CHADDAR
An insight into the Solapur Chaddar By students: Abantika Chanda Stuti Khanna Arya Jaiswal Jui Padmalkar Namya Jain Sajan Kumar Pratiksha Phukan Mentor ; Dr. Latika Bhatt Assistant professor
National Institute of Fashion Technology 2020-21 Department of Textile Design
Name of the department: Textile design Batch: 2018-2022 Study and survey of Solapur Chaddar By student: Abantika Chanda Stuti Khanna Arya Jaiswal Jui Padmalkar Namya Jain Sajan Kumar Pratiksha Phukan Year of study: 2020 National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai Mentor : Dr. Latika bhatt Assistant Professor All right reserved: No parts of this document may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photo copying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai expect by a review/reader who wishes to quote brief passage in connection with a paper review/essay written for inclusion in a periodical, newspaper or broadcast.
ACKNOWLEGEMENT We are grateful to have been presented the opportunity to reserach in depth about Solapur and understand on how different traditional crafts are carried forward by the artisans. We would Iike to thank NIFT for providing us the valuable chance to research on and document the craft of making Solapur Chaddars. We would also like to thank our teachers in the Textile design department and our mentor Mrs, Latika Bhatt for providing us with help and guidance at each stage of the research and for the compilation of our document. We would Iike to extend a heartfelt gratitude to the Solapur Chaddar factory owners and the artisans who work under them for giving us their extremely valuable time and presenting us with a plethora of knowledge and technical information relating to the craft. Lastly. We would like to thank our poors for motivating us and supporting us
PREFACE Through the eyes of the artisans , we explore a world full of opportunities in the form of the Solapur Chaddars. This document is a memoir of our travels through old yet gold textiles that enrich the town and give it their rustic appeal. At every other nook and carny, ethnic textiles have left their imprint and they never cease to amaze even the common viewer. Being flag bearers of the field, we try to shed light on the magnificence of one of the world’s most enchanting crafts, through this document.
CONTENTS
1. About the place • location • land use pattern 2.Connectivity • Rail • Road 3.Culture • Food • Local god and goddesses • Festivals 4.Demographics HISTORY AND EVOLUTION 5.History • Revival story 6.Economy INDUSTRIES 7.Textile industries in Solapur • Terry towel • Durries • Saree • Wall hanging
8. Other than textile industries in Solapur • Rope making • Beedi making • Wool weaving • Metal work ABOUT THE CRAFT 9. Solapur Chaddar History Traditional pattern and motifs Raw Materials and machinery Tools 10. Process 11. Market Study ARTISAN’S PROFILE 11. Artisan’s profile VIDEO CALL CONVERSATION i. References
Solapur is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Bijapur and Gadag in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. It is the 11th biggest city in Maharashtra and the 49th most populous city in India and 43rd largest urban agglomeration.
Solapur leads Maharashtra in production of beedi. Solapuri Chadars and towels are famous not only in India but also at a global level, however there has been a significant decline in their exports due to quality reasons. “Solapuri chadars” are the famous and first product in Maharashtra to get a Geographical Indication tag. It has been a leading centre for cotton mills and power looms in Maharashtra. Solapur had the world’s second-largest and Asia’s largest spinning mill. The National Research Centre on Pomegranate (NRCP) of India is located in Solapur. and pomegranate farming is done on a large scale in Solapur District.
LOCATION Solapur is located at 17.68°N 75.92°E. It has an average elevation of 458 metres (1502 feet). It is bordered by Ahmednagar district on the north; Osmanabad district on the north and northeast. Gulbarga district on the southeast and Bijapur Districts on the south of Karnataka State, Sangli district on the south and southwest; Satara district on the west, and Pune district on the northwest. It is situated at a distance of 410 km (250 mi) from the Maharashtra State Capital of Mumbai by road and train.
LAND USE PATTERN
RAIL Solapur railway station is the main railway hub within the city. The Solapur Railway Division is an important division connecting South India to Western & North west India. Trains from Ahmedabad, Jaipur, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune etc., ply to Southern states (Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala) via Solapur.
ROAD Solapur internal city transport is managed by SMT (Solapur Municipal Transport), SMC and other private cabs. Solapur is well connected by road with major cities of Maharashtra as well as the adjoining State Capital of Hyderabad and important cities in Karnataka by four National Highways – NH 9 highway connecting Pune with Vijaywada via Hyderabad, Suryapet, NH-52 connecting Solapur to Kaithal, Mangalore, Karnataka and NH-211 connecting Solapur to Dhule. Ratnagiri-Nagpur National highway NH-204 passes through city, connecting Solapur to other important cities in Maharashtra like Nagpur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Nanded. Recently sanctioned National Highways- (Solapur - Kalaburagi) and Ratnagiri-Solapur-Yavatmal-Nanded-Nagpur.
FOOD The food culture in Solapur is a mix of different states. Apart from the very obvious Marathi cuisine one can find ample of Gujrati and South Indian food. This is mainly because the city culture is heavily infused with bordering states Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Other than this, with modern lifestyles and fast food culture.
LOCAL GOD AND GODDESSES The Gramadevata (Chief deity) of the city is Shri Shivyogi Siddheshwar.The "Nandidhwaj" procession on the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti and on account of it an annual fair locally known as Gadda Yatra attracts large crowds and is associated with the marriage of Lord Siddheshwar.
FESTIVALS Solapur is a city with tri-linguistic and multi-cultural features. Solapur has a mixture of Kannada , Telugu and Marathi culture. The festival of [[Makara Sankranti]] is one of the largest festivals celebrated by the people of Solapur. Gadda yatra is another important part of this festival. It is a fair which is organized on the Hom Maidan ground annually in the month of January. Along with Makar Sankranti, people also celebrate Shivaji, Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti, Gudipadwa, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and some more.
Ramadan is also a big religious event celebrated by the Muslim community of Solapur. People also celebrate National festivals. Navratri is another festival celebrated in Solapur at Rupabhawani temple located at Tuljapur road. People visit the temple to worship Goddess Rupabhawani for nine days in Navratri. This festival is the biggest festival in central maharashtra. decorations of the 'Pendals' is eye catching during
CLIMATE Solapur falls under the category of dry (arid and semiarid) climate. The city experiences three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon and winter. Typical summer months are from March to May, with maximum temperatures ranging from 30 to 45 °C (86 to 113 °F). The typical maximum temperatures being 40 °C (104 °F) or more. Although summer does not end until May or even the midst of June, the city often receives locally developed heavy thunder showers in May (although humidity remains high). The monsoon lasts from June to the end of September, with moderate rainfall. The city of Solapur receives an average rainfall of 545 mm (21.5 in) per year. Winter begins in November and lasts until the end of February, with the temperatures occasionally dropping below 10 °C (50 °F).
ECONOMY Solapur is located at an important junction of the north– south railway line which provides good transportation infrastructure for trade and industry. There are a number of medium and small-scale and medium industries found in the district, and it is one of the prime centers of the handloom and powerloom industry, cotton mills and the beedi industry. Rapier Terry Towels is now also an emerging industry in Solapur. Solapur is well known for the bed sheets produced here and has a reputation for the same. Textiles are an important aspect of the economy. As the epic growing part in the industrial sector
DEMOGRAPHY As per 2011 census of Solapur city and as per provisional reports of the Census of India, the population of Solapur in 2011 was 951,118, of whom average were male and 468,924 were female. The average literacy rate of Solapur city is 83.88 percent of which male and female literacy was 91.31 and 76.30 percent respectively.
Hinduism is the majority religion in Solapur city with 75.73% followers. Islam is the second most popular religion, with approximately 20.64% following it. Buddhism 1.62% Jainism by 1.00%, Christianity 0.73%, others, no religion and not stated 0.28%.
HISTORY The hereditary weaver communities of Sangars, Salis & Koshtis were invited to settle down in Solapur by the Maratha ruler Peshwa Madhavrao-I on the promise of state patronage & grants of land. Their products such as robes, waistcloths, turbans & quilts became immensely popular in the states of Deccan. It was because of the reputation of these proficient workers
which prompted Seth Moraji Gokuldas of Mumbai to set up in the city on March 1877 Solapur Spinning & Weaving Mills. Other multiple textile mills soon were set up and with it, the city came to be known as Mill Town. The city was then experiencing a massive boom in the textile sector; on one hand blooming handloom industry was meeting the need of rural population & on the other hand, multiple mills were manufacturing fancy sarees for urban classes; there were peaceful existence of both then in the city.
THE REVIVAL STORY Meanwhile, due to inadequate modernization, the Mill of Seth Gokuldas was closed down in 1964 followed by closing down of Laxmi Vishnu Mill. Both these Mills were popular for producing finest quality Jacquard Chaddars beside other textile items. After closing of these two mills, handloom weaving in Solapur was experiencing a draught phase because of increased competition from outstation mill sector, subsequently the handloom weavers in the city were fretful about their future. The old chaddar weaving looms of closed mills were sold at a unimginable cheap price. These looms were purchased by the handloom weavers who restored it to full operational status as well as recaptured the slipping away market of Jacquard Chaddar. Consequently, powerloom textile industry is Solapur was born.
TEXTILE INDUSTRIES OF SOLAPUR
TERRY TOWEL Solapur Terry Towel is terry towel weaving or knitting work that are manufactured in the Solapur district of Maharashtra state, India. The terry towel work has been protected under the Geographical Indication(GI) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of intellectual property rights agreement. There have been various efforts have been taken to provide them legal ownership as well. It is listed at item 9 as “Solapur terry towel ‘ of the GI act 1999 of the government of India with registration confirmed by the controller general of patents designs and trademarks with the help of this various problems have been solve by the local people and have got the strong standing in the terry towels. Also, itis allied production of Solapuri chaddar. Terry Towel Made by cotton yarn. Solapur is Historically well also known and owns unbeatable reputation for its uniqueness in terry. The fabric used for Manufacturing terry towels with its unique characteristics has created a demand in global market. Initially developed for local has created a reputation in International market. History of SolapurTerry Towels speaks about the existence of this trade for centuries.
DHURRIES Durries also known as flat woven rugs serve various purposes like, they cater the needs of small families, used to seat large congregations of people assembled for religious or political gathering etc. Durries made in Solapur were all constructed by power looms. These power looms helped to make the process faster and since all the durries had a striped based design, it became easier for the artisans to make these colorful durries. Other than power looms, they used a shuttle which is made of Sagwan wood, the best quality wood available. Shuttle, bobbin and Yarns together helped to fabricate this beautiful piece of cloth. The tools used in weaving of durries are not very different from what is used in weaving other fabrics. The most important tool is a mechanical loom which is needed for fast and regular weaving however even the mechanized looms requires manual input when the change of shuttle is needed. A hank is converted into spools of yarn for this machines are used. Such machines are kept in along with the looms so that when the quantity of any particular color is over it could be used immediately.
SAREE Maharashtra is known for its food, unique culture and of course, beautiful variety of sarees. Solapur is most famous for its textile mills. Besides hand-spinning, steam-spinning and weaving which was already in existence, the Solapur Spinning and Weaving Company limited was established in the area in 1877. Managed by Morarji Gokuldas and Company from Bombay, this company generated employment opportunities, also bringing in massive profits. Graduallv, more cotton and silk mills came into existence. Today, the entire region is known for its handlooms, dyeing units and vast variety of sarees, including the world-famous Paithani, the traditional Nauvari or 9-yard Kashta in both silk and cotton and a variety of contemporary silks, cottons and other materials. Indian handloom sari that hold a significant place in almost every state of India. Portraying unique elements of these six yard wonders, millions of looms are engaged in weaving cotton the legendary Solapur sari with vibrant colors. Made by the skilled hands that infuse life in them, hand woven.
WALL HANGING Solapur wall hangings were first made in 1970s and it all started with single tone colon and linear designs which were inspired from Picasso’s abstract paintings and were appreciated by everyone. Due to high demand at that time weavers and designers started experimenting with colors and started making wall hangings with two tones and then with time color palette has increased. Frame loom is used. The wall hanging industry in Solapur started in 1970s. Wall hangings became so popular that they were exported on a large scale in countries likeSri Lanka, Australia, USA and other countries. This industry has seen a rapid decline in recent years dueto less number of skilled weavers and low demand in local market. Wall hanging are not a utility product but it serve a piece of ornamentation in houses. As a result their demand is low as compared to other crafts of Solapur which are utility products such as chaddar; towel, saris etc. in order to have good sales constant upgradation of designs and colors is necessary which can not be seen here resulting in ow demand and low sales.
OTHER THAN TEXTILE INDUSTRIES IN SOLAPUR
ROPE-MAKING It is a hereditary occupation followed by the people of the Mang community. Ropes of different types for the agricultural operations are prepared from kekat fibre. The industry is carried on at Sholapur, Barshi, Pandharpur, Karmala, Mahud, Mohol, Akluj, Akkalkot, Mangalwedha and Nazare. As per the 1961 Census, 4,296 persons were engaged in the manufacture of products like ropes, cordage from jute and similar fibres such as hemp, ghaypat, etc. The raw material required by the industry is kekat fibre which is grown largely along the banks of irrigation canals in the Malshiras, Pandharpur, Sangola and Barshi talukas. In other talukas kekat is grown along the borders of private fields as well as in Government waste lands. The present practice is that the kekat is purchased in auction sales by merchants who in turn get the fibre processed by the Mangs on payment of wages and sell it to the rope-makers. Generally about one third of the fibre required for the district is imported from the neighbouring districts of Ahmadnagar and Satara. A family of rope-makers can generally prepare 300 ropes per month.
BIDI MAKING Bidi making is one of the most important cottage industries in the district. It provides a subsidiary source of income to a considerable number of persons. As per the 1941 Census Report, there were 11,000 workers employed in this industry, of whom about 9,000 were engaged in Sholapur town only. As per 1961 Census, the number of persons engaged in bidi-making was 7,465. Of these, 2,145 carried bidi-making on a household scale. The Census figures further show that bidi-makmg is mostly followed in urban areas rather than in rural areas of the district. Besides Sholapur, the other centres of production are Barshi, Pandharpur, Madha, etc. Tobacco and leaves are the main raw materials required by the industry. Different qualities of tobacco are obtained from Nipani, Sangli, Kolhapur and Gujarat. Tobacwco leaves are purchased from Chandrapur and Bhandara districts as also from Madhya Pradesh. The tools and equipment required for bidi-making consist of a furnace, metal trays and pairs of scissors.
This industry gives full-time employment to women and children. The factory-owners have their godowns and warehouses for keeping the tobacco and the bidis prepared as well as sheds for the workers. The leaves are given to the workers who cut them into required sizes for preparing bidis. Wages are paid on a weekly basis, the amount depending upon the individual turn-over. The rate of payment comes to about Rs. 1.50 per one thousand bidis. A small concern engaging thirty workers requires about Rs. 5,000 by way of capital investment. There is only one bidi-makers, co-operative society in the district which received Rs. 3,000 by way of financial assistance from the Government.
METAL WORK Articles from brass and copper sheets are prepared by workers employed on wage basis by the merchants who deal in such articles. Sholapur, Barshi, Pandharpur and Karmala are the prominent places where this cottage industry is centred. About 300 people were engaged in metal working in 1941. As per the 1961 Census, 2,132 persons were engaged in "basic metals and their products except machinery and transport equipment" who carried on the occupation on household scale. Of them, only 596 persons carried metal working (on household scale) in urban areas of the district. Copper and brass sheets, charcoal and chemicals are the raw materials required by the artisans. The copper and brass sheets are purchased in Bombay. Sheets of 4 by 4 and circular disks of 14" are generally available. The workers who prepare the articles possess their own tools and equipment such as iron rods, blower, etc. a whole set costing about Rs. 200. The workers manufacture cooking and drinking pots, mugs, lamp-stands and other such articles of daily use.
SOLAPUR CHADDAR
Solapur is a major textile hub in Maharashtra,variety of products right from the ordinary cloth silk, synthetic cloth, long cloth to towels and world famous Jacquard Chaddars (Solapuri chaddar) are being manufactured in Solapur City. Solapuri Chaddar is a bedsheet. It is a Jacquard weave and is very famous in Maharashtra. Solapuri chaddars contain many of colours. The jacquard chadders are classified on the basis of colour as well as weight as follows: a. Janata - 700 to 900 gms. b. Deluxe -1000 to 1100 gms. c. Mayurpankh - 1100 to 1400 gms. The lightweight ones go under deluxe, dollar, supreme, supreme deluxe etc The heavyweight ones go under Mayur, Monalisa, Princess, Mohini etc. These chaddar are fairly warm and are made out of cotton. Colour used usually are more on dark side. Floral and some geometric motifs are used. Solapuri Chaddar has a border on both ends (Length wise)
HIST
Solapur Chaddar were the icraft products obtain the G dustry in solapur began to f Peshwas in the 17th century rural homes possessed one handled by the head of the children help reparatory
TORY
first Maharashtrian handGI tag. The handloom inflourish during the reign of y. During that time, several e or two looks which were family, with the women & ping in the p y process
RAW MATERIAL Dyeing Agents The chaddar industries in solapur source either undyed yarn which is then dyed in yarn dyeing units or pre dyed yarn which is dyed according to the need of the customer and then sent to the factories. Cotton Yarns The main raw material used in the production of chaddars is cotton yarn (20s count), due to its durability and absorbency
TOOLS AND MACHINERIES * Jacquard loom Jacquard loom is the most commonly used loom for the production of chaddars. A jacquard loom manufactures around 18-22 chaddars per day * Punched cards Punched cards are the design manipulating cards w several holes in it. Around 1300 and above punch cards are required to weave a chaddar depending on the design. * Shuttle for weft insertion
TRADITIONAL PATTERNS AND DESIGNS Although there are no such recurring traditional motifs in solapur chaddar designs, the chaddars do have certain characteristics features and patterns that set them apart. The Jacquard chaddars contain large number of colours. In jacquard chaddars the ground beam yarn is either bleached or dyed. The repeat size of the motif varies from 5" to 15" in length.
*Rendering of solapuri chaddar designs*
SHOLAPURI CHADDAR MAKING
CHADDAR MARKET STUDY
ARTISANS PROFILE Name: Nagnath Poshetti Shrimal Gender: Male DON: 01.01.1968 Age: 53 years Address: 2951, 81 group with the Gharkul Hyderabad Road, Solapur, Maharashtra. Weekly Salary- ₹3000-3500
VIDEO CALL CONVERSATIONS Due to the pandemic situation we were not able to physically visit the Craft Clusters in Solapur . We had a number of video calls with artisans and other members of a factory. All of them were very helpful and with their active cooperation we could come up with this document. Here is a certain section of the conversation.
SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths
•Threats
- Provides employment to locals. - Eco friendly and resilient product. -Raw material is locally available. - craftsmens have adapted the craft well in years of experience.
-Imitation of product by machines. - Decline of interest in younger generation.
•Weaknesses
•Opportunities
- Lack of efficient market strategies. -poor health and working conditions. -younger generations are not involved. -lack in technology upgradation . -Lack of encouragement by government.
-Gearing towards self prompts (Made-In-India) has increased in demand. -Can connect to different marketing strategies. -Versatile and resilient product.
REFERENCE 1. “ Solapur” - Wikipedia 2. “A dream come true for beedi workers of Solapur”- The Hindu 3. “Solapur City Population 2011 - 2021”- Census 2011 4. “Solapur district”- Wikipedia 5. “Cottage Industry in Solapur”-The Gazetter Deparment 6. “Demography”- solapur.gov.in 7. “An in depth analysis of the textile industry of solapur” - tradenews 8. Chaddar industry in solapur city: development and manufacturing process - PDF 9. “State needs better road network: Kelkar report” - The Times of India