The embroidery of Kutch and Saurashtra: Part II – Rabari bharat

Rabari bharat (embroidery) is one of the most famous styles of needle work from the western part of the Indian subcontinent, done by the community’s women.

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @shape.photos)

This is the second in a series of blog posts discussing the needle work heritage of the Saurashtra and Kutch (also spelt Kachchh), where I will share a glimpse of embroidered textiles from the region that I have bought over the years as well my own creations.

You can find the first post here I recommend that you read that for background information on the area. The rise of commercial embroidery based on the dowry traditions of Rabaris, Ahirs, Kanbis, Mutwas, Jats, Node and a host of other communities has been a distinctive part of Indian arts and crafts scene.

Since the advent of commercial embroidery in the mid to late twentieth century, it has gradually become an important source of income for women. The market for embroidered textiles has transformed the lives of thousands of female artisans in the rural areas of Gujarat .

Rabaris are one of the pastoral communities of the region, they were traditionally camel herding nomads some of whom have now planted roots and integrated into their local communities.

There are various meanings attributed to the word Rabari, one of them is; outsiders, a nod to their nomadic way of life or it could be a synonym for those who make soothing sounds, based on the reassuring way they communicate with their animals or many believe it stands for those who transcend rules and regulations.

The exact origin of the tribe remains unknown due to the lack of written records but many experts believe that they migrated to India from Iran via Afghanistan through Baluchistan around a thousand year ago, although this has been disputed by some, who have cited a more significant connection with the Rajputs of Rajasthan.

The majority of Rabari are spread across the north-western states of India as well as the Sindh province in Pakistan, they include 133 recognised sub castes who follow the Hindu faith. According to tribal myth they were created by Matadevi (Goddess Pavarti), the consort of Lord Shiva.

I have heard multiple versions of the story from different Rabari sub-groups, according to one of them, Parvati cleaned dust and sweat from Shiva as he meditated and moulded a camel from the dirt while in another version, he created the first camel for her as an amusement.

In both versions the camel kept escaping to explore, so folklore suggests Parvati created the first Rabari to mind it. Herding animals is therefore regarded as a near sacred occupation by the Rabari who see themselves as animal custodians rather than owners of their flock.

There are primarily three subgroup of Rabari’s in Kutch whose work I have bought over the years: Kutchi/Kachhi Rabari, Dhebariya Rabari and Vagadiya Rabari. Style of Rabari embroidery varies from subgroup to subgroup.

The main subgroups of Rabaris in Saurashtra that I have bought embroidered textiles from are: Bhopa Rabari, Gohilvadi Rabari and Panchal Rabari.

The Rabari are known for their distinctive artistic aesthetic, particularly the mirrored mud work that adorns the walls in their homes and villages. Outside of Gujarat the women of this tribe are most renowned for their detailed embroidery and beadwork.

They decorate textiles in patterns that subtly highlight significant events, rites and values in their lives, as well as historical events important to the entire clan. This helps to perpetuate the knowledge of their heritage, since they have no written tradition and rely on storytelling via their textile crafts called; gop-sanskrut.

Traditionally unmarried women embroidered elaborate items for their trousseau like batvas (small purse), chakla (wall hanging), toran (door hangings), kachliyo (extensively embellished upper garment for women), chaniya/ ghaghra (gathered skirt), ludi (shawl) kapda (blouses), kothlo/ kothro (dowry sack) married women intricately embellish children’s clothing like zuldi (elaborate upper garment for a young boy), vanzno (lower garment for young and older males), kediyu (an embellished flared upper garment for men), bandi (upper garment for men worn by themselves or under a kediyu), topi (cap), animal trappings, household items and godhiyu (cradle cloths).

Customarily, married women in these sub-groups were forbidden to leave for their marital homes till they completed the detailed embroidery on the items for their trousseaus/ dowry and it is said that many women stayed in their parental homes completing these till they were in their forties.

The phenomenon of women going to their marital homes later in life was blamed for the lowered birthrate in the communities while the passing of time and inflation in both, dowry and bride price, had brought some Rabari communities to the brink of financial and social catastrophe.

Keeping these factors in mind, in April 1995 Rabari Samaj, the governing council of the Dhebaria Rabari community of Kutch banned the making and use of embroidery and the Vagadiya subgroup followed a few months later.

In the decades following the 1995 ban, Dhebarias have completely stopped wearing embroidered clothing and now a bulk of Rabari women wear all black and men wear all white.

Despite them being banned from wearing embellished clothing, many Rabari women in Kutch and Saurashtra create amazing needlework pieces, for government emporiums like Gurjari as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the craft development sector.

After the ban on bharat kaam, a massive market opened up for vintage Rabari textiles with collectors from overseas paying a premium to acquire them. These days very few artisans follow the old-style bharat and most just create as per design instructions from those who place the commercial orders.

The first photo above features a Rabari embroidered bag from Saurashtra with prominently placed mirrors and some beaded details worn with a handwoven saree from Srikalulam in Andhra Pradesh. You can look at the bag more closely in the second photo.

The third and fourth photos feature a hand embroidered patch of fabric, again from Saurashtra that I now wear as a skirt and a vintage Levi’s trucker jacket that myself and the boy embroidered during our stint in self-isolation. The design for the patch on the denim jacket is based on an old cushion cover embroidered by Rabari artisans that I was obsessed with when I was younger.

The fifth photo features a vintage embroidered choli that is a wonderful example of the traditional motifs of the Dhebariya Rabari Community from Kutch.

Traditional and current Rabari style of needle work make extensive use of the interlacing stitch locally called bavadiyo or bavaliyo tanka, broad chain stitch (chireli sankli), Herringbone stitch (desi bharat), various kinds of mirror (abhla) work like bandha kaanch (bound mirror), dana (basting), interlaced and normal button hole stitch, double running stitch (bakhiyo tanka) as well as extensive patch and applique work.

There is so much more to share about the Rabari design language and their motifs that I can’t really condense it in one post. I have a few vintage Dhebaria Rabari pieces that I will share in another post along with detailed information on commonly used motifs in this style of hand embroidery.

Fun fact: The mirrors in the Rabari style of embroidery are bigger than most other styles because the tribe believes that mirrors ward off evil, therefore bigger the mirror, the better it is.

If you enjoyed reading this post and want to know more about embroidery styles of the region, I recommend the following books:

1. Threads of Identity: Embroidery and Adornment of the Nomadic Rabaris: Judy Frater
2. The Embroidery and Beadwork of Kutch and Saurashtra: J.M. Nanavati, M.P. Vora, and M.A. Dhaky

I have a few more books on my wish list that I will share in the upcoming blog posts, so keep an eye out for them.

The embroidery of Kutch and Saurashtra: Part I

Sewing colourful designs on fabric has been a defining tradition in parts of Gujarat predominantly Kutch (also spelled Kachchh) and Saurashtra as well as in the province of Sindh in Pakistan which borders Gujarat. The motifs and designs used in different styles of embroidery from this region are traditional markers of tribe and ethnicity.

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @shape.photos)

Embroidered textiles across the world weave a tale of identity, culture and folk lore in their patterns and motifs. The above photos feature various textiles that have been embroidered by artisans in Gujarat, India as well as by me in the traditional styles of embroidery indigenous to the region.

Communitities residing in Kutch, Sindh and Saurashtra produce costumes for themselves as well as their animals plus many more personal, household, dowry and festive items and textiles, incorporating the elements of needle craft and bead work prominently using cowrie shells and mirrors.

Spending a bulk of my formative years with easy access to artisans who were adept at these craft forms has resulted in me becoming massively obsessed with collecting these textiles and learning embroidery.

I am going to share a little snippet of my collection from the region as well as my own creations in a series of blog posts discussing the needle work heritage of the area.

The first photo features a hand block print yardage in the gamthi style from Gujarat worn as a saree with an ‘ek dana’ Jamnagari bandhani blouse and a black army surplus bag featuring a Neran style hand embroidered patch. The second photo features the same style of embroidery on the bag as well as a pair of vintage Levis 501 cut-offs that I have had for years.

I embroidered and attached the red patch on the bag about seven years ago, it was featured in my other blog here and here. This period of self-isolation has resulted in me  beginning a slew of needlework projects including the denim shorts.

The third photo features a vintage embroidered skirt in the Suf style and the fourth an elaborate toran (door hanging) from Saurashtra.

I am incredibly drawn to the colours and motifs of the intricate styles in Kutch and Saurashtra. Because of the ancient tradition of trade and migration from Central Asia within the pastoral and herding communities that practice these crafts, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact home territories for these art forms. But it is apparent for anyone to sees, the design language of many styles of needle work across Central and South Asia  have similar origins.

In the content below I am going to try and share some interesting details about the various embroidery styles showcased in the photos above.

Kutch: The name may have been derived from the word ‘kachho’ which means turtle or tortoise because the shape of the area resembles a shell of one. The word is also said to mean that which is intermittently wet and dry because a large part of the area is shallow wetland which gets waterlogged during the rainy season and  dries out during the rest of the year.

Overall I know of eight distinct styles of embroidery in Kutch that have differing interplay of stitches, mirrors, motifs, borders and style.

There is a commonality of dress amongst all of the communities residing in Kutch: a chaniyo/ ghagro (gathered skirt), kancholi (long backless blouse), kapada (short blouse) and odhni (long veil down) for women. The men traditionally wear a dhoti (a length of long fabric draped on the lower body), vanjani (gathered pants), kediyu (gathered short shirt), kameez (long shirt), bandi (short shirt), shawls, topis (caps) and turbans. However, specific differences in colours, fabric and ornamentation, designate each community, and within them age and marital status.

Neran: This style is showcased on the bag in photo one and two and the denim shorts in photo number two.

The term neran is derived from the word nen- which means eyes/eyebrow. If you look closely at the pair of shorts and the fabric bag, the smaller diamond in white denotes the eye, the surrounding curved design in brighter colours symbolises the brow. And the entire motif is always outlined by black thread.

This style of embroidery uses mirrors (abla or abhla) sparingly and is charaterised by the extensive use of the buttonhole stitch (locally called jat). This type of needle work is a hallmark of the Marwada Harijan community and was very popular a few decades ago.

Suf or soof: This style is showcased on the skirt in photo number four.

The intricate suf embroidery is a type of counted yarn embroidery that looks more like a weave than surface ornamentation, which is practiced continuously by the Sodha Rajput community since the thirteenth century.

The word suf literally means a triangle and this type of work is characterised by a heavy use of symmetrical geometric motifs that are exceptionally complex. It is counted on the warp and weft threads from the back and worked in satin stitch.

The design and the motifs aren’t pre-drawn onto the base fabric, the artisan envisions their plan as they go and counts it out in reverse while developing the pattern around a progression of triangles and diamonds.

More often than not tiny  fragments of mirrors (abla or abhla) are incorporated into the intricate pattern. This type of work was generally used to embellish a bride’s collection of apparel included as part of her family’s gifts to the bridegroom’s family.

The skirt I am wearing in the photo is a vintage piece featuring elaborate suf motifs that I treasure and have been wearing for close to two decades. This style is also practiced extensively in the Sindh region of Pakistan.

One day I hope to travel there to pick up some Sindhi Ajrakh and hand embroidered treasures in person.

Saurashtra: In Sanskrit, saura means sun, and rastra means worship – the region was named after its ancient sun worshiping Aryan inhabitants. It is the large central to southern peninsula of Gujarat which more recently is locally called Kathiawar or Kathiawad after the Kathi people.

Kathi or Kathipo: The vintage toran (door panel) in photo number four  is a wonderful example of Kathi (also known as Kathipo) style of embroidery, which is used primarily on household articles. This type of needlework forms one of the most prominent and oldest among embroidery traditions in the region.

The name of this style of embroidery is derived from its practitioners, the Kathi people, who are a land owning community consisting of three clans: Wala, Kuhmn, and Khacharas. The kathi style has since been adopted by other groups, like the Gohilvadi Rabaris. Yes, there are plenty of Rabaris outside of Kutch.

This style features an elongated darning stitch (adiya-fatiya), chain stitch, and an interlacing stitch (desi bharat) used in conjunction with tiny pieces of mirrors and worked with silk floss (heer) onto a cotton surface. This toran depicts deities of baby Krishna and Ganesh and features the words Bhale  Padharya (you’re welcome into this home). Both geometric and figurative imagery abound on these surfaces.

A Toran is deemed to be a protective and auspicious talisman for the inhabitants of the house as well as for the guests. I have a major obsession with collecting vintage hand embroidered and beaded torans from Kutch and Saurashtra.

Fun fact: The mirror work patterns that we see today traditionally didn’t use mirror or glass but tiny fragments of mica that were locally available or pieces of tin, silver or coins.

If you enjoyed reading this post and want to know more about embroidery styles of the region, I recommend the following books:

1. Catalog of Embroidered Textiles from Cutch and Kathiawar in the Indian Museum: Santipriya Mukhopadhyay
2. The Embroidery and Beadwork of Kutch and Saurashtra: J.M. Nanavati, M.P. Vora, and M.A. Dhaky

I have a few more books on my wish list that I will share in the upcoming blog posts, so keep an eye out for them.

 

 

 

Saree blouse styling ideas

One of my favourite things in the spring/summer is to wear all my cropped saree blouses and cholis in fun ways…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @shape.photos)

These photos feature a Sambhalpuri ikat fabric blouse worn with Kalamkari hand block print palazzo pants plus handcrafted wedge heeled sandals as well as with sneakers and a handloom cotton saree woven in a village called Yeditha in the Mandapeta mandal in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

I posted a photo on my instagram last week when I wore the blouse with the Kalamkari flared pants and got a whole bunch of DMs asking me questions on the hows and whys of wearing saree blouses with anything other than sarees.

I have spoken about mixing fabrics and patterns being great fun when styling saree blouses in eclectic ways with basics other than the six or nine yards, along with some pairing ideas in a previous post here.

I totally believe that traditional saree blouses make the best crop tops and have said as much in an old blog post from four years ago here. In this post I want to talk about the little tips and tricks up my sleeve that make it easy to wear saree blouses in multiple ways:

1. Going one (or more) size/s up: Oversize saree blouses are my jam, eschewing the norm when it comes to fits is something I love and I feel that non-tight tops are more fun to style with myriad separates.
2. Adding fun details: I love adding tiny extras to my blouses, interesting details like buttons, ties, ruffles etcetera, which give me a reason to wear them with a bunch of other items in my wardrobe and get more bang for my buck.
3. Keeping the back high: I detest deep backs on saree blouses because I like to be able to keep my fits a little looser than most and also because I like using my blouses as little shrugs or tie up tops.
4. Traditional patterned fabrics: I believe traditional fabrics like khadis, brocades or handblock prints or ikats or bandhanis or hand embroidered cholis lend themselves wonderfully to outfits that can take one from a brunch or a work day to the night out in town.
5. Eschewing ideas of the perfect body: I think one of the more important reasons I am able to wear saree blouses in fun ways is that I don’t care about how fit or unfit I look. The same goes for swimwear, I don’t have the flattest stomach or toned arms or a super cute butt and that doesn’t stop me from wearing whatever I feel like in ways that makes me happy.
6. Playing with flair and proportions: Playing with fit, flair, proportions and patterns keep things interesting when styling one’s outfits and the same applies to saree blouses.
7. Relaxed denims: I find flared and relaxed pants/ shorts lend themselves easier to styling with cropped blouses than skinnier fit bottoms and in general I find my drop-crotch jeans the most fun to wear. Case in point, bandhani choli with boyfriend jeans here.
8. Ignoring other people’s opinions: There are way too many of us who think it’s okay to have an opinion on what someone else is wearing and how they have styled it. I ignore other people’s ideas and pair whatever I like together. If I am totally feeling myself, I don’t let anyone else take that away from me.
9. Steering clear of trends: I prefer classic cuts, old world crafts, ethical producers and comfy fits, no trend can make me waver from things that work for my personality, needs and a sustainable lifestyle.

I hope if there is one thing you take away from this post it is that, when it comes to personal style, do whatever makes you happy. I know I do.

The delightful geometry of ikats from Andhra and Telangana

I have always been enamoured by the almost dizzying symmetry and angular precision of ikat textiles from the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana region….

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

In these photos I am wearing a vintage Pochampally silk saree that is a preloved treasure over a merino wool base layer for a relaxed afternoon brunch and playtime with the puppy face.

The Andhra style of yarn resist-dyed woven fabric, i.e. ikat, is known locally in Telugu as ‘paagadu bandhu’, ‘chitki’, ‘buddabhashi’ and more colloquially as Pochampally.

I am just going to refer to the region as Andhra in this post, I think this two-state demarcation is going to take me ages to get used to. In modern day India, this region is the largest exporter of ikat textiles, which really surprised me because I always assumed that the state of Odisha had bigger production and export.

The dominant motifs in indigenous Andhra ikat textiles include simple as well as intricate geometric designs, multicolored patterns, wedge-like patterns and stripes. There isn’t much in terms of documented history to ascertain the exact time or origin of the ikat technique in the region but it is widely accepted that the craft isn’t an ancient practice in the area.

The oldest centre for ikat textiles in the region is believed to be Chirala which used to produce the famous double ikat ‘telia rumal’ (oily handkerchief) or ‘chowkas’ (diamond within a square) measuring between 55 to 75 cms. The most common motifs in telia rumals include a geometric representation of mathikai (a local fruit), and mallipu (jasmine).

Traditionally only red, black and white yarn were used to create these fabrics and they were offset by wide single coloured borders. In India, they were more commonly seen on fisher folk and cowherds as loincloths, lungis or turbans. And there are document to prove that in the 1930’s they were exported in large numbers to Burma, the Middle East and East Africa where they were known as Asia Rumals.

Currently, only a few weavers in the Puttapaka village of Nalgonda district create this complicated weave. Apart from the telia rumals all other double ikat produced in the states are heavily influenced by the Patolas from Gujarat.

As per the geographical indication (GI) tag application, Pochampally ikat textiles come from at least 40 villages within a 70 km radius of Hyderabad. This includes Nalgonda, parts of Warangal, including Pochampally, Koyalagudam, Puttapakka, Elanki and Chautupal. From my research into the Geographical Indication Journal archives, telia rumals are covered under the GI tag bestowed upon Pochampally.

And as per the journal the three basic forms of Pochampally ikat are;

i. Single ikat, where either warp or weft threads are tied and dyed prior to weaving.
ii. Combined ikat, where wrap and weft ikat may co-exist in different parts of a fabric occasionally overlapping.
iii. Double ikat, which is by far the most complex form. Here both warp and weftthreads are tied and dyed with such precision, that when woven threads form both axis, mesh exactly at certain points to form a complete motif or pattern.

As per documents from the Intellectual Property India archives from 2017, currently there are about 100 master weavers who are ultimate authority in crafting these textiles. These artisans have complete knowledge in all aspects relating to the process of making Pochampally ikat, including the critical art of design visualisation, tying and dyeing of yarn till they represent the original draft, loading the looms and finally weaving the fabric to get the desired array of motifs with diffused edges.

For another post featuring a double ikat on cotton from this region please click here for previous posts featuring ikats from Odisha click here, here, here and here.

Random Trivia: It is common to see Pochampally referred to as Bhoodan Pochampally after the Bhoodan (short for Bhoomi daan) Movement. The movement began in 1951 when Vedire Ramachandra Reddy became the first wealthy landowner to voluntarily donate 100 acres of land to Vinoba Bhave in order to benefit landless labourers.

Of versatile hand block print tops, Odisha handlooms and larger- than-life handmade clay idols

An entire community of generations of artisans living and working in an enclave in Kolkata where they use clay to create magnificent likenesses of deities for Hindu celebrations…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

This post is as much about the clay-works-of- art-in-progress that I am surrounded by in the images as it is about the handcrafted fabrics featured in the photos.

The saree I am wearing is borrowed from my friend with an eagle eye for fabrics. I swear she can spot brilliant textiles buried under rubbish from kilometres away, it’s just one of her super powers. If you don’t believe me, check her instagram out and you’ll see what I mean.

This saree is actually a massive length of hand loomed Odisha dhoti fabric with the distinctive ‘phoda kumbha’ border, that the state is known for.

The top I am wearing here was made by my tailor back home ages ago, and I wear it A LOT with denims, sarees, as a swimsuit cover-up etcetera. It features hand block print on well-worn cotton that is all kinds of comforting. You can see it worn with denim shorts over two and a half years ago here.

If you are keen to read more about hand block print fabrics from India, I have previously published the first in a series of post about the various kinds of this type of surface ornamentation on textiles from different parts of the subcontinent, which you can find here.

The top and the saree were a match made in heaven for a sweltering afternoon in Calcutta, we walked around for hours amazed by the statues in all forms of production and to see multiple artists working together.

This entire area houses craftspeople who live and work in narrow intersecting lanes, that in spite of the lack of space do not feel claustrophobic.

Each of these stunning clay deities is usually crafted by a team of between three and five artisans, the process begins with a bamboo frame that is bound with bundles of straw to create a basic shape. Malleable clay is then applied on the contours of the structure by the expert craftspeople, moulding it on the frame with their bare hands, brushes and the chiyari – a bamboo sculpting tool.

Then begins the more complex task of creating the feet, hands and head with clay; once the whole frame has been layered, it is wiped with a cloth soaked with wet clay to prevent cracks once the statue dries out.

Once the clay form dries, the final painting begins, after an initial coat of base paint, the idol is decorated with an array of vibrant colours. The entire process reaches its artistic apex when it comes to the idol’s eyes ⁠— a ritual known as chokkhu daan (gifting of eyes).

So revered is the act of painting the eyes of a deity that the artisan will often ritually cleanse himself with water – and sometimes meditate – before doing so. The final step sees rope-like hair glued onto the idol, which is then clothed with various shimmering textiles.

Once completely dry, the clay Goddesses are dressed in beautiful sarees, their 10 arms decorated with abundant ornaments and faux jewelry

I found a statue of Durga in the second photo especially striking – the tiger she’s sitting on was so lifelike (a very close inspection was had). I have always marvelled at the intricate beauty of the idols during the various Bengali festivals honouring Goddesses and to see these works of art in progress was quite special.

Coming across such a wealth of arts and crafts knowledge just brings home the beauty and richness of culture in the Motherland, that we’re unfortunately fast losing to rampant consumerism.

Here’s hoping that these art forms flourish for centuries to come and the craftspeople are paid wages that befit their immense skill and knowledge.

Why I wear sarees the way I do – Part deux

A quintessential double ikat from Telangana with its distinctive red border and geometric motifs worn with a comfy-fit blouse made with Manipuri handloom fabric with the temple border typical to the state …

 

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

These pictures pretty much sum up what we get up to most weekends, wearing relaxed handcrafted clothing, getting away from the city, walking in the forest and drinking chilled beers. So instead of writing about anything in the photos, I will regale you with idiotic queries and statements that come my way when I post photos of myself in sarees online.

Over a year and a half ago I made this post with some unfiltered responses to asinine questions/ comments I get, but of course in the ensuing months there were more such gems that came my way…

Now I don’t believe in making lemonade, I believe that chancing upon lemons means that the universe is asking me to line up the tequila shots and have some fun.

So, here are a few wonderful questions/ comments that made me stop and stare stupefied at my screen and/or laugh at the idiocy of the person asking/making them. If you don’t like opinionated women who use strong/ coarse language, this is the time to look away.

1. Can you show me how to look slim in sarees?

No I can’t, maybe you could just wear sarees (and/or whatever else you feel like) and feel wonderful about yourself?

   2. You seem to trek a lot, what make up should I wear on one?

As someone who barely wears makeup ever, trek or no trek, I am not the one you should address your question to. How about you do what ever the hell you want?

    3. Why don’t you do giveaways like other instagram influencers, you have so many sarees?

Because I don’t want to bother. Why don’t you buy the sarees you want instead of asking random strangers online to conduct giveaways?

4. Why don’t you wear more accessories/ make up/ saree blouses?

I wear what I want, how I want to. Why don’t you get a life so you can focus on something other than another woman’s styling choices? Or better still, why don’t you shove your head in a toilet, close the lid shut and flush your brain clean?

    5. What is the need to wear sarees without petticoats?

Umm, because I felt like it and I don’t like petticoats. Also, who took a shit on your breakfast to make you this grumpy about my underclothing choices?

6. Did you know you look like servants when you wear your saree short like that?

Do you know you just display your immense stupidity and tremendous levels of prejudice with comments like this, you entitled piece of crap?

Also, I think most women whose daily work involves physical labour are way fitter and more fabulous than you’ll ever be, I’d be honoured to look anything like them!

    7. What is the need for such complicated drapes?

For you, clearly there is no need since you don’t have the capacity to comprehend or to create.

    8. Why don’t you bleach your skin to make it look more uniform?

Why don’t you take a dip in a tub full of toilet cleaner, maybe that will help clear your mind fog and help you understand some of us love ourselves just the way we are?

    9. Do you even comb your hair?

No, I don’t. Do you derive any particular joy from asking inane questions or is it just a tic you can’t control?

 10. How do I deal with friends who make fun of me for wearing sarees/ wearing sarees differently?

I’d get rid of them!

   11. Get real! No one can wear sarees like you wear and avoid being jeered at. In India, where women get molested and raped even while fully clothed it is not logically feasible.

You get real! I am clearly wearing sarees the way I want to, travelling the world and having fun. You on the other hand seem to be burning with some sort of pent up rage that I want nothing to do with.

When a person is raped or molested, it is because the perpetrator chose to inflict the horror on them and there is no other point to be made about such heinous crimes.

   12. Wearing bralettes and swimsuits with saree is not really going with our urban lifestyle.

Wearing whatever I want goes with my lifestyle, you on the other hand seem to have nothing better to do than to make disparaging comments about random strangers whose life you know nothing about. Here’s a suggestion, don’t look at and/or obsess about my photos.

  13. Personally saree means elegance and I don’t see that in your pictures.

Personally, I believe one should keep their opinions to themselves unless they’ve specifically been asked for them, so keep your fingers off the keyboard and go do something constructive with your time. Also, I am not here to pander to anyone’s gaze, if you don’t like what I am wearing, look away.

If you have also been subject to such moronic nonsense, please share snippets of them in the comments so we can all have a big laugh?

 

 

Different styles of Indian hand block prints

Manual block printing on textiles using wooden blocks has been an artisanal craft practiced in India for centuries …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

Hand-block printing is one of the oldest and currently among the most popular forms of ornamentation on textile surfaces.

Based on available historical texts it is believed that printing designs onto fabric most likely originated in China about 4,500 years ago but it is on the Indian subcontinent where hand-blocked fabric reached its highest visual articulation.

Indian artisans of yore possessed unparalleled expertise in the secrets of natural plant dyes, particularly with mordants which are metallic salts that both create color and allow it to adhere to fabric.

Between outside influences from Persia and elsewhere, the impact of Mughal invasion and the diversity of the subcontinent’s own indigenous communities and tribes, India has one of the most spectacular pattern vocabularies on this planet.

The saree I am wearing the the photos features the Jawariya Dana, a tribal print from Tarapur, a village in Neemuch district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It has a beautiful combination of alizarin hand block printing on the body and Dabu resist techniques on the border and parts of the pallu, displayed on mul cotton fabric.

Jawariya Dana is just one of the many styles of hand block printing from India and I thought I’d list a few of the types I wear quite often over a couple of posts here on Pleats n Pallu.

Jawaria Dana is colloquial speak for ‘jowar ka dana’ (a grain of sorghum or cereal grass), it is a traditional design term used for the block prints made on the odhanis (scarves) of women from the Bhils, Jats , Bhilals and other tribes of Rajasthan and MP.

They usually feature a red or pink (pink for the bride in kachcha colour, the colour is supposed to bleed and colour the bride pink) with small dots allover which are the size of grain of jowar.

Traditionally the danas would be made using the Indian tie and dye technique called bandhani however, these block printed ones are more common these days. A few local artisans in the area still follow the traditional bandhani technique to decorate odhanis and lugdas (body cloth).

These are sarees hand block printed and alizarin dyed in black and red . Blocks used are same as what the printers use for printing for the tribals so there would be misprints or defects as well.

Nandana is another elaborate style of manual block print practiced by the local Chippa community in Tarapur. It is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process involving about 16 steps to get to the final design.

Traditionally these prints decorate rough thick fabrics used for making ghagras (gathered skirts) for the women of tribal communities in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These prints have a limited number of block patterns, mostly flowers and fruits that are printed in the same manner all over the fabric.

I believe there are just five designs ranging from small buti to big buta known as mirch, champakali, dholamaru, amba and salaam are the signature motifs for these prints. You can see a saree featuring this print on a previous blog post here.

Dabu is a unique fabric art-form created by a mud resist process using wood blocks in the Bagru village of the western Indian state, Rajasthan. In this, a design is sketched onto the background cloth which is covered with wet clay sprinkled saw dust.

The saw dust clings to the textile as the clay dries and then the entire cloth is dyed in select colors. The parts with the clay and sawdust mixture do not catch the dye and remain colourless. The fabric is washed post dyeing and drying and may be dyed again in a lighter shade to cover the patterned area.

Traditionally this form of printing was environmentally non-toxic because it used no harmful or synthetic dyes.

You can see sarees featuring this print on sarees in previous blog posts here and here, on dress and shirts here, here and here.

The Bagru style of hand block printing is eponymously named after the village it has originated from, which is a short drive from Jaipur.

In order to created these prints an artisan first stamps the background block (locally known as gudh), followed by an outline block (the rekh) and finally the datta are filler blocks which complete the design.

On average, a printer uses a minimum of four or five blocks to etch one motif on a length of hand printed cloth.

It sometimes takes a couple of days just to carve and finish a single block, as the selection and seasoning of local woods is an elaborate process, specific to each pattern.

In Bagru, carvers often use woods like sagwaan (teak), sheesham (Indian rosewood), or rohida (desert teak or marwar teak) when constructing blocks. You can check out this print in an older post here.

There are many, many more types of manual block printing on fabric from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu etcetera that I will elaborate on, in another blog post.

The elaborate motifs and patterns of bandhani

Bandhani, the traditional Indian art of tying the fabric and then resist dyeing, is one of the earliest forms of surface ornamentation on fabric …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

I have a insatiable obsession with Jamnagari bandhanis and wear them for everything from treks to gala dinners and everywhere in between. The bandhej textiles from here are easily recognisable by the dexterous artistry on fabric and use of multiple vibrant colours sometimes incorporating up to nine different hues locally called the naurang chundhari.

The saree in the photos here features a traditional design called the bavanbagh (which is Gujarati for 52 gardens), in a brilliant red background, apparently the properties of the water in Jamnagar helps in giving sarees a particularly vibrant red hue.

Bavanbaghs typically feature a network of squares created by rows upon rows of bandhej spots with single motifs in each compartment. More red bandhani sarees on gajji silk from the erstwhile princely state here and here. plus a bright fushchia bandhani saree draped as a dress in winter here.

The unstitched fabric here was worn in a casual high-low drape with an indigo dabu print shirt dress, for a day wandering around a waterfall, reading books, drinking beers and playing with cute puppies.

Because bandhani is a labour intensive art, no two tie-dyed pieces can be the same, which makes each product a piece of art and truly one-of-a-kind. The quality of the artisanal craftsmanship is judged by the contours or kaff of the dots formed, as well as by the uniformity of their size and spacing.

Bandhani spots in Saurashtra are known by different monikers based on their size and shape. Bindi or boond is a tiny spot without a darker centre, chur is a dot with a darker centre, kori (Gujarati for cowrie shell) denotes a tear-drop shaped fleck, chundadi means a very finely done circular spot while ghatadi means a square shape speckle.

A collection of dots that combine to form different shapes also have separate names like laddu jalebi for concentric circles, dungar shahi for mounds made of bandhej spots, trikunthi for three flecks that make a triangular shape, charbundi is a collection of four specks while saatbundi is a collection of seven, dabbi is a group of spots that forms a tiny box shape etcetera.

Tiny flecks are made on the fabric in clusters to form other complicated motifs like haathi (elephant), keri (paisley), phool (flower) vaagh (tiger), mor (peacocks), chakli chaklo (elaborate squares with male and female sparrows), leher (waves), laduda (circle with a spotted centre), popat (parrot), swastik, kharek (dates), putli (doll), chulphul (four petalled flower), pachak (five round forms), panihari (female figure carrying a pot of water), draksh (grape), padma (lotus), pomcha (medallion), rudraksh (denoting Lord Shiva’s eye), jaaldar (weblike), veldaar (vine like) and more.

The complicated patterns on these textiles are a result of different motifs created by varying tying techniques and the result is a wide range of designs like:

1. Mothra is length of fabric decorated with a traditional plaid pattern typical to this art.
2. Shikari is a textile which is decorated with motifs depicting a hunt, it is a rarity to see this design these days.
3. Khombi describes a length of cloth that is decorated with white tie-dye spots on a basic red or maroon background.
4. Chandrokhani features a central moon-shaped medallion that denotes the figure of moon, a fabric with this design has spherical motifs on a dark blue or black backdrop.
5. Raas mandali is the portrayal of a dance form of Gujarat called the raas or garba on textile. You can see a previous post showcasing this kind of design in a cotton saree here with large medallions all over the body of the saree depicting raas.
6. Popat vel design depicts an arresting combination of dots forming a parrot vine pattern.
7. Nava aada vel is a stunning display of a diagonal vine pattern created with bandhej spots all over.
8. Paan kor vel is a wonderful arrangement of a repeating leaf pattern.
9. Mor vel is an array of peacocks on the border of a fabric.
10. Ambadaal is a pattern of mango branches all over a textile, you can see this design in a previous post here.

Traditionally there are a few distinct types of sarees that are worn for different occasions most common of which are the bridal textiles locally called panetar and gharchola. I will be elaborating more on these plus other facts and features related to this craft in a later post.

Seven types of silk sarees that can be worn casually

Silk sarees don’t have to be limited to special occasions and can be worn casually while going about everyday activities, one must just choose the right kind of low-maintenance weave that ensures comfort…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

This is part one of a two-part series on silk sarees that I love to wear for everyday pursuits because they render themselves beautifully to casual activities. I have a previous post on silk sarees I love during the festive season that you can peruse here.

Many of us have silk sarees that we tend to put aside and never find the right occasion to wear them because they are not grand enough for the fancy festivities but they are also not perceived to be as comfortable as every day wear.

In no particular order of preference, here is a lineup of the handloom silk sarees that I reach for when I am out and about on an everyday basis:

1. 1. Ikat silk sarees from Odisha, Andhra or Gujarat: I have a massive thing for ikats from all over the world and find them extremely suitable for every day as well as fun occasion wear. The saree I am wearing in the photos is a vintage Pochampally silk which has softened with age and just feels like I am floating in a delectable cloud. I wore it over a bright swimsuit sans a petticoat or safety pins, for brunch before heading to a little bay with the fur baby and spending the whole afternoon splashing around with her.
      More examples of ikat silks worn casually here, here and here.
   2. Khadi matka silk from West Bengal: Hand spun and hand woven silk khadi more often than not has some amount of cotton yarn in the mixture. Matka silk is what many people colloquially refer to as raw silk, it has a rough texture and is woven in the towns of Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
   3. Arani silk sarees from Tamilnadu: These lightweight silk sarees are woven in Arani in Tiruvanamali district in Tamilnadu. According to handloom weavers I’ve spoken to, the yarn used to make these sarees are two or three ply unlike the four ply used in Kanjevarams, which is what makes these sarees easier to manage in my opinion.
   4. Kuchai silk sarees from Jharkhand: This organic variant of wild silk popularly known as tussar, is produced in the Kuchai region that is spread over Seraikela-Kharsawan district in Jharkhand. The cocoon for this silk grows on Sal and Arjun trees and according to a Jharcraft spokesperson this is the first Indian fabric to receive an international organic silk registration.
   5. Mysore silk sarees from Karnataka: These vibrant hued GI tagged fabrics that are subtle when it comes to motifs on the body are produced by Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC) in Mysore. The erstwhile princely state has been manufacturing this textile since the turn of the last century and a present day original Mysore silk has a unique code number and hologram stamped as identification marks on each of its zari sarees.
   6. Mashru silk sarees from Gujarat: This delectable fabric is a handwoven, interlaced mix of silk warp and cotton weft with a characteristic fine satin finish and bright contrasts in bold colours. The word ‘Mashru’ means ‘permitted’ in Arabic, its Sanskrit variation ‘Misru’ means ‘mixed’ and it is believed that this textile got this name when Muslim men, who were not allowed to wear silk, started wearing this fabric. It is currently predominantly manufactured in Patan and Mandvi in Gujarat, India.
   7. Molakalmuru silk sarees of Karnataka: These mulberry silk fabrics are named after their place of origin, Molakalmuru, a small town in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, near the state border with Andhra Pradesh. The silk sarees made here are also known as ‘Karnataka Kanchipuram’, I particularly love the ones with abstract temple motifs and reach for them again and again.

I love wearing my silks regularly even in the hotter months of the year and I like to think that they benefit from the airing! I will have the next post detailing the next bunch of silk weaves, that I love to wear on a daily basis up soon.

 

DIY: Saree into lehenga

An example of yardage that was worn as a saree for ages before moonlighting as a lehenga (or gaghra or chaniyo, depends what you prefer to call it) …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

Reusing, recycling or up cycling is a one way to breathe new life into sarees that have ceased to be used.

This is one of my favourite prints but I have a whole lot of kalamkari sarees in similar colours and had my tailor in India upcycle them into various things last month. This one in the photos is a DIY, made at home following the pattern from another India made one.

One can make the most of one’s six-yard beauties by repurposing them into timeless pieces. It just takes a little bit of inspiration and a can-do attitude with generous helpings of not caring if the piece is not absolutely perfect!

This lehenga is a little uneven at the bottom, there is a lot that we could do better next time but I am ecstatic wearing it knowing that it was made at home and that’s what makes it perfect to me!

I wore it for an afternoon at the beach with a striped croptop, beat up sneakers and one of my many Wayuu Mochilla bags. I genuinely feel like there’s no such thing as having too many lehengas because they are versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down.

This particular piece for example can be worn casually with a tee to the beach, can be dressed up with a cute crop-top for brunch, I will be wearing it with bandhani during Navratri garba/ dandiya dance-athons, it can totally be wedding-appropriate with the right top, worn with a long kurta or anarkali with a bunch of jewellery would make it fancy-do friendly, or just wear the lehenga as a dress by tying it way high up and and so much more.

Cotton lehengas, even embroidered gaghras can be styled in myriad ways and it is a great way to repurpose sarees that one doesn’t reach for anymore.

Some of the ways I plan to wear this lehenga are listed below and I am always looking to add to this list:

1. With a white shirt and wedge heels
2. With a backless choli, heaps of beaded jewellery and mojris/juttis
3. With wedge heels, a fun bandhani blouse and saree
4. With a Kutchi embroidered choli, a tonne of chunky silver jewellery and Kolhapuri chappals
5. With a silk full sleeved blouse and sky-high heels
6. With another block print blouse, plain khadi saree and sneakers
7. With a bandhani dupatta worn as a cross body blouse
8. With a plain cotton long kurta and an oversize tote
9. With an anarkali and tonnes of fresh flowers
10. With a swimsuit top/ sports bra and fun jewellery

What are your favourite ways to upcycle sarees and what is your preferred way to style a lehenga?