ANUBHUTI ARYA

Dedadra is an obscure, little village near Surendranagar, with a sparse population of about thirty five families and a few animals. What’s special about this village is that it is home to one of the richest textile treasures of Gujarat – the Tangaliya weave. Tangaliya, or Daana weaving, is done by making woolen dots of cotton fabric to create exquisite motifs, which then make up floral or geometric patterns.

Tangaliya is not merely a craft or weave, but is also deeply rooted in the social lives of its makers and wearers. The Dangasiya community, which creates this craft, derives its identity solely as being Tangaliya weavers, whereas it is the Bharwads who wear the Tangaliya as a mark of their folk identity. Tangaliya is also thus the manifestation of this symbiotic relationship between the two communities and their interdependence – the Dangasiyas source the wool from Bharwads who rear sheep, and in turn the Bharwads get their traditional garb from the Dangasiyas. Over the years, with the advent of modernization and urbanization, these folk communities have changed and evolved, and so has their relationship, and hence the craft has not only changed but suffered.

To explore these changing identities and their effect on Tangaliya, I visited Hasmukh bhai at his home in Surendranagar. Receiving us warmly at the Dedadra bus station, Hasmukh bhai guides us through narrow lanes to finally his home, where his loom is being operated by his brother. He is weaving a white saree with vibrantly colourful dots, an innovation that is quite recent to the art. Traditionally, he informs me, Tangaliya was only done on black fabric with white or red dots. When asked about how time has changed Tangaliya, Hasmukh bhai’s aged father, Kalyan ji quips in, declaring that there has been insurmountable change in the art as well as the market for the art. The Bharwads, once their primary source of income, have migrated to cities and even the ones in villages have embraced modern garbs, ditching their traditional textiles. Tangaliya, however remains a must to be worn by a Bharwad bride, and the fabric takes an important place in her trousseau. Demand for Tangaliya further dwindled as the traditional base fabric of wool became too heavy and warm for the changing climate. Design intervention by NIFT and many NPOs has helped immensely in the revival of  Tangaliya, Hasmukh bhai remarks. They now use primarily cotton as the base fabric, solving the comfort issue. Newer markets for Tangaliya have emerged, with the fabric now being woven for sarees, shawls, kurtis and even home décor. In this need to appease the new market, Tangaliya has donned a commercial role, leaving behind its primarily role as a community fabric. New, vibrant shades have been added to Tangaliya’s once black and white palette. This allows for more options and variety in terms of design, and thus greater commercial value, which was much required to keep the Dangasiyas in business and hence keep the craft alive.

What about the children I ask, and am told that Tangaliya doesn’t need to be taught, the young ones who are interested enough learn simply through watching the elders at work. The ones that aren’t as interested study and go off to college, and later to work in the city. Hasmukh bhai’s own son is now studying at a university, a fact that Hasmukh bhai is proud of. An education and a well paying city job are much more empowering than trying to preserve a dying art he believes.

As Hasmukh bhai gives me a tours of the various Dangasiya houses in the village, I come across Rathore bhai, weaving a dark coloured saree in a dimly lit room with his teenage son. He has learned the craft in a matter of few days, I am informed. Unlike Hasmukh bhai, Rathore bhai is of the belief that the children must support the family business instead of wandering in the city streets looking for work.

The Dangasiyas are a disappointed lot. Although the government has promised each artisan a loom and financial aid, no claim has been brought to action as of yet. The interventions by NIFT and getting a GI have helped, but people still fail to see the humble Tangaliya for its true value, high quality and durability. Out of the thirty-five Dangasiya families in the village only nine or ten remain in work. The declining demand for Tangaliya not only means a lack of business or income for them; it also implies the fading away of their identity as a folk.

 

References:

Web-

Gurjari.com

Fibre2fashion.com

 

Books-

An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture by Dominic Strinati