Weaving colours even in darkness

Weavers of Chanderi and Maheshwari silk are in Hyderabad for a handloom featival and despite the fact that the pandemic has damaged the market their spirits have not gone down.
The weavers in the stalls have put on display the colourful woven and painted fabrics and clothing items.
The weavers in the stalls have put on display the colourful woven and painted fabrics and clothing items.

HYDERABAD:  Jawaharlal Nehru wrote about ‘the reign of Ahilyabai, of Indore’ in The Discovery of India: “The reign... lasted for thirty years. This has become almost legendary as a period during which perfect order and good government prevailed and the people prospered.” Even the Nizam of Hyderabad is said to have praised Rani Ahilyabai Holkar saying that ‘no woman and no ruler are like her’. It was her who promoted the fine-woven silk saris from the Madhya Pradesh towns of Maheshwar and Chanderi.

These were patronised by the royal families of Baroda, Indore, Gwalior and Nagpur. The history of light-as-air Chanderi saris goes back to more than 700 years. During the reign of Emperor Alauddin Khilji between 1296–1316 AD there is the mention of the weavers of Chanderi silk. During this time more than 20,000 weavers had moved from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“The queen Ahilyabai was married to Raja Khanderao Holkar in 1733. After a few years, she encouraged the production of the silk saris in her realm,” informs Trushant Nagarkar, an employee of MP handicrafts, who’s in Hyderabad along with several weavers who have been showcasing a vast range of Chanderi and Maheshwari saris, dupattas, stoles and fabric pieces at State Gallery of Art, Madhapur as part of the ongoing ‘Maheshwari and Chanderi Festival organised by Madhya Pradesh Government emporium Mrignayanee.

He further adds, “The town of Maheshwar, located on the north bank of Narmada River is a place of religious significance. That’s where the queen Ahilyabai had invited weavers from Surat for the making of saris and turbans for the royal family of Indore. Later, the place was known for its unparalleled weaving and zari.”

The minute details
The weavers in the stalls have put on display the colourful woven and painted fabrics and clothing items. A look closer at a marigold yellow Rasta sari shows you the minute craftsmanship. In the border, you can spot a design of the royal fort of MP. The tiny parapet at the top of it is called Kangra, the two dots below it are known as Mukhda and the enclosed small design is known as Aankh.

“A deep observation will tell you how the threads change colour and the intersection in the border is called Chatai (mat) because of its chequered pattern. the term rasta pertains to path or road a there are woven stripes in the fabric,” informs Rajendra Dhadse, a weaver from Maheshwar. Tussar is derived from cocoons on the mulberry trees. Dharmendra Bangdi, of Waraseoni, MP district Balaghat, “The climate is conducive for the cocoons to flourish. These are boiled to extract the silk.

Ten cocoons make for one thread, it’s washed treated, coloured and then put on the loom.” He adds, “Chanderi is a blend of silk and cotton and woven together in the ration of 50-50. Ten meters of weaving take two days, but if the weaving is intricate it can take months. Earlier, the varieties were limited.” He shows a pretty peacock blue sari with Jugnu Booti and then Laxmibai sari whose threads doesn’t get entangled in the jewellery. So what’s the difference between a Maheshwari and a Chanderi sari? “The border design is thicker in Maheshwari than in Chanderi,” he adds.

High spirits
All isn’t well in the weaving industry. The pandemic has given it severe blows. We don’t get customers.”It’s the craft to which we are dedicated and continue our work. Sometimes, to weave a sari of intricate design at least four family members devote their time,” informs Abdul Khalid, a weaver from Chanderi adding, “We also make saris of Walli, a prominent hand-block printing. Another popular but time-taking type is when wax-filled mould is pressed on the fabric and then the fabric is dyed.

After that, it’s treated in the steam of bhatti for the wax to melt.” One sari can take two days and even months depending on the design. Finely-woven saris don’t weigh more 200gm. Adds Mohd Abrar another weaver and also a teacher from Chanderi, “The more one wears, the better the fall of the sari will be. It’s not to be kept under piles of other dresses. This affects the fabric.”

Temple borders
Another interesting print is Dabu print from Neemuch, Tarapur district. “The cotton-and-silk-blend fabric is buried under the soil for two days. First, a layer of the clay is applied, then castor oil is applied after that blocks are pressed on the fabric for the design. Then the soil is dusted off and dried. The entire process takes five to six days,” adds Rajender. He shows saris with temple borders. The story goes that a weaver prepared the design of the dome of Bambleshwari temple in Chhattisgarh. and the first sari was offered to the goddess was known to be Kosa silk, Hindi for Tussar. The event ends on January 17.

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