Textiles of Telangana

 Pochampally saree

The Pochampally Ikat sarees are made in the town of Bhoodan Pochampally, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana. While the Pochampally fabric can be used for making a range of items like shirts, bed-spreads, wall hangings etc., it is the Pochampally saree that has the maximum demand.  Locally known as Buddabhashi, Chtiki, and Pogudubandhu, these sarees are dyed in the traditional double Ikat style, where both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed so as to create specific designs on the yarns.

The colours used for the fabric are all obtained from natural sources. Cotton, silk and sico (silk-cotton blend) are used for making Poochampally sarees. The motifs on the Pochampally sarees are a combination of flowers, parrots, elephants etc. The traditional motifs are intricately woven within geometric grids, which gives these sarees a unique look.

Narayanpet Saree

The Narayanpet town in Mahabubnagar district is well known for its exquisite silk and cotton sarees. Using the interlocked weft method, the Narayanpet weaving process produces eight sarees at a time. Traditionally these sarees come in two types. One is the pure silk saree having both warp and weft of silk, and the other has cotton weft threads locked into warps of silk. 

The Narayanpet sarees are distinguished by their lustre, checkered patterns, and elegant zari borders. The brightly coloured sarees of green, red, yellow, purple etc. come with contrast borders. Sections of red or chocolate red and deep maroon colour are interspersed by a sharp pattern of white lines, which imparts a rich look to the pallu.

It is also believed that there is a Maharashtrian influence on these sarees. Weaving in Narayanpet is said to have started in the 17th century as a few people from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mobile camp settled down in the region and began the business of weaving.  These beautiful sarees are, thus, a reflection of the interactions of two cultures - that of the regions of present-day Maharashtra and Telangana.

Gollabhama Saree

The exquisite Gollabhama sarees are from the Siddipet district of Telangana. While Siddipet produces a range of handloom textiles, the Gollabhama saree is the most famous. These sarees are made of cotton threads that are tied and dyed before weaving. The distinguishing factor of these sarees is the Gollabhama motif.  It depicts a woman carrying one pot on her head and another in her hand. The inspirations behind the motif are said to be the women of the cattle-rearing community.

It is also believed that the Gollabhama motifs are inspired by the legend of a queen called Gollabhama, who was estranged from her King due to some tragedy. The King found her years later selling milk to make ends meet. She used to carry the milk in a pail on her head.

Gollabhama sarees are woven in bright colour combinations. The body of the saree is mostly off-white and the motif is woven in bright colours. The colours are rooted in the local cultural beliefs, where white signifies the virtue of purity and innocence, and red and yellow denote youthfulness, vibrance, and adolescence.  

Gadwal Saree

Produced in the small town of Gadwal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, the Gadwal sarees are acknowledged for their fine fabric texture and design. While a few of the Gadwal sarees are made completely of silk, most of them are Sico sarees. The term Sico comes from the words ‘silk’ and ‘cotton’ respectively, indicating a blend of both the fibres. The body of the Gadwal Saree is made of cotton fabric, while the border is of mulberry or tussar silk.

The most characteristic and challenging aspect of Gadwal sarees is where the silk pallu is attached to the cotton body through weaving. This makes the sarees comfortable to wear and at the same time gives them a lustrous look. The borders of the saree are decorated with zari work, depicting geographical patterns, temple designs, flowers etc. The traditional interlocked weft technique called Kupadam is used for making a Gadwal saree.

The design on the saree is outlined on graph paper before weaving begins. The designs and colours of these sarees are conventionally inspired by temple architecture and nature respectively.

Telia Rumal, Puttapaka, Nalgonda

The name Telia Rumal can be literally translated as an oily handkerchief, indicating the process of treating the yarn with oil or tel for making the fabric. The history of the production of the Telia Rumal goes back to the 19th century when it was produced in the town of Chirala in Andhra Pradesh. These square-shaped, large handkerchief-like fabrics were exported to the Middle Eastern markets, where they were popular as headscarves, and as scarves to be hung around the neck. They are also commonly used as a wrap-around for the lower body by the fishermen of the area around present-day Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh. The Nizams of Hyderabad patronized these rumals when they realized that the government officers of Telangana (Patels) used the rumals either to wrap around their waist over a lungi or hang it on their shoulders. The Nizams also commissioned special pieces of these rumals, heavily embellished with beautiful embroidery, to be decorated as offerings at Dargah Ajmer Sharif. 

The oil treatment of the yarns before weaving the fabric was considered useful for a number of reasons. When draped around the neck, it was meant to keep the dryness away. For the fishermen, the oily lower garment was useful in preventing the water from seeping through. Moreover, it was believed that the bright red colour of the fabric attracted more fish. Its popularity was also attributed to the castor oil which was believed to keep the mosquitoes away.  The production of the Telia Rumal gradually shifted from Chirala to Puttapaka in the Nalgonda district of Telangana and recently the Puttapaka Telia Rumal has received the Geographical Indication tag.

Now the fabric is used for making a range of products including dupattas, gorgeous sarees and others. 

The yarn (mostly cotton) meant for the Telia Rumal is first treated with sesame and castor oil, after which it is tied and dyed according to the required design. Since the production of the rumal involves the double ikat technique, both the warp and weft threads are dyed before weaving. Traditionally the colours used for the fabric were only black, red and white.  However, now the range has diversified to attract more customers. Different motifs like geometric patterns, flowers, elephants etc. are carefully woven on the Telia Rumal using the Maggam or traditional fly shuttle pit looms.

Durries, Warangal 

The historic city of Warangal in southern Telangana is famous for its cotton durries, woven skillfully by the local artisans. Its history is traced back to medieval times, when the art of weaving durries reached here with the Mughals. The abundant availability of cotton facilitated the craft, eventually turning Warangal into an important centre of dhurrie production. The cotton yarns, bought locally,  are dyed with bright colours like blue, yellow, red etc. before they are put into pit or frame looms for the weaving to commence. These durries are weft-faced and woven using the tapestry technique.

Among the different types of cotton dhurries, the shatranji is the product that was originally woven in the region. This dhurrie with its precise horizontal, geometric designs is used for welcoming guests in people’s homes. Depicting woven motifs of pillars and towers, the ja-namaz dhurries produced here are used as prayer rugs by the Muslim community, and the plain rugs with beautiful block printed designs are used in the houses for purposes of decoration. Many of the durries are now produced using the ikkat style, and others are decorated with intricate kalamkari designs. The material used for making these has also diversified to include jute and wool.