Exhibition of textilesDecember 2013

At Paramparik Karigar, it has always been our endeavour to uplift the heritage and tradition of Indian craftsmanship and weaving, and to create awareness about our country’s vast expression of art forms.

This December, for the first time, Paramparik Karigar will hold an exhibition of textile that will display 14 select forms of traditional Indian textile by 14 craftspersons who are pioneers in their own genre. We aim to provide these traditional masters with a renewed platform to exhibit their work.

The following textile forms will be represented:Ikat weaving from Andhra PradeshBenarasi from Uttar PradeshKantha embroidery from West BengalPatan Patola from GujaratShawls from GujaratLeheriya from RajasthanSoof embroidery from GujaratBandhani from GujaratIkat weaving from OdishaHand block-printing from MaharashtraPaithani from MaharashtraKanchi Kota from Tamil NaduPashmina shawls from KashmirJamdani from Andra Pradesh

Let us celebrate the diversity of our heritage and acknowledge the complexity and detail of our tradition. Let us understand that traditional textile weaving is an expression of our country’s legacy. By supporting and elevating it, we are keeping this tradition alive.

An exhibition of select textiles by traditional master craftspersons

December 17 to 19, 2013 Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Cover image: Ikat weave by G. Govardhan

Bandhani from Gujarat represents the craft of tie-dye. This is a traditional design called ‘chandokhani’, worn during Nikahs by the brides of the Khatri community. The circle in the centre is called ‘kari gul’ and it is encircled by six dots forming a triangle, called ‘kungra’. The border is black and has three leheriya lines called ‘sargam’.

Naushad Khatri received the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Award for Children for 1991–1992.

The word ‘ikat’ means ‘to bind’. It is an ancient way of creating designs on fabric by resist dyeing the thread before fabric is woven. This ikat sari has been woven in the Mallepuvvu, telia rumal style using an eco-friendly dye and oil process on natural fibre. This process is practised by the Gajam family of Puttapaka village in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh, since 100 years.

The design and pattern is the creation of Gajam Govardhan, who was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2011.

The word ‘jamdani’ originated from the Persian word ‘jama’ meaning ‘cloth’ and ‘dani’ meaning ‘butta’ or ‘figured cloth’. The pallu of the sari depicts Mahavishnu and Lakshmi seated on Sheshnaag with Brahma emerging from Vishnu’s navel. Also seen are Garuda and a devotee.

Ramanaiah Gowrabathin received the National Award in 2005 and the Sant Kabir Award in 2012.

Kantha, a patched cloth, is a running stitch worked on a lep. This art form originated in Bengal more than 200 years ago. This piece depicts flora and fauna using different kantha stitches.

Alima Khatun received the National Award in 1988 and the Shilp Guru Award in 2013.

JamdaniRamanaiah Gowrabathin

Kantha EmbroideryAlima Khatun

BandhaniNaushad Khatri

Ikat WeavingG. Govardhan

Kani shawls are woven using a fine twill tapestry technique. This shawl represents Mughal flowers in the jamawar pattern of the late 19th century.

Zahid Ali is a master weaver who is reviving the old technique of weaving kani cashmere (pashmina) shawls.

Leheriya is one of the many variants of bandhej and is characterised by colourful diagonal strips and waves. Its most exclusive varieties are found in Jaipur. This tussore silk dupatta is a shibori tie and dye—dyed in natural Indigo.

Badshah Miyan received the National Award in 2004 and the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award in 2011. He has mastered the craft of leheriya using azo-free dyes and environment-friendly methods.

This is a traditional art of weaving with its emphasis on naksha or jala making, which itself is 700 years old. This design is of an old Benarasi sari with a contrast border and ektara weaving using handspun desi silk. It is a real gold Ganga-Jamuni sari.

Naseem Ahmed is a master weaver belonging to a family of great weavers like Kalu Hafiz, Jaffer Ali and father Azizul Haque.

The master weaver weaves his creation inspired by Chitra-kavya Bandhodaya, based on the remarkable love story of Radha–Krishna. The bandha depicted here includes the ratha, naga, chakra, swastika and Pancha Matsya.

Surendra Meher received the National Award in 1991 and the UNESCO Award of Excellence in 2006, 2007, 2012.

Kashmir ShawlsZahid Ali

LeheriyaBadshah Miyan

BenarasiNaseem Ahmed

Odisha Ikat WeavingSurendra Meher

Patan specialises in the double ikat technique wherein both the yarn for the warp as well as for the weft are accurately dyed. This 1200-year-old design depicts Manek Chowk in dark indigo and red.

Kanaiyalal Salvi is a master weaver who received the Golden Jubilee India Independence Award in 1997; the UNESCO Award of Excellence in 2005 and 2006; and the Heritage Award from Abdul Kalam in 2007.

The fine art of vegetable dyeing and printing has been practised in India since ancient times. This is a hand block-printed sari on dupion silk using natural vegetable dyes like indigo, madder, kasmi (scorpion), kuyna (lime paste) and the outer skin of the pomegranate.

Ahmed Latif Khatri received the National Award in 2005.

This is a traditional indigo stole made out of marino wool. The border is inspired by traditional borders of the multicolour dhabda design, peculiar to the tradition of Kutch. The central design is inspired from traditional patterns of Kutch weaving, which include miri, chomakh, dhulki, vankiyo and dhumli.

Vankar Devji Bhimji is a master weaver who received the National Award in 2003.

Traditional soof embroidery comes from Sindh province. It is a counted-thread technique worked with fine solid-coloured threads and darning stitchwork on the reverse side of cotton fabric. With about ten types of soof stitches, this piece has been embroidered by counting the warp and weft, and not printing the design.

Dayaben Dohat received the National Award in 1990. This wall piece took nine years to finish after being worked on for an hour a day.

Hand Block-PrintingAhmed Latif Khatri

ShawlsVankar Devji Bhimji

Patan Patola Kanaiyalal Salvi

Soof EmbroideryDayaben Dohat

Paithani is called ‘maha-vastra’ in Maharashtra. This is a traditional sari in pure Malabari silk with real zari. It has been woven in kapila orange and red warp and weft. The motifs are taken from Ajanta Caves. It takes 12 to 14 months to weave such a sari.

Pravin Thakur is a master weaver known for the exquisite quality of his work.

This is a real zari sari in maroon, made with traditional designs. The body has motifs of peacock, elephant and horse. The border depicts a rudraksha design. The pallav has peacock designs.

Veeraraghavan started producing cotton saris in Kanchipuram and received the National Award in 1992. He even supplied pooja saris to Indira Gandhi.

PaithaniPravin Thakur

Kanchi KotaK. Veeraraghavan

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