Project Khadi for designer Gaurang Shah

KHADI-The Revolutionary Textile

Khadi,a word synonymous to one of the strongest revolution in history, shaking the entire world with the power of a mere textile -is an uprising for self dependence and glory, a tribute to the oldest civilization of the world, a celebration of age old rituals and tradition. The village which actively stood in unison to participate for the cause was Srikakulam, a serene and calm coastal area of Andhra Pradesh which has been abundantly blessed with all the richness of mother earth. The ecstasy that engulfed us enroute Srikakulam was an outcome of the abundant beauty surrounding us from the silent nagarveli river to the yellow carpet of corn fields to the luscious palm and coconut trees sheltering the pebbled narrow lanes vanishing into the horizon.

"Andhra Fine Khadi", is a prominent name all over India. This is because this variety of khadi is produced from a special variety of cotton namely Punasa cotton, Hill/ white cotton and Red cotton, of very short staple structure produced in Srikakulam area. The cotton is combed and purified with the help of fish jaws which renders it the exceptionally superfine finish that is not lost even after the whole process of weaving.Normally most cotton in India is machine carded, that means the fibers are combed and mechanically separated from the seeds and rendered into fluffy bats for the hand spinners.The entire process of manufacture — from the separation of the cotton to the spinning, is done manually. The villagers take pride in their knowledge that no advanced mechanised technology can replicate such finesse.

Change is the only constant in this world- the phrase comes alive with the fact that the khadi version which was a rave in yesteryear lost its charm with the changing times and required the much needed transition to stay in vogue . When the weavers in Srikakulam were busy fiddling with the same old designs on khadi resulting to a financial crisis over its declining demand, Gaurang’s involvement proved to be a Midas touch for the age old fabric. The subtle small geometric borders adorned with small butis on Kora were replaced with bright floral jaals accentuated with animal motifs, elaborate borders  creating the magic of jamdani on bright colored khadis like yellow, orange, red, purple,blue, beige with multicolored threadwork and zari, surpassing people’s perception of a khadi saree to an unimaginable extent offering them with a spoilt choice of the contemporary versions.

The technicality : The secret behind the quality of Gaurang’s extravagant khadis not only lies on the special weaving techniques he incorporates but the entire process which begins with the healthy processing of the cotton yarns.The yarns are dyed and washed and then soaked in a mixture of rice starch and water for three days lending them the necessary sheen and strength to undergo the processes following it.They are then beaten up to remove superficial short fibers and winded up in bobbins(dabbal) using a Charkha. Multiple such bobbins then unwind in a particular manner as per the design to form the warp(padagu) sheet in a big manually rotated motorized wheel(raate). While a normal khadi saree is of 42”-46” width using 2500-3500 yarns of 60s and 80s count, Gaurang’s Khadis have a 50” width using upto 4000 yarns of 60s-100s count giving it the grander look with fine quality and smoothness.The warp sheet then undergoes the process of denting and drafting through the two heald shafts(atsul) and reed (palakka) using the age old method of joining yarns using a particular knot(atsu).The warp sheet is then shedded properly and attached to the loom(maggam) winded up in the warp beam.The ancient technique of paper jamdani replicating the interesting method of tapestry weaving is being implemented to brocade Gaurang’s Khadi sarees creating only sheer magnificence.The time consuming technique of paper jamdani is undergone using innumerable tillis(dindillu) for brocading in a single lift to weave different colors and designs alongwith the base weft(peka). Gaurang’s khadis sometimes uses 20-25 colors in a single design involving the use of as many as 150 tillis in a single lift giving us a clear idea of what it takes to create a masterpiece by a skilled weaver .Hence the time taken is also from 4 months-8 months unlike  a few days required for a normal khadi saree.The outcome can only be considered to be an awe inspiring tale of craftsmanship, strong age-old heritage and classicism.

Apart from the paper jamdani technique , another age old technique of hand dobby(Ada)is incorporated sometimes to create beautiful geometric patterns with extra warp brocading on borders. The temple borders of various dimensions are woven alongwith the plain zari border to balance the intricate allover designs giving us the flavor of trend and tradition together. The paithani designs are also being created using paper jamdani on khadi which is throwing light into the multifacetedness of khadi  yarns which was underused with minimalistic approach for a long time and has only been endowed its richness now with Gaurang’s dramatic weaving amalgamations leaving everyone spellbound. The process of 3 shuttle weaving technique for bringing alive the possibilities of yarn combinations like muga with khadi, Muga with silk is also being practiced, again creating an entirely different line of khadis.

The weavers who were only weaving basic khadi sarees with regular butis and borders are now strikingly bringing into perfection the art of elaborate designs on khadi at par with a heavy kanjeevaram sari or a grand Benarasi sari. The challenges thrown by Gaurang at a bunch of almost 300 weavers in srikakulam spanning 10-15 villages,  are always different and tough but their zest to take them up is incredible and sometimes follow with a rigorous training by the master weavers for tougher challenges. The true Indian fabric which transformed millions of lives in a bygone era is again trying to transform lives of many now, with efforts from textile reformist like Gaurang and hence addressing more and more weavers to join this saga in an active way making it their  way of life as it was once in history.

     

   

         

Project Chikankari for designer Gaurang Shah

CHIKANKARI-Sheer elegance

Chikankari , the art of whitework embroidery developed during the Mughal Period bestowed the small town Lucknow with international acclaim for its incomparable and intricate work that emitted royalty appealing  people world over .Apart from Lucknow’s magnificent Imambaras and grand Mosques which beared testimony to its rich cultural heritage, Chikankari rightfully placed itself into that legacy .  There are references to Indian Chikan work as early as 3rd century BC by Megasthenes, who mentioned the use of flowered muslins by Indians. Another tale also mentions how a traveler taught Chikankari to a peasant in return of water to drink. However history also reminisces the origin of chikankari by the female helpers of the Mughal Emperors who would do subtle needlework in their leisure times on the Emperor’s angrakha or cap.The name Chikan has been derived from the Persian word Chakin or Chikeen meaning a cloth wrought with needlework.

Unfortunately the irony lies in the fact that with the rising demands of this textile , the versions of Chikankari we find in recent times is just a mere adaptation of the real ones with involvement of cheaper fabrics like poly cotton,terry cotton,rubia  and polyester threads with loose stitches for fast and cheap production that nowhere justifies the authenticity of the fabric. Defeating the threat on this fabric is a name, Gaurang, whose tremendous efforts on preserving its  genuineness and quality is to be accredited. The embroidery is created on his assortment of rich fabrics like tussar, tussar-kota, muga, khadi etc involving the finest stitches in intricate patterns and detailing.  His signature style of infusing two rich techniques and other smart incorporations give us a surprising wide platter of variations neither compromising the tradition nor the contemporary appeal. While his bold geometric patterns of diagonals, polkas etc were quite a huge hit till recently, Gaurang’s efforts to continuously exhibit a different dimension to the same textile art has now led him to style it with intricate detailing on both geometric patterns and motifs like kalkas, jaal,chadiya,buti jaal to name a few, sometimes accentuating them with badla work and takes almost triple the time compared to an easier pattern. The infusion of kalamkari with chikankari on the same piece is a beauty to be adored and takes a time of almost one and half years for completion.While the local chikankaris invests only 2-3 designs or layouts on a single piece to save up on time and cost, Gaurang’s versions uses almost 10-12 layouts to give us the best of it.
The technicality : The piece begins with the printing of pattern blocks usually made of shisham wood on the ground fabric and now imprints are also taken down from khakhas directly to create big Jaal layouts without repeat. The embroiderer then stitches the pattern, and the finished piece is carefully treated with a careful amount of bleach, soda, soap and acid and then washed mildly on rectangular wooden planks made of mango, babul or neem tree.

The patterns and effects created depends on the types of stitches , the thickess of the needle and the number of threads used in the embroidery. While the local versions use thicker needles, easier stitches like bakhiya, tepchi etc, polyester threads with higher counts,  Gaurang’s versions never compromise on any step which would otherwise damage the quality of the fabric-be it the use of pure cotton 6-ply yarn for the embroidery or the clean workmanship in the stitches.Some of the varieties of stitches used include Jali, Murri, Ghaas Patti, Dhaniya Patti, Fanda, Bakhiya, Keel, Kangan, Karan Phool, Peshni, Balda, Kauri, Bijli, Tepchi, Hatkadi etc.

Little did we know that our journey through the small lanes of a village near Lucknow adorned with multicolored whitewashed houses and cattle farms , would lead us to a visual treat which has to be seen to feel.Magic was being created by a bunch of giggling and smiling women of varied age groups sitting together who greeted us with a sense of contentment. Their eye for minute detailing, their enthusiasm to keep the textile art form alive in a vibrant way was overwhelming. To what prevails generally of infrequent work and bad payment terms which indirectly dampens an embroiderer’s spirit, Gaurang accompanied by his master embroiderer has transformed the lifestyle of their workers and the village as a whole with good pay, proper hierarchy,various units with experienced instructors to hone the skills of newcomers , incorporation of smarter techniques to co-ordinate with them and hence can be considered as a role model of women empowered industry which justifies his sincere vision of reviving this textile art in the truest sense.

Project Kalamkari for designer Gaurang Shah

KALAMKARI-Beauty personified

Thronging our way through the lofty roads of Tirupati to the small dancing lanes in the temple town of Srikalahasti about 28 kms away , what awaited us was a panoramic view of the lush green paddy fields, the majestic brown hills of Sripuram and Mummidi-cholapuram cocooning it allover, the dazzling Swarnamukhi river bestowing life to its people from ages, the small whitewashed houses with cattle farms, the pile up of freshly manufactured bricks, artisans detailing the wood sculptures and the mighty Dakshina Kailasam temple with  lord Shiva  enshrined in the form of a self manifested white lingam.The plethora of splendid  beauty engulfing Srikalahasti embodies the rich cultural heritage and the holiness of this place. Legend holds on to many tales surrounding the sanctity of Srikalahasti , the most accepted being the story of Bhakt Kannappa who was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the Shiva linga before the Lord Shiva stopped him and granted him mukti while the name is believed to have been derived from the three greatest devotees of Shiva -Sri(the spider), Kala(the serpent) and hasti(the elephant) .
Adding to its repute is Srikalahasti being the birthplace of the magnificent temple art of Kalamkari. Kalamkari or Qalamkari as the name suggests is a type of hand-painted textile derived from the Persian words ghalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship).Though the practice of hand painted textile prevailed in other cultures too inspired from their own traditions ,in India this art form flourished around temples and their patronage and so had a religious identity - scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and the like, depicting deities and scenes from the great Hindu epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and the mythological classics, Panchatantra, Bhagavadam, Ram Patta Abhishekham,Krishna with Gopikas,village scenes, jungle scene with tigers, deer,elephants, annapakshi alongwith the very symbolic tree of life which represents the importance of trees in the sustainability of human civilization and hence held in very high accord. Groups of singers, musicians and painters, called chitrakattis who were village dwellers are considered to be the creator of this art form illustrating their experiences and beliefs in big canvases using the naturally available resources for coloring making it a suitable medium for story telling and a perfect depiction of painted travelogues.
But with the changing demands of time this art form too lost its essence  meeting the fate of other heritage fabrics and this immensely adored textile gave in to the budding growth of its cheap imitation using screen printing and block printing for faster production with chemical dyes making it affordable to everyone, unethically creating a wrong perception among the masses. At a time when the artisan families doing traditional kalamkaris were facing a tough challenge to keep it alive,a name surfaced, Mamata Reddy, who with her fresh ideas and sincere vision offered an entirely different perspective to it flourishing the industry again and hence rightfully been acknowledged as the revivalist of Kalamkaris since 18 long years. Kalamkaris which adorned only our temples with huge panels, shedded  its inhibitions and she started adorning  it in the form of a saree, dupatta or handbag promoting its utility quotient to a more acceptable level.Supporting her efforts towards kalamkaris is Gaurang who with his trademark sensibilities of design and style dolloped this hand painted textile with heaps of other interesting fusion and detailing, very much evident in his collection of sarees and dupattas.
The technicality : The affluent and traditional process of treating the fabric before painting starts with immersing the fabric for a day in a mixture of myrobalans and cow milk alongwith water . Myrobalan is able to remove the odd smell of milk and the fixing agents available in the Myrobolan can easily fix the dye or color of the textile while treating the fabric.After drying , the basic outlines are sketched free hand with a burnt tamarind twig.Contours and reasons are then drawn with the kalam or pen (klonchi) which is a pointed bamboo stick (edhuru pulla)  wrapped in pieces of wool material and threads, by soaking it at periodic intervals in a fermented mixture of jaggery(belam) and iron rust(inumu thupu) with water. After the typical black outlines with detailings are done the fabric is treated in boiling water for color fastness and dried. For the coloring , the kalam has a blunt tip and unlike the ordinary kalamkaris ,only natural dyes are used in our kalamkaris which are mostly prepared at home with the locally available materials. While red is extracted from a tree bark named suruduchekka and applied after treated with alum , yellows are from the karaka flower,blues from indigo, black is derived from a mixture of iron,sugarcane and thati etc.After applying each color on to the motif, the Kalamkari fabric is washed after drying. Thus, each fabric can undergo up to 20 washes. 
Apart from the traditional solid colors, Gaurang’s kalamkaris are now played around with various shades and tints of colors , which is a feat no one has been able to create in kalamkaris and gives it the much needed tinge. Usually cotton is used as the base fabric for its affinity towards strong color consumption but here again he outshone the quality of kalamkaris on fabrics like raw silk,silk,kota and tussar.Gaurang’s fusion of kalamkaris on unusual fabrics with intricate detailing,various color combinations , different and interesting layouts amalgamated with other handwoven and handcrafted fabrics like kanjeevarams, chikankaris , zardozis etc bagged him the “Best Collection Award” at Lakme fashion Week,Winter Festive 2012.
The textile art which was on the verge of extinction few years ago has now widened its horizon appealing people world over with the challenging innovations of revivalists like Gaurang and Mamata Reddy and the zest of the master craftsmen to portray the newer challenges to the best of perfection.Every member of each household happily participates in different stages of its creation for their skills are utilized without any exploitation and even the younger generation is inclined now to learn this art form holding on to the legacy. Trainings are provided to them through experienced craftsmen with a view to create a source of livelihood as well as establish this textile art as a full fledged industry in the years to come seeking the involvement of more and more people.

Project Kancheepuram for designer Gaurang Shah

KANCHEEPURAM-through my eyes

Kancheepuram, the city blessed with thousand temples ,witnessed the rule of different empires in history from the powerful Pallavas to the mighty Cholas along-with many others but unlike other places which faced the tyranny of different kingdoms, Kanchipuram was only glorified by them in every way possible-culture, architecture, lifestyle and textiles. While the name kept on transforming from Kanchipuram to Kanjeevaram to Conjeevaram, its authenticity remained the same. With the grand temples of Kamakshi Amman, Varadaraja Perumal, Kailashanathar temple, Vaikuntha Perumal still standing tall and strong witnessing its growth from a small village to a world famous city,  the lanes being busier than before thronged with small shops to big emporiums selling Kanchi Pattu, a ride to the interiors surrounded by the weaving villages being spectacular with clean roads, paddy fields and greenery all around , the mesmerizing sounds of the handloom in almost every household with the involvement of every member trying heartily to bring alive a culture in the form of a sari, indeed grants the title of paradise to Kanchipuram.

A name synonymous to Kanchipuram is Kachipuram saree which is considered equally sacred as its birthplace. Kanchipuram saree is an heirloom whose charm increases with passing of years and is preciously taken care of even after ages of owning it, which projects its importance in a woman’s life.Rightfully  given its status , every element portrayed in a Kanchipuram saree illustrates the richness of the place. With motifs derived from temple walls and rock pillars sculpted into perfection more than thousand years ago and the symbolic temple borders inspired from the silhouettes of the magnificent gopurams, a Kanchipuram sari embodies the grandeur of its birthplace in volumes.

The Kanchipuram sari(Kanchi Pattu as is locally known) is a quintessence of brocading extravaganza which has transcended the autocrasy of time and  has preserved its age old weaving techniques and motifs and placed itself in the league of classic textiles. Gaurang’s intervention into it is a supplemented effort to magnify it further reaching out to a wider audience, incorporating newer methodologies fulfilling the demands of changing times.While the local market is saturated with the same old rendering of color combinations and layouts with tested zari to make it affordable to more people losing out on its real flavor, Gaurang’s ideals of a kanjeevaram sari is still very royal and elegant with intricate elaborate designs and layouts highlighted with contemporary color combinations brocaded with pure gold and silver zari making a woman feel like a queen which they most deserve and desire.

The technicality : The dawn of a Gaurang’s kanjeevaram sari begins with the mulberry silk yarn being winded in a big bobbin in a particular manner measuring the length of 3 sarees  spanning a width of 50” of the sari. After this phase is the journey towards the extremely organized dyeing unit where the warp sheet after being removed as hanks from the bobbin are carried for degumming and dyeing.A big rectangular tall furnace is being heated up for boiling water at 100 degree Celsius.The water mixed with adequate amounts of soda and soap oil forms the base for degumming in which the wet silk hank is dipped and tossed.After sometime the dyeing particle is added to it which dyes the hank  and it is squeezed and taken out. Following this is the process of washing which removes all the superficial stains and a tinge of lemon drops into the water helps in color fastness, yarn strengthening and uniform application of color.For few colors degumming and dyeing happen simultaneously while for few it happens entirely at different duration. After this the hank is dried first in the drier and then under the sun. For dyeing the warp sheet of the same saree with different colored layouts the entire process undergoes alternately for different colors wrapping the undyed or already dyed hank with plastic and rubber patches.After this Shedding happens spreading out the dyed hank yarn in the pattern they would be winded up in the weavers’ beam(suttukol)which involves 4-5 people. After this it is dipped in rice starch again for strength and shedded again and beaten up for sheen and polish.The warp sheet is then winded in the weavers beam fitted to the loom.For the extra warp zari brocading which is a trademark of kanjeevarams, the zari warp is wrapped in another beam to maintain the same tension while weaving with the silk yarns. Gaurang’s incorporation of other yarn varieties like organza alongwith zari and silk compels the weaver to process them again in another beam which describes the finer nuances of Gaurang’s Kanjeevarams. The yarns in the new warp sheet is joined to yarns in the old warp sheet of the loom(tadi) using a particular technique numute and this process takes an entire day and finally the yarns are all drafted and dented through its heald eyes (viridu), plain weave shafts (Achikol viridu),reed(mungil pannai)with the jacquards fitted with punch cards(attai)constructed with the digital instructions received from the graphic designs. The intricacies of gaurangs sarees is  possible with 120 hooks to a maximum of 480 hooks jacquard while a normal saree uses anywhere between 80-400 hooks jacquard.The weft yarns are also processed and winded up in small tillis (Taad kuchi) inserted in bobbins(nada)  using a charkha(rattinam)and rocket winder(parutlam).The tale of weaving the ‘traditions’ begins thereon.

The process of Korvai is a unique feature of this sarees with solid colored contrast borders possible with the intertwining of three base wefts. While a normal saree lacks other interesting detailing with Korvai, Gaurang strives to add various technicalities in the same sari which lends his unique sensibilities into them differentiating from the rest like the brocading of elaborate borders using extra weft technique in border alongwith the usual extra warp border brocading methods and then again using extra warp brocading in body alongwith the usual extra weft zari brocading in body. To lend a grander look to his sarees Gaurang uses 3 ply yarns for brocading unlike 2 ply in normal sarees. His huge zari borders with geometric patterns, chequered body with detailed motifs of peacock, elephant, tiger etc., elaborate jungle designs , involvement of various patterns and designs in the same saree, ganga januma border with korvai technique in different yarn variety,big and small border together, use of both silver and golden zari for brocading and other innovations involving the use of 2-3 jacquards in one saree unlike the usual 1-2 jacquard alongwith the addition of more shafts for fine weaving gives a distinctive look.While a normal  saree is woven between 7-15 days , his sarees take up a time of 30-60 days depending on the intricacy.Quite a task!!