weaving of the fabric. The fabric so woven has been used as sarees

1
STATEMENT OF CASE
Description of gooils:
Pochampally Ikat is made of naturar
materials such as cotton or s'k or a
combination of both, having designs
that are evocative of the diffused
diamond or chowka desigrr. The process
of making pochampally Ikat
involves tying and dyeing the threads
in a visuarized design prior to the
weaving of the fabric. The fabric so
woven has been used as sarees for
centuries, and is now also used
for furnishing, textile and textile goods as
covered under Classes 24, 25 and
27.
Mode of origidbrief history:
In late 19th century, ,Chirala', the
oldest center for weaving of pochampally
Ikat' situated on the rair route between
Vijayawada and Chennai (formerry
known as Madras), was once known
to produce the famous cotton ,Telia
Rumals'
or
,Chowkas,
(diamond within
a
in pairs
admeasuring 55 to 75 square cms.
Characterized by their bold, geometrical
motifs, in red, black and white, offset
by wide single colored borders, they
were used in India by fisher folk
and cowherds as loincloths, lungis or
turbans. In the 1930's they were
exported in large numbers to Burma, the
Middle East and East Africa where
they were known as Asia Rumars. The
square) woven
term "Ikat" stems from the Malay _
Indonesian expression ,Mangikat,
meaning to bind, knot or wind around.
'
l.
'lA
Uniqueness of pochampally
pochampally
Ikat
Ikat consists of fabric;
a)
made by a process of tying and dying the yarn
prior to weaving,
b)
mainly cotton or silk, or a combination
of both,
c)
originating from the geographicar region of
Narconda and warangal
Districts in the State ofAndhra pradish in
India,
d)
having single, combined or double Ikat,
in several variations (Ittustrated in
A nnexure _ A), ranging from
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
the use of diamond or chowka (diamond within
a square) designs
(llustrated in Annexure-B),
diagonal or square grids in which geometrical,
floral figurative
motifs are woven (Illustrated in Ainexure_C),
striped or shevaron fortns (Illustrated in
Annexure_D), to
other abstract variations (Illustrated in Annexure_E
).
79:80.85, 36.87.88.89
Cqtton rardage
4ruruexuee A Cr)
Double ikar
tit
Cotton lardage,
Single ikar
Collection of
Shalali Fabrics
p
Hlderabad
,Lrd,
82
Dleing ofvarn
dve pot.
Kolalaguddam
83
Cotton vardage
Combined ika1.
Collecrion
of
AnganaJhaveri. NeN
\'ork
84
Cotton yardage
Singleikat.
Collection of
Rose DeNeYe,NeN
York
C.." i'?"s-$
!)tq{.! s XK+T
Co",lor..-l
S;.daL
ik"*-
akJ-
D-,.r"L ;r.**
Do*\Qr ir..--t
flpp arv rre- *
f3 Ct )
( rrr cr,-r K t\
1\
C
f.".,,.r-
90,91, 92.93
(btton vardage,
Double and combined
ikar,
Clolleftion ofShatali
Fabrics I,!1, Lrd.
I
Itder !bad
91.95.gti
FLrrnishing marefial,
tlorton. SiDgle ikar,
Collecti0n ol
ShalaliFabrics
h1. Lrd H!derabad
b _ c2*)
ll
L-a>
ll
,^
Cotton sari,
Doubleikar,
Collection of
Weaver's Service
Centre, Hyderabad
l2
Cotton bedspread,
Single ikat,
Collection of:
Weavers S€rvice
Cenrre, Hyderabad
13 ro
l5
l\l')l
,-4 .1n.,*\
).
Or''A-
Telia Rumals
Corron double ikar
Collection of:
Weavers Service
Centre, Hyderabad
,Q,^ I
(,r, A
r03
A*tuBxv BE_
slriped ard Chevron 24.25.27,29,30.
3J,34
uouon rardagc for
JS.3{j.37, 38
lTil:'li:,1""
I
l2
Shaiali labrics prt. t.rd.
Hrder:rbad
.orre(lion or
"(
! /TR J P P!, t
26. 28, 31, 32, 39
Cotlecrion o1
C. DeEai. Bonlba\,
a
\fi€-!irAttf-l
Cotton vardage
srngle ikar.
*a
:I
S.*-.or.o
ti?
Cr
i(
,r'r, t-{
^
/
ll3
A
HNNaTVLL
- E Ct)
98
AA.-, , o cr
VAe.r
ur
i:
c,r,l
S+iAD(
i)
91
Silk pillow cases,
single ika1,
In rhe home of
Niruben Tanna,
Bombay
98,99, 100
Silk yardage.
Single ikar
From the showroorr ol'
Roopkala Saris, Bombay
101,
i02, 102.t
Silk )ardage,
Single ikat
Produced by
Shyam Ahuja,
Collecrion of
C. Desai, Bombay
tr
2
A) Sequential Method of Ptoiluction:
dyeing' involves the sequence of
resist
or
Ikat
Pochampally
principle,
In
bundled yarn to a
of
sections
dyeing
and
wrapping)
rying (or
into
to wcaring. Thus the clyc penctratcs
pfior
schcmc
color
prctlcterminecl
remains un-dyed' The patterns
the exposed section, while the tied section
Rumal
are then woven into fabric' Telia
yarn
the
on
this
by
formed
Process
is one such type of Pochampally Ikat'
Technical
D
o
cnmentation
Telia Rumal is exPlained
The general principles for the manufacture of
below with an examPle:
length
About 0.45 Kilogram of yarn is required to make a ten-metre
the following
material. Usually a larger quantity is prepared as detailed in
recipe.
a. pre-dye Treatment : 4.5 kg 120 count cotton yarn divided in 10 bundles
10 kg fresh sheep d,ung (mixed
with 25 litres water). Liquid divided into
10 equal Parts to treat the 10 bundles'
b. Colors used :
Ingredients for Red colour : 250 grams Alizarin;250 grams Alum
Ingredients for Black
colour: 250 grams Alizarin; 250 grams
Earakasu
c. Mordanting
:
The yarn for these rumals requires 'mordanting',
a
treatment that facilitates bonding of dye to the cotton fibre cellulose. The
name Telia referes to stePs in the mordant treatment that impart an oily
nature to the fabric. The first part of the treatment requires the yarn,
having been soaked overnight in water, to be worked by hand in a bath
made from fresh sheep or cattle
dung. After working very thoroughly,
the yarn is squeezed out and hung in the sun for 24 hours.
11
3
mixed
are burned and the ash
plant
castor
the
from
Meanwhile pods
is added to
several hours' castor oil
for
soaking
After
well with water'
When it turns slight$ white'
sun'
the
in
put
is
the liquid and the mixture
and water is added to the
decanted
is
liquid
top
The
it is ready to use'
trearments'
residue put aside for subsequent
in the oil-ash mixture' worked
The yarn treated with dung is submergecl
stored overnight' In the
and
out
squeezed
then
well for 15 minutes,
evening the oil beatment is
morning
it is hung in the sun' In the
days' If time is short the treatment
repeated and continued for sixteen
treatments daily for eight days'
be hastened by giving two oil
can
Theyarnist}renwoundontoconesorcylindersinpreparationfor
the warping mill' a large wheel
making the warp. The yarn is taken to
quickly' A mechanism on
that enables the conect length to be wound
thewheelcreatescrossesoftheyarnatstrategicplaces'enablingthe
After winding' yam markers are
sequence of yarn to be kept in order'
threads to keep
tied around the crosses, helping the person counting
them in the correct sequential order'
A
cloth is selected and
Design : A design generally taken from a sample
out and then
using graph paper' The Pattern section is drawn
analysed
with two motifs
broken down into units. Rumals are often designed
Some rumals have a
repeated across the cloth 2, 3, 4 ot more times'
time required to
single motif with no repeats, but this generally increases
a single
tie the yarn Patterns. Repetition reduces cost' Simply making
motif symmetrical reduces the tying of units by half'
e.
how
Human element : The weaver must be able to analyse carefully
count
many threads inust be tied in each unit' This depends on yarn
per inch' The
thickness determining how many threads will be woven
prepared and treated warP now is counted into units' Eighteen threads
will be used for each square on the graph paper for this design'
the
Planning for three rePeats and allowing for symmetrical shapes'
will
units will all have 108 threads except for the centre of each motif that
.iA
tied off
the units are counted out and
Therefore
threads.
54
have
only
stretching of the warP before
for
in
marker
a
PreParation
with Yarn
folding.
tension to a permanent cement
The warp is taken outside and tied under
wooden brace on the other' Cross-
post on one end and a moveable
way down the length' where the
sticks are inserted at both ends and Part
the warp spread
markers were inserted between rumals' keeping
cross
each unit are counted
out and in perfect order' Then warp threads for
broken end back on to
out and separated from each other, attaching the
for the eight inch
that gouP, creating independent units' The threads
threads are also
red border are counted off into a seParate group' White
counted out for the grid stripes and edge'
rumals along
Folding is the next step used to enable the tying of 8 or 10
the way
the length at one time. Precision is necessary in every step along
forthewovenclothtohavethewarpdesignsintersectingwiththoseof
theweft'Thisisaprojectforteamwork.oneunitisfoldedatatime
while two workers, sitting across from each other, hold rods to receive
the folded sections. An additional helper is needed to control the warp
sections before they are passed to the pair controlling the folded units.
To start the process, three of the cross-sticks are held firmly in the
middle of the warp length, clamping the threads together to Prevent
displacement. The far end of the warp is carried to the near end, halving
the length. Then the doubled length is further folded, unit by unit, until
it is the length of one rumal. As each section is folded, ties are put in
place for stabilization. Then the warp is carefully carried inside for
marking of the design.
Ikat : The graph design is used to make a guide string the length of the
folded warp, with unit width marks enabling accurate marking. The
areas to remain white and black are tightly wrapped separately to resist
the red dye bath. Originally plant material such as palm leaves were
used for this purpose. However cotton string is used now for segments
5
design
tyre inner tube where the
rubber
of
strips
and
design
of fine
is used first
longer segments' The string
from
dye
of
exclusion
requires
only one or
one graph square wide with
only
are
that
areas
all
wrap
to
all wrapping is
segments are covered' When
wider
the
Then
wraPs.
rrro
it out''
a container of water to 'wet
in
placed
is
warp
the
completed,
more even penetration of the dyestuffs'
enabling
alizarin dye and an additional mordant'
The red dye bath is made using
ingredients are finely ground before
alum. Using a mortar and pestle the
the Alizarin is from bark of the
being dissolved in hot water' Whether
source' control of the shade and
tree, Morincla citrifolia, or the synthetic
skill in controlling numerous
intensity of colour is complex ancl requires
heatment variables.
and worked by hand to Penetrate
The yarn is then added to the dye bath
After thorough
the areas between the tightly bound resist areas'
to boil for an hour or
saturation of yarn, the vessel is taken to the fire
has been
two. The yarn should remain in the dye bath until cooling
the process is
completed. If the intensity of the colour is not satisfactory'
repeated with a fresh batch of dYe'
and
After rinsing, the yarn is again put under tension while still wet
are tightly covered
areas to become black are untied. Then the red areas
to prevent black intrusion. The black dye is prepared using earakasu
and
combined with alizarin- Again the yarn is submerged in the dye
worked by hand before being heated'
ties to
The unwrapping requires great care especially with the fine cotton
avoid cutting the dyed threads. Displacement of the design can occur if
length of a warp thread is changed. Mending can be achieved by skilful
twisting of the threads causing minimum effect' After unwrapping' the
warp is urr-folded to full length, dipped in starch and taken outside to
dry. Starching of the warp helps to keep the design alignment'
z\
Z2--
6
the reed of
is now ready to be attached to
warp
The
loom:
the
Warping
woven
the remains of the previously
with
encls
the
twisting
by
loom
the
reed' The repeated design elements
cloth, left as a small segment in the
the plain red border threads and
and
order
correct
the
in
placed
are
attached' the ends can be
stripes and edges are added' When
white
a great deal of time' It
pulled through the reed and heddles saving
where there is space to stretch
then taken outdoors to make any repairs
is then folded up neatly to be
the length out fully. The warp, after repair'
requires great precision to
carried to the loom. Setting up the loom
when executed in
maintain the design alignment so carefully calculated
is
qir.g.
front ends of warP are
The heddles are hooked on, reed set in place and
attaclredtotlrebreastbeamoftheloom.Leasesticksareleftin,behind
goes to the
the heddles, to keep the threads in order' Then the weaver
the room'
back of the loom ancl stretches the warp out the length of
get even
attaching the loose ends to a pole. Much care must be taken to
tensionandperfectalignment.Awidebrushisusedbehindtheheddles
to help release the starched yarns from each other'
Weft preparation
:
The weft, which is the yarn woven across the warp
to create the fabric, still has to be tied and dyed. But this doesn t happen
until the warp is on the loom and the plain heading is woven to ensure
that accurate measurements can be taken of the design placement. A
string is stretched across the reed and design unit intersections are
marked, to create a guide for tying the weft.
The weft is wound out on a semi-circular frame
may nails on the
rim. This frame,
with
a central peg and
a technical development only used in
the Nalgonda region, is an improvement on the older rectangular frame
from Chirala. Each nail represents a unit in the design module. Because
this clesign has eighteen threads in each unit, the yarn is taken around
each nail nine times and back to the central peg before moving along to
the next
nail. Sufficient
rePeats
of the design are wound to enable the
entire warp to be woven. The guide string is attached from the central
L3
marking the threads to ensure
peg to the outer rim and used while
dyeing is carried out as for the warp'
accurate placement of ties' Then
is wound out on cylinders and then
After washing and drying, the weft
on to bobbins for the weaving shuttles'
Weaving
:
cord in the
operated by pulling a
The weaving begins using a fly shuttle'
plain fabric borders
centre of the loom' When weaving the
ikat central design' each
this can go extremely fast, but with the cloutrle
to ensure precise design
throw of the shuttle has to be carefully checked
slight movement
interesection. However there is always an unavoidable
At this beginning
of yarn that creates a 'feathered' edge to the motifs'
of alignment by
stage adjustments are made to any imperfections
to frequently
tightening or loosening specific warp threads' It imPortant
are twisted or stuck
check behind the heddles to loosen any yarns that
the work
together by starch. Broken threads can be mended as
rumals
progresses. A Master Weaver can weave the full length of eight
in4or5days,howevertheaverageweavercouldtakeseveralweeksto
complete the Piece.
The weaving continues until all rumals have been completed' When
finished, the fabric is starched. when dry the product is inspected for any
flaws that are then mended. This finishes the lengthy Process'
Because the greatest time is taken
with the creation of the tie-dyed warp and
weft, more than one set of threads is normally prepared at one time. The
amount will vary depending on the number of repeats acloss a design and
also how many threads are in each unit of the design. There is a limit to
how many threads can successfully be tied together and resisted at one time
without distortion of the design. Too large a bundle of threads should be
avoided. some fine curved designs have many units but very few threads
in each group, helping to create smooth cuwing lines rather than sharply
steppec{ outlines. As a consequence morc duplicate warps could be tied at
one time
in such groups. On average eight warps containing eight rumals
each would be prepared together. An equal amount of weft is prepared to
2+
8
in
to rationalize the time spent
helping
warps'
the
of
comPlete the weaving
preparation.
use as sarees' textiles etc'
for
fabrics
making
for
is used
Similar Process
from start to finish takes
weaver,
master
the
for
llowever, the time taken
in
and the color scheme used
on the sixe' type
upto a few weeks, depending
the design.
anil textute:
B) Details regariling display of design
that are evocative of the;
Pochampally Ikat has the designs
( a. diamond, or
b. chowka (diantond toitltin a square) design'
is characterized by is bold' diffused
woven in pairs of specified length and
& white colours' offset by wide single
and geometrical motifs in red' black
of the said designs evolved using
colored borders. The diffused edges
are again unique to Pochampally
special skills in visualization of design
diamond motifs' Pafiot' elephant and
Ikat. Along with the traditional
flower motifs are also used'
IkaL namely;
There are three basic forms of Pochampalty
a.
are tied and
single lkat, where either warP or weft threads
dYed Prior to weaving'
b.
combined
lkat,
dilferent parts of
c.
wiherc
wrap and weft ikat may co-exist in
a fabric occasionally
overlapping'
lkat which is by far the most complex form' Here both
precision'
warp and weft threads are tied and dyed with such
at
that when woven threads form both axis' mesh exactly
itouble
certain Points to form a complete motif or Pattern'
perfection by skilled
The Pochampally Ikat products are handcrafted to
designs' having
artisans who are endowed with critical skills in intricate
decadesofexperiencebehindthemintheirrespectivefields.Incertaincases
twenty days to take
these masterpieces can take up to one hundred and
produced is the
final shape, to the satisfaction of a craftsmen' The Ikat thus
it alone and to
unique characteristic of Pochampally Ikat and is peculiar to
no other Ikat in India'
?i
9
Conspicuous bodY:
Co-op Society Lt4 an autonomous
Weave/s
Handloom
Pochampally
1860' and
society."git*"a under the Societies Act
Pochampally Handloom
Association,
an
Tie & Dye Silk
association established
Sarees Manufactuter's
under the law are the two
for the production and marketing
conspicuous bodies that are responsible
of PochamPallY Ikat.
lnspection:
made through the above mentioned
The Pochampally Ikat material that are
the Master Weaver' There are at
process are inspected for their quality by
Weaver is a person who has
present about 100 Master Weavers' The Master
this process of making
expert knowledge in all aspects relating to
of visualization of design'
Pochampally Ikat which includes the critical art
threads are colored in the
fying and dyeing of the threads repeatediy till the
the fabric to get the
visualized design, loading the looms and weaving
inspection are
desired design with diffused edges' Only upon his personal
the materials made ready for the market'
Mode of matketing:
produ&on and sile of pochampally Ikat is as usually on orders places by
thepurchasers.Thewaeversmaythemselvesdevelopmaterialsofdifferent
designs within the diffused chowka Pattern'
The persons/people who order for Pochampally Ikat sarees / materials
from the applicants range from Government of India enterprises to private
retail vendors. orders for Pochampally Ikat materials to the applicants may
be for their own use or for further retail vending. Besides various fashion
houses and designers,Indian Airlines and Nalli silks, one of the biggest
retails silk saree vendors
in the country,
materials of PocampallY Ikat.
have also placed orders for
10
GeograPhicalLocation
in the villages spread over the
Pochampally Ikat is produced/manufactured
in the State of Andhra Pradesh'
districts of Nalconda and Warangal
07
minutes 30 seconds to 80 degrees
Nalgonda district lies in 78 degrees 37
49
degrees 05 minutes to 17 degrees
minutes 30 seconds Longitude, and 16
14'240 sq'km; while
minutes Latitude covering an area of approximately
80 degrees 40 minutes Longitude
Warangal lies at 78 degrees 48 minutes to
37 minutes 30 seconds Latitude
and 17 degrees 17 minutes to 18 degrees
covering an area of 1?846 sq'km'
Future of PochamPallY lkats:
In the 60's the All
Inclia Hanclicrafts Board assisted the weavers of
a small village' slowly
Pochampally to start weaving sarees' Pochampally'
whole of Nalgonda
captured the market for, Ikat sarees and today the
very best in
district works on Ikat weavers which can compare with the
single Ikat warP weaving.
Surat. The
Silk is brought from Bangalore, while pure zari is sourced from
weavers work for the co-operative societies and the rnaterials are Provided
to them through the society itself.
Pochampally Ikat weavers are working out on developing Jacquard and
dobby techniques to combine it with Ikat with the help of the weavers
service centre, Hyderabad'
Along with the traditional diamond, parrot, elephant, and flower motifs, the
Ikat saree designers these days are developing new and modern designs to
go
with the current trends of the market.