Reminiscent of an age of renaissance, liberalism and decadence, Babu and Bibi channel the spirit of those classy, flamboyant, emancipated gentlemen and ladies of Bengal, who challenged orthodoxy of the time, and openly indulged in their love of aesthetics through arts, music and fashion. The Babu and Bibi culture of colonial Bengal was immortalised by the Kalighat painting artists or the ‘patuas’, who often resorted to humor to depict the neo-modern lives of the nouveau rich. We, the new age Babu and Bibi, do not wish to be restricted to pictures. I, Pritha aka Bibi am a doctor and my husband Vikramaditya or Babu works for the travel industry. As Kolkata-bred Londoners, we are as much global as we are local. I have always been a loyal patron of Indian handloom and handicrafts, tracking down artisans from the interiors of the country to purchase straight from them. This website is a humble attempt to share all information I have managed to gather over the years.
I have been a patron of Indian handloom and handicraft for years. Growing up in Kolkata I had the privilege of getting introduced to weavers and artisans at the many Government-sponsored fairs and festivals. I used to spend hours there, examining every single item on display and talking to the makers. We became friends and over time I got to know their associates from other parts of the country practising other crafts. Even though I now live in London, technology has allowed us to remain in contact. Sometimes I stumble upon artists while browsing the net. Occasionally patient detective work is needed to reach the craftsperson of my choice. Once I had called up the Head Office of Ministry of Textiles in New Delhi to know that contact details of a weaver I had read about. And I managed to eventually get it!
I am a proud owner of several unique pieces meticulously made by hand by highly skilled artisans. Every other day I receive messages from friends and family asking for their contact details. It gives me immense pleasure to enable all these people to own pieces of art and support local economy.
In this blog Vikram and I write about various handloom and handicraft types of India and provide contact details of the people who make them. Feel free to connect with them with or without our reference. We are happy to provide any further information you require. You can contact me on Instagram or send a blog message. Please also check out our YouTube channel Babu & Bibi.
Thank you!