh coat of paint. We spend our days surrounded by yarn and wooden frames. It’s physical work and it can be tiring on the back, but there’s something good about seeing a finished piece of cloth. We don't have a big sign outside or a showroom with glass windows. People who need quality handloom fabrics just know to come behind the hospital and look for Iqbal Ahmad’s place. We aren't interested in mass-produced stuff. Everything here takes time. Sometimes the weather affects the yarn, or a loom needs fixing, which slows us down. We don't mind. We just keep working at our own pace. It’s a simple life and a simple business. We eat our lunch together in the courtyard and talk about the day’s work. We don't need a mission statement to know why we are here. We just want to make good fabric and earn a decent living for our families. That is all there is to it. We hope the tradition keeps going for another generation to come.