Samagam or Confluence to create a harmonious Whole

Samagam or Confluence is the coming together of two fabric art forms, two traditions and two different types of handblock printing techniques as one with the embroidery acting as a catalyst.

The word Samagam is often used to describe a coming together of different traditions and techniques in the arts, music, or spirituality. It symbolizes inclusiveness and diversity, where different elements come together to form a harmonious whole. This is the theme and concept behind designing the collection Samagam. We have joined or brought together Ajrakh and Batik fabric to create a confluence that is cemented by the use of simple hand embroidery techniques.

To give you a background on Ajrakh and Batik :

Ajrakh is the name of a block printing and resist dyeing technique that traces its origin to the Indus Valley civilization. The deep crimson red and indigo blue backgrounds of Ajrakh bearing symmetrical patterns with interspersed unprinted sparkling white motifs are a beauty to behold. Today this craft is practiced in Kutch region of Gujarat and some parts of Rajasthan. The use of natural dyes gives Ajrakh textiles their rich, vibrant hues that stand out and retain their lustre over time.

Batik is also a resist dyeing technique but the resist used here is wax. The process involves painting the fabric with melted wax, which acts as a barrier against the dyes used to color the fabric. The wax is then removed, revealing the original color of the fabric, and the process is repeated until the desired design is achieved. Batik is usually practiced in Kutch region of Gujarat, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and some parts of Southern India.

Two different printing techniques symbolically represent the diversity we find around us and the hand embroidery symbolically represents the joining force of inclusiveness - coming together as a whole to create something unique and exquisite.

We worked with the theme that the embroidery had to be the center piece of this saree - the binding force that joins Ajrakh and Batik together. The colours used for the embroidery too had to pop/stand out, considering that we were working with a printed cloth as the base.

We used running stitch, buttonhole stitch and lazy daisy stitch to create a colorful montage for the saree. The embroidery had to be minimalistic to highlight the fabric that we were working on but at the same time appear as accentuating the texture and the complexity of the fabric used (Ajrakh + Batik).

The result was a beautiful fusion of colors and patterns, with the intricate Ajrakh prints forming the base, and the batik designs adding an additional layer of depth and texture. The hand embroidery added a final touch of elegance and delicacy, making the garment truly unique and one-of-a-kind.

The 'samagam' or confluence of these three art forms not only created a visually stunning serenade on the saree, but also symbolized the blending of different traditions and techniques. This was the reason why we designed this saree - the blending of different techniques and styles represented the idea of unity and harmony, and it all coming together as a harmonious whole (the saree).

This saree (and subsequent ones) is for women who value the importance of diversity in their lives - different backgrounds, thoughts, personalities, experiences, stories coming together (inclusiveness) as one (Samagam) - women who are progressive, confident and ready to take on the world.

'Samagam' is a gathering or meeting of women who celebrate their diversity and unity, and are open to learning and new ideas - a platform for women to come together, embrace their differences, and find common ground.

#confluence #samagam #saree #sari #stories #storytelling #design #women #womenempowerment #womenchangemakers #fashion #womenfashion

Are we giving due credit to Handlooms?

#Handlooms - a fabric woven by hand - a source of livelihood for the #weaver - an object of pride for the owner - A classic example of Make in India. But is this sector getting its due acknowledgement of the efforts and the skill put in by the numerous weavers, master weavers/craftsmen of our country - the answer to this leaves much to be desired for.

It will not be wrong to say that Handlooms have become a dying art in India - they only find appreciation, accolades and the respect from foreign buyers. These people are so mesmerized by the rich heritage (of handwoven fabrics) and the process of making a handloom fabric on their own, be it a Block Print or an #Ajrakh or a #Bandhani or a #Batik. How many of us have tried doing so? The answer will be only a handful. Handlooms or handwoven fabrics in India have a very limited market - a niche - who value and love to buy them. The masses are oblivious of the rich heritage that India has and the different fabric forms that exist or are unique to different states in India. How many of us would know what originates where, how it originated, how it developed, who developed it, who are associated with it, and what new innovative and unique techniques are weavers employing to gain a share of voice.

What is more disdainful is when people choose to ignore the effort, the time and the skill that goes into developing a fabric. They are completely oblivious to the fact that sometimes it takes the weaver 6-8 months or even more than that to finish a product. And if it is as intricate as an embroidered fabric (Kantha, Sozni, Chikankari etc) it requires much more effort and skill.

We, Indians are fond of negotiating, we negotiate everything right down to even a Rs.5. Often I come across people who will come and say - "Ye itna mehenga kyun hai - isse sasta tou mall mein milta hai, Flipkart or Amazon pe milta hai." For these people, I just have to say that its not easy to recognize the worth of something so exquisite and lovely - please do not be bothered.

With the ecommerce making inroads in the Indian economy and offering unbelievable discounts on everything (to attract and acquire more customers), people have been moulded to think that having a good deal is their fundamental right. And if the ecommerce giants can offer a 70% discount on everything so can everyone. So, when they buy, they are looking for a "Good Deal". We do not mind spending a couple of thousand of rupees on a good meal in an upmarket fine dining restaurant but we will haggle for even Rs.50 with a craftsperson selling his craft.

Handlooms or handwoven fabrics are exquisite, please do not disrespect the hands that make them. Respect the weavers and give them their due share. Or else, they will be forced to take up other vocations which gives them the sustenance to survive. Switch to handwoven for a change and stop asking for good deals instead For a Change - think about giving a Good Deal.

The Regal Telia Rumal

Kolanu Muthyalu who is 65 years old, sits in his modest home in Koyylagudem village, busy tying rubber strips on the weft thread along with his wife. A #TeliaRumal weaver once upon a time, he now has only a dim memory of Telia Rumal products that he once wove. He mainly weaves bedsheets and dupattas which are supplied to the Koyyalagudem Primary Weavers’ Cooperative Society. His son Madhusudan holds a job and is a part-time weaver, and does not weave Telia Rumal products. His grandson Rakesh who is in Std.III, is most unlikely to follow in the family occupation of weaving. Trying to find a Telia Rumal weaver in Koyyalagudem is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

In #Pochampalli, none of the sons of the late National awardee Chiluveru Ramalingam, who wove Telia Rumal products, have taken up weaving as their profession. All have chosen alternative professions to weaving as they have seen their father’s struggle for economic stability.

The last stronghold of Telia Rumal production, #Puttapaka village still has few practitioners who are mainly youngsters who have undergone training in Telia Rumal process through government training programmes.

Today, the Telia Rumal survives in miniscule pockets in few villages that one can count on one’s hand in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. One by one our rich textile traditions are dying out and soon they will be only a figment of memory and part of museum collections. The story of the Telia Rumal of Andhra Pradesh is symptomatic of the fate of the dying textile traditions of our country.

A recent visit to Koyyalagudem village in Andhra Pradesh, one of the known production centres of the exquisite and nearly extinct Telia Rumal, presented only a grim picture of the future of the Telia Rumal. Older weavers dimly recalled having once woven Telia Rumals once upon a time. The younger weavers, in turn, had only heard of the older weavers having woven them and many had not even seen a Telia Rumal.

The stunning Telia Rumal was initially woven mainly in #Chirala in Andhra Pradesh in the 19th and 20th centuries primarily as a trade cloth for export to Arab countries where the square 44 inch by 44 inch oil processed cloth was in much demand. Locally, it catered to fishermen and agricultural labourers who wore it, as it kept them warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. It was also woven as sarees and dupattas which were further embellished with embroidery by the niche women clientele of Hyderabad.

Post-Independence, the decline in exports led to the decline of the thriving production centres in Chirala and Pochampalli. The subsequent decline could not be arrested despite significant government interventions in 1950s by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and the Festival of India in the 1980s. Despite a dramatic revival and a two-decade boom period from 1980 to 2000, due to the design intervention of Festival of India through Viswakarma exhibitions, its subsequent downswing post 2000 has been remarkable.

One of the most intricate double #ikats, Telia Rumal is characterised by a special yarn preparation process which gives its unique character. The preparation of the yarn before the dyeing process involves the treatment of the yarn with sheep dung, castor pod ashes and sesame oil over a month. At the end of the process the yarn has a slight oil smell and sheen which gives its name “Telia Rumal”.

Its one-of-a-kind design repertoire demands the precision that is associated with Patola saree weaving, which makes the production of the Telia Rumal intricate and time consuming. It is precisely this intricate process that has been the bane of its survival. Weavers rue that it demands incredible patience as the design has to be carefully woven and continuously checked and adjusted so that the threads are perfectly aligned. Guda Srinu, a National awardee, says that production is affected by this factor alone as weavers find it difficult to invest so much time, labour and skill for comparatively less remuneration. Weavers prefer to weave other regular items which are not demanding and yet give them a steady regular income. Telia Rumal products are therefore only a part of their product portfolio.

Weavers have shifted to non-weaving occupations due to low remuneration associated with weaving, increasing availability of steady income jobs in Hyderabad such as security guards at malls, ATM centres etc., and changing aspirations. The younger generation in weavers’ families does not want to be involved with weaving. Many are educated and have well paying jobs. At present, many of the Telia Rumal practitioners have either died or are now old. The next generation of weavers who continue to practice the Telia Rumal textile process is nearly non-existent, and barely a handful practice this and that too rarely.

Given this scenario, production is limited, and only due to the persistence of Padmashri Gajam Goverdhan of Murli Saree Emporium in Hyderabad, that limited but continuous production of Telia Rumal sarees continues to this day. Sarees continue to be produced not merely of the traditional Telia Rumal design repertoire but from the modern design repertoire of the Viswakarma exhibitions of Festivals of India. Despite a sustainable niche market demand, there is a highly limited supply which has been made possible by private entrepreneurship, fashion designers, and limited State government support.

Telia Rumal’s re-invention as a significant textile heritage item within the country, is a post-Independence phenomenon, mainly due to the successive government interventions. The building of the brand “Telia Rumal” products has not occurred which in turn, has not created a brand image and new markets.

Due to its limited production for niche markets, it is not commonly available in shops and boutiques. As a result, today’s younger generation is not aware of this textile heritage and there is absence of demand for Telia Rumal products. It is a catch 22 situation, where new markets are not created due to limited production, and production is not accelerated due to absence of larger markets for this niche product. This is the conundrum that Telia Rumal textile heritage finds itself in. One of the celebrated textile products remains invisible in the public eye and mind.

Outsiders having been fed upon a rich diet of textile books about the glorious textile traditions of our country wander into the villages hoping to see and buy one of the pieces. But sadly, neither is there the production of the original Telia Rumal, nor there is enough production of the Telia Rumal products for them to buy and appreciate the intricate weave and stunning designs. In an era, where the young generation within India and overseas is discovering its rich textile tradition, and where there is the possibility of an increasing niche market for expensive niche products, it is ironic, that instead of a revival, the Telia Rumal appears to be on its way out. Would its future lay in being a studio product and practiced by professional designers?