Warangal's artisan community received a shot in the arm recently with their famed Warangal dhurries receiving a Geographical Indication tag from the Chennai-based GI Registry.
Bright colours, geometrically repetitive patterns and interlocking zigzag motifs in cotton and jute are the signature styles of the carpets.
One of the newest innovations by the weavers here is an adaptation of tie-dyed ikat techniques and hand-painted or block-printed kalamkari designs for the dhurries to save time and energy.
Interestingly, for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, two carpets woven in silk were sent from Warangal. They held a place of pride among over one lakh exhibits, which included the fabled Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Today, the bright red and yellow carpets are housed in London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
