Natural dyed handspun Eri Silk shawl with Chanderi tissue

With Maahi, I am calling out Gary’s energy, Rewati’s north star, now. 

Rewati’s fire and his water. Her zeal and his observation. Her purpose and his purposefulness. She with her myriad ideas, and him with his myriad skills. These two, as Maahi, partners in compatibility and authenticity, charmed my heart all the way. 

Rewati Gurung is a Nepali filmmaker, entrepreneur, social activist and one of the 34 menstrual activists featured in the Dignity without Danger publication & educational resources. She is a dedicated campaigner for education in rural areas and for creating awareness of menstrual practices. In her words, “When we talk about dignified menstruation, it must include the voices of all people who menstruate, including age, caste, class, indigenous group and geographical location.” I met her because of her beautiful work with children's clothing with her brand called Kokroma. Her passion ignited me because she carries a giant heart with a constant massive leap of faith that holds her ground steady and stable. She enables. Because she enabled herself. She knows how to be a rural farmer’s daughter and branch out a life that takes her to countries and projects across the world. She expands others. Because she expanded herself. 

Gary admires her with the most nurturing wish, that may she always be her joyous, genuine and raw self, something so rare and precious! His single pointed wish for her makes me call this sari, Maahi.

Maahi is created by combining tea-dyed Eri silk with chanderi tissue.

Eri Silk is a wild silk with a woolly fibrous filament hand spun into yarn, handwoven on traditional throw shuttle looms of Assam. These are woven on looms that are simplified older looms where the basic main frame is formed using four posts or pillars dug steadfastly into the mud ground. This Eri Silk is handspun by adept spinners of Assam without using Charkha. The journey from cocoons to handspun yarn involves a spinner performing a series of steps for the appropriate treatment of cocoons that can enable hand spinning of yarn. These steps have remained unchanged through generations of the hand-spinning culture of Assam. We have retained the indigenous steps without much alteration.

Maahi is a one-of-a-kind textile designed to highlight a unique coming together of various techniques and creativity of handcraft. This design will not be recreated. Maahi comes with a blouse fabric designed to encourage Mora fireflies to bring their authentic spirit to the fabrication of blouse fit, usage of borders and edgings. The blouse worn by Rewati is not included.

Param did the beadwork 

Gurmail, the tailor

Narmohan Dada, the master Eri silk pioneer

Mumma, Madhu, technical supervision of stitching 

Midtoan.com, the photographer

Designed by Ritika