T he T hreads Unnoticed A craft documenation of Punja Dhurrie from Achalpur
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Panja Dhurrie
Panja Dhurrie
A study conducted on the craft of Panja Dhurrie
Fashion Communication Batch of 2017-21 Group Members Diya Basu | Mansi Patil | Paahini Agarwal |Shabih Ali | Shriya Agarwal | Vidhika Gupta
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Declaration
We hereby declare that the project work entitled “Cluster Studies - Achalpur� submitted to NIFT Mumbai, is a record of an original work done by us under the guidance of Mrs. Vandana wekhande , our mentor for cluster study, B.design Fashion Communication
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Panja Dhurrie
Certificate of Ownership
All the data provided in the report have been taken from authentic sites/ sources and are true to the best of our knowedge. No part of this report should be copied in any physical form or digital form. The output of this report is for the use of academic purpose. No commercial value should be derived out of it
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Panja Dhurrie
Acknowledgement
Cotton yarns which are used in panja dhurrie
We are extremely grateful to NIFT for giving us this remarkable opportunity to visit Achalpur and study the wonderful craft of Panja Dhurrie. We sincerely thank our mentor Mrs Vandana Wekhande for guiding us through every step of the research process and helping us contact the craftsmen as well as other people associated with the craft. We would also like to extend our thanks to the craftsmen Mr Zainul Abedin Miyaan, Mr Syed Asad Miyah and Mr Roshan Bene for answering all our questions so patiently and making us feel welcome. Their constant support made our visit an immense learning opportunity.
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Objective
Introduction
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Punja Dhurrie
Punja Dhurrie in India
Punja Dhurrie in Achalpur
Tools and Process
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Women
Shantikunj
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Current Status
Our Observation
Research Techniques
Branding
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Panja Dhurrie
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Achalpur
Places to Visit
Crafts of Achalpur
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Motif
Artisans
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Market
Handloom
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Objective
Our objective was to learn about the techniques and process of the Panja Dhurrie craft and understand different elements involved with it. We also planned to learn about the history of the craft and culture of Achalpur and understand the lives of the craftsmen residing there. We aim to understand their strategies for selling their products, and empathetically come up with promotional strategies for their craft and create awareness about the same amongst people.
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Panja Dhurrie
Cotton yarns wrapped around a stick to form the equipment of the frame loom
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Panja Dhurrie
Introduction The craft of Panja Dhurrie has been going on in Achalpur for generations, with each generation adding something new to it and passing the baton to the next. The craftsmen weave each thread with as much dedication and enthusiasm as the earlier ones. They are extremely skilled and hardworking, and keep working no matter what. They set up their looms or workstations from scratch, and make all kinds of dhurries and mats on it. Their main business comes from making Janamaaz for mosques. They use traditional mosque motifs and stripes on these dhurries, and use peacock green colour along with red and yellow. Today, the power loom has taken over most of the Panja Dhurrie artisans’ work, with it being a faster, easier-tomake method for manufacturers and cheaper for customers. This has reduced the huge cluster of craftsmen to mainly one family today. We aim to give a platform to the craft and the people behind it, and hope to increase awareness about it and do our best to help preserve it.
Cotton rolls of primary colors used in panja dhurrie stacked at Shantikunj
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Achalpur
The land of immortals Achalpur, once known as Ellichpur, is a small and peaceful city in Amravati district in the Vidarbha region in Maharashtra State. It is the second most populous city in Amravati district after Amravati. Along with its rulers, the name of the place also kept changing constantly. Achalpur is near the boundary of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It has a twin city known as Paratwada which is situated at 3km from it. Earlier during the British rule they started a rural textile mill which went on to be known as Paratwada mill which is still operational. The city is lined with small markets and stalls in every lane and becomes very lively in the evening, and people can be seen actively participating in these markets. Achalpur has a population of approximately 1 lakh twelve thousand people. Burning hot in the summer, and mildly pleasant in the end of the year, Achalpur is mostly a hot and dry area. More than anything else, the people of Achalpur are what makes the place stand out.
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Panja Dhurrie
Dula Gate to enter old Achalpur
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Culture
The people here are known for their togetherness and celebrate Eid and other Hindu festival with the same enthusiasm. The month of Ramzan is the most festive time of the year. As most of the city’s population comprises of Muslims, Eid is one of the biggest festivals of the year, and people get new clothes stitched and apply mehndi for it. Most people here live in large joint families, and they spend the festival time in each other’s company.
Language Achalpur has been mentioned in many ancient manuscripts as a thriving business center and its flourishing trade and culture during the medieval period have also been mentioned. The Bavani, a drama theater, stands in ruins, but lives on as an insight into the rich culture of this place. The most commonly spoken languages are Marathi, Hindi and Urdu.
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Panja Dhurrie
Food As Ashrafpura is mainly a Muslim locality, chicken biryani is very popular there and sewaiyan is a special sweet dish made on festivals like Eid. The Maharashtrian dish Puran Poli is also famous here.
Clothing Muslim women wear hijabs and men mostly wear Pathani suits or kurta pajamas. Kids wear all kinds of clothes, be it Western or Indian. The people of Achalpur are extremely warm and treat their guests with great respect and regard, as helping others is engraved in their culture.
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History Most cities have extensive stories about their monuments and places, but Achalpur has the most interesting story about its name. Its history is spread over different rulers of different periods. During 9th century Achalpur was named as Elispur due to its Jain ruler Raja Ill and later due to Marathi dialect it got to be known as Elichpur. Many references in history use this name for Achalpur and references show that they are talking of the same place. After the Jain ruler the place was ruled by Mughals. The Mughals knew Achalpur as Elichpur, Aurangzeb’s subedar Eerach Khan was appointed here and thus the place was named after him as ‘Eerachpur’. This tongue twisting name then lead to ‘Eelachpur’.
In 1853, Achalpur was handed over to British rule by signing a common MOU between two Mogul rulers. Then it was still known as Elichpur. In 1960, when Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh’s boundaries were defined, the city was once again renamed ‘Achalpur’ after 1500 years.
Dula gate
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How to Reach By Air The nearest airport to Achalpur having commercial flights is the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur. It has flights to most major Indian cities, and is 196 km from Achalpur, which is almost a four hour drive.
By Train Amravati has a railway station, and is connected to various cities like Nagpur, Bhopal, Mumbai and Surat. AMI express runs between Mumbai and Amravati, covering the 672 km distance in around 12 hours. From Amravati railway station, one can go to Panchvati Square and catch a Shiv Shahi bus to Achalpur or take a cab.
By Road Achalpur is well connected by road, and can be reached by MSRTC buses from Mumbai via Pune, Nagpur, Bhopal and many other important places, as well as by a lot of private travel buses. The journey is almost 15 hours long. Achalpur is 685 km from Mumbai, 281 km from Bhopal and 196 km from Nagpur.
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Bebagh It is an ancient graveyard found in the middle of the city. The designs here are very intricate and rich. It is believed that this graveyard is of one family and the ashes buried here were brought from different countries such as Iran.
Places Bhulbhaliya temple
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A temple is situated in the center of Achalpur named Bhulbhulaiya, as there are 11 god and goddess in it and it is believed that you might enter from one side, but you can end up coming out from some other side, and it’s extremely difficult to find your way in it. Panja Dhurrie
Hauz Katora Hauz katora is an octagonal tower is situated at 3km to the west of Achalpur. This 24.68 m tall tower has been built by Ahmad Shah Wali Bahamani and was styled in Pathan. It is said that it was a five floored tower, but collapsed to three floors when a king was testing his missile.
to Visit Dula Gate The Dula gate is the main entrance to Achalpur city and was made by Shah Abdul Rahman Ghazi. Earlier the area of Achalpur was up till this gate only. When Nagar Nigam came up, the area beyond the gate started getting developed and came to be known as Achalpur camp (as the British built their camp here) or New Achalpur.
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Lac Bangles
Crafts of Achalpur Lac Bangles Lac was first established in Jaipur and the Muslim Manihar community handled this craft. The women of this community used to sell the lac bangles and men worked in the furnaces of lac bangles. A family who earlier resided in Jaipur migrated to Achalpur and started practicing the craft here. Now the eighth generation of the family is practicing this craft. Today there is a whole community which is into this and they live in same society.
Cloth being made for making bags and Daris
Handlooms Achalpur has a weaving society which is run by a group of people which get elected through an election and are called Mantri Mandal. There is no involvement of the Government in this and it is a private society. Products like bedsheets and towels are made here by craftsmen on handlooms. They mostly work with cotton yarns. Earlier there were around 100 craftsman working here, but now only 4 are working. Panja Dhurrie is a craft where a claw like fork called Panja is used for beating the yarns to get weft yarns interlaced with warp yarns. This technique is mostly used to make Dhurries which are double sided and are made of dyed cotton yarn. Panja Dhurrie is originally from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A Mohammodein family migrated from Jodhpur to Achalpur in Amravati, Maharashtra, and practice the craft there till date.
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Panja dhurrie
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Panja Dhurrie Panja weaving is an important part of India’s weaving history. This craft is mostly used for making dhurries, which are used for bedding and on floors. The name Panja came about from the tool used for the craft, which is a metallic claw-like tool called panja, which is used to beat and set the threads in the warp. Despite having a similar weaving process, dhurries are different from carpets. Dhurries are flat, woven, light and usually reversible, whereas carpets are usually heavier, with one display side. A dhurrie is also lighter because it is mainly made of cotton, while a carpet uses wool and is thicker as well. Normally, the main tool in dhurrie making is a vertical frame composed of two horizontal beams on which the warp is fitted. Due to the price difference, the clientele of dhurries and carpets differ. Dhurries can be found in all kinds of households of the country, whereas carpets normally adorn the abodes of the well-off. The earliest form of carpet weaving was reported in India around 500 B.C. in Buddhist texts. Also, evidence of the use of carpets comes from Mongolia. These carpets were very similar to modern Persian and Anatolian carpets. However, although simple forms of flooring like namda (hand woven wool) and dhurrie (simple carpets woven by women in rural areas on two horizontal parallel bars) have found daily use in the villages of India for long, the carpet in its current form was imported by the Mughal emperors from Persia at the beginning of the16th century. Dhurries are gradually gaining importance over the carpets, as they are easy to maintain. They are widely used for sitting on the floor during the religious or political gatherings.
Panja : A claw like tool used in panja dhurrie
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Daris piled up in Shantikunj
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History and Origin Panja dhurries are intricately connected with the Punjabi concept of dowry that includes items of bedding. These included eleven auspicious beddings, with each bedding consisting of a dhurrie, a thin padded mattress, an embroidered chatai (mat), embroidered quilt covers and hand-worked khes. Dhurries were also woven for the gurudwara, usually by a group of women. Although the craft was practiced in most rural areas in Punjab, it became a domestic industry on a commercial scale after immigrant weavers from rom Sialkot, Pakistan arrived in the area.
The Jainamaaz, also known as musallah or prayer rug, traces its ancestry to the earliest example of a flat weave rug that was acquired on loan from Jama Masjid in Bijapur for an exhibition in Delhi in 1903, which was left behind in 1686 by emperor Aurangzeb, in the mosque in Bijapur (in erstwhile Deccan). The tradition of using the Jainamaaz, rug with a single mihrab (prayer arch motif) and saf (multiple arches) is still used in mosques to pray on, has warranted a regular supply of these from the dhurrie weaving clusters in and around Warangal.
The Navalgund dhurrie is gifted by people there to daughters when they get married. The origin of this dhurrie can be traced back to a group of weavers who migrated from Bijapur to Navalgund during the 16th century.
Dhurrie weaving is essentially a domestic craft that has found an international market for the patterned flat weave structures woven in Mirzapur. During the Mughal era, prayer rugs- saf and mussahalas, were woven for the mosques in Agra. Workshops wove large blue and white striped dhurries for the durbars, courts and palaces. Traditional designs, rarely woven now, were the jaal, kosi, (geometric motif) and champa flower. Weavers now use lighter colours, and brighter colours are given a stone wash. Under the British, narrative dhurrie depicting village life and native flora and fauna were made.
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Panja Dhurrie in India Punjab Flora and fauna are the main designs in Dhurries made in Punjab. The striped dhurrie is the most popular. This are done on adda (frame) as very intricate designs are weaved. Though chemicals colour are used at present, earlier natural colours were used extracted from heena, madder, walnut bark and turmeric were used. Those durries are flat woven. The art of dhurrie making lies in creating colorful patterns, keeping the rug reversible. The weft is usually wool and the warp is either cotton or wool
Uttarpradesh In Agra, striped and Panja Dhurries with prayer niches were woven by women in the backyard of their homes. In Aligarh, Muslim weavers, weave dhurries. Panja dhurries are woven in plain weave using the weft faced tapestry technique. The weavers use the horizontal loom to weave. The dhurries made now are farshi (floor dhurrie), Bed dhurries and Jainamaaz (prayer rugs). Weavers now use lighter colours, and brighter colours are given a stone wash.
Warangal, Andhra pradesh These dhurries are famous for their design which includes geometric, angular motifs and weaved in tapestry structures. Colored horizontal stripes are used in jamkhanas and satranjis and the mihrab motif are used in the janamaz. Mainly red and blue colours are used with the combination of neutral colours. A community called Padmasali which is in Warangal, Kothawada city, weaves this dhurrie and it is their hereditary occupation. Pit loom and frame loom is used for making it. Blocked printed dhurrie, ikat dhurrie, patterned dhurrie and kalamkari dhurrie are some famous products from this area. 30
Panja Dhurrie
Maharashtra Satrangi, shatranji, striped flat weave dhurries are woven on frame looms in several districts of Maharashtra- which is the largest cotton growing states of the country. The weavers of the Maniyar community weave three types of dhurries- plain flat weave shatranji, Jainamaaz, prayer mats, with single or multiple prayer niches, and chindi or rag dhurries. Cotton dhurries are used as floor spreads to sit or sleep on, and as prayer mats with the prayer niche placed in the direction of Mecca. The main tool used is Panja, a metal fork used as a beater for compacting thick or coarse yarn.
Navalgund, Karnataka The dhurries woven here are the Navalgund Jamkhan, which is used as a floor covering, and the Jainamaaz, prayer mats, besides which they have diversified into making sofa and table mats. The Jamkhan or dhurrie is woven only by women of Muslim sheikh community. Two weavers sit opposite each other and weave together the entire dhurrie by hand. Tools used are panja and churra and the loom on which this is woven is called a khaday magga, vertical loom. Motifs represented mostly are the dice game board, the peacock, and geometric designs. The Jainamaaz has a single large arch in the center that represents the mihrab, the sacred arched niche. The arch is creatively interpreted by weavers and is woven in the width instead of the length.
Jodhpur , Rajashthan The craftsmen began to experiment with stripes, geometrical and stylized natural forms such as kangasi (comb), teer (arrow head), tota (parrot), chidia (sparrow) and chaukadi (rhombus). Variously coloured yarns are laboriously individually inserted to create these forms, thus also ensuring that the dhurrie is reversible. Tools used were Panjametal comb, chhuri-knife. The Threads Unnoticed 31
Panja Dhurrie in Achalpur Panja Dhurrie, originally from Jodhpur, Rajasthan migrated to different places, finally settling in Achalpur in Maharashtra along with a Mohammodein family. The members of this family were expert in the craft and this was the only source of income for them. The family has been practicing this craft for the last 4 generations, which is around 300 years. Not only men, but the women of this family were also experts in this craft. The Mohammodein communities are only involved in this craft and most of them are Syed Muslims.
Syed Zainul Syed Karim is currently the main craftsman, and his father named Shri Sayed Karim Sa Miyam was the community member of the society which was run by the Mohammodein. He was the oldest and most ardent weaver of dhurries. He expanded the dhurrie craft and set up multiple karkhanas in a building next to their current workspace.
Sometime back there were at least 100 weavers of dhurries. But later on disputes arose among members of the society and the community came to an end. People also set the office and the manufacturing unit on fire. Today only Karim bhai’s kith & kin are involved and more are being trained, though the tradition of weaving is there in families, but the present generation has deviated and needs to be brought back to keep this unique form of dhurries alive and flourishing. When Syed Zainul Syed Karim was doing his studies in MA first year his father passed away, because of which he had to leave his studies and start doing the work of Panja Dhurrie as no family member was keen to take it up that time. It has been 15 years since he has been practicing the craft. A lot of his family members are currently working under him, as well as a few karigars whom he has hired from outside his family.
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Craftsmen working on the frame loom, making a dari
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Hatoda: This is used to fix the loom in place
Punja: - A metallic, claw like fork used for beating the weft yarns in the warp so as to adjust it there. The beating is directly proportional to the stability of the dhurrie.
Tayri :- A straight 1-1.5 inches wooden stick used for rolling the weft yarns which keeps on passing from one end to another (called tairna in hindi language) to form weave 34
Panja Dhurrie
Bana: - Weft yarns which are rolled on tayri.
Churrie: - a knife used for cutting the yarns while making the warp
Makda: - Wooden or iron rod set on a loom which is used to separate the upper and lower warp yarns. There are two makdas on each ghoda all total four in numbers. It is used to lift the gurad after passing of the weft yarns. At each end of makda a rope is tied which is connected to ghoda. Ghoda: - It is a rod inserted in the Gurat to balance it and later tied with ends of makda which helps in maintaining the space in between the warp yarns
Tools Rath: - Tool used for separating and tightening of threads. The Threads Unnoticed 35
Process
Cotton is sourced from Nagpur as its available at a cheaper rate there. This cotton is then taken for dyeing. Yarns are dyed to the desired colour then are treated with cold or warm water according to the colour type.
After this, the yarns are sent for drying .
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Firstly yarns are dyed to the desired colour then are treated with cold or warm water according to the colour type.
Then those weft threads are rolled in a tayri in an up and down motion.
Setting the ghoda is the main part as it is the foundation of the loom. It can be of wood or iron rod. Depending on the width of the desired dhurrie, the distance of the loom is decided. The Threads Unnoticed 37
A rod is inserted in all the gurad of first upper warp called Ghoda which is later tied to Makda and same for other lower warp yarn’s Gurad.
White cotton threads are pulled, rolled and tied from one kaath to another. This is called warping.
Gurad is being made because it separates the warp yarn into two parts lower warp and upper warp. It is made by using a tool Tahini. The kaath is set.
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Then one end of Ghoda is connected to one Makda with a thick thread and same for the other side and also with the other end of the Ghoda. The four makdas handling the up and down movement of the gurad.
Now with the help of Panja, A claw like tool, the weft yarns are pushed to get interlaced by using this towards the warp yarns. This sets the weft yarn tightly avoiding any loosen thread.
Now the above process continues, of pulling the alternative makda but with interchanging the makda which is connected to ghoda of lower warp yarns and vice versa which result in forming of weave. Taiyri passed through the yarns according to the required design.
As the dhurrie gets completely finished, fringes are formed of the cut lost threads of the edges to give it a traditional look. The protruding ends and knots in between of dhurrie are cut for finished look. To remove the dirt out of dhurrie it is beaten with a bat or wood from one end to the other.The Threads Unnoticed 39
Motifs
The Panja Dhurrie craftsmen of Achalpur have been using certain motifs in the dhurries since years, such as the machli kaanta motif and the kursi motif which got their name from their appearance. The motif of the mosque is used in the janamaaz which is used by the Muslim community for praying in mosques. Other than that, they also use other patterns repeatedly such as stripes and zig zag lines.
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Zainul miya’s kids and his friends Zainual miya’s older daughter, Syminaz with a kid
Artisans & People The people of Achalpur are the best part about the place. Their unity and helpfulness towards each other and outsiders is extremely inspiring, and they are known for their togetherness. Most of the population of Achalpur is Muslim. Most people are well read and know and speak Hindi, Marathi and Basic English. Ashrafpura is the place where the craft Panja Dhurrie is practiced, and is a locality where around 50 Mohammodein families live.
Today, only one family in Achalpur is pursuing Panja Dhurrie. The main Person working in this family is Zainul Syed, and some of his family members work under him, whom he pays as per daily wages. Syed Yusuf Hussain, who is the younger brother of Zainul Syed, also has knowledge in Panja Dhurrie, and guided us through the different places in Achalpur. Syed Asad Miyan, Zainul’s uncle, also works under him. All these craftsmen are extremely hardworking and diligent. Roshan Bene also is in the Handloom business, and has several karkhanas where he gets the fabric made in house and gets it stitched from tailors he has hired. He also is in the dyeing business, and supplies dyed cotton yarn to Zainul Syed as well. 42
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People and friends of the craftsmen who gathered around the house
Craftsman Nasir Khan with a friend
Craftsmen; wrapping cotton thread around teri
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Syed Zainul Abedin Miyan Married and has 3 children
37 years
extremely skilled and patient
takes part in orange trading being working with this craft for 15 years now.
BA till the first year
works
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70
open to experimentation
hours a week
Syed Asad Miyan
47 years
Married and has 2 children takes
part in orange trading wants his children to have a profession in something else,
worked in a metal factory Moved to BA till the first year hyderabad to work mostly worked with tradiin a metal factory tional designs.
works
70
hours a week
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Women
The women in Achalpur have an active lifestyle, and can always be seen happily doing their chores around the house. Married off at a young age, most of them had to take up responsibilities of a home and a family very early in their lives. Their households are very conservative, and most of them studied till middle school. These women now want their daughters to do further studies and go to college, despite their family not supporting this. While most of them are homemakers, some of them do other work like stitching and embroidery. Syeda Asma Firoz, wife of craftsman Syed Asad Miyan, paints pillow covers and bedsheets, which are then used as giftables and are given to the daughters by the family when they get married. Craftsman Zainul’s wife Salma, works extensively on embroidery. She has embroidered a lot of dresses, and said that she had embroidered her wedding garments as well. She also takes orders occasionally for stitching blouses and other clothes and adding ornamentation, trims and embroidery to garments. While the older generation of women were involved with the craft extensively, currently most young women do not take part in it. They mostly just help in the untangling of the yarn and warping, and making bundles out of the yarn. In the previous generation, the women were the ones who practiced Panja Dhurrie, whereas now the craft has been taken over by the men in the family, with the women helping them with small tasks when there are high number of orders.
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Their Lifestyle The craftsmen of Ashrafpura reside in Pucca houses, most of whom have inherited them from their families. They maintain their spaces in a neat and clean manner. They have all the basic amenities, and have a regular supply of water and electricity. The children of the craftsmen aren’t really interested in continuing the craft, and while the craftsmen want them to learn it to preserve it, they also want them to pursue something else as their main profession to earn money. The wife of craftsman Zainul Syed is an expert in hand embroidery and often takes up orders from the people in the neighborhood to make their clothes. The ladies of the family are also keen to do work, and often help in untangling the yarn. They usually start working after finishing their household chores. The kids are well versed with technology and use apps like Tik Tok and YouTube comfortably and regularly. Most of their homes are extremely humble. A lot of people there have also kept farm animals like hens and goats in their homes. Most people travel the narrow lanes on bikes and scooters, as they are the most convenient mode of transportation to use. The people in Achalpur know each other very well and all the neighbors are like one big family.
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Seema playing around the backyard of her house
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Shantikunj A haven for craft
A line of trees and pretty buildings with neat signages tell you that you’ve reached Shanti kunj. It is a Government society near Tapovan in Amravati City which is 11 acres in area. It was found by Dr. Shivaji Rao Ganesh Patwardhan also called Dadajisahab. He opened his hospital there for treatment and later found people suffering from leprosy weren’t getting jobs but were keen to do work. He then opened several mills of Handlooms, handicrafts, furniture and iron works depending on the work that was possible for them to do. In comparison to other sectors, the production of Satrangi and wooden furniture is more, as they get more orders for the same. The products made are only made on orders given by the government. They claim that the Satrangi made by them lasts almost 25 years. Only people suffering from leprosy work here. The workers get around 4000 rupees a month.Shanti kunj also has various schools for kids suffering from Leprosy. These schools can accomodate upto 500 students. The facility of food and mess is also available to all. The society has 150 residential quarters for the people employed with them. The complex also has 8-9 temples, and the statues of some of the great Indian freedom fighters.
A Craftsman practising panja dhurrie at Shantikunj.
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Dolor auda dis ma est, quiae aut verum quasi omni rehendendion net in eos eic torrum ex eosam
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Women
Market Place
aute nos dest eos consenitem res
The Justam Nagar market in Amravati near Panchvati Square is lined with various shops selling handloom products. We visited multiple handloom shops like Maharashtra Khadi Udhyog Kendra, Handloom House and Khadi Handloom. We also explored Mochi Gali, which had shops selling Dhurries, readymade carpets and mats. A shop named Vijay Store houses handloom products sourced from Roshan Bene and Zainul Syed in Achalpur. He also mentioned that the products of Roshan Bene sell faster in comparison to Zainul Syed’s products. Zainul Syed’s dhurries are handmade which require more labour and hard work and cost more than Roshan Bene’s which are made on handloom. This is why Zainul Syed’s dhurries are mostly made to order, as pre-making them and storing them would lead to losses. They get more orders from temples and mosques in comparison to other private sectors and individual homes. Dhurries from Bhavani (fast colours), Agra and Panipat (ecofriendly colours) are higher selling products. Other than dhurries and carpets they also sell bedsheets, towels and pillows. We also found the store of the Handloom Society where they sell their products like bags, towels, and bedsheets. The Threads Unnoticed 53
Products in the market
BHAVANI DARI
Bhavani dari is sold the most as its cheapest among a ll at 20 per square metre
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AGRA DARI
Handloom made dari, 100% cotton . sold at 30 per square metre
PANIPAT DARI
Uses eco- colours and exported all over the world
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Handlooms in Achalpur: Weaving society of Achalpur
Raw material
The Industrial Handloom Society is a society which is run by a group of people who get elected in Mantri Mandal, which is a form of election. This society was started in 1936. It was earlier called Bunkar Samaj, (Weaving society). There is no involvement of the government in this, it’s a private society. Earlier there were 100 craftsman working with handlooms, now only 4 are there. Most of the craftsmen left the society for better paying job opportunities. The younger generation is not willing to take part in it as they are opting for higher education and colleges. After 15 years it started again under NCDC scheme. It is located in Sarmaspura in Achalpur and is under the control of Mantri Mandal (which changes every 5 years). The main positions of people in this society are: President, Operator, Supervisor, Manager and Stock Keeper. The current president of the society is Dhananjay Madhukar Rao Haedau and the current manager is Sawita Balsaraf. They source their raw material, cotton, from Nagpur, and their product range comprises of towels, lungis and bedsheets. Currently 100 handlooms are available for use, 40 of four legs, and 60 of six legs, out of which only 4 are being utilized. Other than this, they feel presentation and marketing are their weak points. They currently manufacture around 125 towels and 300 bedsheets per month. They have their own shops in the city where they sell their own products. They have a wholesale shop opposite to Vanita Samaj, Bagga Complex in Amravati, one near Laxmi Talkies, Parvatwada and one in Justam Chowk, Amravati. They also conduct surveys on the number of people working on different crafts in the area, after which they organize an exhibition of handicrafts for the locality, in which many women of the local area participated. Products in this exhibition ranged from crochet, embroidery, and many other home dÊcor products. The Threads Unnoticed 57
Current Status of the craft
There are still many craftsman weaving Panja Dhurrie across India, but in Achalpur where this was in practice from the last 4 generations, it has come to a situation where only one family is doing it. Lack of craftsmen results in an inability in making products which are in trend now or are newly developed. Low wages and long working hours made a lot of people leave the craft. Seeing all this struggle around them, the youngsters also do not want to engage with the craft, as it requires a lot of patience and time. A lot of local people in Achalpur also are unaware of the existence and practice of the craft in the city. Even though a few government schemes like Dr. Babasaheb Shilp Seva (Nagpur), Dalit Muslim Youth Federation (2012- 2012) and Bunkar Samaj by Gondal (Ahmedabad) were introduced by the government, they haven’t improved the craftsmen’s situation by a great deal.
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Our experience and observation As we entered the locality, we saw the excited faces of kids greeting us. The people were really welcoming which gave us motivation to work there. It was the month of Ramzan and they were fasting, but even then they helped us in understanding and learning about the craft of Panja Dhurrie as much as we could. Panja dhurrie has its own cultural relevance and importance. We also observed that the master craftsman Zainul was completely open to experimentation and new product development. He wants to give credit to his work and increase awareness about it as it is their hereditary craft. He wants people to know about it and to appreciate it. Being a handmade craft it is very costly to buy. The main reason is its sustainability which makes it costly and also not affordable to the common people. The women help the men with additional tasks like sorting the yarn, but are not allowed in the workspace when men from outside their family are present. We also observed that though all the craftsmen there were really skilled, they seemed keen and open to new ideas and suggestions we had for them to sell their products. They all were also keen for us to learn the craft’s details, and took it upon themselves to help us set up a loom from scratch, and helped us at every step while making it, and eventually making a small dhurrie on the same. They were all really patient with us and didn’t hesitate to give us any information, and in fact, happily did so. None of them seemed to be complaining about their situation, and most of them looked at things in a positive light, and were content with their lives.
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SWOT Analysis
Strength • Durability of material • High quality of material • Are open to customization of design and size
Weakness • Designs are mostly traditional and are meant for prayer. • Colour combinations are mostly limited • There is no proper branding that is done. There are barely any elements to distinguish them • .Lack of awareness of the craft online • Lack of latest design aids for designing products 62
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opportunity • Mentions on craft based websites • Collaboration with craft based brands like FabIndia • Promotional activities to give people craft tours and demonstrations. • Collaborations with designers to make innovative procucts.
Threats • The general public’s lack of awareness about the craft • Cheap machine manufactured rugs in the market • Handloom made dhurries which are made faster • More contemporary designs of dhurries in stores The Threads Unnoticed 63
PESTLE Analysis
Political Economical Social T
E
L
The craftsmen have a handloom’s weaver’s photo identity card from the ministry of textiles, which also mentions the year of issuance. This was an initiative from the government in order to recognize the craft and the craftsmen.
There isn’t much use of technology in the craft, as the loom is completely hand operated. The craftsmen use technology only in the form of social media, to post pictures of their work and stay connected.
The craftsmen don’t have any medical insurances. As the loom is a horizontal loom, they have to bend and sit for hours while working with their hands, because of which they have developed a hunched back. They don’t have any copyrights for their designs and products. pictures of their work and stay connected.
echnological
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The craftsmen don’t get any subsidiaries from the government. They have bank accounts, but they haven’t taken any loans from the bank.
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They live in joint families mostly. The current working craftsmen’s ages range from 37 to 60 plus. The younger generation is not involved with the craft.
There isn’t much use of technology in the craft, as the loom is completely hand operated. The craftsmen use technology only in the form of social media, to post pictures of their work and stay connected.
nviormental
egal
Kipling The Kipling method let us exploreour problem or extend our ideas by challenge it with the questions, What and Where and When, How and Why and Who. These questions are good to use in a unsticking creative session when people dry up and run out of ideas. Such as:Craftsman
1. What is your name? 2. Under which age group do they belong? 3. Where from do you belong? 4. How many years of experience they have? 5. What all language you all know and speak? 6. Since how long you are practicing this handloom? 7. Where do you stay? 8. How long you have been living here? 9. Who all there in your family? 10. Does any member of your family work with you? Local People 1. Do you know Achalpur? 2. Do you people come here if yes how often? 3. What are the other things this place is famous for? 4. Do you know what is Punja Dhurrie? 5. How they know about this handloom, and how much? 6. Are there any facts or story related to this? Government officers 1. Do you know about this handloom? 2. Since when this handloom is happening here? 3. Since when you are working here? ( years ) (continued in appendix ) The Threads Unnoticed 65
Women
Branding
The Yadullahi family do have a company name, visiting cards and designs of their own but they don’t have any common identity for their brand. We used the same company name “ Yadullahi Carpets “ and just rebranded the logo and other designs keeping in mind their existing and prospective market. we have kept the designs simple yet contemporary . They also have an existing tagline “हमारा काम ही हमारी पहचान है।” which means “our work is our identity “. It is both short and appropriate , so we did’t feel the need to change it.
The craftsmen feel that branding is a weak point for them because its not done formally and everything is not covered. So keeping this in mind we have revamped the branding strategy and designed everything that they might require.
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Explorations and colour variations
LOGO The logo is a pattern formed by 4 carpets coming together depicting the 4 generations of Yadullahi family who practiced the craft and are the building blocks of the cluster in Achalpur. The pattern is derived form one of their motifs called the kursi.
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BILL Zain bhai already had a existing design of a bill which they require for documenting their orders. We decided to completely revamp the branding strategy and we redesigned the bill which they need and use on a regular basis.
Visiting Card Keeping in mind their target market which ranges from 30 to 50 years and also their opportunity of growth , we designed a simple and versatile visiting card which caters to both their existing market and hopefully prospective market.
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Packaging Dhurries are usually rolled and transported, so they can’t be packaged in boxes or bags. We decided to come up with a solution that simply associates the product with the brand. A strip has been designed with the company name, logo and their tagline which will be wrapped around the centre of the dhurrie, so that the brand can be clearly identified by people.
Price tags To link the craftsmen with the craft we designed a tag that not only covers the product name, price but also the name of the craftsmen and also how long it too for the artisan to make. So, that it gives perspective to the customer and makes them realize the effort that goes in making a dari.
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Promotion
1. Airbnb In the recent past, people have started giving more preference to the experience than the product so we thought we can tap into this market of travel and tourism with the help of the "experiences" feature of Airbnb, where customers can take a craft workshop and listen about the story and history of the craft and also go through a step by step process of the craft and make a Dari for themselves and take a part of Achalpur with them. Through this we hope reach a wider audience and not limiting the craft to the older generation but also selling the craft not only as a product but also by experience to the younger generation. We made a prototype of this idea which will look something like this -
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2. Promotional display Keeping in mind the lack of recognition of the craft, we thought of a display around which people can go around and know about difference aspects of the craft which are -one side of the product moving on to the process and keeping focus on the uniqueness of the which is represented through a miniature model , moving on to photography of the place and people which makes craft what it is , ending with the story of the brand and the logo. We designed it such a way so that it gives the basic idea about the craft and places the craft on the map. We created this simple and direct strategy to make sure it reaches wider audiences. We feel this can be kept at an airport or exhibitions to create awareness and generate interest about the craft.
3. B2B E-commerce Since the daris are only made to order and made in bulk , we thought that Indian B2B market places such as India mart can be used to tap the online growing market. These websites will still have the luxury of making it to-order and have a wider reach.
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Glossary Warp yarns: - The yarns which are vertically or lengthwise set on a loop held stationary. Each warp thread in a fabric is called warp end or end. Weft yarns: - The yarns which are passed horizontally through warp yarns to interlace and form a weave are called weft yarn or picks. Loom: - A frame made of iron rods or wood on which the whole process of weaving is done. There are many types of looms like handlooms, power looms, and Pit looms. Handloom: - A loom which is operated manually.
Power loom: - A mechanized loom used for weaving rather than using man power to weave.
Pit Loom: - A loom which is set by sinking four posters into the ground with an overhang slay. The yarn work is done inside the pit so that warp yarn may absorb moisture and will result in better weaving. Warping: - It is a process where the warp yarns are tied from one end to other for the
weaving lengthwise.
Dhurrie: - A dhurrie is a thick flat woven form of rug or carpet used for bedding and floor coverings.
Panja: - A claw like tools made of wood or iron, which looks like a hand as its name suggests, is used by the weavers to densely pack the weft yarn to almost hide the warp yarns. Ganth: - It is a weave made at the initial stage of actual dhurrie to lock the warp yarns to avoid fumbling and disorientation. It is usually white in colour and is up to 4-5 inches long. Gurad: - Loops made of thick thread make a single warp yarn intact in between to separate the lower and upper yarns. Ghoda: - Rod in between the Gurad which is tied to the Makda
Makda: - Rods made up of wood or iron which are used to handle the movement of upper and lower warp yarns.
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Biblography 1. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN867IN867&biw=1280&bih=561&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNTm9jCb0t-sW_3iyKb3A9XkiGrXcQ%3A1569768672447&sa=1&ei=4MSQXcDyGtTfz7sPzbij2Ag&q=lac+bangles+photography&oq=lac+bangles+photography&gs_l=img.3...519.5256..5596...0.0..0.359.2901.0j2j7j3......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0j0i30j0i24.hXPmwpR4sJM&ved=0ahUKEwjA4uaApPbkAhXU73MBHU3cCIsQ4dUDCAc&uact=5#imgrc=W--ifWL-UgPIbM: 2. https://projectofhow.com/methods/the-kipling-method/ 3. https://www.swadesi.com/news/panja-weaving/ 4. http://www.aashimakapur.com/coalesced-threads-of-achalpur/ 5. http://www.craftmark.org/sites/default/files/P002%20Panja%20Weaving.pdf 6. https://arastan.com/journey/unassuming-indian-dhurrie Books
1. Handmade in India
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Appendix Craftsman 1. What is your name? 2. Under which age group do they belong? 3. Where from do you belong? 4. How many years of experience they have? 5. What all language you all know and speak? 6. Since how long you are practicing this handloom? 7. Where do you stay? 8. How long you have been living here? 9. Who all there in your family? 10. Does any member of your family work with you? 11. If not, what they do? 12. Do you want your generation to continue the same? 13. How far do you stay from here? 14. In what type of house they stay? (Observe) or do you stay in rented house or have own house? 15. Do you suffer from any of this problem like Water, Electricity, Sanitation, and Transportation? 16. Do you use any technologies, like internet or online banking? 17. Do you have any bank accounts? 18. What is your daily wages? 19. Is it enough for you and your family? 20. What are your working hours? 21. Do you get paid daily, monthly basis or order wise? 22. What is your monthly expenditure? 23. What are different type products you made? 24. How many products do you make per day? 25. From where do you source your raw material? 26. Where these products are been sold? 27. From where do you get designs of the products? ( inspiration, why these motifs, what kind) 28. Do you face any difficulty in marketing your products? 29. Do you sell these products in local market? 30. Do you do direct sell it retail or wholesale? 31. How you store your products and raw materials? 32. What is the costing of the product and range, price range of products? 33. What are the equipments and tools you use? 34. What are colors they use and why? 35. Making process ( observe ) 36. Mapping (important ) 37. What is the USP of handloom? 38. Any NGO or organization is related ? 39. Do you get any training before getting involved in this handloom ? 74
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Local People 1. Do you know Achalpur? 2. Do you people come here if yes how often? 3. What are the other things this place is famous for? 4. Do you know what is Punja Dhurrie? 5. How they know about this handloom, and how much? 6. Are there any facts or story related to this? 7. Have you ever use Punja Dhurrie? 8. If yes, then in what ways (gift, decor or daily uses) 9. Is there any weekly bazaar? 10. Are there any other similar products? 11. People shop it from market or directly from craftsman? 12. What types of consumers are here? 13. Is there any other handloom or handicrafts? 14. Does hotels around their uses Dhurrie ? Government officers 1. Do you know about this handloom? 2. Since when this handloom is happening here? 3. Since when you are working here? ( years ) 4. Have you ever been that place? 5. Do people often visit for the handloom or handicrafts? 6. Are you aware of the current scenario of the handloom, handicraft or craftsman? 7. What are the other crafts in Amravati that you are aware of? 8. Has any NGO or organization contact you before? 9. How government is been involved in this and what steps had been taken till now? 10. What type schemes are there and how much of them is availed by the craftsman?
Other information to be collect • Information about craftsman • Government agencies • Experience card • Bank account details
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Credits Content Paahini Agarwal Layout Vidhika Gupta Illustrations Diya Basu Data compilation Mansi Patil Photography Diya Basu, Paahini Agarwal, Shriya Agarwal, Shabih Ali
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