Designed and Compiled by:
Antara Joshi, Harshita Singh, K. Suchitra Nimisha Agarwal, Pradeep Yadav Prakrati Mishra, Sagar Kumar Sanjoli Arora, Shefali Singh, Twinkle Sethia Batch of 2015-2019 Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad
CONTENTS CHAPTER 1
Warangal City CHAPTER 2
History of Durry Making CHAPTER 3
Durries in the Making CHAPTER 4
Weaver’s Tale CHAPTER 5
Legacy over the years
CHAPTER 1
warangal CITY
T
he city of Warangal is located in the southern state of Telangana. Locally known as OruKallu meaning “one stone�, the city got this name as it is said to be built on a single rock. During the Kakatiyan rule in 1163, Warangal was the capital of the dynasty that was ruled by various ruler over a span of 150 years until the Delhi Sultanate took over in 1323. The Kakatiyan kingdom spanned the entire area that lies between the Krishna and the Godavari rivers and includes the area which has been previously part of Deccan area, ruled by Andhra kings. Kakatiya Period Inscriptions praised Warangal as best city within all of telegu region up to shores of the Ocean. Even today one can find the remains of the dynasty in the architecture that stands tall.
The famous Warangal Fort
“Locally known as OruKallu meaning “one stone”, the city got this name as it is said to be built on a single rock.
”
“The intricacy
of each carve, that too made out of single stone and with such a miniature details is what makes the fort so attractive.
�
Stone Carvings found on the site of Warangal Fort
O
n the apex of the many architectural creations of Warangal stands the Warangal Fort. Built during Kakatiyas dynasty by King Ganapati Deva in the 13th Century, the fort wall boundary is spread around 19km. In the centre lies the ruined remains of “Swayambu Devalayam� temple which boasts one of the most beautiful sculptures in India. This Devalayam is surrounded by four tall gateway carved out of stone and with not less then 50 feet in height is situated in four direction securing this place. The intricacy of each carve, that too made out of single stone and with such a miniature details is what makes the Fort so attractive and a popular tourist destination. Same set of patterns can be seen in other temples, structures built in this city like Ramappa Temple and Thousand Pillar temple.
T
he culture of Warangal is ingrained in its past. Popular festivals of the city include a floral festival of Bathukamma being celebrated by women of the city, worshiping the goddess with different flowers for nine days. The women carry their Bathukamma to the nearest temple of their locality, then they clap, sing and dance rhythmically around the Bathukamma. Along with Bathukamma, Bonalu is also declared as a state festival. The people of Warangal are famously referred as Warangalites. People of Warangal consist of both Hindus and Muslim. Most people speak Telegu and Urdu while some have knowledge of Hindi and English. Most people depend on agriculture for income but over time people have started small business and trades. The attire of people includes saree for women while the men wear lungi with shirt.
A capture at the Warangal train station.
CHAPTER 2
history of DURRY MAKING
W
arangal is known for its rich carpet making techniques. The tradition of making Durries in Warangal dates back to the Mughal era, when the Mughal army came down to south in Deccan region of India, an army comprising of artists and craftsmen started making carpets and sooner the local people had accepted it as their part of regular income. This was due to abundant availability of cotton locally and around the city of Warangal. The craft has never faced the shortage of materials at any point of time. Durry weaving is an established industry in Warangal with a large population of skilled weavers and facilities for dyeing. It is a traditional handicraft, passed down from one generation to the next for more than hundred years. It is highly labour intensive rural based cottage industry. Warangal has long been an important durry-weaving centre with a strong local flavour. The art of durry making is very famous and has been continuing for centuries in Warangal. Hence there have been various applications demanding a unique Geographical Indication for Warangal Durries over the years. All of these applications remain pending because of which the uniqueness of this craft remains unprotected and exposed.
“Warangal is known for its
rich carpet making techniques that are available in a variety of styles.
�
The famous geometric patterned durry made in Warangal.
Various threads coming together to form a Tanna (warp).
A lady working on a frame loom. Over the years, the craft has seen arise in use of machines.
I
n recent years, screen printing techniques and kalamkari prints were adapted to Warangal durries, extending the range of products. The designs that are characteristic of Warangal durries are geometric, angular motifs and coloured horizontal stripes. The colours used are distinct with reds and blues used in combination with neutral colours. The designs range also has flat weaves with raised or extra weft patterns. Pit looms and frame looms equipped with pedals are prevalent. A wide variety of durries are woven in cotton and also some jute and wool based durries for export and the home market. The weavers in Warangal are either organized in cooperatives or work independently.
CHAPTER 3
durries in the MAKING
INSTRUMENTS The art of making durries involves the usage of various instruments which are: 1. Yarn: It can be cotton, jute or wool. 2. Dye: Both Natural and Synthetic in various gradient and colours used to dye yarn 3. Tikkidi: Wooden Frame used to unwind dyed yarn and rewind into untangled bundles 4. Ratnam: A wheel with wooden sides and iron rods on which yarn is wrapped. Used simultaneously with the Tikkidi and Charkha. 5. Charkha: Made of cycle tyre, it is used to spin the plastic rod around which the yarn is tightly wrapped around 6. Pirn: Yarn is finely and tightly wrapped around plastic rods. It is then inserted in machines. 7. Shuttle: Inserted with pirn is used in to insert weft in hand operated loom machines. It is made out of wood and is conical in shape from both the sides which helps it to glide smoothly. 8. Oil : Used to smoothen and remove fibres from Durries made on hand operated loom. 9. Wax Disc: Used to remove yarn fibres and even the surface of the durry made on frame loom. 10. Tanna (Warp) Machine: Various pirn are inserted in a frame and come together to make a band of various colours. This acts as the warp in frame looms.
Tikkidi Ratnam
Indigo coloured Dye
Wax with pirn rods in a basket Oil used to smoothen fibres Shuttle
Yarn being delivered Pirn rods laying in a basket
A cycle wheel forms the Charkha
Tanna Machine
A Pit Loom setup
Pedals in the Pit Loom
Frame Looms
Shuttle being operated by hand in a Pit Loom
Shuttle being operated by pulling in a Frame Loom
APPARATUS Weaving is impossible without a loom. Warangal Durries are made on 3 different types of looms which include 1. Pit Loom: A pit loom is used for weaving the carpet, which will be at ground level and is basically pedal and hand operated. The Shuttle is manually moved by hand. It is called Pit Loom because a pit needs to be dug in the ground for inserting pedals. 2. Frame Loom: Similar to pit loom, it has a pedal but doesn’t need a pit to be dug. The only major difference is that in a frame loom the shuttle is not operated by the weaver but moves through a mechanism of pulling. 3. Power Loom: All operations on a power loom are automatic and only require manual insertion of the yarn.
1. Designing: Designs are received from the government or agencies that place the order. Traditional motifs that have been followed for generations can still be seen on a durry. For geometric and jacquard style durries where the print is incorporated while weaving, the design is made on graphs and then used as reference. Similarly for screen printing the design is made on a screen and then printed on the durry.
A weaver making design on paper
2. Winding or Spinning: Raw cotton that is locally available needs to be made into yarn. This is by winding and then spinning on the traditional charkha. A lady unwinding the yarn
3. Dyeing: Cotton yarn is purchased locally and is washed thoroughly and left to dry in the open. When the yarn is completely dry, workers heat water in a tank and add natural or chemical dyes when it reaches a certain temperature. The dye is mixed and then the yarn bundle is soaked in for a while. Bundles are taken out, squeezed and left to dry once again. Indigo dyed yarn bundle A lady making pirn rods
4. Weft: Once the dyed yarn is received it is de tangled and made into tangled bundles with the help of Tikkidi. Once tangled bundles are made they are further spined to make pirns using the Ratnam and Charkha. Pirn is tightly rolled yarn on plastic rods that is set in machines or standing reel. The process of making pirns for weft is done by women worker’s.
PROCESS
A weaver arranging the weft on the ground
5. Warp: For a Pit Loom the warp is set on the ground. The dyed or white thread bundle are made into a single bundle of multiple threads, it is then tightened, sized properly according to required length and laid on the ground. For frame looms and power looms the warp is made in a different way. Various pirns are inserted in the vertical frame. Threads from all these pirns comes together to forming a band.
A weaver weaving on a pit loom
A finished durry
6. Weaving: The warp is set and the weaver’s keep the design in front of them and start weaving. In pit looms, the shuttle is operated manually. Artisan inserts the shuttle containing pirn onto one end of the loom and then he presses the peddle when it ejects out of the second end, and he also simultaneously presses the thread which is laid out by shuttle with the hand operated wooden beam, such that it tightens closely. Once a row of weft is done the weaver tightens with the help of a panja. Once the length of the required durry is received it is removed from the loom and send for finishing.
7. Finishing: Once the durry is completed, the weaver takes it off the loom by cutting of the warp threads. It is then handed over to the master weaver for finishing. Loose threads on the edges are tied into knots. Similar styles are laid one on top of the other or folded and tied into a bundle.
1. Durries with Stripped Pattern
4. Geometric print Durry
3. Single coloured Durries
2. Kalamkari print Durry
5. Screen printed Durries
PRODUCT RANGE
6. Jacquard style Durry
CHAPTER 4
weaver’s TALE
Weavers working in the society compounds.
W
arangal Durry weavers usually work either individually or are members of government aided co-operative societies. The Shathranjhi Handloom Weaver’s Co-op Production Sales Society is one of them. Started in the year 1955, there were 250-300 men and women working under it. Many such societies exist in Warangal. Being a member of a society gives the weaver’s an advantage of financial support and promotion by the government.
“Weaving is a
traditional art passed down from generations.
�
A weaver working on his loom.
A
weaver’s day usually begins at 6 in the morning-getting ready for the day ahead. He reports to the society compounds at 7:30 am and immediately goes to his loom which he finds it the way he left it last evening. Weaving is a year round job, the only holidays are on Eid and Amavasya when it is believed that work should not be carried out. When inquired most of them said that have been working as a weaver for as long as they can remember some date back to decades and there are some who have just recently joined. They claim that the art of weaving is all they know. It is an art passed down from their fore-fathers.
Females are active members in the process of making a durry.
B
oth men and women have to work to ensure a basic standard of living. While the pit loom is only operated by men all other activities are carried out by females. Right from spinning the yarn to even operating the frame loom, the women carry out these functions very efficiently. One can also find women sitting outside household winding and spinning yarn that is then taken for weaving. Weaving a durry is hence a multi- fold process that starts right from the house of a weaver.
The working space
“Ventilation and cleanliness
are the major concern in the production centres. They do not just harm the health of the weaver’s but also the work environment.
”
W
eaver’s rely heavily on natural light and one cannot find many tube lights or even fans at the workplace. The ceilings have been designed in a way to allow maximum sunlight to come inside, but during winter season or rainy days when the sun is not too kind, the weavers have to wrap up work early. Ventilation and Cleanliness are major concerns at the workplace. Since the raw material is cotton yarn one can find cotton fibres everywhere. These fibres are not removed on a regular basis as the administration feels that since it gets dirty so quickly, why bother to clean it. There are mandatory power cuts on second Saturday of the month. Lack of fans makes the area claustrophobic. Only open areas where cross ventilation is possible are comfortable to sit and work in. The weaver’s have learnt to ignore all these factors and work.
The cotton fibres all over the society compounds.
CHAPTER 5
legacy over the YEARS
Colourful durries stacked one on top of the other.
“Handloom to
date remains one of the most rich traditional practice of the country.
�
H
andloom serves as one of rich cultural practices of India. Durry making is a very famous Indian craft that has been continued for various generations at various locations. Some famous durry producing states include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka. All the durries made in each of these state have a unique character. But the question is where does Warangal Durries stand in comparison to the other weaved carpets made in the country. What makes the Durries or Warangal unique?
The famous geometric motif found in many durries made in Warangal.
D
urries of Warangal to date remain one of the few crafts left in the country that is still done by hand. It is still amazing to find weaver’s making an entire durry with traditional looms even when the rise in technology has led to the introduction of Power looms. The weaver’s continue to make the durry at minimal wages as it is the only practice they were taught by their elders. But the art of making durries is at a risk of continuation and needs protection. The weaver’s do not feel the competition as they are not exposed to the market demands, for them government purchases are enough to keep them going. Lack of self-branding and promotions are the reasons that Durries made in Warangal are unable to market their uniqueness. No protection in terms of recognition like Geographical Indication leaves the craft exposed to plagiarism and theft. To increase Market demand and improve sales, the weaver’s with the help of the government and other sales agencies need to understand the requirements of the market and enrich their traditional practice of making durries.
“Geometric patterned durries
remain the most famous durries from Warangal and are in demand both in national and international markets.
�
A weaver weaving a complete durry on a pit loom operated by a pedal and shuttle.
T
he present day weavers and craftsmen are not ready to make their children a part of this cluster to avoid the suffering they had experienced and the daunting challenges they are still undergoing, for the next generation. They want their children to relish a better future and to have better employment opportunities for survival. Hence, this sore tail clearly narrates how this craft is rapidly approaching its extinction.
Pirns attached in a frame of the Tanna (warp) machine.
An old lady working
W
arangal Durries in our eyes is a craft to be continued and protected. Actions need to be taken regarding welfare of existing co-operative societies and the weaver’s working under them. At the same time skill development and training existing and new weavers is essential. The government needs to take action to encourage younger generations to continue the craft.