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Resplendent Legacy: The Beloved Patola of Gujarat
“Padi patole bhat faatey pan phite nahin”, “The design laid down in the patola may wear out, but it shall never fade.” True to this ode to its beauty, a Patola is a coveted silken textile that is believed to have been woven since the 4th century AD. According to historians the weaving was certainly…
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Celebrating the Six Yard Wonder: The Sari School Workshop with Rta Kapur Chishti
As Delhi took to the streets on the last weekend before Diwali, we made our way to what promised to be an exciting afternoon. While the festival of lights was slowly shining through all activities last week, we were also busy preparing to host a Pre-Diwali treat for some of our special guests… Jaypore was…
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Silken Threads: Romancing the Lustrous Kanjeevaram Saree
Distinguished by its wide contrast borders and rich motifs, a traditional Kanchipuram (or Kanjeevaram) saree is a sight to behold. Deriving its name from the town of its birth, a Kanchipuram weave has long been a treasure of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located about 72km from Chennai, Kanchipuram gained eminence during the…
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Clouds of Color: Imaginative and Vibrant Central Asian Ikat
References to Central Asia conjure up images of flat, rolling sandy deserts and a vast arid landscape. However, upon closer look it throws up colors so vivid that the eyes are mesmerized by their distinctive beauty. The vibrancy of an Uzbeki ikat robe or wall hangings adorning a carved door does justice to their name.…
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Passing on a Precious Legacy: The Handloom School in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
Among the many treasures of India, the heritage derived through a Handloom is one of the most exquisite. This tradition has been celebrated in the past by kings and commoners alike, but the future looks sadly uncertain. According to the 2011 Census data, nearly seven million families are involved in earning their bread through weaving…
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Organic Cotton breathes a new life in Fashion
Summer comfort is defined by light, airy fabrics that breathe. This role often rests on the shoulders of the simple yet sophisticated cotton that is often referred to as “the fabric of our lives” and for good reason. We come in contact with it in varied forms in our daily lives and it has remained the…
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Textile Discoveries
Excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have unearthed bone needles and wooden spindles, clearly suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. In fact, fragments of woven cotton have also been discovered from these sites. Historically renowned for it’s textiles, India’s woven love story dates back several centuries. The first mention of textiles in India…
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Peeking into the Past: Jaypore visits noted revivalist Suraiya Hasan
Suraiya Hasan, or Suraiya Apa as she is fondly called, is a bundle of energy as she flits around her weaving unit on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The clacking of looms fills the air around this octogenarian as she goes about instructing her class of weavers on the nearly-extinct technique of himroo weaving.…
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Odisha Renaissance: Reviving Languishing Crafts
Along with Odisha’s famed ikats, there are many more art forms, designs and weaving techniques yet to be popularized and find a foot hold in the markets outside Odisha. We are already witnessing slow death of many such textiles – dhala pathar, kala pathar, siminoi, habaspuri, kusumi, original cotton Bomkai etc. In the post-liberalisation phase…
Storytellers of Wonder 