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The Siddis of Karnataka and the dying art of making Kawandi quilts | Documentary Film | THE WEEK

The Week

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Deep inside the forests of Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, the Siddi community continues to preserve a rare and deeply personal quilting tradition known as kawandi.

Made from old saris and scraps of worn fabric, each kawandi is stitched entirely by hand—without patterns, machines, or templates. But these quilts are more than blankets. They carry memories, histories, and generations of lived experience.

In this documentary, THE WEEK travels through Siddi villages to meet the women keeping this fading art alive, one stitch at a time.

Story & Director of Photography: Bhanu Prakash Chandra
Script & Voice-over: P. Akash
Post-producer & Editor: Vishnudas K.S.
Production assistant: Shreyas Gowda K.
Color Correction: Ujwal P.P.
Thumbnail design: Uthara Dinesh
Stock visuals: Envato Elements
AI-generated visuals: Midjourney

PLEASE NOTE:
Many viewers reached out asking how they could connect with the remarkable women featured in this documentary and acquire their handmade kawandi quilts.

If you would like to learn more about the craft and the work that goes behind the scenes, you can reach out to:

Ansuya Juje Siddi
+91 7676945379
(Speaks Kannada, Konkani, and Hindi)

#Kawandi #Siddi #Karnataka #Documentary #IndianCrafts #TextileArt #THEWEEK

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20 Comments

@TheWeekMagazineIndia Creator 4 months ago Pinned

Many viewers have reached out asking how they could connect with the remarkable women featured in this documentary and acquire their handmade kawandi quilts.

If you would like to learn more about the craft and the work that goes behind the scenes, you can reach out to:

Ansuya Juje Siddi
+91 7676945379
(Speaks Kannada, Konkani, and Hindi)

@KMaCK8848 4 months ago

It is so very rare to see anything about the Siddis. Thank you for this so much. The quilts make me think of the quilts of Gees Bend.

@Agg-deco 4 months ago

Thank you. I had no idea that this culture existed in India. I am of African American descent and appreciate seeing the strength and resilience in a people who from slavery have created a unique culture of their own. Thank you!

@chandanamaitra5692 4 months ago

I made one each for my son's .....they still use it (20 years )....they live in other cities I guess feel my warmth

@KarenMoore-r3e 4 months ago

Wow 😲 African Americans have the same traditions. I still have great grandmas quilts. The Siddis are a recognized tribe of India, and also descendants of stolen Africans brought by the British tea company.

I see them and feel we must be connected. ❤

Well we are all connected

@magpiesue360 4 months ago

Excellent video. So glad this traditional craft has been recognized and honored in this way.

@gojiberry7201 4 months ago

What gorgeous colors and gorgeous craftsmanship. Well done!

@elleshaw9837 4 months ago

My grandmother used to make quolts like this. She grew up in the American south. It just shows that Africa lives in all of her children in the diaspora.

@bhavanikumar7150 4 months ago

Beautiful work by these beautiful people. These are the stories which make our country unique in its diversity

@sharathahuja8261 4 months ago (edited)

This is what Good Journalism is all about. India in it's true Glory. A bit more of their traditional singing could have made it more appealing.

@chandranaidoo4643 4 months ago

Thank you for sharing. My Grandmother who was born in India made "goodherees" (tried to spell phoenetically) from old saris and blankets and clothes. They were heavy and cosy during wintry days. If I recall correctly . ..cousins and neighbors would get together and sew these "blankets" while sharing community stories.
South Africa in 50s .

@Mr553r3na_1 4 months ago (edited)

I’m an American of European descent. My grandmothers were women who lived through the great depression and WWII in the rural high desserts of California and Nevada. They were raised by women (their mothers and grandmothers) who emigrated to the U.S. during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Pushed out of European by famine, persecution, and war. Through the generations, we continue to pass down the skills like these, born of hard lean times, trying to keep yourself and your family alive in harsh foreign lands where everything but was scarce. I feel so honored to have three family quilts, made of scraps from the clothes my forebears wore while they worked tirelessly to make a better life for their progeny. They have held up amazingly well, and my grandmother taught me how to patch them as they have needed it over tue decades of regular use.
In a world that’s increasingly busy and driven by consumerism, in a country that’s collectively losing its mind and soul, these object and lessons keep me grounded and humble.
Despite living a world away from these women, and lifetimes apart from the women I came from, I feel a connection to them through these dying arts and sharing them with our children.

@saydvoncripps 4 months ago

Oh my god..those quilts are stunning! So beautiful. I hope they dont die out. Some things are precious and need keeping.

@premaanandhamovement 4 months ago

Their hands are doing magic ✨✨

@enooeeelelee_ 4 months ago

I had no idea these people existed. Beautiful quilts.

@SumaRanganath-q1f 4 months ago

Most beautiful quilting heritage of our land !!! I make them ! So versatile with cotton n silk fabrics . No rotary cutters no machine just fabric , needle and you ... panacea 🙏🏾😍💕

@PushkarV 4 months ago

Loved this Siddi story. The way Bhanu has stitched it together is as gorgeous as a Kawandi quilt. Beautiful work!

@s.fuhrmann 4 months ago

I wish people could see that more binds us together than separates us. This video reminded me of Gee's Bend quilts and the star quilts of the Native Americans. The former in the use of clothing pieces the latter in the gifting.

@beatricezuzarte1836 4 months ago

I have just completed a Kawandi Quilt for myself and now for a friend! I saw this on YTube, years ago, and just loved it. No wasting clothes and using your hands to make something beautiful! Making this quilt made me relax and happy. I am 79 and enjoy using my hands and skills. Everyone should try making one for yourself and for a loved one. Thanks for sharing the History of these hardworking and clever Women!