"Textiles are like languages. If families abandon them, they will die," says Akshita M Bhanj Deo, whose ancestors once ruled Odisha's Mayurbhanj district. Known for its Phuta Jhala sari, the coarse cotton with check prints was a common wear for the tribals of Mayurbhanj district. "But sadly, very few clusters in Mayurbhanj make the Phuta Jhala sari now," says the 27-year-old communications strategist.
The situation prompted her to initiate The Karkhana Chronicles, a digital installation series, where this lost weave is one of the muses. Bhanj Deo is running the series along with Priyaraje Scindia and Chaitanya Raj from the erstwhile royal families of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan respectively. Through Instagram stories and tours, they are sharing the history, importance and making of some of India’s ancient textile forms.