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In the historic city of Varanasi, on the banks of the River Ganges in India, a tiny community of craftspeople weaves silk saris using wooden handlooms.

These saris are lovingly worn and preserved by their fortunate owners.

But this beautiful craft's now threatened by cost-efficient alternatives produced in factories, and by cheap imports.

Mohammad Sirajuddin, whose family have been handweavers for generations, fears that his skills are likely to disappear with him.

The saris are remarkable for their intricate detail.

A single sari can fetch at least $400, but the weavers themselves are left with very little, once production costs and agents' fees are taken into account.

Jaya Jaitly describes the art of weaving in her book "Woven Textiles of Varanasi".

She firmly believes that these specialised, traditional weavers need government protection.

India's textile industry has had to compete on an international level for centuries.

In the 1700s, England's industrial era poured cheap fabrics into India and then in the 1990s, sewing yarn and low-priced fabric from China began to dominate the market.

Yet, as Jaitly passionately argues, the industrialised process lacks something vital by comparison.

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