Ranki

Shamilami embroidery is an art of weaving patterns and stitching. Popularly Shamilami embroidery is done on various clothing pieces but the highlighted clothes of them all is the border of a lungi, a wrap worn by women on their lower bodies.   History of Shamilami Embroidery  The embroidery is called Shamilami because of the animal patterns it uses. In Manipuri Shamilami means “wild animal patterned warrior cloth”. A piece of cloth with Shamilami embroidery was given to warriors by the King to acknowledge and appreciate their brave and heroic qualities. It was an honor to receive this piece of clothing and it held a high status in society.  Shamilami embroidery is also acknowledged in some parts of Nagaland. It is known as Naga Angami chaddars in Nagaland because they use Shamilami embroidery work on their shawls.

Bela block printing in Kutch is a lesser-known traditional craft that has seen a significant decline over the years. It is a traditional textile art known for its bold designs, striking colour combinations, and graphic motifs on textured fabrics. Kutch in Gujarat is a significant producer of this style, with the Khatri community renowned for practising the craft. The process Artisans apply an alum paste to the fabric, followed by exposure to sunlight for enhanced color fastness. The fabric undergoes permanent dyeing. After washing, artisans print the fabric with a mud paste, imparting a blackish hue by boiling it in water containing iron rust. Wooden blocks, meticulously carved by skilled artisans, are dipped in natural dyes and pressed onto the fabric to create the desired patterns. The wooden blocks used in Bela printing are a work of art themselves. They are carved from seasoned wood and come in various shapes and sizes, featuring intricate geom...

The  history of this fabric goes back to the 19th century in a place called Chirala, in coastal Andhra Pradesh. ‘Telia’ means oil, and 'Rumal' means handkerchief. Telia Rumal has been the mainstay of Ikat in Andhra. Having originated in Chirala, the skills later spread to Nalgonda district.  Chirala’s proximity to the sea enabled exports to Africa and Arabia, where it was used to make keffiyehs and turbans. The Telia Rumal, meant for the Middle-Eastern market, was worn primarily around the neck for its 'tel' (oil), to keep dryness at bay. Urbanisation and globalisation of consumer tastes have not robbed telia rumal of their place in India's cultural and social life. This fabric was a hot seller in Andhra Pradesh for about 20-25 years. At that time, the designs used to be simple stars and dots representations. But when this fabric came to the Telangana region, the design underwent dramatic changes. Such was their skill, the dyers/weavers could...