FAQs
1. Are handloom and Khadi the same?
Weaving done on a handloom using mill spun yarn is called handloom fabric, whereas, weaving done on a handloom using hand spun yarn is called Khadi. Khadi weaving is more complex and comprises more processes compared to handloom weaving. In Khadi, the yarn is prone to more breakage because it is handmade and the strength of the yarn is uneven compared to mill yarn. A handloom weaver may be able to weave around 12 mts /day where as a khadi weaver may be able to weave around 7mts/day only.
2. The market is full of Khadi today. Some authentic, some duplicates. How does one really check for its authenticity?
Khadi is a unique fabric that manifests in its coarseness. Check the edges of the fabric first for its imperfection and irregular texture. You should be able to make out the unevenness in the edges. Because the yarn is hand spun, it will be prone to more breakage in the weaving process. This characterized by the lumps which is a unique feature of Khadi. Also if you hold the fabric in light, you should be able to identify uneven gap between two yarns in the weft (yarn that runs horizontal) because of uneven hand beating in weaving. Lumps will be comparatively less in handloom fabric. The edge and space between weft yarns of the mill fabric will be uniform. Also don’t forget to ask the following questions to the seller
Q1: What is khadi?
Hint - hand spun and hand woven
Q2: Where is the fabric being produced?
Hint - Is the seller the producer themselves? If they are retailers, where do they source it from?
Q3: How many meters of khora fabric is being produced by a weaver / day?
Hint - It takes about 45 min to 1 hr to produce 1m of Khora?
Q4: How many spindle charkas are being used to spin?
Hint - Usually 6 to 8 spindles
Q5: How many hanks are being produced by a spinner / day?
Hint - 30 hanks in average on 8 spindle charka
Note: The knowledge level of the seller is an indication of their levels of values associated with the fabric and its business. The more informed the seller/retailer is, the more ethical their business may be. Asking the right questions empowers you as a consumer and yields a higher value for your purchase. After all, how and where you spend money reflects on your values and life choices.
3. Why are your products expensive? Considering it's after all Khadi
Khadi is centered on human energy and is essentially a labour intensive process. At least a dozen people are involved in the making of khadi. It supports way more livelihoods than handloom and powerloom fabrics. We sell our products with minimum over heads with the belief that not only assuring minimum living income for our producers but also to be fair with our pricing to our end consumer.
Follow this to know more about the making of Janapada Khadi.
http://janapadakhadi.com/pages/making-of-janapada-khadi
5. Is Janapada Khadi available in any retail stores?
Yes. As of now there is only one retail store in Melkote.
6. Is Cash On Delivery (COD) available?
Sorry to disappoint you, but no. We accept debit card, credit card, few UPI options, NEFT transfer and etc. If you need some time to bank transfer the amount, do message and let us know, we will be glad to keep aside the product (for some time) which you intend to eventually buy.
7. Why isn't the shipping free?
The products manufactured and sold by us range from handkerchiefs to quilts with varying weights. A pair of napkin may weigh 50 grams while a quilt may weigh 2 kilograms! Over the years we have tried understanding the buying pattern within the country and hence we charge 150 rupees immaterial of your purchase volume. We try to be transparent in charging extra for shipping instead of adding it in our MRP and then claiming to be free shipping!
8. Do you take customized or special orders?
Yes. However we have fixed the minimum numbers for every category - Fabric (100m), Sarees (10 numbers), Towel (50 numbers), Stoles (50 numbers), Lungi (50 numbers) Handkerchiefs (800 numbers) and Shoulder bags (50 numbers).
9. How long would it take for the products to reach me?
Any purchase made before 12 noon will be shipped on the same day and the purchase after that will be sent the next working day. Keep in mind, we are producers ourselves and not any e-commerce aggregators, so, all the inventory which you see on our website is already ready to be sent. We have partnered with India post (speed post) for all our shipping purpose who are not only reliable but also reasonable. You should be able to receive the parcel within 2-4 working days within India and 10-14 days to most parts of the world.
10. What is your cancellation policy?
Once the order is made and processed, we can’t cancel it.
11. Do you offer International Shipping?
Yes.
12. Can I wash the fabric in the washing machine?
You. However, we suggest you hand wash our products separately or with similar colors in cold water with organic/no detergents and dry it under shade.
13. Does the fabric shrink?
All our products are pre-shrunk. However there may be 3% shrinkage.
14. Can we dry clean the fabrics?
Unless specified, you don't need to dry clean.
15. I see a lot of bright colours of Khadi in the market. But why does Janapada Khadi come in only a few (dull) colours?
Firstly, we encourage you to check for the authenticity of the fabric. At Janapada Khadi, we use organic natural dyes which can produce limited shades and hues in basic colours like Red, Brown, Blue, Black , Yellow and White. While we recognize the limitations of these natural dyes, we do not believe in diluting our process to produce attractive hues using chemical dyes which have the potential to harm the environment and health of workers involved. Working with organic dyes is fast becoming extinct and at Janapada Khadi, we want to maintain the pristinity and values associated with every process in the value chain.
16. Is the Khadi made from organic cotton?
No. As of now we are using regular cotton provided by Khadi and Village industries Commission.
17. Are you accredited by KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission)?
Yes. We have recognition from KVIC. But we do not take any financial support.
18. I own a boutique / an online portal, can you provide us with your products (or even just the images of it) for resellers and what's markdown?
Our business module is not built around providing our products to resellers on a consignment basis, instead we try to reach out to consumers directly. Having said that, if you are willing to purchase our products, please mail us with your requirements. Please keep in mind that we have not burdened our customers by including the re-sellers margin. Hence, the discount we offer to you as B2B is minimum.
19. What are your work timings?
Be informed, our website works 24/7 but not us. We will be happy to talk to you between 10 am and 6 pm. We strongly encourage you to write to us at janapadkhadi@gmail.com so we can keep track of the conversations and service you better.