The story of “Bistaray” is not the story of an enterprise. It’s the story of two dreams that merged into one reality. We have always been passionate about cultural heritage, visiting places, listening to folklore, meeting with local people, and getting amazed by the history of handicrafts that was passed on from generation to generation. It was not long ago when we came across some international students interested to study the history of the textile industry of the “Indian Subcontinent” once considered the most advanced textile industry in the world.

Already passionate about our heritage, it didn’t take us long to be wondering in the textile cities of Pakistan. While traveling in Swat, Buner, Charsada, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Kamalia, Makhdoonpur pahor, Khanewal, Multan, and many small rural areas in search of handlooms, artisans, laborers collecting woven souvenirs and stories, we had a strong realization that it’s about time that we will lose whatever remains of this magnificent heritage of ours. There were abandoned handlooms, old artisans who only had stories of their past of how they learned the art from their forefathers and why the younger generation did not want to continue weaving, and how power looms had replaced the handlooms. “Why don’t you want to continue weaving, as your forefathers did? We asked a young man of about 22. “People do not like Khes or Majnu anymore, Chinese blankets are now in fashion and much cheaper than what we produce with lots of effort. Money matters you know, how would we feed our families?”. “What if you get a reasonable amount for your art, would you continue then?”. Who would pay and why? The question that stopped our travels finding the lineage of Indian textile. It was time to ponder, were back in that small town exactly after seven months and 4 days, with an answer to that question. We will …