Why khadi embodies the fabric of freedom

Meanings, Metaphor looks at generating interest in the humanness of handspun fabric

April 02, 2019 06:21 pm | Updated April 05, 2019 05:23 pm IST

COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, 21/01/2019: 
Meanings, Metaphor Handspun and Handwoven in the 21 st Century in Coimbatore.  
Photo:S. Siva Saravanan/ The Hindu

COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, 21/01/2019: Meanings, Metaphor Handspun and Handwoven in the 21 st Century in Coimbatore. Photo:S. Siva Saravanan/ The Hindu

An exhibition delving into the various facets of khadi is on at the Bangalore International Centre till April 6. Meanings, Metaphor - Hand-spun and Handwoven in the 21st Century is presented by The Registry of Sarees. The exhibition was previously showcased in Chirala in 2018, and Coimbatore this January which were all outcomes of a study of many cultures and technologies of cotton cultivation in India.

The saris were designed and produced between 2000 and 2001, and conceived as a collection of 108 designs. A collection of 108 varieties of cotton fabrics were simultaneously sourced from handloom centres across the country.

There will also be a series of talks and conversations as part of the latest showcase - Meanings, Metaphor. Ahalya Matthan, Founder, Director of The Registry of Sarees spoke to Metroplus on the sidelines of the exhibition. Excerpts.

Why is the show called Meaning, Metaphor?

The curator of the show, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, had the difficult task of finding the relevance of the collection both in its presentation and interpretation. In India today khadi no longer refers to only hand spun, but also includes food and cosmetics. The exhibition hopes to generate an interest in handspun fabric, its finesse, its “humanness” and seeks to find a new meaning or metaphor for such a unique Indian craft.

What is the vision for The Registry of Sarees?

The Registry of Sarees is a Research and Study Centre with a multi-disciplinary approach that enables design, curatorial and publishing projects in the area of handspun and handwoven textiles. We seek to express our passion for India — its people, history, contemporary culture, lifestyle and crafts through these alternative paths. A studio space and library that caters to the study and documentation of textiles, their design and creation. Curated exhibitions that change the way people understand and experience heritage textiles in the modern context. Learning events that educate through the weaver crafts person’s particular skill or trade. Textile collections that offer unique interpretations of different traditionally practised genres of textile skills. We also have a craft and textile based lifestyle magazine.

Could you tell us about the history of the saris you are showcasing?

Fifty-one saris out of 108 housed at The Registry of Sarees in Domlur, will be on display. When it was first commissioned in 2000, the collection was christened Khadi – the Fabric of Freedom, and was curated by Martand Singh in collaboration with Rta Kapur Chisti, Rahul Jain and Rakesh Thakore. Rahul Jain’s painstaking study is also documented like a photo album.

Where do the weaves of the saris and fabric come from?

The sari weaves are from Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. It highlights the use of Jamdani, tri-shuttle weaving and borders such as Jalchurri and Rudraksh. Jalchurri incidentally refers to the whisper of the ripple in water — that is the kind of detail that goes into this weave. Yardage is exhibited in the study with the original swatch book and 108 different counts or weights.

Could you elaborate about tri-shuttle weaving and Jamdani?

This expo is trying to explain what exactly is hand yarn and hand-spun. Tri-shuttle refers to a third path with the weave apart from the usual warp and weft. It takes a U-turn to create a pattern and a unique, thin pencil border. Jamdani is of Persian origin and has a Mughal influence. The word is made of jam meaning flower and dani meaning vase. The name is evocative of the beautiful floral motifs that adorn these gorgeous saris. The Bengali version of the name, Dhakai, comes from the place of its origin — Dhaka in Bangladesh. Jamdani bloomed during the Mughal period. Colonisation saw a decline thanks to the import of cheaper yarn from European countries.

The decline of Mughal rule saw producers of Jamdani deprived of their most influential patrons. Villages such as Madhurapur and Jangalbadi, once famous for the intricate Jamdani work faded. Post-Partition, many weavers migrated to West Bengal and that marked the revival of the art form. The base fabric for Jamdani is unbleached cotton yarn and the design is woven using bleached cotton yarn so that a light-and-dark effect is created. The making of Jamdani involves a supplementary weft technique with the standard weft technique. This weaving is closer to tapestry work, where small shuttles of coloured, gold or silver threads are passed through the weft.

What do Sandeep Sangaru’s stands add to the display?

The showcase of these handmade cotton marvels gets that much more interesting with Sandeep Sangaru’s artistic bamboo stands, where he has tried to evoke the fluidity of a sari. Like hand-spinning cotton, bamboo is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

What are the colours and natural dyes used in this collection?

The collection is displayed across three floors and the colours include indigo, red, yellow, natural brown and unbleached white cotton. Pure iron for the greys and blacks, original cottons are in white or off-white, the distinctive blue of indigo is made from a natural extract from the leaves of certain plants. Red and pink are from madder, a pigment extracted from the plant Rubia Tinctorum. Yellow is from turmeric plants and the tuber.

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