The ‘Museum of Living Textiles’ is Bengaluru’s latest addition to its vibrant art and culture space and comes with a heritage twist.

Where can you see a Datthi Seere (Young Girl’s sari) jostle for space with a Tangalia Shawl, Simhasna Nanjappa Sari and Annam Jarithari Sari? And where can you see a collection of over 50 antique sarees, fabric, textiles and weaves? Well, all this and more is part of the very interesting and unique ‘Museum of Living Textiles’ that recently opened its doors in Bengaluru.

Revival Tales The museum is the brainchild of Pavithra Muddaya whose mother Late. Chimmy Nanjappa established Vimor a saree store in 1974. The brand that has been working on reviving, designing and selling South Indian handloom sarees through collaborations with over 2000 weavers has focused on replicating lost weaves. Pavithra has also extensively documented motifs, techniques and designs that are no longer being woven. The museum displays several saris from their personal collection so you have Pavithra’s grandmother Subamma’s head scarf (titled Subamma’s Vastra) that has a motif of a peacock on a branch with a beaded necklace in its beak. In fact many of Vimor’s clients have donated saris belonging to their grandparents and parents which is why this is space is called museum of living textiles. “So it is not really about heritage weaves or royal weaves like in other museums, this is a living heritage that we are aiming to preserve and revive,” says Muddaya

Read the full story that first appeared in The New India Express Sunday Magazine dated Jan 19, 2020 here: