All this month I am writing about aspects of Indian textiles, a quick but captivating dive into the saree specifically, a garment worn by Indians for five millennia. Come with me into the diverse, complex and utterly fascinating world of yarn and thread, of skills and techniques of dyeing and printing and embroidery, traditions unchanged for centuries. Of sumptuous finished fabrics that not only make a fashion statement, but also constitute our cultural and political identity.
Dhaniakhali is a village around 60 km from Kolkata and is famous for its cotton handloom sarees known by the same name, a staple in Bengali women's wardrobe. I have grown up seeing both my grandmothers, aunts and mother in Dhaniakhali sarees. I have worn them myself to work as an adult. These slightly coarse, budget cotton handloom sarees are unmatched in elegance and eminently comfortable for daily work wear.
The Dhaniakhali saree is typically woven on 80 and 100 count yarns, characterised by plain borders and a raised braided pattern called 'Dhaaner sheesh' (rice ear) on the weft marking the
end of the aanchal.
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| Detail of Dhaaner sheesh or rice ear braided pattern at the aanchal end ofthe saree - a typical feature of Dhaniakhali. |
Traditionally they were woven with unbleached plain yarns for the body and naturally dyed, darker yarns for the flat 1.5"-3'' borders, starched with a mixture of sago, popped rice and wheat slurry that gave the saree its characteristic papery but dense feel. The designs were limited to stripes, checks and geometric motifs that were possible on the simpler dobby looms. Nowadays features like jacquard style motifs and tie-n-dye designs have been introduced to attract newer consumers. However, the original stripes or duray-kata designs such as jol duray ('water stripes') or khorkey duray ('louvre stripes') have practically disappeared amidst the slew of innovations to stem the slow erosion of both demand and weaving skills.
One of the greatest challenges faced by the handloom industry is that it is threatened by dwindling demand and therefore profitability. Sarees have become occasional wear for many younger women. The descendants of weavers are turning away from these generationally handed down skills and crafts, few want to take up the family profession of their forefathers.
Even so, the Dhaniakhali saree is championed by no less a personality than the Chief Minister of the state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. The saree was also granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to help promote awareness and protect its authenticity. Read more about the Dhaniakhali saree here and here. And watch a short clip on the process below:
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Did you know that the Dhoti is the masculine counterpart of the saree and is an unstitched length of fabric used traditionally by Indian men? It differs only in that it is less ornate, usually white/plain, has a narrower border and is around 4m in length as compared to the saree at 5-6 m. Both these garments were draped traditionally by knotting them around the waist. While the saree is still in common use among Indian women, most Indian men have switched to western garments for daily wear, and many men do not know how to drape the dhoti anymore.
Thank you for reading. And happy A-Zing to you if you are participating in the challenge.
Hari OM
ReplyDelete...true... most of the young men who attended the ashram during my time there had to be taught by the Sanskrit teacher! Some of the younger women also were not so familiar with draping sari... it was a strange thing to find myself helping teach those to whom it ought to have been a natural thing! Two ladies of my own age wore Dhaniakhali - also another more open weave style the name of which escapes, but I suspect may appear on your listings! YAM xx
It's sad that most Indian men don't wear dhotis except weddings etc. There's also the perception that the dhoti is the poor man's outfit, also a bit fuddy duddy. I haven't seen my grandfathers in anything else but crisp white dhotis. My father loved them and wore one when the occasion merited. My son and husband don't know how to drape one. I think I need to give draping lessons to the offspring as soon as this A-Z business is over! :)
DeleteInformative (as always) and a true Delight. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
DeleteI did know that the dhoti was the counterpart of the sari. And I finally saw a woman today, spinning. And I think one man wearing a dhoti.
ReplyDeleteWomen actually do a lot of the work of handloom production. The spinning of yarns, the winding on 'drums' and bobbins and shuttles, the pre and post production stages certainly, but also the actual weaving. In weaving communities, the entire family is involved in the creation of handloom textiles. You'll see more women in the videos coming up later on in the series.
DeleteDefinitely interesting to contemplate these spinning creations as a lost art. Hopefully, some folks will continue the skill and keep teaching it through the ages. As we (America) are erasing history bits and pieces by the boatload, I value other countries trying to hang on to theirs. Cheers
ReplyDeleteOh, we are doing that too - 'erasing our history by the boatload' is such a succinct way to sum up what is happening! The contribution of entire communities is being marginalised as the particular community is othered. It is infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time. Thankfully our handlooms are not yet touched by it as far as I know, but nothing is exempt from the toxicity and hate.
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