Patchwork for a wholesome life

‘We gather under this tent. We first thread the needle. We choose colourful old rags to stitch them into a strong, new kaudi, while we share stories from our lives. This is our treasured space, where we are totally free.’

Thoughts took form one sleepless night and birthed a play that enlarges upon the issues of women oppression and gender sensitivity.

The lines are an excerpt from a prose, set in the context of women quilting together and sharing stories, written by Vani Periodi, a member of Karnataka Rajya Mahila Dourjanya Virodhi Okkuta (KRMDVO), a women’s organisation, soon after she stitched her first kaudi (quilt) two years ago.

From kaudis of Karnataka, kanthas of Bengal and ledras of Jharkhand to gudris of Rajasthan, quilt-making in India originated thousands of years ago.

One form of assembling scraps of colourful fabrics and turning them into quilts over chit-chat and folk songs is traditionally practised in various parts of Karnataka, mainly in North Karnataka and among its women from agrarian communities.

In late December last year, Vani put forth the idea of experiencing kaudi-making with the womenfolk in KRMDVO. The women’s collective then decided to stitch kaudis and present those to commemorate the guests at their annual Women’s Day event, which is to be held in Mandya tomorrow.

Since then, the women of the organisation have come together thrice — in Shivamogga, Mangaluru and Dharwad — sewing old rags into textural symphony, all while jesting, discussing gender, politics and reading poetry and plays.

Talk over politics, gender

The beauty of kaudi-making lies both in the product and the process. Since centuries, women have been involved in the craft without letting go of the tradition of sitting together and celebrating every quilt, as they sing, dance and speak.

Recalling the episode of a young Muslim girl who expressed her feelings of alienation during the pursuit, Vani says, “It left us wondering how it would feel when people connect you to another country you have no idea about just because of your belief. ‘Can we at least empathise with her?’ ‘Understand what she’s going through?’ were some of the questions we ruminated on while carrying out the needlework.”

Two years ago, Vani was on her own for 15 days, stitching kaudi — a phase that inspired her to write a play, and later present it while women weaved old, vivid patches together.

“It was a reflective experience, like dhyana, for me. While I weaved, a metaphor occurred to me — these are all old pieces of cloth; if you put them aside, they’ll wear out, but when stitched in this form, they stay for years together. This became a beautiful metaphor for women’s life,” says Vani.

‘Like rags our painful experiences could shred our lives, but instead together, we explore our strengths,’ she writes in her play.

Knitting camaraderie Kriti Sagara, who was a part of the initiative, says the takeaways are different for each individual.

“Since kaudi-making is methodical and continuous, it helps you delve deep. It basically calms you and that helps with the discussions. When you are calm, you think clearly and the next thing you say makes more sense.”

She adds, the fact that women take time for themselves, away from their homes, is the first important thing; what they talk about, comes later.

With discussions, says Kriti, it is hard to say who gets what, “but wherever we stand, we move one step forward.”

Sharada Gopal who partook in the Dharwad event of the affair, articulates the awe of the process in the beauty of exclusivity and empathy.

“I believe many old people have opinions about youngsters, but they don’t try to understand them. When we sat with many younger girls for some time, we started unraveling their lives. I hope, similarly, they start thinking about the elderly, too. This is much needed today. This would help us set ourselves free from the shackles of prejudices.”

“Doing something together makes us feel like we belong. We don’t find this kind of space when we are with family; we find it here, our own space,” says S Rekhamba, who hosted the get-together in Shivamogga.