Puttapaka Telia Rumal meaning "Oily kerchief" is a double ikat textile from the village of Puttapaka, Narayanapur Mandal in the Nalgonda district of Telangana, India. Puttapaka is now on the global map after securing the coveted Geographical Indication tag in 2015.
The style developed in Chirala, on the coast of Andra Pradesh, with the earliest recorded pieces made in the 1800s, but spread further to the Nalgonda District due to high demand from Arabic markets. Presently, the village of Puttapaka, Nalgonda District is one of the few places still weaving the telia rumal. There, the Gajam family have been keeping the skill alive.
The more common single form of ikat is a process where the warp or weft yarn is resist-tied before being dyed and then woven. (‘Resist dying’ uses various methods — in this case, tied-off sections of yarn — to dye textiles with patterns.) Single ikat is found in many places around the world, but double ikat is more rare, requiring a high degree of work and precision found in only a few places, particularly in Japan, India and Bali.
He has set up a small museum in Hyderabad to showcase the craft and the skill handed down over generations. The museum is in a warren of lanes in the Dilsukhnagar area of the city. The museum is a tribute to artisans who have steadfastly held on to their craft in the wake of destruction wrought by industrialisation, powerlooms and synthetic dves. The museum has weaves created by Govardhan and his family members over the years, a library of books that detail the fabric traditions of India, clothes woven using similar styles from other parts of the world, hierloom designs, and a small loom to give an idea of the work of weavers. Govardhan and his familv has been creating Telia Rumals
for nearly 100 years and have breathed life into a dying dyeing style, weave and pattern. The name Telia Rumal comes from oiled kerchiefs.
The kerchiefs are used to cover the head in Gulf countries where the hint of oil in the cloth keeps the fabric cool. But before that, the handkerchiefs were gifts for lovers.
Making of the cloth
“The yarn is soaked in sheep dung for 17 days and castor oil kernels for 21 days before it is ready for dyeing,” says Govardhan sharing the secret about the cloth that’s claimed to be cool during summer and warm during winter.
Telia Rumal can be literally translated to mean ‘oiled/oily kerchief’. First to explain Telia – the word ‘Telia’ is derived from Til (sesame)/Tel (oil) since the yarn for the textile is treated with castor ash, sesame oil and sheep dung (yes!!) for longer colour retention. The entire method of processing the yarn takes about 21 days. The well-oiled threads help retain moisture.
The term ‘Rumal’ refers to a square kerchief or scarf. The oil in the scarf protects the skin from dryness when worn in the extreme desert climate of the Arabian lands. The same turban keeps the head warm in winters. The liberal use of oil makes the fabric soft and renders a distinct smell to the same. The men in the Middle-Eastern countries fashioned keffiyehs or turbans out of the Telia Rumal.
In India, it was used by the fishermen as a lungi (loin cloth) because the oily cloth repelled water. It was also believed that the red colour and the oily fragrance attracted the fish and the fishermen thus would never return without a catch. It was also used by Nizams and wealthy Zamindars of Telangana for turbans as a symbol of their power. This explains the power statement made by Sheikh Chand in Ankur by sporting the Telia Rumal.
Telia Rumal is a unique tie and dye technique that uses oil for the treatment of the yarn that helps it retain softness and has a distinct smell of gingelly oil. The earlier patterns used to be strictly geometric or vegetal patterns due to the preference of the patrons, but after 1930s the craftsmen started incorporating figurative elements like lions, elephants, birds, clocks and even aeroplanes, which required better weaving skills. It is no longer handkerchief-size pieces that connoisseurs can buy. The families involved in weaving now create saris, dupattas, dress materials and other made-to-order pieces with the same techniques and exotic patterns.
The Telia Rumal is essentially a double ikat weave. But, it is not just another double ikat weave. The elaborate treatment of the yarn prior to resist dyeing is what makes it special. Now, the question that arises in the minds of the unversed is – what is ikat? Ikat is a word of Indonesian origin which means bind. It is a technique by which the yarn is tied as per the patterns required and then dyed. This yarn is then woven. When only the warp or the weft is tied and dyed it is called single ikat; when both the warp and the weft are tied and dyed, based on the pattern that needs to be evolved after weaving, it is called double ikat. It goes without saying that weaving a double ikat involves more skill; it is a more labour intensive and time taking technique. Double ikat textiles are still prevalent -largely in India, Japan and Indonesia. The Telia Rumal however goes a step ahead in establishing its distinctiveness; apart from the fact that it is a double ikat, its uniqueness is hidden in its name.
Gajam Govardhana is an Indian master weaver, known for his work in Ikkat dyeing in the Telia Rumal tradition, and for his handloom creations. In 2011 the government of India honoured him with the fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri.
The term ‘Rumal’ refers to a square kerchief or scarf. The oil in the scarf protects the skin from dryness when worn in the extreme desert climate of the Arabian lands. The same turban keeps the head warm in winters. The liberal use of oil makes the fabric soft and renders a distinct smell to the same. The men in the Middle-Eastern countries fashioned keffiyehs or turbans out of the Telia Rumal.
In India, it was used by the fishermen as a lungi (loin cloth) because the oily cloth repelled water. It was also believed that the red colour and the oily fragrance attracted the fish and the fishermen thus would never return without a catch. It was also used by Nizams and wealthy Zamindars of Telangana for turbans as a symbol of their power. This explains the power statement made by Sheikh Chand in Ankur by sporting the Telia Rumal.
Govardhana was born 1 September 1949 in the small village of Putapakka in the Nalgonda district of the south Indian state of Telangana. He heads the Padmashali family, which keeps the Telia Rumal tradition alive, and employs 500 weavers in the state. He runs Murali Sari Emporium, a favoured shopping place for celebrities such as Sonia Gandhi, Shabana Azmi and Sheila Dikshit.
for nearly 100 years and have breathed life into a dying dyeing style, weave and pattern. The name Telia Rumal comes from oiled kerchiefs.
The kerchiefs are used to cover the head in Gulf countries where the hint of oil in the cloth keeps the fabric cool. But before that, the handkerchiefs were gifts for lovers.
Making of the cloth
“The yarn is soaked in sheep dung for 17 days and castor oil kernels for 21 days before it is ready for dyeing,” says Govardhan sharing the secret about the cloth that’s claimed to be cool during summer and warm during winter.
The yarn is one story, but how it is woven into a cloth is a lesson in perspective. Imagine a world in squares. In pixels. It is as if the Oxford checks came to India, flirted, danced and multiplied to become a riot of colours.
One of the largest pieces he has created is a cotton spread that is 81 inches by 71 inches framed by a six-inch border of madder colour. “Created in 1983, for the Festival of India that travelled the world, the spreadcreated a global buzz for the fabric and people started coming to Puttapaka to see the process and buy cloth,” says Govardhan wearing a blindingly white sharply tailored shirt and trousers.
He has worked with Suraiya Hasan. While Suraiva Hasan is credited with reviving Malkha and other fabrics, Govardhan has breathed life into Telia Rumal by imagining the pattern on saris, dress materials, carpets and wall hangings. He has showcased his work on the global stage. “This is an old tradition but nearly died out in Chirala. I started work on this in 1972. I began with rumals then I used the
rumal design and weaving method to create saris, dupattas, stoles, curtain cloth and bedspreads,” he informs.
rumal design and weaving method to create saris, dupattas, stoles, curtain cloth and bedspreads,” he informs.
Apart from Telia Rumal design Puttapaka weavers makes Ikkat patola design, Navarantan designs and more. https://jrshandlooms.com/
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