Related Keywords: cheap clothes, Geographical Indication tag, hand-woven sarees, Handlooms, IIkal saree, Ilkal, Ilkal Handloom and Powerloom Weavers Agitation Committee, powerloom
The ancient Ilkal sarees with unique design which used to be crafted handlooms weavers of a little town of IIkal in Bagalkot district the switch over to powerloom has endangered the livelihood of small handloom weavers.
IIkal town had around five thousand handlooms that used to craft traditional sarees more than a decade ago. Now, the number of families engaged in making beautiful hand-woven sarees has reduced to just 500 with the onslaught of power looms.