Is that a painting or a sari weave?

Can you ever imagine seeing Shrinathji of Nathdwara in Rajasthan weaved to come alive in Jamdani? This sari is to mark the 2021 Handloom Day Special on August 7, masterfully crafted by acclaimed weaver Lakshmana Rao Tammisetty from Andhra Pradesh, says Ranjani Govind.

What would make August 7, the National Handloom Day, extra-special?

With support from handloom crusaders and passionate NGOs, weave and textile experts have brought in novel interpretations and contemporary relevance to our native handloom and yardages, reflecting our country’s myriad weaving, dyeing and hand block printing methods mastered over generations.

But what caught the attention of this writer was an exceptional Uppada weave highlighted with Jamdani work visualised by the textile revival boutique Madhurya Creations in Bengaluru. The sari showcases the popular deity Shrinathji of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, depicting Lord Krishna as a little boy lifting the Govardhan Hill with one arm raised.

The pallu of the sari that carries this eye-catching work on the Uppada sari is conscientiously done by weavers in Andhra Pradesh under the guidance and hawk’s eye of senior weaver and handloom awardee, Lakshmana Rao Tammisetty of Sumeru Handlooms. Tammisetty, for the last four decades, has fought the onslaught of power looms that try to replicate the most beautiful handloom weaves of the state.    

Septuagenarian Tammisetty and his son Sriram are happy that the Shrinathji shown on this Uppada sari is represented in Pichhwai styled Jamdani work. This technique, they thought, would be ideal to scrupulously bring out a canvas-like weave for displaying the Lord. It helped them showcase Srinathji amidst the colourful Aravalli Hills with variety foliage as present at the bustling pilgrimage centre, north-east of Udaipur.

“Can you make out the front and back of the weave?” inquire the father-and-son, pointing to the pallu on a video call interview. “The assortment of distinct features that go into the age-old Jamdani work is aplenty. That we have chosen Jamdani on Uppada sari is to underline the minutiae involved in the craft to make it a one-of-its-kind, masterpiece. The concentration, attentiveness and application required for weavers to bring about the finer points with a subject as this is enormous. We take up such exclusive weaving work only on orders as the costs involved are high due to months of backbreaking labour,” says Lakshman Rao.

How did Madhurya Creations zero in on Srinathji in Pichhwai style on a sari?

“Yes, I wanted something spectacular for this year’s Handloom Day release. This is our respect and acknowledgment towards skilful hands on the loom as they struggle for business now during the pandemic,” says Bharathy Harish, head of Madhurya Creations in South Bengaluru.

This year particularly has been a difficult one for the weavers as it’s more than 16 months since they saw major orders coming by. It left them high-and-dry with their looms going without a voice.

“I visualised Srinathji in Pichhwai, something very close to my heart, when I was with some Rajasthani and Gujarati friends discussing handloom day options,” says Bharathy, adding that it was a bigger surprise when the experienced weaver Lakshman Rao Tammisetty agreed to do it exactly according to the picturisation sent to him. Madhurya has over the last decade helped revive several weaves and motifs for documenting them in the textile world.

It’s a pure zari, fine-cotton Uppada sari, one of the finest, exclusive weaves, where the intricacies of the subject can be taken up in subtle colours. And the gorgeous Pichhwai-styled Srinathji is rightly timed for both the Handloom Day and Janmashtami coming up this month.

“We have released a series with different colours and pallu apart from the classic Shrinathji. We also have pallus with imposing cows, and with Lord Krishna nestled in multihued flora. Art and weave connoisseurs can buy them to mark the World Animal Day on October 4 too. It’s a coming together of amazing art forms along with beautiful lotus, swans and greenery in the weave,” avers Bharathy, elaborating on the subtle body make-up with raindrop buttis that help highlight the pallu better.

Currently Uppada is famous for Jamdani and Jaquard work in Andhra Pradesh. It used to be Venkatagiri earlier, but gradually weavers shifted to Uppada, making it more popular for its classy make-up.

“Yes, if you notice, Srinathji looks like a painting, that’s the get-up it gains!” says Lakshman Rao Tammisetty, adding that it’s completely a weaver’s skill to have it look like a portrait and mirror the same clarity on the reverse.

Jamdani work, he says, gets more intricate with the number of colours added or the increase in floral curves and bends that one has to follow in the weaving.  

“It depends on the weaver’s skill to change the threads as they identify from the colour graph given to them for reference,” adds Tammisetty who has won the Best Excellence Award in Mangalagiri sari weaving from the Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh and a Special Award from N Chandrababu Naidu on Weavers Day, both in 2012.

And what about the zari used in these specials? It is pure silver and gold zari tissue border (in Kanchi saris it is called bavanchi) along with natural colour dyes. The elegant raindrop-shaped buttis add to the appeal on the body.

The weaving technique adopted is not an overlay. Jamdani work is essentially like tapestry work, the wefts forming the pattern wherever needed. They are threaded through the warps with a wooden or bamboo needle to make them merge and float with the base textile.

“It’s an overwhelming process. It took two weavers, two months to have only the pallu made, and six months for the entire sari to get ready,” says Tammisetty, adding that it was a memorable experience to have such a nice subject come through in weaves. 

Tammisetty’s hand on Uppada

“Whether figured or flowered, the Jamdani motifs were earlier woven on muslin in Dhaka until its evolve saw itself leap into other weaves through the perceptive eyes of a master-weaver,” says Tammisetty, who later in the 1990s brought the Jamdani work using the Andhra Pradesh Uppada weave as the base.

Jamdani gained popularity across Europe during the British Raj, he says. “The Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh too supported me, and by 1995, I had a number of weavers wanting to learn Jamdani and was happy to teach them,” he says.  

Jamdani has always remained the choice of the royals and aristocrats due to its labour-intensive weaving process that makes it frightfully expensive.

For Lakshman Rao Tammisetty, born in a small town of Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh (popular for Mangalagiri handlooms), weaving is intrinsic to his persona, as he has grown with a legacy of handloom weavers in his family.

“My dream was to make everyone realise the value of handcrafted art and make people understand our heritage. Four decades ago nobody wanted to buy handlooms as maintenance was an issue. I did not give up. I researched on the yarn, weaving and the count, and tried hard to make Mangalagiri saris stronger to retain its strength and sheen even after several washes, for which I was recognised,” says Tammisetty who has worked on Venkatagiri saris too before taking up Uppada.

“Even though it’s unfortunate that we have only 10 per cent of the 15,000 looms once present, it is to our pride that we continue to pray and work on our looms that we consider as God!” says an emotional Tammisetty, hoping that the government intervenes to have the direct benefit going to weavers.

“If the government chooses to buy the sari directly from weavers at a good price and provides them with subsidised material, then one can hope to see even young people venturing in, as it would provide stability to the vocation. We cannot hope for anything better than this as we celebrate yet another National Handloom Day,” says Tammisetty.

Photographs: Courtesy, Madhurya Creations.

For details on the sari contact +91 7019138680 / contactus@madhurya.com  /  www.madhurya.com.