Celebrating intricacies of Indian weaves

Amritsar, March 12

Phulkari Women of Amritsar (WOA) held a presentation and exhibition of celebrated handlooms of India, dedicating it to women weavers.

The presentation was conducted by heritage loom experts Arundhati Menon and Mridulika Menon, who also runs Chennai-based label ‘Samasta’.

A revivalist, who has spent lifetime working with weavers from West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh to down south, Arundhati has been working to revive traditional handloom industry and supporting weavers for over 32 years. She talked about the early beginnings of weaving in the country, when its unique designs and characteristics were only for the royals.

“Weaving was considered a sacred act. Most cities had their own weavers, spinners, who created intricate designs, reflecting seasons and traditions of particular region. The designs were exclusively made for members of royal families. The designs and patterns reflected elements of nature, birds flowers, water, sun, unique characteristics that still define the traditional handlooms,” said Arundhati.

Through visual presentation, she brought to light the great degree of skill and labour involved in making every article of woven fabric. Particularly talking about Ikkat and Kanjivaram, she said Ikkat requires patience, skill and passion as it is among the most-tediously done weaves. “The double Ikkat or teylia rummal Ikkat or the oil-dipped Ikkat is particularly celebrated for its technique and uniqueness.

The yarn is not just tied-dyed but also dipped in oil before being weaved to give it sheen. Earlier, it was only used to make handkerchiefs but now we have teylia rumaal sarees. Mostly done in Telengana, the weave is among the ones needing revival,” she said. She pointed out that traditional weaves had been flourishing for centuries, are now dying as the artisans do not find adequate economic compensation in it.

She appealed to the audience to promote handlooms so that the artisans are attracted back to it and future of this industry can become secure. Deepa Swani, president, Phulkari WOA, said, “On this International Women’s Day, we wanted to celebrate our true heroes, the women weavers, who have such a high level of skill which does not often get the appreciation that it deserves. These women work so hard to bring beauty into the lives of all other women. Today’s session was our humble effort to thank them by highlighting their skills by showcasing their products.