The Lambani Embroidery of Hampi

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Digital publication of a student document. For private circulation only.

Fashion Communication department 2019 National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru, India All rights are reserved. No part of this book, either text or illustration, may be used or reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.

Guided by Sanjeev C M

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Preface

very year the students of sem V of the Department of Fashion Communication have to take up a craft cluster to study. We, as a class, went to Hampi to study the Lambani tribe and what we found was a story worth telling.

Once upon a time The Rajputana run was over by the Afghans. Looking for peace and a new way of life the Rajputs ran to the forests (Banjaras, the wanderers of the forest). For years they roamed the country, as traders, always looking for a place to call home (Lambanis, Sanskrit: lawani, salt). Until, one day they came to Hampi. Hampi welcomed the Lambanis with open arms, providing them with a home and a future. (The tourists attracted by the rich history and ruins of Hampi, ensure the future of the Lambani craft). Over the years a beautiful relationship has developed between the Lambanis and Hampi, where one cannot survive without the other.

This book revolves around the interdependency of the craft Lambani and its residing place of Hampi. By personifying both, we’ve concluded that the interaction between the art form and the place is sublimely symbolic/representative of a marriage.

*Note: While the craft acts as the bride, she brings about colour, culture and flourishment to the family while the husband, Hampi, provides with a home, a heritage and acts as a pillar for the art form.

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Contents The Forgotten Empire 1. Hampi The Tale of a City 2. An Empire’s Legacy 3. The ledgend of Lambani’s Turning Tables Who are the Lambani’s of Hampi?

4. Women Traditional Attire 5. Women Ornaments 6. The Craft Stitches 7. Then and Now

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The Forgotten Empire With fire and sword, With crowbars and axes, They carried on day after day their work of destruction.

For seven days the city burned.

Never perhaps in the history of the world had such havoc been wrought, on so splendid a city, wealthy and prosperous one day, and on the next seized, pillaged and reduced to ruins.

Forgotten was this Empire And forgotten it lay, till it was found by the Lambani A tribe that had shared the same fate as that of the lost empire, They breathed colour and life back into the ruins of Hampi Till it was forgotten no more -Simran Sharma

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1 Hampi

Hampi is a world heritage site and holds some of the most unique remains from the great empire of Vijayanagar. The site has an ongoing archaeological dig that has been on since the past 20 years now. With world famous historians and archaeologists having worked on it. The government may have reduced the dig allowance but the enthusiasm has not reduced. There is still so much to know and the obviously dead city still speaks volumes.

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The Tale of a City

Hampi a village and a temple town in Karnataka is a world heritage site and holds some of the most unique ruins in the world. The site has an ongoing archaeological dig that has been on since the past 20 years now and there is still so much to know. Obviously dead city still speaks volumes, it tells the stories of a great lost civilization.

A river bed with a fortification on one bank, this was the capital of Anegundi, ruled then by a Hoysala chieftain. When the Delhi Sultans laid siege to the Hoysalas and Kakatiyas, the latter fell, leaving South India vulnerable to their attacks. Our story begins here in the 14th century.

When the Delhi Sultans had invaded the Kakatiya, two brothers called Hakka and Bukka escaped and landed in Anegundi. The brothers then started serving the Hoysala chief. Not soon after, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, the Sultan plundered Anegundi and the brothers escaped again, and this is when they met Vidyaranya, a seer from the Sringeri Shankaracharya Mutt who asked them to build a city on the other bank of the river (Hampi). He called it Vijayanagara or the city of victory though it is also called it Vidyanagar after the seer.

The brothers raised a small army and revolted against the Sultan, who returned the kingdom to them and the seeds of the Vijayanagar empire, which went on to rule all of South India for over 350 years, had just been sown. The Empire’s power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates, until 1646 when the city was plundered by the Mughals and the capital city burned for 7 days.

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Fig: The Vitthala temple At Hampi is the best example of their pillared Kalyanamantapa style.

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An Empire’s Legacy

rtisans used the locally available hard granite because of its durability since the kingdom was under constant threat of invasion. This is why even after 700 years Vijayanagara’s legacy remains through the ruins spread over South India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi, the capital of the empire. Vijayanagara architecture is a vibrant combination of the Chalukyan, Hoysalan, Pandyan and Cholan styles that prospered in previous centuries. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindu temple construction. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies such as water management systems for irrigation. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor.

*Note: This mingling of the South Indian styles resulted in a richness not seen in earlier centuries, a focus on reliefs in addition to sculpture that surpasses anything done previously in India.

An aspect of Vijayanagara architecture that shows the cosmopolitanism of the great city is the presence of many secular structures bearing Islamic features. While political history concentrates on the ongoing conflict between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan Sultanates, the architectural record reflects a more creative interaction.

There are many arches, domes and vaults that show these influences. The concentration of structures like pavilions, stables and towers suggests they were for use by royalty.

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Fig: Details of the Mahanavami Dibba rock carvings.

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The "Great Platform" (Mahanavami dibba) has relief carvings in which the figures seem to have the facial features of central Asian Turks who were known to have been employed as royal attendants.

Fig: Details of the Mahanavami Dibba rock carvings.

Domes of Queens Bath: @ Arshad: Remember I told you each dome had different style of sculpture and relief work, Islamic and Hindu.

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Fig: Details of the rock carvings. at Vitthala temple

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The vitthal temple is one of the best examples of the vijaynagar architecture. Varied and intricate ornamentation of the pillars is a mark of the Vijaynagar empires work.

Fig: Details of the rock carvings. at Vitthala temple

A visible aspect of their style is their return to the serene and simplistic style of the Chalukyan dynasty.

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Fig: Details of the Mahanavami Dibba rock carvings.

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The "Great Platform" (Mahanavami dibba) has relief carvings in which the figures seem to have the facial features of central Asian Turks who were known to have been employed as royal attendants.

Fig: Details of the Mahanavami Dibba rock carvings.

Domes of Queens Bath: @ Arshad: Remember I told you each dome had different style of sculpture and relief work, Islamic and Hindu.

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The ledgend of Lambani’s

istory and the origin of Lambani’s is very vague and ambiguous. There are many legends which explain their origin. The Lambanis themselves claim that they are of Rajput origin and are Kshatriyas.

Lambanis were the soldiers who withstood the onslaught of Mohammad Ghori, the invader from Afghanistan during 12th Century under the able leadership of Prithviraj Chowhan, the then ruler of Delhi.

When the cruel Muslim ruler Ghori took out Prithviraj’s eyes and left him blind harassed and tortured him in many ways a Bhat named ‘Chandbhar Dai’ took an oath that he would save his king. The Bhat told the Ghori that the imprisoned Prithviraj knows archery well andrequested the king to test Prithviraj. All the kings and Ministers of the neighbouring states were assembled at the grand ceremony for Prithviraj who was to hit the target with just the help of his hearing and no sight. A bell was rung and the target and was hit instantly. Ghori unable to control himself and cried in joy “Well done Prithviraj, Well done Prithviraj”.

When Prithviraj heard the voice of the King he let an arrow fly which hit Ghori and he fell down dead. As a result, The Muslim soldiersfell onRajpuths and massacred them. The Rajpuths left their dwellings and ran into forest in order to save their lives taking only what they could carry in their haste.

*Note: a. The word ‘Lambani’ or ‘Lamani’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Lavana’ meaning ‘Salt’, which was the principal product they transported across the country. b. The Lambanis settled down in various mountain and hilly areas like Hampi as it was easie to hide there.

Fig: Lambani women embroidering a table mat.

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Turning tables

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hen the Rajputs ran to the forests, many women were raped, taken away by Ghori people. So, to escape from Ghori soldiers the women changed their dressing style by cutting pieces of their original garments and embroiding on the same, they also changed their hairstyle and usedcreepers as bangles, anklets and they form their clothes into rags with different colours.They took shelter in hills and forests. In addition to their new way of clothing, they used to wear ornaments made ofBrass, silver and gold.

Thus the Rajpuths themselves became different from their life style. So that they weren’t recognized by Ghorians and became Banjaras. The word Banjara is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word vana chara (wanderers in jungle). They are now classified as Schedule Cast (SC) or other backward Classes (OBC) in the society.

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Who are the Lambani’s of Hampi?

iIn the year 1296 A.D., when AllauddinKhilji became the Sultan of Delhi; He dreamed to beAlexander the second in conquering the world. In this task, he thought to take the help of Banjaras, who could move swiftly with their pack-bullocks and were a quick supply of ration to the armies of sultan.

This system of speedy transportation in those days was difficult in trackless terrain and the Banjaras kept the army’s provisions well stocked required. For their services they were granted many privileges, such as advancing money for their trade and asked to supply food grain whenever the state needed.

These Banjaras are generally categorized as Hindus as they worship Hindu Gods like Krishna,Hanuman, Vishnu and Durga. They also worship some great people who are specific to the community amongst which MithuBhukhiya was known as dacoit of the tribe.

The Lambanis speak GorBoli, also called Lambadi, which belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of languages.

Their language lacks a script and contain many loan words from other languages. However, in practice they are multilingual having picked up the predominant languages of the regions they live in. This includes Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and other local languages of the regions where they have settled.

The traditional food the Lambanis eat is Bati (roti) and a dish made of many serials and spices. Bati is usually made of wheat or Jawar. Apart from veg they prefer eating Saloi (made from blood and other parts of goat).

The place they live in is called as Tanda which will be usually located outside of a village. Their house usually consists of a small room with no opening except the door. The doors are painted with vibrant colors with floral or diamond shapes creating eye catching patterns. These tandas can be seen scattered throughout Hampi.

Here, wandering through the beautiful ruins of Hampi, we finally found the legendary people of Lambani.

Fig: Lambani preparing food.

women

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4 Women Traditional Attire

Phetia: Vibrant color cotton frilled long skirt of width 1ft and length of 12ft. two pieces of red and black fabric of ½ft are embroidered together and stitched on the border of the skirt. Middle part of the skirt is embroidered with mirror or glass pieces and shells.

Kanchalli: A short sleeved blouse that are embroidered with colorful threads and decorated with mirror pieces. It is made of three parts. a. The first piece is the top portion attached to the low sleeves with cords attached on both sides which is used to tie at the back. b. The second piece is stitched below the top piece that covers the chest with cords attached on either side to be tied at the back. c. Third piece of the blouse is attached below the chest piece.

Chantia/ Pambadi/Tukari: Head cloth is the main identity of the Lambanis. The cloth is 2m wide and 1.32m long embroidered with mirrors, coin and shells. The part of the veil which covers the head is embroidered with thick border called ghoom to embellish them with beads and coins hung on the forehead to frame the face. *Note: Men don’t have a particularly different attire.

Dhoti and Short Kurta with many folds like a frock which was traditionally designed to protect them from harsh climate in the desert and a big turban on their head dyed with striking colors. A waist jacket embroidered with mirror and colorful threads is worn on the Kurta. Men also wear ornaments, a bangle shaped ornament in their neck made of silver, and thick silver bangles are worn on both the hands and in the leg.

Fig: Lambani women in traditional attire.

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5 Women Ornaments

Ghugri: a silver ornament worn on the head which looks like a pendant made of tube with silver beads hanging from it. This indicated the marital status of Lambani women.

Bhuria (gold ornament) and Phule (silver pin): Nose jewelry which are generally worn after marriage.

Wankiya: The silver/ brass necklace made of twenty five paisa coins and small bells attached to a silver chain with a big pendant shaped as horse attached to it.

Haasla: A silver necklace made of rod bent to the size of the women’s neck. A thetry which is a triangle shaped silver pendant with exquisite carving is attached on both side of the rod which is presented to the brides by their parents at the time of their marriage.

Cheed: A necklace made of black beads woven in a string is worn by the women.

Bajubhand: A silver ornament tied on the arms of a married women.

Balia: Ivory bangles that are worn on hands and arms by married women which were later replaced with plastic bangles.

Winte (a silver ring)/ Phula: Ring made of four old coins of the Nizam arranged in floral pattern.

Khans: A round open bangle made of bronze Ornament worn in the leg.

Foolia: A silver anklet and toe silver rings shaped like a fish.

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Fig: Ornaments worn by Lambani women

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The Craft

ver the years the Lambani have gone from being Rajput Kshatriyas to Banjara traders. Now, residing in Hampi, the Lambani share with the world a part of themselves through their embroidery and jewellery.

Lambani embroidery is a combination of colorful threads, design patterns, mirror work, stitching patterns applique or patch work. Initially patterns for the design are drawn on cardboard and cut respectively. These stencils are used to mark patterns on the fabric. A rough design is marked on the areas where the designs are required to be embroidered on the fabric. With a marking pencil the complete design to be embroidered is drawn.

Embroidery is done on thirteen different colors of base fabric among which dark blue or red are commonly used. With different colour of embroidery threads the patterns are embroidered. Different types stitch patterns are used while embroidering to give the design a unique look. The mirror is placed on the fabric and the thread is embroidered over it to captive the mirror in the thread which prevents it from falling off.

Traditionally Lambani embroidery was made of wool, cotton, silk, gold or silver threads which added richness to the work. Some embroideries are made separately on strip of fabric which is later cut and stitched to desired wear.

Base fabric used is basically hand loomed but now they also use readymade available fabric.The Lambanis of Hampi majorly source their fabric from Hospet and the shells and other embellishments from Pandharpur, Maharashtra. The cloth is made of cotton khadi dyed with chemical or vegetable dyes made from Rathanjot, Kattha, ChawalKudi, Pomegranate peel, etc.

Fig: Coins attached in the traditional Lambani costume.

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Fig: Sweing machine used to attach different pieces of fabric

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The patches are first attached to make the silhouette of the garment.

Earlier, these were handstitched but now with the improvement in lifestyle, Lambani’s prefer to use sewing machines.

Fig: Embroidered fabric

Embroidery is done on thirteen different colors of base fabric among which dark blue or red are commonly used. With different colour of embroidery threads the patterns are embroidered.

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Fig: Lambani women taking out a strand of thread for embroidery

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Various materials are used for embroider by the artisans. Cotton and wool are most common among them. Ladies prefer wool for embroidering for commercial purpose as they are thick and take lesser time to fill the design.

Fig: Lambani women inserting thread into the needle

Embroidery is done using a needle with yarns of different colors on a base fabric which is stitched before embroidery. Different types stitch patterns are used while embroidering to give the design a unique look.

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Fig: Lambani women embroidering the table mat

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Wide range of products are produced by the lambanis which are then sent to the market and sold by younger members of the family.

Fig: A Lambani stall in the Hampi market.

Lambani products are famous all across Hampi. It adds on the the monuments that attact large number of tourists from all around the world.

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Stitches

here are 14 types of stitches used in Lambani embroidery. They are Kilan, Vele, Bakkya, Maki, Suryakanti Maki, Kans, Tera Dora, Kaudi, Relo, Gadri, Bhuriya, Pote, Jollya, Nakra. It also includes running stitches which appear like small dashes that creates a variety of patterns on the cloth. It is stitched with parallel lines and a thread of different color is interwoven between the stitches to create a horizontal pattern. Other than that criss cross pattern, chain stitch and overlaid quilting stitch (Katta- done around the edges) are also made.

The pricing range of the articles starts from Rs. 150 to Rs. 600 for small work whereas and embroidered saree costs around Rs. 4000.

*Note: The price depends on the intricacy of the design and size of the embroidered work.

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Fig: The artisans make swatches of various sizes and designs, these later become pouches, shoulder pads, bags, etc.

Fig: A belt, to be attached to the lower garment, or tied separately

Fig: Cotton fabric is majorly used, the mirror work is a signature of the lambani embroidery.

Fig: Side view of tassles used in making borders of lambani clothes.

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Fig: In a single garment a variation of colours and embellishments can be seen.

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Fig: A modern silhouette vibrant sling bag decorated with lambano stitches and shells.

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Fig: Back, stitch detailing One can clearly see the technique used to stitch the mirrors to the fabric.

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Fig: A table mat showing the signature combination of colourful threads, mirror work and apolique’ or patchwork.

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Fig: To practice and to try new designs the lambani women work on strips of discarded or old fabrics.

Fig: Detailing in different pieces of clothes which are later attached to make the garment.

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Then and Now

s a tribe that had to leave everything behind and start over again, there weren’t many ways to carry forwards their culture. So, originally their clothes had mystic and cryptic symbols and designs embroidered onto them together with beads, glass mirrors, coins and shells. Now, however, over the years, the symbols have lost meaning to the Lambani themselves. They are no more than decorations.

The patterns are usually created all over to cover the base fabric. Geometrical patterns like square, circles, rectangular and diamond shapes are embroidered with contrasting color threads and decorated with shells, coins, mirror and beads, etc. The overall style of the embroidery has not changed much, other than variations in silhouettes and introduction of new design patterns.

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A story worth telling...

s Indians we are constantly reminded of the diversity of cultures, crafts and the numerous stories of Empires and Civilisation formed and dissolved. It is however, in the merging of two such stories that an epic is born. The story of Hampi and Lambani was one such story, where the merging of two different entities, with different backgrounds and histories came together, to form a beautiful marriage.

A ruined Hampi, lost and forgotten was saved by the colourful people of Lambani, who brought with them culture, colour, prosperity and rich History of their own. While, in return, Hampi finally gave the Banjara Rajputs a home after the long years of banishment. A new way of life was born from their union. A life that now cannot exist with just one or the other.The story of Hampi and Lambani is truly an epic worth telling, an epic of how two broken, forgotten halves can come together to create something worth remembering.

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