07/08/2026
This is a conversation for anyone who appreciates handcrafts, artisanal textiles, slow fashion, and natural dyes. Join us on Friday 7th August, 4.30 pm, at Rithihi.
In conversation with designer Alka Sharma, we will discover her brainchild brand ‘Aavaran’ and how they worked with local artisans to revive an indigo resist dye craft from near extinction.
With Aavaran’s trunk sale, we will bring you up close with the commercial outcomes of that revival operation. With the
documentary Neel Raag (True Blue), directed by Swati Dandekar, we will travel across India’s diverse landscapes to map out surviving indigo traditions, shifting between the monsoon setting of Tamil Nadu, the springtime landscapes of Telangana, and the wintry deserts of Kachchh (Gujarat).
Throughout these explorations, we’ll attempt to answer questions together. Why was the same indigo dye limited to
religious robes, medicine, and temple paintings in Sri Lanka?
What keeps indigo largely untapped as a textile dye? What work entails the revival of indigo crafts?
19 Alfred House Gardens, Colombo.
Free entry, prior registration only.
Registrations: +94 76 280 0220 (Call/WhatsApp)