An Account of Jawaja Dhurries

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Copyright Š National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, Year 2017 All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from National Institute Fashion Technology, except by a review/reader who wishes to quote a brief passage in connection with paper review/essay written for inclusion in a periodical, newspaper or broadcast.

खम्मा घणी

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An Account of Jawaja Dhurries

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In the name of travel, knowledge and betterment, this quest of ours has been supported by National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi Campus to which we owe the pleasure of the opportunity.

We submit our sincere thanks to our subject mentor, Ms. Anupreet Dugal who chartered this compilation, was ever unstinting in her support and offered constructive critique at every step. Her faith in our team led to this assemblage, page after page. Gratitude is due to our faculty, Ms. Lavina Bhaskar, for guiding us in the field. Special thanks to Prof. Dr. Sudha Dhingra and Ms. Ashima Tiwari for providing us valuable inputs prior to the field visit.

We are extremely thankful to all faculty members from the Department of Fashion Communication for equipping us with the requisite skill set that aided in putting this document together.

Very special note of thanks to the 20 weavers of Beawar from the 05 of us on the working team. We are grateful to the weavers who welcomed us into their homes, and shared with us the intricacies of their life, livelihood and business. Ramlal Ji and Lakshnmi Ji were most careful about our comfort and plans, creating an emotional bond. We came to appreciate the hand work and hard work that is innate to our Indian villages.

We would like to thank each and every individual who has been involved in this process of documentation, directly or otherwise.

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preface “I weave your name on the loom of my mind, To make you a Dhurrie when you come to me.

To clean and soften ten thousand threads, To welcome your feet when you come to me.

No more shall I weave a mat of pain, For you have come to me drawn by my weaving.�

- multiple authors . .

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Process

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Introduction

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Journey

AAJ

Crafts People

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Dhurries

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SWOT Analysis

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Introduction to Beawar

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The Team

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NIFT Intervention

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Glossary

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Refrences

Stories.

Chapters.

Episodes.

Defining a village, speaking subtly the tales of the culture, tradition and aspirations of Rajasthani men and women.

While the elements are complete in themselves, they are connected, analogous to threads sewn into the Rajasthani weaves. The villages are where the innate glory of a place can be best observed. Crafts practised in these villages are designs perfected over decades, Dhurries themselves taking 41 years.

Here is all that the craft has had to get it where it is as a brand today, a hopeful step to help with what it could be.

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Rajas. Ranis. Aristrocracy. Blue blood. Palaces. Forts. Gated Cities.

Rajputs. Jats. Gujjars. Bhils. Meghwals.

Turbans. Tassels. Camels. Matkas. Lehengas. ChaniyaCholis. Sand Dunes.

PINK. Henna. Mustard. Indigo. Slate. And every other color imaginable.

A kaleidoscope of culture, Rajasthan is an overwhelming experience. A culture in a culture set in another culture, Beawar is an Indian village inching its way to partial urbanization. The people here retain their ways, while being open to newer ideas.

The Dhurries are a newer Rajasthani craft element practiced in the homes of 20 weavers. These ‘20 Bunkars’, a united collaboration, are proudly self sufficient, earning themselves a good name among the craftsmen of the country.

Us, ’05 Pathiks’ present to you an account of our experience with the hope that you enjoy this assemblage as much as we enjoyed creating it!

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BEAWAR KHAS

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BEAWAR

JAWAJA

DELVADAH

PUSHKAR

AJMER

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SARADHANA

Gram Panchayat Office of AAJ Handlooms Market SCALE: 3cm : 10km

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Tickets booked, lectures attended, excitement on peek we set out on the morning of 2nd October, 2017 before the earliest birds started chirping.

What started out as a most unfortunate series of events turned out to be a most memorable trip.

2nd October was one of those days when sun comes up to tire you out. Our former group mate, Gariyashi Bhuyan met with a terrible accident which resulted in broken shin bones. Anmol stayed with her to ensure she was cared for, and joined us by traveling overnight. Reaching train station in just the nick of time, the span 409 kilometers seemed to be covered for days on end. The group now was reduced to a five.

Morning of 3rd October, we contacted Ramlal Ji, and met up after first meal of the day. Staying at a distance of not more than 10 kilometers from the AAJ Weavers Office, we hardly lost any time. Reaching our destination in mere 15 minutes, the Vikram pulled into a barren land with small, teal rooms. They receive us outside, and lead us into their Godown.

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They offer us a Dhurrie to sit on, and to extend the formality, we are offered tasty Chai Tea

by Shamlal ji, and we are instantly intrigued by the old radio set he owns. After a very formal rendezvous with their lifestyle, we left, asking permission to visit their home next day, which was very welcomed.

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The markets of the quaint town were as bright as that of any other city, with more negotiable prices. Adding to our collection multicolored cloth for turbans and dupattas, we were happy where we were.

4th October we travelled to Beawar Khas, singing away Rajasthani songs along with old autorickshaw radio. Each house in the village was uni-colored, and each of them was colored differently. The kuchha lanes that connected the houses were as plain as clean as could be. We eye the massive loom that sits on the verandah. It’s a beautiful house, and Luxmi Ji, Ramlal Ji’s wife, sits on the Charkha, as Ramlal Ji unwinds to us the tales of the Jawaja Dhurries –

There is more to hear and more to let in at this place that there are words that can possibly define.

The roads don’t compare with the little village kuchha lanes, they are big and dusty, Delhi-like with different traffic. Not rural, indeed. And just far enough from being urban.

When we leave via Beawar munching on TilPattis on a bus to Ajmer Station, we have a collective restlessness. The thought that this isn’t yet a closed chapter, that we still are left with expressing back in Delhi our experience, is calming –

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A CULTURE IN A CULTURE SET IN ANOTHER CULTURE Rajasthan, the Land of the Kings. Largest state of the mighty Motherland. A place that first strikes the turbans, camels, orange skylines, blue royalty, the pink city and the multicolored gates, this land doesn’t cease to amaze all that enter it. Though the land has advanced, it has not let go of its roots.

The genuine beauty of the land is revealed in its villages.

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Beawar

HISTORY Beawar’s location is at the strategic tri-junction of the royal states of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. Beawar, the name of the city, comes from the words “Be Aware” which was originally a sign given to the city by a British Emperor.

Beawar was founded by Colonel Charles George Dixon (1795-1857) in 1836. Beawar was part of British India, and the administrative headquarters of Merwara district of Rajputana.

Since the ancient days, the region where Beawar lies is called Magra-Merwaran.

This region was ruled by fierce tribes known as the Kathats, descendents of Prithviraj Chouhan. British tried to subdue them but were unsuccessful because the tribes were scattered across many small villages and they were

excellent in conducting guerrilla warfare. The Battle of Shyamgarh was fought between the Kathats and British. The British won. The town was then fortified because the Kathats employed many guerilla war tactics which caused British great loss.

The place also hold among its few and notable memories, the credit of being the cradle to the notable mathematician, Duncan Somerville.

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GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

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Beawar is located at 26.1째 N 74.32째 E, with an average elevation of 439 metres.

The climate is tropical- hot and dry.

The temperatures are highest in June at 40째C and lowest in January at 8째C. The town experiences a rainfall of 9.6 inches annually.

Beawar is divided into seven Revenue Villages, namely, 1.

Beawar Khas 2.

Sambhalpura 3.

Maankhedha 4.

Saradhana 5.

Gopalpura 6.

Bhagvanpura 7.

Harrajpura Dhurrie weaving is currently practiced in Beawar Khas, Saradhana and Delvadah

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PEOPLE

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With a population around 3.5 lakhs, the small town is not exactly rural in its categorization.

44.1% of its citizens come from an urban background. The sex ratio is 970 females per 1000 males which is impressive when plotted against the demographics of other Indian villages.

The various communities residing in Beawar include Choudharys, Meghwals, Rawats, Reindas, Harijans, Jhahangirs. This division of communities is no longer based on occupation.

A mix of occupations is practiced among all

communities. The caste system is still prevalent in the town, though the conditions have bettered in recent years. Inter caste marriages are looked down upon, and those participating are ostracized from functions. The lower castes can now access the temples and the wells, and lead a better life.

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Food

The cuisine of Rajasthan is primarily vegetarian and offers a fabulous variety of mouth-watering dishes. The spice content is quite high in comparison to other Indian cuisines, but the food is absolutely scrumptious. Rajasthani food is well known for its spicy curries and delicious sweets.

There is an enormous variety of sweets in Rajasthan, which are relished and savored by all. In Rajasthan, the sweet dishes are had before the meal, with the main course and after the meal unlike other desserts. Therefore, sweet dish is never called dessert in Rajasthan.

Papad, the crunchy, crisp disclike food, unlike other regions, is served at the end of the meal.

To serve it at the beginning as an appetizer is unwelcoming and against societal conventions.

The cooking style followed in Rajasthan is based on the natural climatic conditions of this desert land. There is scarcity of water and fresh green veggies in the state of Rajasthan, which has an adverse impact on its cooking.

In the desert belts of Rajasthan, it is preferred to use ghee, milk,

butter milk and butter in larger quantities to minimize the amount of water while cooking food. The water quality available there is poor and the people believe adding spices will make the food safer for comsumption.

Pushkar etc and dishes like BailGatte, Balusahi, Besan-Chakki, Chaavadi, Raabdi, Panchkoota with curries like Beans ki sabji, Guwar fali ki saag, Makki ki sabji, Moranga ki sabji etc. For Beawar, one delicacy that stands out from the rest is Til- Patti, a sweet Out of all the Rajasthani dishes, mixture of Jaggery and sesame dal bati churma is perhaps the best seeds. A local product, it is mainly known. Rajasthanis are quite fond sold by street vendors. Consumed of chutneys, which are prepared as a munch-on snack, it is usually using different spices such as consumed with evening chai in its coriander, turmeric, garlic and food as well. mint.

For those who are in a lookout for variety, Rajasthan has a lot to offer.

Infact, as one travels from one part of the state to another, finds that every region has something unique, which reflects in its food as well. There is a popular sweet of each region like Mawa Kachori of Jodhpur, Rasogullas of Bikaner, Ghevar of Jaipur, Malpuas of

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EDUCATION Beawar Khas has both Primary and Secondary Schools, both Private and Public; and Colleges.

With 22 CBSE- affiliated schools, 3 RBSE- affiliated schools and 3 colleges, the place does not lack in education and has a literacy rate of 64.2%, which is higher than the national literacy rate of 59.5%.

The nearest school where the children of weavers regularly take lessons is just outside their residential colony. The ratio of girls to boys in these schools is very balanced. The nearest college to Beawar Khas is located in Beawar city, called Sanatan Dharam Rajkiya College.

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OCCUPATION AND ECONOMY 24 .

Beawar is a hub of small scale industry, generating revenue in crores. Beawar is larger than many present district headquarters of Rajasthan. There has been demand for creating a Beawar district over the last two decades. Majority of employment is provided by RIICO. The city used to be a major center of trade, especially in raw cotton, and used to have cotton presses and the Krishna cotton mills.

Currently, major industries include mineralbased units, machine-based units, machine tools and accessories, pre-stressed concrete pipes, plastic products, textiles, wooden furniture and asbestos cement pipes.

Beawar is the largest producer of cement in northern India and home to Shree Cement.

It lies in mineral-rich region having reserves of feldspar, quartz, asbestos, soapstone, magnesite, calcite, limestone, mica, emerald, granite, and masonry stone.

Agriculture is a major profession, followed by weaving.

AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK Beawar Khas is a self sufficient agricultural economy cultivating all kinds of vegetables and pulses except rice, since it requires a lot of water.

The soil is suitable for agriculture and can support most crops. A decent amount of agriculture can survive in this area even though there is little rainfall. Cows, buffalos and goats are reared for milk. The skin of buffalos may also be used in leather crafts after the animal dies. Male goats are also sold out by the household after a certain age.

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HEALTHCARE Swaasth Kendra and Ayurvedic Chikitsalay are located in Beawar Khas and are run by the government. Medical stores are available in these healthcare centres. Doctors come from Beawar City or Ajmer. Health camps are held quarterly in the village. The ailing patients from neighboring villages have lesser facilities and visit Beawar when in need of medical attention.

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A number of government and private banks have their branches in Beawar. With branches of around 10 banks open throughout the city, money management is not a trouble in the town.

Governement banks include State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda. Some private banks include ICICI, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank. Weavers of the AAJ have Gramin accounts in Canara Bank.

WATER & ELECTRICITY The area faces water problems owing to its location in a dry state. Earlier water was supplied through water tankers. Nowadays people have installed motors to draw ground water. Electricity is generated in Kota and brought to Beawar City through wires. From the city, it is transported to Beawar Khas and other villages. The supply is mostly smooth with power cuts of about 3-4 hours daily. However, the power is totally cut during periods of rain because of poor wiring systems in the villages.

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Religion Presently, the population of Beawar comprises of 90% Hindus whereas Muslims make up for the remaining 10% of the total population. Earlier, Jain community also lived in Beawar District.

However, as they progressed economically, they moved out and settled elsewhere.

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“राम राम” Folklores and Festivals

(noun, exclamation) pronounciation: raam raam

A form of greeting common in the Meghwal community of weavers, which serves both as a salutation and a valediction, just like Namaste. Usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest.

Hence, a person bows to the divine in the person being hereby greeted. This is their way to ensure that their Lord’s name stays on their tongue, and they may hence be blessed.

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RAMDEVJI

(or Ramdeo Pir, Ramdev Pir, Ramsha Pir) (1352 - 1385 AD) (V.S. 1409 - 1442) Ramdevji is a Hindu folk–deity of Rajasthan in India. He was a ruler of the fourteenth century, said to have miraculous powers who devoted his life for the upliftment of downtrodden and poor people of the society, and revivalism of Hinduism which were marginalized by invaders.

He is worshiped today by many social groups of India as Ishta-deva.

His followers believe him to be an incarnation of Vishnu. His following includes Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Sikhs.

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As per folk-lore, King Ajmal Tanwar, was the king of Pokaran. King Ajmalji had only two daughters, Lasa and Sugana. One day the king was on a tour of his kingdom. It was monsoon, yet the kingdom had not received any rainfall. On his tour, the king met a few farmers who were on their way to their farms to sow seeds. On seeing the king, they began to return to their homes. Surprised at this act, the king asked farmers the reason for their behaviour.

When assured that no harm would come to them if they told the truth, the farmers told the king that they believed that seeing a barren king’s face while on their way to their fields may cause their crops to fail, and therefore they wanted to return to their homes. King Ajmal was very sad on hearing this. Being a devotee of Shri Krishna, the king decided to go to the Lord’s palace in Dwarika.

King Ajmal arrived at Dwarika and prayed for many days. Ultimately, in sheer disappointment, he asked Krisna’s idol the reason for deserving such sorrow. The idol did not respond to the king’s repeated queries. Angered and raged at this, the king threw a dried laddu at the head of the idol.

The priest of the temple, considering the king to be mad, asked the king to go to the mystic Dwarika to speak to the Lord. The mystic Dwarika swallowed by the sea many centuries ago, lay at the bed of the Arabian sea. The unfearing king dived into the sea to meet the Lord. The Lord’s head was bandaged where the king had thrown the laddu. Pleased at the king’s dedication and faith, the Lord granted him a boon. The king asked for Lord Krishna to be born as his son.

The Lord promised come in the king’s house.

Soon thereafter, the royal couple gave birth to boy, whom they named, Bhiramdev. After a few years, Lord Krishna took a small form and appeared next to Bhiramdev.

Muslims venerate Shri Ramdevji as ‘Ramshah Pir’.

In Rajasthan, Meghwal community’s chief deity is Baba Ramdevji who is worshiped during the Vedwa Punam (August September). Meghwal community’s religious leader Swami Gokuldas claims that Ramdev was himself a Meghwal in his 1982 book Meghwal Itehas, which constructs

a history of the Meghwal community.

However, it is a solitary claim made by the Meghwal community themselves and has no one else to back their claim. Mostly, all sources, folktales & Hindu community believes Ramdevji to have born in Tanwar rajput Community. His worship crosses the Hindu-Muslim divide as well as the distinctions of caste. His followers are spread across cutting across caste-barriers in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Delhi and also in Sindh in Pakistan. Several Rajasthani fairs are held to commemorate him.

Ramdev Pir Jayanti i.e. the birth date of Baba Ramdevji is celebrated every year all over India by devotees of Ramdevji with zeal & festivities. It falls on Dwitiya (2nd Day) of Shukla paksha of Bhadrapada month of Hindu calendar. In Rajasthan, this day is observed as a public holiday and a fair is held at Ramdevra temple, where lakhs of devotees both Hindu & Muslim take part and pay their homage to Samadhi at main temple.

Our weavers, all of them Meghwals, are deeply devoted in their Lord, Ramdev Ji, and pray to him every day morning and evening. Such is the devotion in the villages that it touches the hearts. Whatever they earn, whatever they eat, they believe they righteously owe it all to the blessing of the Lord.

Veer Tejaji maharaj Beawar Fair is one of major fairs of town. Locals of Beawar gather to celebrate Baadshah, which means “King”.

The Baadshah travels across the town to reach the Mayor’s office, spraying color all over the town in celebration of Holi, the festival of colors. It is celebrated in memory of the one-day king “Agarwal”.

“Baadshah” is decorated in traditional style and travels up to the magistrate office, where it plays and gives its resolutions for the public. In front of it, another person, Birbal, dances in his special style. On the day of “Baadshah”, there are performances by local people in “Teliwara” as well as near the Suraj Pol gate.

Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, Navratre and Eid are some of the major festivals celebrated.

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CLOTHING

The dull-colored monotone of the sands and hills look cheery with the vibrant spirits of the people who wear bright colors to make up for the absence of blossoming flowers. Interesting costumes and jewellery of these desert people are not mere ornaments for them. The dresses of the males and the females are well defined and are made to suit the climate and conditions in which they live. While pagari (turban), angarakha, dhotis or pyjamas, kamarband or patka (waistband) form integral part of a male’s attire, the female’s attire includes ghaghara (long skirt), kurti or choli (tops and blouses respectively) and odhani.

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Men

In Rajasthan, there is a proverb that states that ‘a raga in music, taste in food and knots in a pagari are rare accomplishments.’ The color of the turban, its style and how it is tied gets special attention from the people here as it symbolizes the caste and region from which the person belongs. Angarakha, translated as the body protector, is usually made up of cotton. On festive occasions, people can be seen wearing tie and dye or printed angarakhas. The two main types of angarahkas prevalent in this region are - frockstyle and waist-length kamari angarakha and long angarakha that reaches below one’s knees.

Dhotis or pyjamas serve the purpose of covering the lower part of the body. The dhoti is a 4 m by 1 m cotton cloth that needs some practice to tie perfectly. The Patka, which was carried over the shoulder or around the waist has now become obsolete.

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Women

Rajasthani women wear ankle-length long skirts with narrow waist that gain width like an umbrella at the base. It is called ‘ghaghara’. However, the length has been kept a little short on purpose, so that foot ornaments are visible. The width and the number of pleats in the ‘ghaghara’ symbolize one’s prosperity. The odhani is a cotton cloth 2.5 to 3 meters long and 1.5 to 2 meters wide that acts as a veil for women.

Kids

The kids wear the traditional dresses only for festivals and functions of the family. They boys are mostly school going and wear t-shirts and jeans.

The girls usually wear kurta salwaar, until they become a marriageable age.

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Footwear

‘Mojaris’ or ‘jootis’ (leather shoes made up of cam-

el, goat or sheep skin) are worn by both males and females. Though camel leather is very soft and is only suitable to be worn inside the house, the shoes made up of goatskins and sheepskins are stronger and can be worn outside.

Places to Visit • • • • • • •

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Ajmeri Gate Ma Asapura Bhawani Temple Dadi Dham Ekta Circle Mewadi Gate Fort Masuda Surajpol Gate

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The Artisans Alliance of Jawaja

is an association of leather workers (represented by Jawaja

Leather Association) and weavers (represented by Jawaja Weavers Association) located in the Jawaja block of Ajmer district of Rajasthan.

The Artisans Alliance of Jawaja (AAJ) has a history of 35 years.

It has earned a national and international reputation for the quality of its handmade products, as well as for the experiment in selfreliance which its history represents.

The AAJ is a Self Help Group with a history of 41 years known nationally and internationally for their quality handmade products. Today, AAJ is a respected craft brand in an increasingly competitive global market for handmade products that use heritage skills to meet contemporary needs.

AAJ works as a marketing agency, building entrepreneurship capacities that can give artisans greater control over the marketing process. AAJ, and its two Associations, is managed by the artisans themselves through a democratic system of governance that is linked to its history.

In 1975, the late Prof Ravi Matthai decided to test management knowledge at the gut level of Indian need in the struggles of those oppressed by poverty and neglect. He invited the National Institute of Design, then in the early stages of introducing design education to India, to join his search for relevance. Matthai chose the degraded Jawaja block in Ajmer District (Rajasthan) as the testing ground of new Indian disciplines applied to age-old challenge of poverty and discrimination. How best could contemporary know-how be linked with age-old wisdom and skills? How could new partnerships be forged between modern centres of learning (such as IIMA and NID, the first of several partners with AAJ) and the so-called unorganized sector within which the vast majority of Indians seek their livelihood? To find answers, Matthai christened his experiment ‘The Rural University’. In it, all participants would learn from one another, without classrooms and without any distinctions between teachers and the taught, and in which the ultimate benchmark of achievement would be genuine self-reliance, mutual learning and mutual respect. Thus began an extraordinary Endeavour of farreaching influence, not only on the participants but on some of the most significant efforts in Indian civil society over the past decades. . That experiment linked the artisans with contemporary disciplines and institutions of knowledge, including IIMA and the National Institute of Design (NID), in a relationship of mutual learning and mutual respect.

The Jawaja project attempted to influence rural education through development activities that could make local education relevant to local needs, and help initiate a wider range of economic and social choices.

Early efforts included animal husbandry, vegetable

cultivation, horticulture, weaving of wool and cotton, spinning, leather tanning and fabrication of leather products and even rope-making. In time, products of leather, wool and cotton emerged as the Jawaja brand.

Greater self-reliance was the goal, to reflect an ability of the artisans to gain greater control of livelihood efforts, away from the exploitation by traditional power structures. Villagers learnt to manage their own activities including procurement of materials, handling finances, learning to deal with banks, drawing on specialized institutions of design and technology and above all, acquiring greater command over the marketing process. The number of participating villages grew through a process of one villager teaching another, who teaches another, one village helping another village, and thus gradually building a network of mutually helpful relationships. This extensibility of economic activity was intended to encourage both self-reliance and the ability to dispense or transform the initial external inputs - of which IIMA and NID were the most prominent.

The segment of AAJ that makes the textile products comprises of the weavers calling themselves Jawaja Weavers Association or JWA. The weavers are from the town of Beawar in the block of Jawaja. They share a workshop and godown with the Jawaja Leather Association - the other part of AAJ. The weavers are a small group of people weaving fantastic weaves, all from scratch. They procure very crude form of raw materials and then do all the processes to churn out the beautiful weave they are known for.

The products the weavers make are mainly Floor Mats or Carpets, Yoga Mats, Prayer Mats, Bed Covers, Shawls, Cushion Covers. The beauty of the weaves they make are from the very fact that they are all hand woven and hand spun. In the pages that follow, there is a more detailed account of how they make their products, all the different types of weaves and all their various designs.

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‘दरी’ Dhurrie is a type of woven floor covering manufactured in Rajasthan. The artisans weaving these work on a handloom. Dhurrie is a simple rug that was once used as an underlay, but at present it has become one of the state’s very popular weaving customs. Weavers sit on looms, constructing remarkable blends of designs-mostly geometric sometimes floral-in an exciting mixture of colors.

The product utilises hair from the locally found animals like camel, sheep, goat.

For centuries a widely used floor covering in the Indian subcontinent is now becoming a cult item in Western decoration. Its striking colors and the powerful simplicity and variety of its designs are the perfect accompaniment to 21stcentury interiors. An Indian counterpart of the carpet, Dhurrie is a non-pile rug that has its own unique colors, patterns and materials. Just a few kilometers from Beawar, is the village of BeawarKhas, where weavers of the Jawaja association make the characteristic thick and bright dhurries on their looms at home.

Weaving has been a traditional profession of the people of this village; craftsmen used to weave clothing fabric for local use. As attractive and cheaper synthetic fabrics started replacing the local handloom ones, the weavers needed another source of income, with the skills they had. With the formation of the association, they learnt how to make dhurries, which would be more profitable and a wider reach.

Jawaja dhurries are typically thicker than other rugs, with the use of strong and thicker yarns for weaving. Craftsmen source cotton, wool and jute yarns from the nearby town of Beawar and prepare the warp and bobbins at home. While bobbins are wound with a Charkha, the loom does not consume any electricity either. Once on the loom, an average sized dhurrie of about 4’ x 6’ may take two to three days for completion.

The characteristic striped and geometric patterns are part of the emergence and evolution of this craft. Flaming oranges and magenta translated on to dhurries, from their own odhanis and turbans, bright blues and greens, to counter the lack of it in the surroundings, and subtle harmonies of warm greys of undyed wool are all found in these dhurries.

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DYEING Rang Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material.

Raw Materials & Tools for Dyeing 1.

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Yarns (usually 20s count cotton for warp & 60s count wool for weft) Dyes ( Natural or Chemical, as per the order) Dyeing vessels Water Gas Stove

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The hanks are dipped into the the desired colors and dyed at a specified temperature.

Dyeing takes place at a common dyeing unit located on Ajmer Road. This process takes about one month before the weavers can start spinning their yarns onto bobbins.

The dyed yarns are stored in the godown from where every weaver collects them according to the dhurries to be woven.

Water Management Water scarcity is a common problem across Rajasthan. Therefore, for purposes such as dyeing, water is ordered into the village with the help of tankers.

After dyeing, the water is disposed off onto a barren land. The soil completely absorbs the water.

Though some would argue this deteriorates the groundwater quality, this is the most economic and the most efficient way to let the water get filtered in the most natural way. Better methods could be introduced when the land advances economically.

The dyes used may be natural or chemical.

Natural dyes are rarely used nowadays since they are very costly. They have less color fastness when compared to chemical dyes and are also less versatile in terms of color range. Using natural dyes requires extra care of the product and because of color not being permanent in nature, the customer satisfaction might deteriorate.

Chemical dyes on the other hand are cheaper, having a wide range of color options and are more commonly used in the present day.

The anoline chemical dyes used by AAJ are comparatively safe and proper care is taken while carrying out the dyeing process.

The aniline dyes account for majority of dyes used for leather and yarn in India. If bought from wrong sources though, aniline dyes might be carcinogenic.

They’ve been known to cause bladder cancer on repeated direct contact with the body, which is bound to put the person responsible for dyeing at risk. Sadly, the quality of dyes in Jawaja hasn’t been checked. The use of gloves should be introduced to the people incharge of dyeing if chemical dyes are involved.)

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SPINNING Spinning is the act or process of converting staple or short lengths of fiber into continuous yarn or thread using spinning wheel , locally known as Charkha.

Tools for Spinning 1.

2.

3.

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Bobbins made of wood; yarns for warp and weft Cycle-wheel to funtion the Charkha; Wooden frame to wing the hanks on.

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THE PROCESS 1.

Taana The Warp

Baana The Weft

20s Count Cotton thread is used to set the warp for every dhurrie. It is white in color.

Usually a 60s Count Wool yarn is used as the weft. It is dyed in multiple colors, as required for the order. Cotton or Jute yarns may also be used.

2.

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The yarns, or soot are procured from local markets located in Beawar City. The yarns used are categorized as Warp Yarns (taana) and Weft Yarns (baana).

Once the yarns are dyed, they are wound around bobbins. This is done by employing a charkha with a pedal.

White Cotton yarns are converted from hanks into bobbins by rotating the charkha wheel. These are used for the warp. Dyed wool is also made into bobbins using the same process. These are to be used as weft.

If the bobbins are not made skillfully, they would cause hurdles while warping and also later in the process of weaving. Thus care should be taken as this stage.

This step is usually carried out by the women of the house in Beawar.

Kataee Sambhaal- Spinning handle Aara- Spokes Kataee Pahiya-Spinning Wheel

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Alteran Dharak- Bobbin Holder Ghooran Taar- Roatating Wire Dana- Base of the Wheel

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WARPING Raw Materials & Tools required 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Bobbins of cotton yarn, 20s count Bobbin stand Wooden frame Reed Warping Wheel Lease Sticks Loom Rod

Process 1)

36 bobbins are kept on the bobbin stand.

The bobbins are put on a bobbin stand. typically, yarns from three bobbins are plied together together and passed through hield eyes on the frame.

2)

Warping continues Six yarns together are passed through the reed (comb). Alternate sets of six yarns go up and another set of six yarns go down which later go separately in heald eye either with a reed-hook or by knotting.

3)

Calculation -Total number of bobbins : 36 -Yarns :Three plied dyed yarns -From 36 bobbins sets of six yarns are passed through reed frame through reedhook.

-Set of six yarns are wrapped around the warpping wheel.

-1 round on iron stand = length of 1.5 dhurrie.

-18 rounds = 1 set -Width of dhurrie = 18 rounds x 42 i.e 4feet which is enough for 24 dhurries

4)

Transfer on the loom The warp is shifted from the warping wheel to loom rod. This process usually requires four people.

The loom rod is then carried on a cycle to the weavers house where the loom is kept.

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DRAFTING & DENTING Time is precious! The weavers of Jawaja save a lot of time in their process of Drafting & Denting.

To do so, they set the warp on the loom once. The subsequent new warps are knotted with the old warp and passed through the heald eyes and the reed. Weaving continues – Set of 6 yarns are passed through two consecutive heald eyes as going through two heald eyes together increases the strength of the warp.

Drafting plan - Straight Draft :The process of drawing the warp yarn through the eye of heald frames according to design is called drafting.

Denting plan- 6 are inserted from a single dent.

The process of inserting warp threads or ends through the dents of reed is called denting.

Reeds- 18 in number, reed teeth make it resemble a comb. It is used to push the weft yarn securely into place as it is woven, it also separates the warp threads and holds them in their positions, keeping them untangled, and guides the shuttle as it moves across the loom. Ordinarily, the reed used by the weavers is made of iron wires. They are bound at each end, whose thickness determines the spacing of dents.

A reed count of 18 means that in 1 inch there would be= 18 (reed count) x 6 (no. of threads passing through the eyelet together) Therefore total no. of threads is= 18 x 6 = 108 Threads

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WEAVING This is the stage where the artisan interlaces the colorful weft with warp threads to define the weave. The weft is inserted by employing shuttles. Special shuttle bobbins are prepared on the charkha and then handmade dhurries are woven.

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FINISHING Quality Check Department : Members of quality check department hold a meeting around ten days prior to submission of order to the respective client. This is carried out to ensure proper finishing of the product and required changes are made.

Surplus samples are stored in the godown from where they can be excessed any time.

Photos of the products are also posted on website of AAJ- Artisan Alliances Of Jawaja.

Packaging : Once the product is checked, it is then packaged to be sent over to the client.

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20 Bunkars.

10 Looms.

3 Villages.

There are 5 weaver families working together with 5 looms in Beawar Khas. There are 4 looms in Saradhana, a village 3 km away from Beawar Khas; while Delvadah, another neighboring village, possesses 1 loom.

The number of looms shrank during the economic depression in the year 2000 from 25 to 15. As the number of looms decreased, productivity also went down.

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STORY 30 years ago, the weavers of Jawaja could only afford a meal every other day. Their status in the society prohibited them from accessing the local village wells for drawing water. The caste system remains strong in this region, placing the Meghwal Bunkars at the very bottom of the social ladder. This social oppression worsened due to their poor economic condition.

In 1975, the region experienced an unusual drought, miserably affecting the little agriculture that this region could afford. During this difficult phase, the artisans of Jawaja became catalysts for an experiment conducted by the late professor Ravi J Mitthai of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad (IIMA) in association with the National Institute of Design (NID). The Rural University experiment was Prof. Mitthai’s initiative to forge new partnerships between the so-called ‘informal’ or ‘unorganized’ sector of India through which a majority of Indians seek their livelihood and modern centres of learning such as IIMA and NID.

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The Jawaja block included a cluster of villages, namely, Beawar Khas, Delvadah, Kabra, Kota, Malpura, Jawaja, Sargaon and Sarmaliya. Although this area was not famous for many craft traditions, people possessed looms and were knowledgeable of spinning and weaving. They used their looms to make woollens, shawls, odhnis, and other clothes worn by the local men and women.

Prof. Mitthai convinced the artisans to shift from cloth weaving to manufacturing more profitable products such as durries.

Gradually, a unique classroom was built which transcended the traditional boundaries of students and teachers. Here, participants learnt from one another building an environment of self-reliance, mutual learning and mutual respect. Villagers slowly learnt to manage their activities; from procuring their raw materials, to handling finances, to learning to use the new tools and technology, to the most important step, learning to effectively market their products.

The craft of durrie weaving originated in the village of Beawar Khas, now commonly known as Old Beawar, and slowly spread to neighboring villages such as saradhana, as one villager taught another.

Today, ‘Jawaja’ is a reputed craft brand in an increasingly competitive global market for handmade products, functioning under the Artisans Alliance of Jawaja (AAJ). In the words of the Canadian association, MAIWA, “Jawaja is an uncommon 76 .example of self-reliance through mutual learning. It has inspired individuals and organizations across the world.”

In 2004, the Jawaja Weavers’ Association realized that it is under heavy debt. The association kept taking loans and the cashier did not keep any record of the same in their books of accounts. Due to this negligence, the weavers had to go through a very harsh financial period. This event forced many weavers to quit the organization as they couldn’t repay the loan. Some members expired. However, the remaining few were motivated to keep the organization going as they realized that the loan would have to be repayed in any case; whether they shut down completely, or continue to run their operations.

They motivated themselves by thinking of the better times the association had during its golden period. They worked hard, got external help and eventually there came a time when they were able to pay off the debt. With time the association has been able to stabilize their financial condition.

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TRIBE

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The Meghwal (or Megh, Meghwar) people live primarily in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. They were considered to be an untouchable community under the Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna and are now classified as a Scheduled Caste under India’s system of positive discrimination. Their traditional occupation was weaving. Most are Hindu by religion, with Rishi Megh, Kabir, Ram Devji and Bankar Mataji their chief gods.

They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh, a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds through his prayer. The word Meghwar is derived from the Sanskrit words megh, meaning clouds and rain, and war, meaning a group, son and child. Literally, then, the words Meghwal and Meghwar connote a people who belong to Megh lineage.

Some Meghwals are associated with other social groups. Shyam Lal Rawat refers to the Meghwals of Rajasthan as “one of the dominating low untouchable castes earlier known as Chamars�, and the Balali and Bunkar communities have also begun using the Meghwal name.

In the countryside of Rajasthan, many of the people of this community still reside in small hamlets of round, mud-brick huts painted on the outside with colourful geometric designs. In earlier days the main occupation of the Meghwal community was agricultural labour, weaving, specially Khadi and this is still the main occupation. The women are famous for their embroidery work and are master wool and cotton weavers.

Increasing numbers of the Meghwal today are educated and are obtaining government jobsTiny business and service units are their main support for livelihood.

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WOMEN While it is women of Jawaja who are offered dowry during marriage, they have low status in traditional Meghwal society. Marriages are arranged through negotiation between the families before puberty. After marriage, the wife moves to the husband's house, except for the period of childbirth. However, divorce is allowed, with the father retaining liability for the children and compensation paid to the wife.

Even so, things will change soon. The education sex ratio is better balanced in the schools of Beawar Khas than it is in Jaipur, the capital city.

Where there is literacy, there is hope.

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THE CRAFT TODAY The craft is in the hands of an ageing population. The present generation is looking for greener pastures in the cities. Irregular income, lack of new infrastructure leads the younger population to shift to Beawar City to work as labour in factories of cement and rock. The craft is also finding it hard to catch up with the modern times. For any profession to prosper, it needs to evolve with time. Due to the old infrastructure and no use of new technology, the craft is finding it hard to keep up with the fast paced world. Although AAJ has an online portal, lack of good presentation and marketing keeps it from reaching large audiences. The craft men now hold various exhibitions, especially in Delhi and are now supported by various clients who then sell it through their portals or showrooms.

Major clients today : 1.

Cottage Emporium 2.

Novica India (online portal) 3.

Ode To Earth (Hauz Khas) 4.

Exhibitions held at Dilli Haat, Kisan Haat, Dastkar MelaW 5.

MAIWA Foundation from Canada 6.

Fabindia 7.

Ode to Earth

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FINANCES Ramlal Ji, the cashier of the association, says it has been easy to manage the finances since an increase in contracts and exhibitions. The AAJ Weavers have great unity, and there are no conflicts to bother the hardworkers. The weavers who weren’t putting in time and effort were ousted from the association. A standard Durrie that takes 3 days to make costs them Rs. 600 for raw material, and after investing a lot of time into the flatwoven masterpiece, they sell it for Rs. 2500, which further makes a profit of around Rs. 2000 for the client that has bought the product. This is better than selling the product on their own until the association achieves a higher name because the product prices shouldn’t be bargained for a lesser price than at which they already are. Also, this method save them huge investments on retail space and design, and the funds of the association are better used for product betterment and should be invested for purchasing power looms.

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Shiv Raj

Age: 35 years Gender: Male Language: Hindi, Marwadi Educational Quali cation: Primary Occupation: Durrie Weaver Experience: 17 years Side Occupation: Farming Monthly Income: Rs.5000-7500

Jagdish Prasad

Age: 45 Years Gender: Male Language Known: Hindi, Marwadi Educational Quali cation: Secondary Occupation: Durrie Weaver Experience: 35 years Monthly Income: Rs.5000-7500 Family Background: wife and one daughter

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Pusha Ram Age: 38 years Gender: Male Languages Known: Hindi, Marwadi Educational Quali cation: Primary Occupation: Durrie Weaver Experience: Monthly Income: Rs.5000- 7500 Family Background: wife and two boys

Hapur Lal Age: 30 yrs Gender: male Language: Hindi, Marwadi Education: 6th standard Occupation: Durrie Weaver Experience: 6 years Side Occupation: Farming Monthly Income: Rs.5000-7500

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STRENGTHS 1. Self-Reliance: The Artisans Alliance of Jawaja is a completely self-reliant organization managing all its functions; from procuring raw materials to marketing and selling their products. The organization also manages its own finances without taking loans from an outsider.

2. Loyalty & Trust: There is a very high degree of loyalty and trust among the members of the AAJ. No member would take orders outside the knowledge of the association.

3. Equality among members: Any order procured by the association is equally divided among all members. This is to ensure that they share the workload equally amongst themselves. The equal division of work also ensures equal earning for all members.

4. Committed Workforce: The artisans make for a committed workforce which devotes up to 8-10 hours of hard work daily to ensure smooth functioning of their organization.

5. Skills: The artisans working under the AAJ are all master craftsmen with an experience of 1520 loyears on an average. This makes them highly skilled weavers.

6. Availability of Raw Materials: There is easy availability of raw materials. They are mostly procured from local markets. The yarns come from Beawar City. Other materials are also locally available.

7. Quality of Products: Jawaja durries are known for their quality. The artisans maintain their standards in terms of yarns and dyes used. Quality control is a very important step in their process of production.

8. 100% Handmade: Jawaja durries are entirely hand crafted. The yarns are manually dyed, spun on the charkha by hand and woven on a hand-operated loom.

Hence there is no use of power-operated machinery.

9. Patterns & Colors: These durries are known for simple striped and geometric patterns woven in flaming oranges and magentas which come from the local peoples’ odhanis and turbans. They are balanced with subtle greys and warm beiges.

10. Belonging to the Organized Sector: The organization is registered with the government and hence comes under the Organized of Formal Sector. This enables them to get loams or other help provided by the government.

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WEAKNESSES 1. Lack of Education: The artisans under AAJ lack education. On an average, they have studied up to the secondary level.

2. Language Barrier: The artisans are fluent in Hindi and Marwadi. However, this is often not enough. In today’s globalized world, it becomes difficult for them to interact with the English speaking market.

3. Distance from markets: The villages where the craft is practiced are hundreds of kilometres away from the markets. This distance makes it hard for the artisans to cover a large geographical area while selling their products.

4. Old Looms: Old tools and technology pose a challenge when one wants to maintain quality. Deteriorating condition of the looms makes it difficult to achieve perfection.

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5. Lack of Good Marketing: Presentation of a product is as important as its quality and the process used to make it. The artisans lack good marketing skills which poses a barrier when it comes to reaching the global market.

6. Irregular Income: Orders flow in smoothly for about 6 months in a year. This accounts for irregular income for the artisans.

7. Delayed Payments: Payments in this trade are usually received after 3 months.

This sometimes causes problems in maintaining a regular flow of cash.

8. Range of Products: The weavers do not have a wide range of products to offer to their clients. Their product range is mostly dominated by durries. Some other products include cushion covers.

9. Lack of Symbolism in products: Jawaja durries are mostly known for weaves with simple striped and geometric designs. They usually do not follow any specific color palette of their own. Hence, there is no symbolism in terms of colors or motifs.

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OPPORTUNITIES 1. Better Looms: Better tools and technology can help the weavers to increase their range of products; where both cloth and durries can be woven on one loom. New machinery will also ensure good quality and perfection in designs.

2. Better Design Opportunities: Collaborating with designers can give the artisans an opportunity to weave better designs. The clients today look for good design. Hence newness in terms of design is the need of the hour. This can achieve if artisans work closely with designers.

3. School-going Younger Generation: The younger generation is going to schools today.

Their education can help the organization in further development. Many children are going to English-medium schools. This can help the association overcome its language barrier in the near future.

4. Computer Literate Children: Some children are computer literate. They can make use of information and communication technology to reach out to wider markets.

5. Symbolism in Product: Having certain motifs and colors which could carve a new identity for Jawaja durries can help in creating more demand. This could become a high selling point.

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THREATS 1. Younger generation may not continue the craft: The younger generation is being educated well today. They might want to look for better job opportunities in the city.

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2. Craft is in the hands of ageing population: As the craft is in the hands of an ageing population, it is at risk. If only the younger generation takes responsibility and steps in, the crafts could survive in the future.

3. Shrinking number of looms: The number of looms has reduced from 25 to 11 in the last two decades. This has led to decrease in the productivity levels of the organization.

4. Power loom products: Power loom products are faster to produce and available more widely in the market. They can pose as a threat to hand-made durries as the former can have.

5. Recognition in the market: If the uniqueness of the craft is not maintained, and a repport is not built with the designers, the craft will soon be replaced by better and faster supplies of the craft product.

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intervention NIFT INTERVENTION IN CRAFT CLUSTER INITIATIVE

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In the post British era, Indian crafts deteriorated after the conditions needed for their sustainability were exhausted. Stagnation of the native crafts of a land is entirely synonymous with a slump in the cultural value that a land holds.

Many governments and industry organizations around the globe have turned to this concept in recent years as a means to stimulate urban and rural economic growth. As a result, a large number of cluster initiative organizations were started during the 1990s, and the trend continues, and was then taken up in India.

India has a rich history and heritage of arts & crafts from different regions, and a growing tourism industry. Combining the two can help empower livelihoods in rural India while giving India’s crafts heritage the visibility it deserves.

India today has more than 3000 crafts, struggling for survival. Our country’s culture is embodied in its art and crafts- our mythology, nature, customs and very often our science can be found in these.

These arts & crafts are the inheritors of centuries of traditional skills and complex knowledge acquired after long periods of apprenticeship.

The arts & crafts represent, economically, strong valueadded activities. Developing and integrating them within a network of education and tourism can benefit the whole collective economically.

It can create a new dynamism and providing sustainability for both sectors.

In 2015, on the occasion of the

first National Handloom Day, the honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi stressed on the need for linking handloom with fashion in order to boost the sector and promote the rich handlooms of India on a global platform. Taking forward the vision of the honourable Prime Minister, NIFT has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DC (Handlooms and Handicrafts) to implement a new Craft Cluster Initiative, which will provide the students with continuous exposure to core strength of Indian culture, handloom and handicraft clusters, thus providing opportunity for creative innovation and experimentation.

This intends create many opportunities to expose city dwellers – and indeed all Indians – to our traditional arts & crafts, lives of rural artisans, and the ethos of traditional, eco-friendly materials and processes of traditional industries. Art & Craft tourism will help citizens rediscover the pride of Made in India, embodied in our traditional Arts & Crafts, many of which are as old as the Ramayana, and our aesthetic and intellectual property.

Arts & crafts clusters, co-operatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), and artisans exist all over India, and importantly, in regions where tourism is not a traditional activity. These constitute a valuable network which could be voluntarily redeployed in a balanced strategy of demographic and tourism management.

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NIFT, with active support from the Ministry of Rural Development, Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts & Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, is developing and implementing craft cluster initiative towards the overall progress of craft, the cottage industry and vocational activities. The intention of the project is to involve NIFT’s professional capabilities in the areas of design, technology, marketing and management along with external expertise, and synergize all developmental activities by various government and non-government agencies.

As a leader of fashion education in India, NIFT realizes the importance of its social responsibilities and continues its endeavour to create grounded designers who are able to appreciate and promote the various crafts of India. Several academic activities help to sensitize the students towards the realities of the craft sector and provide insight into regional sensibilities. As a regular activity, the students of NIFT are sensitized to the clusters of handloom and handicrafts at the end of their second year as a part of the curriculum. Craft Research and Documentation is a mandatory subject for all the under graduate Design and post graduate Design and Management students.

NIFT has also collaborated with the Ministry of Minority Affairs under the USTTAD Scheme, as knowledge partner with the objective of training and upgrading skills of craft persons belonging to the minority communities thereby preserving traditional ancestral crafts being practiced by them. The project will encompass 25 Handlooms and Handicrafts, being practiced by minority communities of India.

It is envisaged that the craft exposure will help the students to become ‘Young Change Agents’ and utilize the skills of the handloom and handicraft sectors for developing niche contemporary products. The experienced NIFT faculty will contribute by monitoring the student activities, offering customized training programs and sharing design inputs, thereby enhancing the commercial value of products being manufactured by the artisans.

Such exposure and interactions will provide a stronger rural connect and a greater understanding and appreciation of Indian culture and aesthetics to the young design professionals.

NIFT has an advantage of connecting with the

handloom and handicraft clusters and forge new partnerships, due to its presence in 15 states across the country. Under this initiative, various campuses of NIFT will adopt local clusters and will be carrying out activities involving product development, design intervention, knowledge sharing and capacity building for the next five years.

The designers-in-the-making that visit from our institutes bring their knowledge of trends into the crafts. Students that deal in Fashion and Textile departments establish contacts with the craftsmen and a symbiotic amicable bond is made with which both parties benefit. Through this initiative, craftsmen get to meet the emerging designers, who in turn, get to meet up with experienced craftsmen and learn what makes them the best at what they have been doing for years.

Understanding Tradition, Heritage and Business from trying to see from the eyes of the people who are invested in these crafts, NIFT has created a bond with them. Documentation has continued all these years, only gradually becoming more profound in understanding.

The students at NIFT specialize in the areas of design, technology, management and communication. According to the specialization, students will be contributing in varied areas in the clusters. The Design students will contribute in the areas of design intelligence, design innovation and product development.

The Management students will contribute in the areas of supply chain management, brand management, retail entrepreneurships, organizational development and systems design and development. The students will also contribute in the areas of process innovation, production planning, and research based improvisation and quality management. The communication students will assist artisans to develop distinct identity of the handloom and handicraft cluster through logo, promotional materials like posters, brochures and catalogues.

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glossary

A

AAAJ: Artisans Alliance of Jawaja

B

Baana/Weft: The threads that run from side to side (selvedge to selvedge) on a loom or in a woven fabric. It is also called filling thread or pick.

Bandhej – Bandhani is a type of tie:dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the help of fingernails into many bindings that form a figurative de sign.

Bobbin: It is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which yarn is wound.

Bunkar: a weaver

C

Charkha: It is one of the oldest known forms of the spinning wheel. The drive wheel is turned by hand, while the yarn is spun off the tip of the spindle.

D

Draft : A “map” of the weave structure.

Durrie: A type of woven floor covering commonly made on the handloom in India.

Dye/Rang: A substance used for changing the color of the cloth, usually permanently. Dyes may be natural or chemically produced.

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E

E.P.I. : short:form for “ends per inch”. The number of warp ends in each inch of fabric as you count them side to side.

H

Heald eyes – devices within the shafts or harnesses of the loom with an “eye” through which warp ends are threaded. They can be made of string, wire, flat steel or polyester.

I

Ishta Deva: A personal favorite deity in Hinduism who is believed to guide the soul through to the ultimate destination ie. Moksha

L

Lease Sticks – flat sticks which are usually the width of your loom. In some techniques of warping, they can be used for keeping a warp cross secure while proceeding with dressing the loom.

M

MAIWA: A Canadian association deeply invested in textiles. It’s not only a very high profile brand for textile products, but also gives courses by prominent people in the textile industry.

Meghwals: The Meghwal or Meghwar people live primarily in northwest India, with a small population in Pakistan. They were considered to be an untouchable community under the Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna and are now classified as a Scheduled Caste under India’s system of positive discrimination. Their traditional occupation was weaving. Most are Hindu by religion, with Rishi Megh, Kabir, Ram Devji and Bankar Mataji their chief gods.

P

P.P.I. : picks per inch. This is the number of weft shots in an inch of weaving length – just as epi is the number of warp ends per inch of weaving width.

Pagdi: A Rajasthani turban, which is made using multicolored cloth usually 9 meters in length, and is twisted and wrapped around the head.

Ply: When yarn is spun, it is twisted into a single strand. Two strands together are called a 2:ply yarn, 3 singles a 3:ply yarn etc. Plied yarns are generally more “balanced” and easier to handle than singles for warping.

R

Ram: Ram: A way to reminisce one’s Lords name while greeting one’s fellow with a bow and folded hands, or either.

Ramdevji: Hindu folk deity in Rajasthan Revenue Village: It is a small administrative region in India with well:defined borders.

S

Selvedge : the sides of the fabric. Sealed edges that don’t ravel, just like on commercial fabrics.

Shuttle – a device to assist storing and delivering yarn as weft. They can be a flat stick, ski shape, or boat shuttle.

Spinning: It is the act of converting staple or short length fibre into continuous yarn using a spinning wheel, also known as charkha.

W

Warp/Taana: A series of yarns extended lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the weft. These yarns are loaded onto the loom, under tension, in preparation f or weaving. Each thread is called an end.

Weaving: It is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.

Y

Yarn/Soot: A long, thin piece of cotton, wool, etc., that is thicker than thread and is used for knitting and weaving.

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Books, eBooks and Journals • • • • • • •

Shankar, Ann and Jerry, Housego (1997). Bridal Durries Of India. Ahem dabad. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd., p.133-147 Swaminarayan, Dhwani, Walia, Gurinder Singh, Prachi Agarwal (2009).

Cluster Development Initiative by NIFT: Suredranagar “New Marketing and Merchandising Strategies for Khadi Durries. Gandhinagar. NIFT, p. 70-78 Ravi Goswami (1992). Weavers of Jawaja. Ahemdabad. NID, p. 45-197 Chandravijai Singh and Suresh Sethi (1992). Gandhi Lohars and Kumbhars of Jawaja. Ahemdabad. NID, p. 143-156 Kulkarni, Chinmayee; Yadav, Gaurav and Bharti, Rimjhim (2016). Bunkar of Beawar. Gandhinagar. NIFT, p. 123-245 Ahuja, Shyam; Ahuja, Meera and Maluste, Mridula (1999). Dhurries: The Flatwovwn Rugs of India. Gujarat. ACC Art Books, p. 167- 187 Chaldecott, Nada (2003). Dhurries: History Technique Pattern Identifica tion. London. Thames and Hudson, p. 23- 45

Websites • www.aajweavers.com • www.gaatha.com/jawaja-durries • rajasthantextiles.com/literature/durries • welcome2rajasthan.in • www.villageinfo.com/rajasthan Maps • Craft map of Goa compiled by Dastakar Haat Samiti

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ANMOL GUPTA •

Layouting

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Photography

HAPUR LAL

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ANAVI •

Content

•

Editor

LAXMI LAL

RAM LAL

RISHABH VERMA

L

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Photography

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Editing

JANHAVI SINGH

MEHAK DEVGUN •

Illustrations

•

Editing

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Photography

•

Editing

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घणी खम्मा

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