The meticulously hand-woven Patola, is one of the finest and most well-known fabrics of Gujarat. It involves a rare, laborious technique of weaving dyed warp and weft. This method of dyeing the thread before weaving instead of dyeing the fabric after weaving is known as ikat or double ikat, depending on whether it is only one type of yarn or both the warp and weft that are being dyed. Patola is, hence a double ikat weave, produced on tilted looms and is primarily used for making sarees. It is notable for its carefully designed geometrical patterns, same on both sides of the fabric, and the resilient, natural dye used in the yarns that does not fade easily. The most famous of the Patola fabrics are the Patola sarees. The art of making these sarees is said to have travelled to Gujarat from Maharashtra with the weavers of the Salvi community, who moved to Patan in North Gujarat in the 12th century in search of support and patronage from the rulers there.
The sheer excellence of the products increased their popularity among the royals and the rich of Patan leading to a boost in its production. Made on silk, patolas were once reserved exclusively for the royalty and aristocrats. Even today, a Patola saree is extremely expensive owing to the tedious and lengthy process of its manufacture. The warp and the weft are knotted at intervals according to the desired pattern on the sarees. These knots resist the dye when applied, thus producing the required designs. The motifs on the fabric typically depict humans, flowers, elephants, parrots and others. The completion of a patola saree is a lengthy process and can extend to over a year. It is a vibrant, precise and beautiful weave, produced with patience and hard labour.
MATA NI PACHEDI, AHMEDABAD
The Mata ni Pachedi (literally, ‘Behind the Goddess’) is considered a sacred textile, serving as portable shrines. The history of this textile is related to the nomadic community of Vagharis, who is said to have started making the Mata ni Pachedi as their own mobile shrines about three centuries ago. Associated with its creation is a story of subversion; it is said that the Vagharis (now known as Devi Pujaks) made the Pachedi after being prohibited entry into the temples by the upper castes. Made by the Chitaras of the Vaghari community today, this cloth can be used as a backdrop to an idol, a canopy, and in other ways that transform a place into a ritual space, portable and accessible to all.
Traditionally dyed in deep red and black, the Mata ni Pachedi has a female deity painted as the central figure. Surrounding this figure are motifs of worshippers, animals, birds, suns and moons etc. The patterns and figures on the fabric are representations of various mythological and local tales. The outlines of these depictions are either hand-drawn or printed using wooden blocks and bamboo brushes.
ASHAVALI FABRIC, AHMEDABAD
The present day walled city of Ahmedabad was built in the area where many centuries ago stood the settlement of Ashaval. From a small village in Ashaval - Asha bhil no tekro - came the famous Ashavali brocade fabrics, woven with fine silk yarn. The Banarasi brocades are said to have been inspired by these richly decorated fabrics, woven with extra zari (gold or silver thread) weft. Made into sarees, other garments or kimkhabs (brocades), the Ashavali zari fabrics were meant particularly for the royalty. It was also an important part of the bridal trousseau.
The carefully woven motifs are outlined with threads of contrasting colours; the depictions are of flora and fauna, paisleys, Gods, jalis etc. The chand tara (moon and star) motif is a very important design for the borders and pallav of the Ashavali sarees, reserved especially for sacred occasions. The borders of the Ashavali sarees are especially notable for their enamelled finish and a range of bright, vibrant shades of yarns used for designing them. Naturally dyed, the sarees and other apparel made of the Ashavali brocade are said to retain their sheen and lustre for years.
Bandhani or Bandhej is the practice of tie and dye or resist-dyeing applied on cotton or silk fabrics. The fabric is first washed and bleached, following which it is folded into two or four symmetrical parts. This is done so that the patterns made on one side of the cloth are mirrored on the other. Thereafter, designs are marked on the cloth using washable ink and tools like nails, pencils etc. As per the required design, the idea now is to shield parts of the fabric from the dye applied to the rest of it. This is achieved by making simple dots along with the design and tying this area with cotton thread.
The fabric is then dyed using different colours. After this, it is washed and starched. Once this is complete, the threads used to tie the dots are released to reveal small, white circles. The process of tying the fabric before dyeing ensures that the area covered by the threads remains undyed, thus producing beautiful patterns on the cloth.
EMBROIDERY, KUTCH AND KATHIAWAR
Kutch and Kathiawar are the most well-known centers of embroidery in Gujarat, specializing in multiple types of needlework using silk or woolen threads. Legend has it that the shoemakers of Kutch were trained in embroidery by a fakeer. Another story links the narrative to the Kathi cattle breeders, who are said to have been brought into the region by Karna of Mahabharata. They supposedly carried with them their unique styles of stitching and embroidery. With the arrival of people from places like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan etc. in medieval times, the embroidery styles further evolved and became extremely popular.
Various patterns of flora, fauna, geometrical shapes and human figures are embroidered using a multitude of techniques. Chain stitch is one such technique that became very popular in the Mughal courts in the 16th-17th centuries. During the Colonial period, it was also exported to western countries, where it was mostly preferred for furnishing and bed lining. The Ari embroidery is a particular type of chain stitching done with the help of an awl. Apparently, it was originally used to produce designs on leather shoes, and later applied on textiles.Shisha or mirror work embroidery is beautiful and radiant. As the name suggests, small mirrors cut in different shapes are embroidered on fabrics to produce detailed designs. They are used for wall and door hangings, different types of garments etc. The women of the Rabari community especially used mirror work along with chain stitches to create attractive patterns on cloth. This has been specially identified as Rabari embroidery. Mirror Work is also extensively used in the embroideries done by the Jat communities there.
Suf, Khareek and Pakko (literally solid style) are some of the notable embroidery styles practised in Kutch. Suf is an especially meticulous process, wherein triangular designs are made on the fabric. The motifs are not drawn before but directly embroidered on cloth through careful planning and a keen sense of geometry. In the Khareek style, squares with black borders are made and filled with detailed satin stitch. Floral motifs are sketched before the actual embroidery on fabric in the Pakko (literally solid) style. The Mutava community of herders in northern Kutch are excellent in embroidery using all the above mentioned and other techniques.
Another form of embroidery prevalent in the region is the patchwork embroidery or applique. Wherein, smaller pieces of fabric are cut into different shapes and sewn on a larger piece of cloth to create various designs.
AJRAKH PRINT, AJRAKHPUR, KUTCH
The root of the word Ajrakh is associated with two different concepts. While some believe that it is an amalgamation of the two terms - 'Aj' meaning today and 'rakh' meaning keep, many scholars say that it comes from the Arabic word 'Azrak' referring to the colour blue. Ajrakh is basically a technique of printing both sides of the fabric using wooden blocks, practised extensively in Gujarat. According to legends, the art of Ajrakh printing travelled to Kutch in Gujarat from Sindh, where it was originally practised some four centuries ago. It is said to have moved with the Khatris, who relocated from Sindh to settle in Dhamadka, in Kutch. These block printed fabrics produced by the skillful Khatri artisans were received well by the cattle herding communities of Gujarat, who then began wearing garments made of the Ajrakh textile. Today a village named Ajrakhpur is primarily dedicated to the production of these fabrics.
The production of fabrics with Ajrakh prints is a long process involving many steps including washing and dyeing. A range of geometric and floral motifs, predominantly in blue, black and red colours are printed on the fabrics with the help of hand carved wooden blocks. The patterns and designs that are made using the Ajrakh method are similar to architectural designs like those on Jalis and arches. These patterns are repeated throughout the fabric to create continuity and symmetry. These printed textiles are then used for making a range of items from bedspreads and blankets, to turbans, lungis and kurtas.
This centuries old art of textile painting has been kept alive today by the family of Padma Shri awardee Abdul Ghafur D. Khatri. It is a very delicate painting technique wherein the artisans create fine patterns on fabric without prior design, purely from their imaginations. A thick castor oil paste is made and mixed with powdered dye to make the oil paint required for Rogan Art. The most common colours are blue, red and yellow. Different motifs are painted using flat iron rods or Kalams on one half a fabric demarcated by a longitudinal crease at the center.
The cloth is thereafter folded and pressed along the crease to mirror the impression of the painted motifs on the other half of the fabric, and to complete the pattern. Once the fabric is unfolded, a beautiful, detailed and symmetrical design is revealed. After the completion of the main pattern, the fabric is dried in sunlight and after a few days the intricate and small designs are painted to fill the design. These became popular in the past as affordable substitutes for richly embroidered clothes which were beyond the purchasing capacities of many.
TANGALIYA WEAVE, SURENDRANAGAR
Tangaliya Shawls are woven by the Dangasia community, in the district of Surendranagar. Legend has it, around seven hundred years ago, a boy from the Bharvad community, fell in love with and married a girl from the weaving community despite much societal opposition. Their offspring and the generations that followed came to constitute the Dangasia group of people. The most notable and unique characteristic of the Tangaliya is the art of making the Daanas or beadwork on the warp while weaving.
A few warp threads are selected according to the final design and tiny dots of thread are twisted and knotted around those. These make intricate patterns on the fabric once woven. The designs are mostly made without any machines or graphs, indicating the degree of excellence and skill required to weave these shawls.
One of the most important textile centers of Gujarat, Bhujodi, is located a few kilometers away from Bhuj, in the district of Kutch. The Vankar community inhabits the place and are experts in various crafts related to textile production, including weaving, dyeing, embroidery etc. It is said that these people had migrated to the region some 500 years ago to weave woolens like carpets and shawls for the Rabari herders in Kutch. Eventually, they came to be known as Vankars or weavers. Today more than a thousand people are associated with textile production in Bhujodi, skilled in the crafts they inherited from their ancestors. Bhujodi is particularly notable for its large variety of shawls, blankets, carpets etc. These are often dyed in bright colours and richly embroidered creating beautiful patterns with mirrors and thread. Traditional designs like the Chaumukh, Sathkhani and Dongla are woven carefully on the fabrics.