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On the banks of the River Ganges, in the Indian city of Varanasi, is a dwindling cottage industry of artisans who create silk saris by hand.

These garments are cherished by their owners as the epitome of traditional, Indian sartorial style.

Despite their appeal, in the face of mass-produced alternatives and low-price goods imported from China, this traditional handicraft's under threat.

Mohammad Sirajuddin's from a long line of handweavers, and he's fearful the artisans' days are now numbered.

The Baranasi saris, so-called after the city's old name, are renowned for their exquisite handiwork, and one sari alone costs upwards of $400 - although little remains for the handweavers themselves after production costs and the cuts by middlemen.

Jaya Jaitly, who has documented the craft in her book "Woven Textiles of Varanasi", is convinced their skills merit government assistance.

The fortunes of the Indian textile trade have long been subject to foreign influences - England's industrialisation flooded India with cheaper alternatives in the 18th century, while at the end of the 20th century, competitively priced yarn and fabric from China decimated the Indian market.

But Jaitly maintains there's far more than simple economics at stake.

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