PATWA TOLI, India – A sharp, metallic sound reverberates through the narrow lanes of Patwa Toli, a weavers’ village in the eastern state of Bihar in India.

Peering inside a house, I see rows of power looms running at full speed, weaving colourful gamchas, or towels, in vivid green and red, interspersed with flecks of white. In the lanes, men pull hand-drawn carts piled high with freshly woven material.