After graduating as an Architect, Rahul left architecture and joined his family business with the aim to take the legacy of Patola art forward. He says that Patola art demands patience and consistent learning.

Rahul Vinayak Salvi is a Master Weaver at Patan Patola Heritage. He is an architect by education but is currently working as a Master Weaver. He says that his family has been sustaining the heritage art for 900 years and he is the 28th generation taking the art forward.

Recalling his childhood memories, Rahul says that he belongs to Patan and had completed his schooling in Patan itself. Along with his schooling, he was always taught about his family business and was encouraged to take the business forward no matter whatever education he pursued.

Rahul says that after completing his schooling in Patan, he got admission to Kolhapur Shivaji University to study architecture. Thereafter, he immediately joined his family business after graduating in architecture.

When asked how he got into the business, Rahul says that after completing his graduation, he had many opportunities but when he came back to Patan, he realized his responsibility towards his family business and decided to stay in his hometown and join his family business and is continuing the business since then.

Regarding mistakes, Rahul says that Patola art demands focus and preciseness. He further adds that while he was learning dyeing work under his father, he added the wrong ingredients while dyeing, and the entire thread got ruined. This was one of his mistakes and he learned the amount of concentration his work demands.

Talking about his role models, Rahul says that his father and his uncles are his role models. His father and uncles have won the National Award and Siliguri Award and Rahul gives the credit for his success to them.

When free, Rahul loves to listen to music, paint, and spend time with his friends.

To the budding aspirants to this field, Rahul says that Patola art is not like any short-term course, it demands time and consistent learning. He says that instant economical growth is not possible in this art, one needs to patiently give time to this art in order to learn and earn.