Geometry all along

Pochampally saris

An NRI friend accompanied us on a visit to Pochampally town, which is just about 60 km from Hyderabad.She was visiting this town after 15 years, and was understandably amazed by the changes she saw. The staid line of saris, furnishing and dhotis in this famous and eponymous weaving tradition had widened to include a staggering range of new products. Even the range of designs had increased greatly.

Much has changed in Pochampally over the last decade and a half and, fortunately, much of it for the better. Even the town, which was more like a cluster of villages, has grown quite large, and has many retail outlets, an information centre, and even a guest house for visitors, including well-known fashion designers from across India. Also, the town has been renamed Bhoodan Pochampally.

Speeding up

Machines were introduced around the year 2000, making the weaving process faster, more cost-effective and less labour-intensive. The fabric received the coveted and prestigious geographical indication (GI) status in 2005. Later, the art found a place in UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites as part of “iconic sari weaving clusters of India.”

Of course, most of the weavers continue to dwell in humble homes and lead simple lives. Most are content that there is a steady stream of visitors and sale of stocks.

These weavers belong to the Pochampally ikat tradition, which dates back centuries. The word ‘ikat’ means yarn-resist. There are two varieties, single and double. The single ikat is a weft-resist textile, lighter and less expensive, while in double ikat, the warp and weft are tie-dyed. The yarn is tied and dyed, and hung out to dry. Once dry, it is woven into saris, furnishing material and fabric for dresses and accessories. The products come in silk and cotton material.

The entire process is on view when you visit the homes of the weavers. They are happy to welcome you into their homes and let you watch them work.

As with most traditional Indian art and craft, this is a family affair. So, all the family members, often three generations, will be engaged in different tasks. One or two members will be hunched over a loom(s) weaving the threads, another will be drying yarn, and yet another will be filling the looms with the dried thread. One or two act as tailors. The same members also act as salesmen as many visitors prefer to make some purchases directly from these weavers. The rows of retail stores on the main road are the other option.

And, there is indeed a huge range on offer. The Pochampally ikat weavers have learnt to move with the times, and respond to consumer trends. So, along with saris, furnishings like bedsheets, pillow covers and curtain cloth, they now also make salwar-kameez sets, stoles, scarves, side bags, wallets, mobile pouches, handbags and tablecloths. From the past several years, fashion designers from around India are picking up Pochampally ikat material to create designer lines of saris, stoles etc.

The geometric designs are a distinguishing characteristic of Pochampally creations. The talented weavers achieve a perfect geometric grid on each creation. In recent years, a few weavers have begun to introduce elephants, dancers and peacock motifs.

Colour scope

Pochampally creations present a riot of colours. Moreover, most products are multi-hued, especially the saris. The colours used are all bright shades of red, pink, parrot-green, leaf-green, orange, gold, brown, black, mustards and yellows and browns...
White, grey and off-white are also used, but less commonly.

Texture-wise, they are also smoother and softer than their heavy, flannelled Sambalpuri ikat cousins. This is also why the Pochampally ikat sari offers a more fluid drape. It also happens to be shinier.

Prices for cotton saris range from Rs 2,000 to 3,000, while silk saris cost in the range of Rs 6,000 - Rs 15,000 on an average. Designer saris and fashion accessories are more expensive.