Dhurrie Craft of Achalpur
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National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai Bachelor of Fashion Technology in Fashion Communication
CERTIFICATE This is to certify that this Reseach work Titled “Dhurrie Craft of Achalpur” is a bonafide work of Aashima Kapur, Amarendra Singh, Neha Harit, Nitya Paul, Mihika Maheshwari, Sanjna Urval and Shreya Tingal towards the partial fulfillment of the ‘Craft Cluster’ requirement for that of the undergraduate degree in Fashion Communication 2016-2020 of NIFT, Mumbai.
Course Co ordinator
Mentor
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Acknowledgement We are very grateful to our mentors for helping us shape our Research work. We sincerely thank Mr. Vinesh Tapre for guiding us through our research work and analyzing our data to the optimum as well as giving us local contacts. We would like to thank the craftsmen Mr. Zainul Abedin and Mr. Ashok Bene for their time and patience in answering all our questions. National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai for giving us this very remarkable experience.
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PREFACE
The Dhurrie making craft of Achalpur is that of an old one with a lot of rich and cultured history behind it. With the help of this document we have explored not only the history of the craft but also the craftsmen, their lifestyle and the problems that they face. Due to the rapid productions in the power loom industry, the Panja Dhurrie craftsmen have decreased drastically. From a proud number of 1500 craftsmen there is only family left in Achalpur, Amravati who are trying their best to keep this craft alive. It is our aim to give this craft and its craftsmen a platform and exposure that they need in order to exhibit this marvel, so that with this recognition they can assemble more craftsmen and shape a solid cluster to take this craft to its full potential.
Introduction
Achalpur, Amravati
Dhurries of Achalpur
1.1) Need for Cluster Projects 1.2) Government Initiatives 1.3) NIFT and Cluster 1.4) Objectives
2.1) About Achalpur 2.2) How to reach there 2.3) History 2.4) Culture 2.5) Attractions 2.6) People 2.7) Cuisine
3.1) The difference between Carpet and Dhurrie 3.2) Origin 3.3) Panja - Dhurrie 3.4) Tools 3.5) Process of creating a Dhurrie 3.6) Designs and Motifs 3.7) Manpower
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CONTENTS
Evolution 1.1) Need for Cluster Projects 4.1) Handloom and Handloom Productions 4.2) Branding
Business Production 5.1) Government initiatives 5.2) Small Scale Industry’s sole proprietorships and its role 5.3) Orders and Business
Sustainability Business Propositions Problems and Suggested Solutions Conclusion Our Experience Questionnaire Glossary References
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Need for Cluster projects India is the land with the diversity and distinctive art, craft and heritage. These arts and crafts are passed on from generation to generation. It is specific to particular region like Satranj Dhurrie from Achalpur in Amravati(Maharashtra). These crafts are produced by artisans in village who are proficient in their own way. This art is like their family business. They learn this art as a part of their tradition. to earn their livelihood. In this modern age of electronics, art and craft is lagging behind time. People are moving from village to cities leaving their tradition and old profession behind, adopting modern lifestyle. The art and craft artisans are moving to new avenues to earn their livelihood. Instead of modernising their art and craft manufacturing, marketing and supply chain, they are opting to work somewhere else.
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1.2 Government Initiatives In order to protect art, craft and heritage of our country, the government of India is working meticulously through various initiatives taken by various Ministries, like Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Rural Developement, Ministry of Tourism etc. There are several programmes to promote the Art and Craft industry and Cluster Developement is one of them. Cluster Development not only helps the artisans with their livelihood but also makes the youth of the country sensitive towards crafts of India and the people by giving them an insight into the lives of the faces behind our culture and crafts.This is also helpful for the artisans and their business as the youth gives them solutions and suggestions according to the current trends and likings of the people.
1.3 NIFT and Cluster Ministry of textiles with the help of National Institute of Fashion Technology is running cluster initiatives across India through its 15 centres into different art and craft. The cluster initiative taken by NIFT Mumbai are at different parts in all over Maharashtra. In this cluster programme NIFT centres sends its students from various departments to study different crafts. Students interact and spend time with the local artisans to know their art and craft and understand their skills. After doing research, the students help the artisans by providing them with market development plan, modernization plans, quality control measures as well as making them aware of the government control schemes and more.
1.4 Objectives The objective for the Amravati Durrie craft were to know their history, evolution of craft and various products, their price point, technology, production system manpower level, current price points, distribution networks and current promotion mix.The objective is also to be senstive to the lifestyle of the people making the crafts of India so that the students themselves try to promote the craft through their means.
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ACHALPUR
Amravati is a city located in the state of Maharashtra. It was established in 1097 AD. The whole city is situated between two rivers: PURNA RIVER on the West and WARDHA RIVER on the East. Amravati covers a total area of 183 km sq. Amravati gets its name from the ancient Ambadevi Temple. Amravati, a Sanskrit word, literally means “Abode of Immortals”.
ABOUT
Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur and Illychpur, is a city and a municipal council in Amravati District after Amravati and seventh most populous city in Vidarbha. It has a twin city known as Paratwada. Achalpur and Paratwada as a twin city which has an average elevation of 369 metres (1210 ft). This twin city is surrounded by rivers named Sapan and Bichan, the tributaries of Chandrabhaga river. There is a hilly area that acts like a fence to this city. This city is at the boundary of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and it takes only about 10km of travel to changes the state region. As of 2001 India census, Achalpur and Paratwada had a population of 1,07,304 males and constitutes to 52% of the population with 48% females. Achalpur has an average literacy rate of 88% higher than the national average of 59.5% with 54% of the males and 46% of females literate. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
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H O W T O R E A C H A M R A V AT I
How to reach Amravati How to reach Amravati How to reach Amravati by Road by Rail by Air The nearest Airport from Amravati is Amravati Airport, located at Belora, roughly 15 Kms from Amravati Town. The airport does not have scheduled commercial flight services as of yet. The other nearest Airport is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur, 136 Kms from the town. Connecting flights to major Indian cities can be availed from here.
Amravati is on the Badnera – Nagpur line and there are many trains that connect Amravati to several important places of the country. Amravati has daily trains to Mumbai, Nagpur, Surat, Bhusawa, Tirupati, Jabalpur and Pune via Mumbai Superfast Express, Surat Fast Passenger, Nagpur Passenger, Bhusaval Passenger, Tirupati Superfast Express and Pune Express.
There are many convenient ways to reach Amravati by road. It is 190 Kms from Nagpur, 320 Kms from Bhopal, 356 Kms from Indore, 577 Kms from Pune and 672 Kms from Mumbai. It is well connected with all major cities of the state and country like Indore, Raipur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Bhopal, Aurangabad, Jabalpur, Pune, Akola, Nanded, and Parbhani by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation
HISTORY
Achalpur has seen many rulers throughout the decades. Achalpur was ruled by: Khilji (1290-1320) Nizams (1575-1596) Mughals (1596-1724) Asaf Jah (1724-1833) Achalpur Nawabs (1764-1775) British (1853-1947) Before Illychpur it was also known as Alkauj, Urlakpur, followed by Adachpur and Ilachpur.In the 13th century, it was a well known city of India. Eventinually, with time it lost its place as a prominent city of India. We can see the grandeur of city in old forts and gates of Achalpur.Even though Parathwada was a camp in Achalpur back then, Parathwada is now more developed than Achalpur itself.
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AT T R A C T I O N The history of the city could well be said to be the history of Berar itself. The town is full of old buildings of greater or less importance, which bear testimony to its fortunes under different rulers. Hauz Katora, a ruined octagonal tower of brick, mortar and sandstone, about 3 km to the west of Acalpur. It is believed to have been built by Ahmad Sah Wali Bahamani. The architecture of it is in the style known as Pathan. Now the tank is full of mud and has lost both its shape as well as depth. The tower stands 24.68 metres in height and has three storeys; it is said that a fourth and a fifth were removed by one of the Navabs to provide materials for his own palace. The tower is also believed to have a cellar which is now supposed to have sunk in the mud. The edifice is long past repairs. Bebagh, an ancient graveyard(Qabristaan) with rich architecture and intricate designs, is found amidst the city of Achalpur. Ambadevi Temple – City gets its name from Ambadevi, the temple is situated in the center of the city. Chikhaldara is the only Hill station in Vidarbha region, it is situated at an altitude of 1118m and is about 85km drive from Amravati.
PEOPLE
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Initially about 50 families in Achalpur were indulged in the craft, now only one family pursues it. On asking about the reason we found out that since this business is tedious, involves backbreaking work and yields very less income, people are finding alternatives which involve considerably less hard work and more income. Achalpur, even after being located in Maharashtra, we see more Muslims in number in comparison to Hindu. So much so, we see people conversing in Hindi more than Marathi. Zainul Abedin, our craftsman, the current successor of Yadhullahi Carpet, has a family of 13 members. The family includes his parents, wife a 11-yearold daughter and two sons, 9 and 7-year-old respectively. He also has a younger brother, a sister-in-law and niece and nephews. Though Zainul Bhai was pursuing BA from a college in his hometown, he took over the family business in the first year of his graduation due to depleting health of his father. From his immediate family, apart from Zainul bhai, his other two uncles help him with the business. Though Zainul bhai got into the business owing to a mid-life crisis, soon he understood the value of the dying craft and decided to carry on the family legacy. Another family that is involved in the process of supplying dyed thread for the Zainul Bhai’s craft is that of Ashok Bene. Ashok Ji himself has his own handloom factory that is located on the other side of the river.
Culture For the celebrations of festivals in Achalpur, it is very joyful as both Hindu and Muslims come together and have no differences in this small city. They are all united in this own little community of theirs. On Eid, sweets are distributed to every person irrespective of the caste and the same goes for on the day before of Lakshmi Puja where everyone is personally invited to the host’s house for the same.
Cuisine As this city is mainly a muslim populated one Chicken Biryani is a very special dish among them where as in the Hindus that mainly comprise of Maharashtrians, Puran Poli is very popular. Puran poli is an Indian sweet flatbread.
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DHURRIE OF ACHALPUR
The dhurrie is a woven floor-covering that started out as a humble version of the carpet. It is often utilized as a floor mat, but it could also be used as the bottom lining of bed covering. Until the middle of the 20th century, the dhurrie was not considered to be as stylish, posh or attractive as the carpet, since it was intended to be more functional than decorative. In those days, it mostly had ordinary, dull designs and colours that tended to run. In 1947, the Partition of India occurred; it was also then that there were some significant developments to the dhurrie. As the inhabitants of Hyderabad, Jhang and Multan were relocated to the areas around Panipat, they took with them their ancestral craft of weaving. They carried on with their craft and weaving expertise, but they soon noticed a threat to their livelihood: the mills in that region were capable of manufacturing dhurrie rugs in a shorter time, so they sold for a cheaper price. The traditional weavers then decided to outdo their competition by incorporating new colours and more interesting designs into their hand-loom dhurries. The usual striped patterns soon gave way to more intricate handwork, such as geometric shapes and floral motifs. To supplement the commonly-used blue and red hues, an array of richer, more attractive colours were integrated into the woven designs.
3.1 The Difference between Carpet and Durrie Although durries have a similar weaving process to carpets, they differ on various counts. A durrie is a flat, woven, light rug, usually reversible, whereas a carpet is usually heavier, with one display side. A durrie is lighter because it is mainly made of cotton, while a carpet uses wool and is thicker as well. This also makes carpets more expensive. The process of durrie making is different from that of carpet making. Normally, the main tool in durrie making is a vertical frame composed of two horizontal beams on which the warp is fitted, unlike the big looms carpet making involves. Durrie making is also less time consuming. Due to the difference in price, the clientele of durries and carpets differ. Durries can be found in many poor households of the country, whereas carpets normally adorn the abodes of the well-off.
3.2 Origin Durries weaving reached India under the rule of the Mughal emperors. Dhurries first received international recognition in 1851 at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. Later on, dhurries gained more attention at the Delhi exhibition in 1902. During these periods, prisoners of the local jails were introduced to dhurrie weaving in Jaipur by the Maharaja, Sawai Ram Singh II. By the 20th century, prisoners in all Indian jails started weaving. It is widely accepted that to compete with mechanisation weavers started producing colourful, intricate designs which were hard to copy and prodiuce on machines. This gave birth to the modest Cotton dhurrie in today’s form.
Punja weaving forms part of India’s glorious weaving traditions. It is believed to be a time-tested and long-used method of flooring in India. The Durrie is a small carpet woven by women in rural areas on two parallel bars of looms. This carpet is found to be commonly used in Indian villages. The hand made carpets also reflect Persian influence and the cotton durries have the most beautiful geometrical motifs and pastel shades. The wool dhurries are based on contemporary designs, which are geometric, floral or a play of colours which are close tonal variations of a shade. The weaving technique produces weftfaced design in a dhurrie, in which the warp is made of cotton yarn, and the weft is made of wool yarn. The tensile
strength of cotton yarn in the warp, provides a strong foundation to the rug. A claw-like device, called Punja, is used by the weavers to densely pack the weft yarn to almost hide the warp. The weaving technique used in producing wool Punja dhurries is called weft-faced plain weave or tapestry weave. This technique results in identical design on both the sides of the dhurrie.The wool yarn used in the weft is dyed before the start of the weaving on the loom. The weavers use horizontal pit looms as well as vertical looms to weave the dhurries. After the dhurrie is woven and taken off the loom, the excess fibre is sheared. Finally, the dhurrie is singed and then washed, before it is stretched to perfect its rectangular shape.
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TOOLS
These are the tools that are used to create the whole loom and then the dhurries are prepared. 1) Kaath: It is used to stretch the white threads to the opposite of the Loom. it is fixed using thick ropes and hammered down into the soil/ sand ground. It is used in orde to make sure that no warp and weft line stay loose, or the dhurrie dont go out of shape. The threads are stretched and are tied in knots around the kaath. Scraps of iron rods are used, and are not bought specially. 2) Gurad: Gurad is the warp beam. It is used to pass over and under the weft. in order to secure the weave line.They make this by tieing these purple knots along with the tana, so that the warp stays tight and no loose ends are left. 3) Taana: These are the warp threads that are extended tightly from the warp bean to the Kaath. It helps in tight and secured weaving and keeps the shape proper. 1 cm gap is left between each thread and the end of them has thick thread which is the end of the carpet. It is called Gaanth.
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4) Tayri: Tayri are the large oval rolls of the cotton yarn. Each cotton thread i rollled over and over again with the help of charkha. Phaan is prepared. and with the Phaan Tayri is prepared. These tayri are used as the weft line is the roll over the warp yarns. These tayris are prepared by the women of the house. 5) Panja : It’s used to secure the weft yarns against the warp yarns. It’s similar to our palm and hence, name “panja.” It’s shaped like the letter “Y.” It has a wooden based with a metallic claw like strucutre 6) Ghoda : It consists of three parts - two trapezium shaped frames and one rod. The trapezium frames are placed parallel to each other, distance being the width of the dhurrie. Both end of the rods are placed on either side of the trapezium like structure. 7) Makad : There are two makads on each side of the ghoda. It’s made out of Bamboo or wood. It’s used to lift the gurad after passing the weft yarns. It’s a curve like structure which allows easy movement over the ghoda. At the ends of each makad a rope is tied and looped over the gurad so that with the movement of makad(front and back), the gurad also moves(up or down)
Before the actual process of Dhurrie making starts, procuring the exact shade of dye is very important. The dyed threads used by Zainul Bhai is bought from Ashok Ji’s factory. At the handloom factory, there are 8 - 10 skilled craftsmen that take care of the entire process from dyeing the thread to making a fabric out of it. The process of dyeing the thread is that of a long one and is as follows 1) The thread is bought from Nagpur and then they are opened on the rods (rhat in local language). 2) Divided into fine single threads, after which 8 of these fine threads are taken through a bangle and twisted together to make a thicker thread which is used on the loom. 3) These thicker threads are then assorted into bundles that are made ready fro the process of dyeing. 4) At the factory, there is a pit designed especially to soak the bundles in a mix of castor oil (known as arandi tel in local language), and acids such as nitric and hydro. Without this process, the threads won’t soak in the colour. 5) To achieve the desired colour, the thread as to be softened, pressed and beaten before the actual dyeing process takes place. First the oil is soaked in the mix for an approximate of 2 hours so it becomes soft. After which is removed and beaten to remove all the excess mixture. It is beaten with a bat (called altu / mogre in the local language). 6) After this to remove the excess water is it twisted and squeezed by placing it on a rod and turning it with the help of another rod. 7) Once the threads have dried and, below the dyeing pit,
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wood is burnt to heat up the water to a boiling point. 8) While the water us being heated, ingredients that will make the dye permanent are added. Such as rock salt, sodium, caustic soda and the desired dye colour. 9) It is stirred for a while as it is still heating. 10) While the water is still heating, bundles of threads are gathered and placed on a rod. 11) They are then pushed together to form a bigger bundle. 12) And in order to set them, together they are rigorously hauled in an up - down motion with the help of another rod. 13) After 4-5 such bundles are prepared, they are ready for the process of dyeing. 14 ) These 5 bundles are now inserted into the boiling water with gloves worn to protect the hand from any damage. 15) It is then rotated so that every part of the thread is dyed perfectly, this process is repeated at least 4-5 times after which the thread is left to sit in the water for about 1-2 minutes. 16) They are then pulled put and the excess dyed water is squeezed out by twisting the threads in both clock wise and anti clock wise manner. 17) After they are tossed aside they are again twisted and
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Preparing the loom
Step 1 - Setting the Ghoda
Step 3 - Setting the Tana Rolls of white strong threads are then pulled and tied from one kaath to another. over the kaath (with mere assumption and experience) 1 cm is left between each tana(thread). It is amazing to see the preciseness in the distance maintained without any marking or measurements. The thread is tied from one kaath, stretched to the other end rolled below the other kaath and pulled back to start kath and rolled back up and it goes on. these are called the warp yarns. No loose tana should be left.
Ghoda is the backbone of the complete loom. It the holds the warp beams and helps in steady movement of warp beams. It is made using scrap iron. Depending on the breadth (width) of the Durrie to be made, the Closeness of the sides is decided. The rod above the side structure is then tied with the rope.
Step 2 - Setting the Kaath The maths are then set. One at the start and the other at the end.
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Gurad are then prepared by tying (purple thread) knots over a circular rod. It is left loose on one side. A loop is formed and tied a tight knot. They are tied close to each other. What we see it an equally left spaced loops. 2 of these Guards are prepared. While the loop is formed. one Gurad is whirled around the upper warp yarns (tana). And the other guard is whirled around the left tana. The Gurads are whirled around Tana alternatively. One Gurad is then Connected with one makad (a slightly curved wood/bamboo stick). At the end of the makad, a thick rope is tied to one gurad, the same rope is looped around the end of the gurad. A cross loop is made so that the circular rod doesn’t spin around. But the complete rod moved up and below.After making the cross loop and rope is pulled tight and tied at the other end of the same Makad. It is tied according the the distance between the top of Ghoda and the warp yarns. This is done at one side/ corner of Ghoda. Similarly, this needs to be done on the opposite other end of Ghoda to the same Gurad as above. Another Makad needs to be taken, And tied in the same exact way as above to another Gurad. And same at the other end. We see in all there are 4 makads, over the Ghoda, handling the up and below movement of the gurad.
Step 4 - Starting to weave the Dhurrie To seal the Dhurrie so that the ends and sides are not left loose, Ganth is Made at the starting of the Dhurrie. weft is interlaced with the warp and sealed, so that when the weft yarns are pushed to the end, It doesn’t fumble or move, but stays tight, intact and straight.
Step 5 - Passing the weft yarn Tayris of different colours are taken, according to the design. First, One makad is pushed on the other side of the ghoda, and the other makad is pulled towards us ( beginning of the durrie). in this way, the warp yards looped with that Gurad comes up and the other down. In the space between these alternative warp yards, the weft yarn is passed from one end, and pulled to the other side, tightly.
Step 6 - The use of Panja The main part, PANJA, is used at this time. made in a way that it easily fits between the warp yarns. It is used by the craftsman. like our hands they drive the panja, ahed of weft yarn. and then the weft yarn is pushed towards the interlaced gantt and the start of the dhrrie. This tightens the weft yarn against the warp. Iso that no loose spaces or threads are left. 30
Step 7 - Interlacing / Securing Now the makad needs to be switched, so the one on the other side of Ghoda, needs to be pulled towards the craftsman, while the other vice versa. This level the other gurad along with the other alternative Warp yarns, this forms a weave. The tayra at the end of another craftsman passes it between the warp yarns towards the initial craftsman, pulled tight, panja is used to again push the weft yarn towards the start of Dhurrie. This process it continued through out. According to the design requirement, tayri are passed in only a particular space.
Step 8 - Knotting the edges Once the entire dhurrie is completely finished, the loose edges are knotted and are cut into fringes to give it a traditional look. Some external threads are also cut to give it neat finishing.
Step 9 - Washing the Dhurrie The Dhurrie is then washed to remove all the dirt and left to dry. Once this process is carried out, it is ready to be sold to the customer.
Designs and Motifs The designs are either provided by the agencies placing the order with the weavers, or are supplied by the weavers themselves based on traditional designs found in the region. They may also be inspired by designs published in various books or magazines, or from an existing product. Designs that are mainly used are as follows Geometric Designs – A number of geometric motifs, which cannot be traced directly to either religious symbols or natural forms are also used in durrie designs. They are known by a variety of names in different parts of the weaving region. Floral Designs – Employ a variety of leaf and floral motifs either in all over or repeating schemes, or set against an open or sparsely decorated field. Animal Designs – Feature fairly realistic representations of an animal or group of animals (usually like lions, peacocks and parrots being in the majority). Motifs in these Dhurries were fairly simple. Designs comprised of patterns like stripes,
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Manpower In this process there are only 7 - 8 people involved and mostly comprising of family members. The women in the family make the tayris and phans. Where as on the other hand the dyeing is taken care by the other families in the neighbourhood itself. The men of the house make the dhurrie and the other craftsmen that are there, have been there since for 10+ years. Over all their manpower includes members of their family.
Handloon and Handloom Productions The craft of handloom making in the city of Achalpur, has existed in Ashok Harisab Bene’s family for the past 2 generations. It boasts of a prideful journey of almost 100 years. Ashok Ji’s father passed on the craft to him and his three sons who are now trying to elevate its recognition by endeavouring into new market areas. Only with one son being an exception to the craft who he is a software engineer in Pune. All the five members of the Bene family have a strong educational background and an urge to understand what the market needs. They include their own personal style in their process of design making but are also determined to make sure that it meets the needs and requirements of the consumer. They have their own factory where the process of handloom fabric making takes place from scratch. They have 8-10 extremely skilled craftsmen, who tend to the process of dyeing to making the fabric on the loom. Their colours are vibrant and eye catching that are one of kind in Achalpur. Their markets are limited but the demand is very high. Their main markets include the small city of Achalpur and close by cities such as Amravati, Kolhapur, Varud and Nagpur. Some specific products made by them are even exported to Andhra Pradesh. On certain occasions they are not able to deliver due to the decrease in craftsmen over the last few years. He also emphasises on the fact that the USP of his business is that of the thick and finished quality of the handloom fabric that cannot ever be achieved in the power loom industry. The power loom industry is responsible for a drastic decrease of craftsmen because of the fact that power loom produced products are readily available. Ashok Ji’s business is no exception to this. He is also facing a hard time due to these inconveniences.
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When we came upon discussing the matters of advertisement and promotion, he told us that he is at an advantage as his family business is established for so many years and hence word of mouth plays a very important role as well. He told us that a lot of the older generation people are familiar with the products but the newer generation will need some sort of exposure in order to familiarised with the same. At the moment, word of mouth has been his biggest advertiser but in order for the craft to reach its full potential, promotion, advertising and branding from his end if very essential and crucial at this point. If this is not done, the craft is at a risk of dying in the next 3-4 years. Upon inquiring if the government had been of any help or had offered any aid or service that would be beneficiary during this period, they stated that in the past few years there had been a lot of people including NGOs who had come to them and promised them new markets, bank loans, government schemes, but all of it was in vain. Only information was taken from them and nothing was implied. When we discussed about the Prime Minister’s scheme that would avail them 20% subsidy, they mentioned that they did try it for a while but it proved to be more of an inconvenience as they had to mandatorily purchase the raw materials from them in Nagpur for which they had to pay in cash. Overall, the entire process was very time consuming with submissions of a lot of documents which would take up to almost a month and would affect his business. Also for the minimum quantity of the raw materials, i.e. thread was set and they weren’t happy with the quality as well but if they wanted to be a part of the scheme, they had no other alternative than to purchase the raw materials from the government. Hence Ashok Ji chose to drop
out of this scheme as he claimed that getting raw materials from the local dealers in Nagpur is more hassle free as it requires him to give only one phone call and he is assured about the quality of thread as well. He also mentions that the best quality of thick thread comes from Rajasthan and is followed by Delhi and Haryana where as on the other hand, the best of soft and delicate thread is sourced from the South of India.
Evolution
We urged him to participate in exhibitions and expand his market as the products that he sells will be do extremely well in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. We asked him to visit, understand and then participate in exhibitions like Kala Ghoda Art Festival or the Trade Fare in Pragati Maidan h year in Delhi. Even if the products don’t do well in the first few attempts at least he will have a brief idea on how the market works. We also gave him a list of new products that he could make as they would do very well with the young generations. Products such as wallets, tiffin bags, laptop bags, table cloth are a few. How the craftsmen are paid? They get paid Rs.10/- per square feet of fabric that they make. On an average it is possible to complete 25 sqft of fabric in a day as it roughly takes around 6 - 7 hours with their experience as Mr. Ramdas Mohal tells us who has been working from the age of 16. With regards to Zainul Bhai, the changing times and requirements, the handloom product range has changed from the traditional dhurries or carpet to a wider spectrum of products. They have evolved from only home décor to house use products. The range of the product varies as per the requirement of cliental and season, which includes school bags for ‘back to school’ season, tiffin bags, yoga mats, bedsheets, multiutility duffle bags and sitting carpets for temples. The range for home décor products has also increased keeping in mind the changing interest and lifestyle of people. Unlike the handloom dhurrie, the Panja dhurrie is has not quite evolved, keeping their product range constant and traditional-like. Though the head craftsman – Zainul Abedin has tried to expand via Facebook and Instagram handles, it failed due to lack of proper knowledge and expertise. Over the course of time they have also started catering to the demand of the consumers and making their designs more abstract, modern and adaptable to today’s needs. With the right guidance and apt promotion techniques, this craft can reach its full potential.
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This logo contains: Different shapes of Dhurrie to depict the difference between Dhurries and Carpets. The colors represent the usage of Primary Colors in their designs and so we have used tones of primary color to depict the same.The overlapping of durries also show the secondary and tertiary colors that they use. Here, we have incorportaed the silhouette of Panja, their main tool and what they are known for. The lines also depict the warp and weft yarns. In the Punja we have also tried to show the letter “Y� which stands for Yadullahi Carpets.
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Branding
For the Abedin family, though they already had an online presence through Facebook and Instagram, it wasn’t successful due to lack of knowledge and expertise. We helped them add important credentials like their address and contact to help people reach them with more ease as their location is in the absolute interior of the city. They do have a brand name called ‘Yadullahi Carpet’ and tagline - ‘हमारे यहाँ सभी प्रकार की टिकाऊ व मजबूत
पंजादर्री जाए नमाज़, और फ़ैन्सी डिज़ाइन में दर्री बनती है. व चादर, tado, हैंड बैग किफायत दामों में उपलब्ध हैं’ which translates to ‘We
have all kinds of durable and strong clothes here for Namaz, and fancy design is made lucrative. Bed sheets, tado, hand bag are available in affordable prices’ - but as it so long it isnt efficient enough to make a lasting impact. The same message but in a shorter and more applicable format would be more poignant. Since they wish to continue with the same tagline, we as communication students shall refine it in terms of font type and size. Apart from this we aim at making business collaterals for them like business cards and brochures and upgrade the existing logo to something that is more personalized. He also has an active instagram account, under the username of ‘zainul.abedin.944023’ for his brand Yadullahi Carpet along with his contact information. We discussed the benefits of revamping the layout of the profile by giving it a modernistic yet traditional look. Having a virtual presence on online shopping sites like Amazon, Ebay, Flipkart and Government licensed online shopping portals for handloom crafts of India.
Business Productions 5.1 Government Initiatives Babasheb Ambedker Hastshilp Vikas Yojna: Consolidation of clusters by strengthening existing skills, harnessing design development efforts; New clusters preferably in PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode. This scheme was run through the government for 5 years from 2007 - 2012. Dhurrie craft and the artisans have been registered under Vidarbha Handicraft Artisan Welfare Association in Nagpur. Initially, through their registration, they were provided with platforms like exhibitions to display their work. This in turn increased their cliental. But in recent times due to the change in policies, the artisans have to pay a hefty amount (upto 2 lakhs) to enrol in government organised exhibitions. Apart from platforms to display their works, this association does provide raw material on a cheaper price, provided the artisans travel to Nagpur to purchase it. Being a Amravati based craft, travelling to Nagpur, which is approximately 180 km away, is not only impractical and time consuming, but the travelling cost turns out be more than what they save. No other aid is provided to flourish the handicraft business. 5.2 Small Scale Industry’s sole proprietorships and its role The dhurrie craft business and handloom business are both sole proprietorships owned by Zain An and Ashok ji respectively. The business is run by one person – owner and there is no legal distinction between the owner and business entity. The business is carried on by future generations and is automatically passed on post death or post retirement of the predecessor. Zainul abedin, the head craftsman of Yadhullahi carpets, took over the business post his father’s depleting health, similarly the handloom business is managed by the son of the owner. With changing times and vast opportunities, though the craft is taught to children of the family, they are open to choose their profession in future. I n a conversation with Zain bhai, he mentioned that he would want his children to learn the craft but the choice of opting is solely theirs. Similarly, though the handloom business is now taken care of by the younger son of the predecessor, the elder son is pursuing engineering as a profession. As sole proprietors, they have registered themselves under a Nagpur based government association for crafts and artisans – Vidarbha Handicrafts Artisans Welfare Association.
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5.3 Orders and Business with clientele The dhurrie craft business has a limited cliental as the product is made on order bases, the main clients being dargahs and mosques. Repeated orders are rare since the dhurries last for approximately 200 years. The Dhurrie Craft of Maharashtra has a clientele of people in and near Amravati and the bounds may extend to all over Maharashtra. Clients who prefer quality over quantity. As the world is moving towards a more sustainable and natural living life, we can see the future preferring such dhurries. People who want their own design and get it customized. People who want just the perfect size of dhurrie for their home.
Sustainability Dhurrie craft uses various sustainable materials, including the key ingredient – cotton yarn. The yarn is 100% cotton which they source locally. Apart from the yarn, their tools are made from day to day found objects - the charkha used to make the spools of yarn is made from broken cycle parts and sourced wood. The loom used is also hand-made from wood, sourced iron and yarns and can be moved or altered as per the requirement. The Dhurrie in itself is a sustainable product, lasting for approximately 200 years. One such 200 old Jayna Nawaz in a mosque in Achalpur, crafted by the predecessors of Zainul Abedin, lasts even today. It can be easily cleaned with water and whipping.
Business Propositions For handloom and panja dhurrie we suggested them the following proposition1) Use a logo and to tag all of their products to prevent misuse of their products by people or organisations who might sell them as their creations on a higher price and scale. 2) Craft exhibitions they can take part in like Pragati mela in Delhi and Kala Ghoda in Mumbai. 3) Various other Products they can include in their range like blazers, sling bags, college bags for handloom products. 4) Making brand collaterals like business card and letter heads. 5) Use of social media to promote their brand. 6) Approach design colleges like ours to set up workshops to make people understand the process behind their creations and also to increase their orders by people who will recognize their works in big cities like Mumbai and Delhi. 7) Teach and spread awareness amongst children and women to increase their manpower with the help of government organizations. 8) Tie up with brands such as Kickstarter to make interactive dhurries for children. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1317579510/project-dhurrie-journey-of-a-hand-made-rug-nyc-ind
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In the logo we have used the name carpets as that is their registered name but after beinig precisely told the difference between a Dhurrie and a carpet, we would like to change it to Yadhullahi Dhurrie,
Problems and Suggestive Solutions Problems Panja dhurrie is dense with tightly woven yarns making it heavy, hence making it into modern products like bags is not possible unlike the handloom dhurrie. Not many people are opting for dhurrie making as a means of earning since it requires backbreaking work and yields minimal income. This has resulted in very less manpower which in turn effects the scale of production. The working conditions are not optimal. thus, the craft is unable to flourish. The crafts have very less reorganization in India as well as the localities are unaware of the craft as well. Though the craftsmen have tried to make an online presence through online portals like facebook and Instagram, it wasn’t successful due to lack of expertise and awareness. Since the dhurrie last for years, repeat orders are rare. Cliental is restricted due to lack of awareness amongst people. The business runs on ‘no profit no loss’ since the cost of making equals the selling price. Thus, the earning is very minimal. Since they have no branding yet, promoting the craft is difficult.
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Suggestive solutions – To solve the provided problems, the government can start up schemes for branding the craft and help them in promoting it. Funds can be provided to increase the earnings of the craftsmen. Workshops and programmes can be set up to teach the process of the craft to people in need of money or who wish to peruse the craft. This in turn will not increase the awareness of the craft but also the manpower, hence increasing the scale of production. Government exhibitions can be organised for not so flourished crafts for free.
OUR EXPERIENCE When we were introduced to our craft, we were told that our group would be the first ever to encounter with these craftsmen. We were given minimal information as it was only heard and sources were uncertain as well about this craft of Dhurrie making being practiced near Amravati, there was no conformation for the same. We were both excited and nervous at the same time. Our minds were hovering with questions such as - Would we be able to find the craftsmen when we get there? Would language be a barrier? Would they be friendly? Or willing to share years of craft and information with absolute strangers? How will they receive and reciprocate our approach to document their lives? All these thoughts were put to rest when we reached the beautiful city of Achalpur, that is roughly 1 hour away from Amravati.
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In this splendid city of Achalpur there was an 80% majority of Muslim population and hence language was not a barrier. There was so much peace and harmony in this city that it made all of us feel at ease. The people of this city went out of their way to help us find the craftsmen who still practice the craft of Dhurrie making. We were astonished and disheartened when we found out that from a multitude of 2500 craftsmen, the number had drastically reduced to just 1 family now. The Abedin family. The dedication of this family to keep the craft alive and towards their work exhilarated a sense of discipline and commitment in us. As it was the month of June, it was also Ramadan and they were fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. But inspite of this they would wake up at 5:00 am and work till 6:00 pm without any food as this was their source if income. The family members and they residents who lived close by would come running to the gates of the houses every morning as we arrived and would always give us the warmest welcome that filled our hearts with joy. Such a simple gesture but it gave us a sense of belonging. The main head of the Abedin family, Zainul Bhai, was the most
accommodating, he was patient, compassionate and responsive to all the questions that we asked him. In this tiny city, all the residents were curious about our purpose for visit and they would guide us along and impart any or all knowledge that they had about the craft. A few members of the family insisted on taking us to a few historical cites in the city as well. They were most old and ruined and that is what gave it its beauty. We all took a rather intriguing interest in the colourful doors and windows of this city. They breathed life into the small narrow lanes where people would peep their heads out from and wonder who we were. We would leave at 7:00 am and come back at 8:00 pm spending the entire day understanding each and every process by systematically dividing ourselves into smaller groups. We discussed the drawbacks of the power loom industry dominating the market and causing their beautiful craft to fade away and how we could overcome this problem by applying long term solutions. Six intense days of discussion and an unbreakable bond was formed. We were welcomed into their home and were taught how to move a home
made charkha by the women. On our last day, they gave us mangoes and taught us the local way of having it and some fried delicacies as well. owards the end of the craft cluster journey, we were so overwhelmed with emotions that we all sat down as a group and appreciated not only our hard work but also what this entire journey taught us. We didn’t just learn the craft of Dhurrie making from Achalpur, we learnt how to appreciate aspects of life that we tend to take for granted. We went there with the intention of documenting the craft and we have come back with the objective of saving it and making it evidently eminent.
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