Char

uk
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a
Cr
af
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sOfNi
z
amabad

CHARUKALA

CLUSTER INITIATIVE AND

DOCUMENTATION

FACULTY GUIDES- MRS. LAKSHMI REDDY

MR. G.C. REDDY
MR. AVINASH RAIPALLY
MR. RAJESH
DOCUMENTATION GUIDE- MRS. LAKSHMI REDDY
DOCUMENTED BY-

ANASUYA SINHA
ANKITA KALHA
DEEPIKA GURNANI
HIMANSHU KANDPAL
KRITIKA LADDHA
MOHIT MAHAJAN
NIMISHA GUPTA
P. SAMANTHA RUPALI
RAASHI PACHISIA

F&LA, SEMESTER -5
2007-2011,
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, HYDERABAD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The cluster initiation and the craft documentation was successfully completed
with much needed assistance and guidance of many.
We would first like to thank Mr. K.S Pratap Singh, The Director and
Mr. Rajesham, The Registrar, National Institute of Fashion Technology who arranged the workshop and cluster initiative program under the IPR
Government of India.
We would also like to thank DCH, who sponsored our program.
Our sincere gratitude to the faculty guides of the project who were there to
help us at every corner- Mrs. Lakshmi Reddy, Mr. G.Chiranjeevi Reddy, Mr.
Satya Prakash, Mr. Sashi Kiran and also Mr. Rajesh for organizing the tour.
We also thank our faculty guide Mr. Avinash Raipally for his selfless help
and guidance all through the process of the data collection, compilation and
documentation.
Next we would like to thank Sai Baba Mahila Society for their active
participation in the project. Also, the various craftsmen of the 4 crafts,without
whose artistry, skill and their patience and cooperation, the entire learning
process and data collection would not have been possible.
We would also like to mention our special thanks to our friends and
classmates who provided the needed encouragement and helped us with
their own small or big ways.

PREFACE
The history of Indian handicrafts is an old saga. There are a myriad of craft
traditions. The crafts which flourished in Nizamabad are basically subject
to the social, economic and regional factors. The present status of craft in
Nizamabd owes much to the rich craft traditions of the past. Most of the
crafts from the past continue to boom due to their utilitarian nature, their
availability to the common people and popularity in domestic and foreign
markets. Till date it is continuing to boom owing to the assimilating nature of
Indian culture. Highly accommodative nature of the craftsmen to accept and
use new ideas is also responsible for its boom.
These craftsmen, whether of Terracotta, Lambada Jewellery and clothing or
Wooden Patchwork, create breath taking art forms which is a proof of the
remarkable science and technique of the craft. These crafts reflect vibrant
creativity, inventive genius and imagination of the craftsmen, who have tried
to retain the original perception and core concept governing the lifestyle of
their ethos.
There is a timeless quality in these craft objects, for they have evolved and
continue to be made even today with the same sentiment.

CONTENTS

PAGE NO.

ABOUT NIZAMABAD

1-9

LAMBADA JEWELRY

11-29

TERRACOTA

31-47

WOODEN PATCHWORK

49-63

CLOTH PATCHWORK

65-77

CONCLUSION

79

About
Ni
z
amabad

ABOUT NIZAMABAD
Nizamabad district is in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh state in India. Nizamabad won the corporation status. River Godavari passes through Nizamabad
district
Population, Voters & Literacy details
Population (Total)
23,45,685
Male
11,62,905
Female
11,82,780
Sex ratio (females /1000 males)
1017
Density of Population
295

Literacy (Total)
44.54% [10,44,788]
Male
55.29% [6,42,996]
Female
33.97% [4,01,792]

District Name
Total Area
Assembly Segments
1. Armoor
2. Balkonda
3. Banswada
4. Bodhan
5. Jukkal
6. Kamareddy
7. Nizamabad Rural
8. Nizamabad Urban
9. Yellareddy

Nizamabad
7956 Sq.Kms.
09

Nizamabad map

Parliamentary Segments : 02

1. Nizamabad
2. Zaheerabad
Revenue Divisions
: 03

1. Nizamabad
2. Kamareddy
3. Bodhan

Location (Degrees)
Latitude (Northern :180 - 05 & 190
Longitude (Eastern) :770 - 40 & 780 - 37

Location of Nizamabad:

Farming

Nizamabad is located 165 kms from Hyderabad, connecting to NH-7. The city is
well connected to the National Highway. Nizamabad is connecting by rail on the
Kachiguda, Secunderabad Nanded railway line. Rajiv Gandhi International
airport, Samshabad is the nearest airport. Every 15 minutes there is a bus facility between Hyderabad and Nizamabad.

Economy of Nizamabad District:

Agriculture is the major activity for the economy of Nizamabad district. Agriculture crops in Nizamabad include paddy, maize, sugar crane, cotton and tobacco.

Boundaries for Nizamabad District:

Karimanagar, Adilabad, Medak , Warangal districts are the neighbouring districts
and is on the border of Maharashtra state and some portion of Karnataka.
3

History
Nizamabad is a town situated in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.
Formerly known as Indur or Indrapuri, it also serves as the financial
headquarters of the Nizamabad district. It has many towns like Bodhan,
Armuru, Kamareddy and Bainswada.In Bhodan town there is Nizam Sugar
Factory. In early years it was the biggest in the Asian continent. Bodhan is a
town with a mixture of people from many cultural and religious backgrounds,
comprising primarily of Hindus and Muslims. Once it was the capital at the time
of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. In the 8th century, the city Indur or Indrapuri had
been reigned by the Rashtrakutas. It derived its name from Nizam-ul-Mulk, the
ruler of the Nizam state. Once the princely states of South India, Nizamabad is
the biggest commercial and trading center of the district today.
Earlier it had been under the sway of the Chalukya dynasty and then Tughlaq
dynasty, followed by the Nizam Kings. After
attaining importance industrially and
agriculturally, it has come into the glare
of publicity. Being influenced by various
dynasties,Nizamabad definitely boasts of a
blend of cultures.
It is striving hard to achieve heights without
compromising its rich culture and
indigenousness..
Old temple in nizamabad

Tourism
Sri Ram Sagar Project (Pochampad):-The Sree Ram Sagar Project,
Pochampad one of the biggest irrigation project in the District with potential
tourism development. The Dam site itself is located 55 Km from Nizamabad.
The Project serves as water source to 5 Districts (Nizamabad, Karimnagar,
Adilibad, warangal and Khammam) through its three canal.
Ali Sagar Project (Alisagar):-This place offers real hassle free environment to
holiday makers. Located 13 KMs form the Nizamabad Town, it is an excellent
picnic spot. The reservoir was built in 1930.The garden is maintained by the
irrigation Department. Boating facility is available.
Lake Asok Sagar:- It has a neatly laid out garden, and a 18 ft (5.5 m) statue
of Goddess Saraswati in the middle of the lake, just 7 km (4.3 mi) away from
Nizamabad on the way to Basar. It is interesting to note that the lake and its
facilities are named as Asok Sagar, to honor one Collector, Asok Kumar, who had
developed this.
Archaeological and Heritage Museum:This museum was opened in October 2001.
The District Archaeological Museum houses
number of artifacts and antiquities
representing the evolution of human
civilisation right from Paleolithic to Vijaya
Nagar Times (i.e. 16th A.D). The Museum is
broadly divided into three sections, namely
Archaeological Section, Sculptural gallery and
Bronze and Decorative gallery.
Alisagar

Quilla Ramalayam :- Originally known as

Indoor or Indrapuri, the city and fort were
built by the Rashtrakutas. There is a 40 ft (12
m) high monolithic victory pillar built during
the Rashtrakuta reign. The fort was occupied
by Alauddin Khilji in 1311 A.D. and subsequently went into the hands of the Bahmani
Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi dynasty, and then
the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The present fort
reflects the Asaf Jahi style of architecture
with spacious halls and a summer house

Quilla ramalayan

Rudrur :-This village has a rice and sugercane research center. It has
been working since 50 years and recently started agriculture polytechnic
college here.
Mallaram Forest:-Mallaram Forest is just 7
km (4.3 mi) away from Nizamabad.
Ensconced in Sylvan surroundings it is the
perfect place for eco-tourism. Forest treks, a
pagoda and a view point tower are main
attractions.

Mallaram forest

Telangana University:-Started in Nizamabad

city at Giriraj College, Dubba, Nizamabad and
makeship office and classes have going in and
the permanent site is coming near Dichpalli
Highway from year 2006 to 2007.

Rock formations:-Armoor Road - Located

on the highway, Armoor is a natural stopover
for all traffic. The hillock of boulders is the
result of natural weathering over millions of
years. On top of hillock is the Navanatha
Siddeswara temple.
Domakonda Fort:- Domakonda is 4 km
(2.5 mi) off the main highway and 15 km
(9.3 mi) from Kamareddy. Domakonda was
Domakonda fort
a Samsthanam under Qutubshahis and Asaf
Jahis. The Reddy rulers of Domakonda Samsthanam built the fort in the 18th
century at a sight where a fort existed earlier.

Nizam Sagar Project:-Nizamsagar is the

landmark of Nizamabad. This is the second
biggest irrigation project built over River
Manjira. The irrigation project covers large
area and a boating unit. Garden and
view-points were created with a view to
attract tourists form different places.

Nizam sagar

TRANSP0RTATION
The nearest airports are at Hyderabad 162 km (101
mi) and Warangal 230 km (140 mi). Nizamabad is
connected by rail to Hyderabad and Mumbai section,
station code NZB.
Nizamabad is well connected by road ways and has
volvo service to Hyderabad and Mumbai.Bus service
is one of the important methods of transportation in
Nizamabad. Nizamabad is near the National Highway
No. 7, which goes from Kanyakumari in the south
Bus service
to Varanasi in north India, and the new North South
Corridor of NHDP. National Highway No. 16 starts from Nizamabad and passes
through Karimnagar to Jagadalpur in the state of Chhattisgarh.

Rail transport

NIZAMABAD (Station Code : NZB) is a station located on the KachigudaManmad section of Hyderabad(HYB) Division of South Central Railway(SCR).
Nizamabad has rail connectivity with Manmad, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani,
Parli Vaijnath, latur, Osmanabad, Gangakhed,
Mudkhed, Adilabad, Nagpur, Basar, Nizamabad,
Nasik, Mumbai, Pune, Daund, Mahbubnagar,
Kurnool, Kadapa, Renigunta, Tirupati, Katpadi,
Erode, Madurai and Kachiguda(HYB). Ajanta Express
between Kachiguda and Manmad is the most
prestigious train passing through this station. Earlier
there used to ply Ellora Express exclusively between
Manmad and Nizamabad. This train has been
cancelled during Gauge Conversion Process.
Nizamabad Railway Station
8

TOPOGRAPHY
The District is bounded on the North by Adilabad
District, East by Karimnagar District, South by Medak
district and West by Bidar District of Karnataka and
Nanded district of Maharashtra. It lies between
18-5 and 19 of the Northern latitudes, 77-40 and
78-37 of the Eastern longitudes. As the District is
situated at a considerable distance from the Sea
coast, the climatic condition is tropical and
temperature flactuations are high in the district. The
Normal mean minimum temperature is 13.7,and
mean maximum is 39.9C.

Heavy rainfall

.Rainfall :The normal rainfall in the district is 1036 mm, of which about 85% comes from
South-west monsoon during the latter part of June to the end of October.The
normal District Average rainfall during 2002 till the end of September 2002 is
515.20 mm.

AGRICULTURE:
Paddy, Sugar-cane, Maize, Jowar, Cotton, Soyabean,
Wheat, Sunflower and pulses are the main crops in
the nizamabad district. Turmeric is also one of the
important crops grown in the district and being
cultivated in the areas of Armoor and Bheemgal
Talukas.
Paddy field

Lamabada
Jewel
l
er
y

THE LAMBADA TRIBE

The Banjaras are known by 18 different names in different parts of India. In
Andhra Pradesh they are called Lambada.
The Banjaras are a nomadic people. They came to the Deccan
following the invasion by the armies of Aurangzeb. According to some
authorities, the actual Banjara lineage goes back to around 2000 years. They are
said to be the descendants of the Roman gypsies of Europe who migrated to
India through the rugged mountains of Afghanistan and finally settled down in
Rajasthan.
As shown in the map, they
migrated to India as well as
some parts of Africa from
Europe.
The colourful stream of the
Banjaras began to travel
down South in the 14th
century. Even though ages
have passed, the Banjara
Gypsies - Origin of Banjara
Banjara Girls
women have kept themselves strongly rooted to
their culture. They are
perhaps the most colorful
and elaborate of any tribal
group in India.
Undoubtedly, their dress
and jewelry sets them
apart from all others.
Migration of Gypsies to India

12

Banjaras of Andhra PradeshLambadas

LIFESTYLE
Typical of nomads,the Banjaras
maintain strong boundaries so that they
can interact with surrounding people and
yet retain their cultural integrity. Such
boundaries include the separate villages
called Tanda where the majority of the
Banjaras still live today. They live in
remote rural areas where they farm, raise
and herd animals. Their religion is very
different from the mainstream one.
Their myths include their origin,
traditional taboos and social structure.
A Lambani woman

The language they use is known as Ghormati or Banjaraboli, related to Hindi,

Rajasthani, Punjabi and Roma of the European gypsies, unintelligible to most
outsiders. They have learnt different regional languages from parts of the country
where they have settled. Their distinctive colorful clothing, jewelry and embroidery is also influenced by travelling around the world

IDENTITY
The Banjaras are treated as scheduled tribes in some states, scheduled castes in
certain other states, denotified tribes in some states, and some sections of the
Lambadas are even considered as belonging socially and economically forward
classes in some states.
For instance, in Andhra Pradesh, Lambadas in the Telangana region were only
recently recognised as Schduled Tribes; earlier they were recognised as Denotified Tribes.
13

DIFFERENT CRAFTS OF BANJARA TRIBE

The Lambani women
are well known for their
embroidery work, which
is highly appreciated
throughout the world.
They make their own
embroidery work and
stitch it to their clothes.
A bag or Batwa which
forms an important part of
the attire is also made by
hand.

Beautiful embroidery
done by Banjaras

Anklet and Toe rings

The tribal beauties also adorn themselves with

beautifully hand crafted metal jewelry.
Silver and Gold provide a display of wealth among the
Banjaras. Inexpensive items like beads, shells and coins
are identifying markers of the Banjara Tribe.
They wear pretty silver anklets. Long silver earrings are
Ear rings
also prominent, and patterned cowrie(shells) shells
decorate their hair. Cowries are also worn on their wrists and ankles. The
hundreds of cowries that the Banjara tribal women wear are very auspicious
as they represent Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity. They also wear different
types of jwelery to adorn their necks, nose, eyes, hair, hands, fingers and legs.
Silver coins called Wankiya are also extensively used for making
jewellery.Traditionally Lambani woman wear ivory bangles, but now due to
inavailabilty of ivory, plastic bangles are worn.
The Banjara people are counted among the protected tribes of India.
14

FESTIVALS
Fond of festivals and domestic celebrations, the Banjaras revel on occasions like
the New Year which to them is ugadi celebrated with gaiety. They also celebrate
holi and dasara festivals as community affairs when women go from house to
house collecting donations for the feast, singing and dancing all the way. Family
deities are worshipped on such occasions. Banjaras share some of the religious
beliefs of the Hindus and consider Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati as their family deity. They save money over the years to go to worship the Lord of the Seven
Hills whom they call Balaji.

WEDDING CEREMONY

Liquor is distributed freely on the first day of the

wedding when the bridegroom and his relatives are
welcomed at the brides village. The welcome is accompanied by offering paan-supari (betel leaves and
nut) according to custom. A square silver ornament
or bottu is tied round the neck of the bride.
The boy and girl exchange
seven round balls made of
rice, ghee (clarified butter)
and sugar while a hundred
pairs of eyes are focused on
them and the assembled
women giggle and make
merry. The couple then
hold hands and do seven
rounds of grain pounding
Woman weeping on giving Traditional head cover worn
with pestles.
away her daughter
during wedding
Banjaras celebrating Holi

15

LAMBADA JEWELERY
Introduction

Jewelry is an item of personal adornment, such as a

necklace, ring or bracelet, which is worn by a person.
Appreciated because of geometric or other patterns,
or meaningful symbols. From the early times it has
been regarded as a status symbol.
The Indian subcontinent has the longest continuous
legacy of jewelry making anywhere in the world.
Jewelry has been a part of our culture since ages.
An Antique ring
Every state in the country specializes in
different types of jewelry like bead jewelry, filigree jewelry, tribal jewelry,
lac jewelery etc.

THE CRAFT
The Banjara nomadic tribes of Rajasthan are known for their heavy jewelry.
They make beautiful ornaments and belts that are
embellished with shells, metal-mesh, coins, beads,
chains. Silver tribal jewelry is very famous. It is a
delightful collection of earrings, bracelets, bangles,
armlets, anklets, hairpins and necklaces. These have a
characteristic oxidized appearance. These oxidized
metal accessories are often adorned with bunches of
tiny silver bells and colorful stones.
Tribal and folk jewelery is a popular metal jewelry
made in silver and white metal and produced by the
Lambadi people of Andhra Pradesh, todas of Nilgiri
Hills and Kutchis from Gujrat.
Coins used for making jewelery
16

TRIBAL JEWELRY OF ANDHRA PRADESH

In Andhra Pradesh, the state of rich culture and
heritage, there are many crafts which are losing their
identity, value and importance. One such craft which
we came across is lambada jewelery, hand crafted by
the lambada tribes in the villages of Nizamabad a district in Andhra Pradesh.
One of the most important metal used for making tribal jewelry in here is silver. Silver is used in
abundance and all tribal women uses silver jewelry with
pride and honor.

Anklets

ESSENCE OF THE CRAFT

The lambada people are very close to nature and are highly inspired by their
surrounding. Keeping themselves away from the advancements of the world to
keep their culture alive and distinct from others is one of the major reasons that
this craft is still practised.
The motifs, designs, forms and shapes of the jewelery are derived from the
nature. The spirit and soul of the deep rooted tribal society is manifested in itself
in the wide range of jewellery they make.
The jewelry is skillfully made with lot of patience
and every detail is taken care of manually with lot of
respect towards the material and the craft. Each piece
varies from each other giving equal importance and
uniqueness to them.The final product is a breath
taking output of all the hard work the craftsmen put
in to make this master piece.
Crafts women making jewelery

17

HISTORY
As the banjara tribes entered Andhra Pradesh
in the 14th century they settled in a place called
Tandas, brought along with them this unique
craft to the state which was later passed on to
another caste called the Sunars.
The Sunars were a group of people
following same tradition, culture and life experiences who were very skilled in making jewelery
using various metals.
This caste started producing tribal jewelry for
the upper caste people in pure silver. This gave
The Sunar Caste People
the craft a boost which now was available for
everyone in the society unlike the tribal people who made jewelry just for themselves.

EVOLUTION OF THE CRAFT

This craft originally made with pure silver, was

used to create necklaces, earings, nose rings,
bangles, anklets etc with very simple forms and
designs which was possible at that time with
limited skills and tools. Then extra accessories in
silver were made for
embellishing their clothes along with glass,
beads, shells etc. slowly designs from natural
motifs had transformed into simple geometrical
shapes which had some reference to nature.
An Ear ring.

18

With the change in the lifestyle of the society,

the demand for tribal jewelry reduced and the
cost of silver increasing, the craftsmen faced
difficulty in meeting the ends, so to reduce the
cost and other expenses related to the craft ,
the raw material was changed to German silver
from silver.
German silver having similar characteristics like
silver ( physically and handling) was the best
medium to be replaced with. Along with the
metal they started using old coins when new
German Silver as a
coins were introduced and also to break the
replacement for silver
monotony.
The tools being used have changed with new inventions taking place. For example
first a kerosene burner was used for welding and now a nozzle gas burner is used.
The major shift noticed is that the lambada
tribal people are no longer producing the
jewelry.

Gas burner has replaced

Kerosene Burner

19

THE VILLAGE
This beautiful craft evolved
in the village of Vasaltana
which is located 30 kms
away from
Nizamabad town. Holding
around 150 yrs old of
culture and heritage, this
craft has survived and is
Craftmens hut
carried on in this village by
the Sunar caste. The entire village contributes to this
craft as it is totally occupied by the Sunar caste, who
have dedicated their lives to keep the craft alive. this
craft is the only source of income for them and farming is practiced but not commercially, only for personal
consumption.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Farms in the village

Interiors of the village

Vasaltana is a typical Indian village where you see lush green farms, muddy roads
to small huts with villagers leading a very simple life. There are around 20 huts in
the village and the population of 100 plus people out of which around 60 people
are dedicated to this craft.
the village which has its own school even comprises of educated people and the
basic languages spoken are- Hindi, Telegu and Lambada.

20

ADVANCEMENT
Though being away from advancements in the main city, the villagers have
managed to stay connected to the outside world. Each house in the village has
electricity connection but no telephone lines.The connectivity of the village with
the main city is well defined with good roads.

Modes of transportationauto-rikshaws and buses. The mode of communication is through mobile phones
as all major mobile networks are available.

THE CRAFTSMEN
The village comprises of equal men and women and
their involvement in the craft is also equal. The work is
divided between them for fast production.
number of people involved are 50 to 60.
Basic work done by women ( involved making of basic
pieces)
Woman talking on phone Men sit and join the pieces ( welding and polishing)
Women and men both go
and sell the products.
The villagers here have
farming as another
occupation, but they do not
sell it commercially. Its for
personal use only. Main occupation for income is
Women selling the jewelry jewelry making.
Men do the welding
in nearby villages

21

RAW MATERIALS
Worn by the women of
lambada tribes, it is a very
heavy form of jewellery
with intricate and detailed
work. though it started
with silver as its raw material, the increasing price of
silver and decreasing demands led the craftsmen
German silver wire in
different diameter
to use german silver as the
basic raw material as it is cheaper and looks like silver
Nickel silver / German silver- metal alloy of copper
with nickel and often but not always zinc. The usual
formulation is 60% / 20% / 20% Copper/ Nickel / Zinc.
It is named for its silvery appearance, but contains no
elemental silver unless plated. Other common names
for this alloy are German silver, Paktong, New Silver
and Alpacca (or Alpaca).

Man Etching a piece of

jewelery

Finished peice of
jewelery

German silver is got from Hyderabad, Imliband bus stand area,Begum Bazaar and
Nizamabad city.
Raw material shape- in form of wires, rods and blocks.
For Silver etching nitric acid is used (1 part to 3 parts water). Add acid to water.
This acid is bought from Nizamabad itself.
Polishing material- Silver polish is used.

22

INVESTMENT
Amount bought- depends on orders they get. Average of Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500
spent per month. Whenever the need arises to buy the material, the crafts man
comes to Hyderabad n buys accordingly.
Cost of german silver per kgranges between Rs 800- Rs 1200 (different sizes
available from 1 to 20, the numbers depicting various forms)

TOOLS
Hammer- hathoda
Nose plier- jamburi
Picker- savandi
Scissors- kainchi
Mould sancha
Cutting plier kondi
Rod to rotate to make spring- shankli
Hammer

Nose Plier

Rod to make spring

Mould

23

PROCESS

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1- Moulding the raw material into a spring

(wire size- diameter- 1 mm) with the help of a rod
called shankli.
During this step they pass the wire through loops in
wooden blocks to hold it intact, then they put the wire
around the shankli and use a lever to turn it around
and this motion twirls the wire to form spring.

Step 4

Step 2 With cutting plier (kondi) they cut at every turn of the spring and
derive small rings.
Step 3- They use tweezers (savandi) to place the rings in the design required
Step 4- They use flux (sowagi) with aluminium (rava) to weld the parts
together with the help of kerosene burner.

24

Step 5- They prepare the base for the pattern ( as shown in picture) with the help
of moulds.
Step 6- They again weld the two pieces.
Step 7- Here they weld a loop as it is an earring. The loop is a wire which is
turned with hand or using a nose plier (jamburi).
Step 8 They dip the jewelry piece in the acid and siver water solution for 2 to
3 minutes, this removes the black colour and gives a
polished silver look.

TIME CONSUMPTION
This type of jewelry is hand crafted and is time
suming. Each piece of jewelry takes time
according to the details and the size.

con-

Step 5

Necklace: Time consumption

about 7 days.
Anklet: Time consumption
about 5days.
Ear rings: Time consumption
about 2 days.

Step 7

Step 8

25

MARKETING AND ECONOMY

The craftsmen in this village are independent. There
is no support provided by any bank or an NGO
financially. They invest their own money at their
own risk. No financial security is provided to encourage them to boom this craft further.
Their investment being from Rs.1500 to Rs.2000 per
month earns them a profit of RS.2000 to Rs. 3000.
Marketing is one aspect where these people are
A finished peice of jewelery
strong. They have sourced their own markets and
have their own marketing techniques. One such technique is to talk in the
language their customers talk in (Main customer- lambada tribe so they talk in
lambada language.)
As the craftsmen are catering just the local markets there is an NGO which is
helping them to expand their market to the entire state. This NGO is Sai Baba
Mahila society ( funded by central government) and is run by Mrs. Rajkumari.
Many steps are taken now by the government to
sustain this nearly extinct craft in Andhra Pradesh
by taking up initiative training programme. These
programmes help the local craftsmen to get more
knowledge about the craft in terms of designs,
techniques, tools and skills.
Initiative training program- once by central government for 15 days . A head designer is appointed and
is sent to the village to help the crafts men to learn
new techniques and designs.
26

Mrs. Rajkumari

The participants are paid Rs.100 for first 15 days and

Rs.50 per day for 4 months.
This programme, till date has been done once in this
village and it had a very positive effect and has been
also very encouraging for the villagers.
The market they target- they go to market on their
own and get the orders there. The NGO helps them to
get orders from other places like Hyderabad and other
Craftsmen with us
districts.
tion.
The NGO invited them for the exhibition, which are held all over the state, more
in Hyderabad.

The market they go to Sunday- Gandhari

Monday- Dingal
Tuesday- Dichpalli
Wednesday- They make the jewelry
Thursday- Kamareddy
Friday- Lingampet
Saturday They make jewelry
At Dichpalli, selling jewelry
with other materials

Exhibition- The NGO invites then for the craft exhibi-

27

SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTH
Each piece of jewelry is hand crafted by a skilled craftsman.
The entire village stays as a family and makes jewelry to keep the craft alive.
Tools used in the process are very simple.
The cost of production is not very expensive.
German silver used gives the feel of silver . It is inexpensive.
Not much competition because
a) Not many people are involved in the making of the craft.
b) Different families in the village go to different markets to sell their
product.

WEAKNESS
Each piece takes a lot of time to finish as the entire process is manually done.
Production is more than the demand.
The jewelry made is very huge and heavy for common people to wear.
The younger generation of the craftsmen family doesnt want to continue the
craft as the income is very less.

28

OPPURTUNITY
Many NGOs have come forward to help develop the craft.
A lot of exhibitions are also held to make people aware of this craft.

THREATS
The chemicals used for cleaning and polishing in the last stage are used without
taking necessary precautions.
After treating the jewelry with chemicals the jewelry is not washed properly
with water, this could be harmful for the people who wear it later.

29

Ter
r
ac
ot
t
a

INTRODUCTION
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta (Italian:
baked earth, from the Latin terra cocta) is a
clay-based unglazed ceramic. Its uses include
vessels, water & waste water pipes and surface
embellishment in building construction, along
with sculpture. Terracotta gift articles such
as ashtrays, flower-vases, coasters, tea sets,
pottery, paper weights, and decorative animal
figures are popular. The shapes are natural,
simple but attractive and true to the material.
Shaping the pot

The term is also used to refer to items made out of this material and to its natural, brownish orange color, which varies considerably. In archaeology and art
history, terracotta is often used of objects not made on a potters wheel, such
as figurines, where objects made on the wheel from the same material, possibly
even by the same person, are called pottery;
the choice of term depending on the type of
object rather than the material. Plain unglazed
pottery is often also called terracotta.
The village we visited chanduru ,there every
house in that village has a craft. Earlier the
craft was only traditional, now they have
learnt new things through a training tour in
Bangalore. Every house works on a differnt
type. All the craftsmen from the entire village
go o sell together.
Decorative pots

32

HISTORY
In ancient times, the first clay sculptures were
dried (baked) in the sun after being formed.
Later, they were placed in the ashes of open
hearths to harden, and finally kilns were used,
similar to those used for pottery today.
However only after firing to high temperature
would it be classed as a ceramic material. For
centuries the craftsmen of this district have
been making figurines having ritualistic connotations
The craftman

Terracotta Art is popular in India and Bankura

District in West Bengal produces a variety of terracotta objects.
The Bankura horse is very famous.

Terracotta Temples are the pride of Bishnupur

and are very famous.
Tamil Nadu is famous for the huge terracotta
figures of the Aiyanar Deity.
Delhi and Jaipur are famous for Persian Blue
Pottery. It is widely recognized as a traditional
craft of Jaipur. Legend has it that blue pottery
came to Jaipur in the early 19th century.
Ornamented horse made by Terracotta

33

ABOUT THE PLACE

It is a small village called
Chunduru, it has 30
houses with approximately
2-4 people working on
terracotta craft.
Terracotta craft is also
called Kulugriti or
Kumharpani in their local
language.

Chunduru village

Craftsmen

The village also has a small school, hospital,

taining centre, a small market, electricity and
telephone connection.
The training centre is rented out to teach the
terracotta craft. Mostly designers are invited by the
government to give teaching classes to the crafts
men and more advanced and new technology for
making the products. The crafts men are paid a sum
of Rs 100 per day.

School children

The new generation does not want to follow their parent footsteps and continue
the craft, they go to school and college. There is schools in that village but no
collage so the students mostly come to Nizamabad or Hyderabad for their higher
studies.

34

ABOUT THE TOOLS

Generally pottery tools are divided into 3 major categories:
Shaping Tools
Cutting/Piercing Tools
Finishing Tools

SHAPING TOOLS

Potters Hands - The potter uses his hands to knead (press and squeeze) the
clay so as to eliminate air bubbles thus making the clay soft, smooth and
manageable to work with. In addition, while spinning on the potters wheel,
potter uses his hands to shape the clay into the
preferred design.
Potters Fingers/Thumbs - The potter at times may
use his/her fingers/thumbs to create designs,
impressions or decorations on the pots before they
are dried.
Potters Wheel - This wheel can be manually
operated by hand, by stick or can be foot/pedal
driven. Today some are run by electric motor. The
Potters hand
potters wheel is used to
mold, shape and spin the
clay to make the pottery
even.
Bucket of Water - The
potter uses a bucket of
water to keep his/her
hands moist while shaping
the clay on the wheel.
Potters thumb

Potters wheel

35

Slip -Slip is a mixture of clay and water that is used as cement to join together
two or more clay pieces when creating a new design.

CUTTING/PIERCING TOOLS

Blades/Edges/Knives - The potter may use these to make decorative designs or

grooves on the pottery piece.

FINISHING TOOLS
Kiln - A hot oven that is used to fire the pots after
they are created and glazed so as to make them hard.
Glaze/Paints - Glazes /Paints are put on just
before firing the pots to make them look fancier and
more decorative and to make them harder and more
durable.
Salpa

Paintbrushes - These are used for applying the

glazes/paints.
Piece of Thread - Also called the Chounee. This is
used for cutting off the pottery piece from the
potters wheel.
Plastic Fork - Helps in making indents or other
decorative designs on the item created.

Plastic fork

36

Sponge - This is used for smoothing the surface of

the clay pot while spinning on the wheel just as
masons do when smoothing semi-dried cement
surfaces.
Iron Pole - The potter uses this for cleaning excess
sludge from his hands.
Cocoyea Stick - This is used by the potter for
measuring so as to evenly attach one piece of pottery
onto another.
Scraper - A hard piece of plastic, wood or bamboo
that is used for cleaning off any excess sludge from
the pot.
Exacto Knife - This is used for creating designs on
the pot while still leather hard.

Scraper

Bhatti is a baking area, where they have used bricks to make a semi circular wall
in which there is a hole. On one side of the hole they keep burning wood and on
the other side the women put all the wet pots which are kept on unused or
broken pots and they cover it first with hay and then put coal and ash on top.
The heat from the burning wood reaches the pot through the hole and it
doesnt escape.
The whole pots are made at the end of the week all and are baked together.
The weather should be hot for baking process.
37

PROCESS
Raw materials:
The three main raw
materials for preparing
terracotta are
Ashes(5%), Red soil(25%),
Normal mud(70%)
These are got from lake
Red soil
peddachuru which is less
than a km away. They have to pay a sum of rs 700
per truck of red soil which is bought from the near
by lake.A combination of three trucks of normal mud
is mixed with one truck of red soil.

Normal mud

Steps to prepare the raw material-The Clay:

1)The women take out the impurities and refine the
material .The two kind of mud is first refined with
hand by taking out all the impurities such as stones,
stems, leaves etc.

Stamping

2)They also soften it and make it wet. Now the mud is soften by adding water
in it and then all those impurities are taken out which are very tiny and can t be
taken out from dry mud.
3)First clay are softened by stamping on it for approx two hours-mud is made
soft by stamping on again and again or by doughing. In this process also water is
used.

4)All the materials are mixed, moistened and stamped on to soften- As all the
materials are mixed now the clay is stamped well and doughed well so as to make
the raw material soft and easy to be used by the potter.
5 This part of the job is mostly done by the women of the house.

Steps of making a product or the craft:

1) They use a potters wheel on which they slap on
the mud and clay mixture in the centre and they
rotate the wheel. The clay is stamped on the centre
of the wheel in a regular quantity as per required by
the potter.

Rotating the wheel

Base is made by using palm

2) They add little water to smoothen the material

and put there hand in the centre of the mud mount
and shape it using different hand curvature. The potter now uses his hands
to shape the clay in the
desired form and shape
slowly and gently. Mostly
for the neck of the pot his
index finger and thumb is
used and the rest of the
fingers and palm is used
for the body of the pot.
Shaping using fingers

3 )A plastic piece is used

in the process of shaping
and also to cut off the
form the extra mound.
When the pot is ready
it is taken out from the
potters wheel with a
help of a blade, knife or
a piece of thread very
carefully so as to avoid it
from breaking.

Shaping with plastic piece

Beating with salpa

Finishing process
1) When the pots have dried to some extent they
use a tool called Salpa to beat the pots. It is done by
placing a stone block inside the pot to support it
while beating and they potashes on the stone to
Giving the inner shape
prevent the semi solid pot from sticking to the stone.
They do this to make the surface even.
2)Then they go to behind the house to the bhatti
(furnace), the baking process takes one whole night and leave it there to dry for
7-10 days.
3) They keep some 5 inches space between each. The space is kept so that
when the baking process is complete some fumes come out, which indicates
the completion of the process.
40

4) The baking process is not done in rainy season.Its done only in winters and
summers. As in rainy season there is a lot of moisture in air which might be
harmful for the pots.

Finishing after baking

1)To make the insides of the pot even the women put some water
mixed with little clay in the centre of each
pot .
2)They use oil paints and varnish. They
also use wire for binding the additional
ornaments. The pots are ornamented with
various designs of terracotta pieces attached to them with wire.
Drying period

Baking in the bhatti

3)For packaging the

products are put in
boxes in between hay.
The hay is kept so as
to avoid the pots from
breakage while
delivering the pots from
one place to another.
Painted pot

41

ABOUT THE CRAFTSMEN

The crafts men have a very simple lifestyle. They just involve themselves in
farming n pottery making. Women also take part in making craft besides doing their house duty. Farming plays an important role in their lively hood.Every
house hold in the village practice different type of terracotta work. Some of the
crafts men are educated but they and the new generation are very keen at getting educated yet continue with the same craft.
Craftsmen are trained by the Ngo in learning new techniques and designs These
people are taken by the Ngo to different exhibitions to learn other terracotta
techniques of other terracotta crafts.Last exhibition attended by them was in
Bangalore .They work on orders placed by Ngo and sell their products in market
themselves.Craftsmen we accuired the information fromAbout The Craftsmen
Name- Gulla Pandi Mahender
Age 22
Education Degree passout
He has been doing the craft for 5 years.He is who wants to opt for this craft in
his career and wants that the people should be aware of this craft all over India.
He attends lot of exhibitions and is eager to learn
more and more about this craft.
Name- Ramalu
Age 50
Working with terracotta for 20 years.He is one of the
old crafts men of that village and is highly experienced and skilled craftsmen.He wants the new generation to be aware of this craft .
42

The craftsmen

FINANCE AND ECONOMY

The NGO(Sai Baba Mahila Society) sends a letter to
them and then decorative products are send to the
NGO to supply to the cities.
They use three tractors yearly, for transportation
of sand and mud.One tractor costs them 700rs.They
only supply to Nizamabad
.
When ever the work is completed they call the NGO.

The training center

Prices vary according to design and size. Prices start at 50p (small size diyas)
and go up to 120 rs.Decorative products are more expensive staring from Rs500.
Whenever an exhibition or fair comes up, the NGO informs them.
A standard pay of Rs 150 is given to them.

Diya stand

Fancy pots

Pots with wire work

43

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strength
People can be trained no particular skill is required:- People involved in this
craft are not bound to any particular style or tradition. Anyone can learn the
process and work.
Low level of investment:-The level of investment required is not much, the cost
of clay, mud ,water is not much only the paints are costly in comparison to the
rest of the raw materials.
Generation of self-employment in rural and urban areas:-This craft can be
taught to anyone, and a large group of employment can be produced thereby in
the rural and can also trigger employment in the urban areas.
No/less electricity utilized in production process:-This craft does not require
the utilization of electricity.The process is completely based on hand work and
heat.
Economic empowerment of rural:- As the craft can be taught to anyone and increases the level of employment it automatically increases the level of economy
also.
Utilization of local resources:-All the raw materials required for the craft are
locally available, where the craft is being flourished.
Eco-friendly:- All the raw material needed and the processes itself are not
harmful.

Weakness
Highly unorganized and widely dispersed:-The work is not at all organized between the craftsmen. They work as individuals.

44

Lack of opportunity/unwillingness for adoption to: a)Market oriented designs:- The designs on which they work are very old
and not ones currently in demand. But recently they have started enforcing
new designs but still they are scanty in number.
b)Production diversification:- Till now there is no diversification in the
production. But the production techniques vary from place to place according
to different types of terracotta.
c)Cross-culture innovation:-They lack a lot of cross-culture innovation.Lately the
people are being taken to other places for exhibitions but still are not exposed
to the innovations.
d)Advanced technology:- No technology is involved till now but they can
introduced it as scope is present.
Lack of exposure to different market segments:-The craft and craftsmen both
are not exposed to the market well. They still lack interaction with the market.
Lack of enterprising and marketing skill:- The craftsmen lack entrepreneur
skills as well as marketing skills. They are not well knowledged about the
market.
Lack of proper branding of products resulting in duplication:- There is no
patent on the style or work or on the craft. This prevents preservation of the
tradition, techniques, originality etc.
Lack of awareness and measures for quality assurance:- The market,and
public lack awareness regarding the originality as well as quality of the
terracotta products. in many situations it is found that the people are not aware
of the places where the work is being done or where the products are available.

45

Opportunity
Availability of Manpower/Labour force:- In India manpower and labour force
are available widely and this craft can be taught easily hence the manpower can
be utilized for the establishment of the craft.
Ample scope of Government Schematic support for artisans under various
schemes
High export potential:- The craft has high potential of exports. Craftsmen
need to rise awareness about the craft among the people as well as in the
market.
Availability of traditional skill :- People are are interested in keeping the
traditional skills alive, only they need some support whether be it teaching new
techniques or designs or marketing skills or financially may be.

Threat
Imitation by other States due to lack of patenting:- Innovations are different
but mostly non-craft people learn the traditional methods and techniques and
localize the art. This has to stopped by patenting the craft.
Frequent occurrence of natural calamity:-As large amount of the raw material
consists of natural materials like clay and mud formed of soil, water, and can get
affected if there is a natural calamity. Specially Nizamabad is a flood prone area.
Seasonal employment
High illiteracy rate to adjust with the charged scenario:- Most of the people
are illiterate. The current generation is being educated but still the rate is below
the margin. Among the current generation who are getting education are hardly
interested in the craft. More over, the majority who working on the craft is not
educated.
46

Wooden
Pat
c
hwor
k

INTRODUCTION
Nizamabad is also famous for its excellence
in making exotic handicrafts with a variety of
designs and shapes. One such craft is Wooden
Patchwork which has taken inspiration from
foreign countries. It is also known as Marquetry.
India is blessed with a vast number of tree
species, most of which are deciduous and
evergreen. Alpine forests and trees belonging
to arid regions are also present. These trees
are used extensively to manufacture wooden
handicrafts.
Wooden Patchwork of Nizamabad
Mallaram forest in Nizamabad is known its
finest quality of teak and other types of woods from which attractive wooden
patchwork/marquetry products are made by trained and skillful craftsmen.
Wood is also sourced from other parts of the country, mainly from Hyderabad.
It is a craft which uses different colours and
textures of the wood pieces which are joined
adjacently or on top of one another.
Many such products are today made and kept
for sale in craft emporiums like Kalanjali and
Lepakshi.
Wooden Patchwork or Marquetry is one of the
most unique wooden crafts renowned for its
beauty and durability.
This craft includes products such as idols,
awards, mementos and even decorative panels
having stories from the epics of India.
50

A wall piece done in

wooden patchwork

ESSENCE OF THE CRAFT

It is amazing to see how the craftsmen cut out
and join intricate pieces of wood to create an
entity.
It is wonderful to see how they make use of the
different colours and textures of the wooden
pieces to enhance the beauty of the product.
The way they differentiate different parts such
as the ornaments, clothes, background etc with
use of the colours and textures of the woods
alone, is worth mentioning as it requires a lot of
concentration and experience.

HISTORY

Craftsman joining different

pieces of wood

Marquetry is the art of creating decorative

designs and pictures by skillfully utilizing the
grain, figure and colors of veneers, and
sometimes other materials such as shell or
ivory.
Veneer refers to thin slices of wood.
Veneer is obtained either by peeling the
trunk of a tree or by slicing large rectangular
blocks of wood known as flitches. Each slicing
processes gives a very distinctive type of grain,
depending upon the tree species.
A wall panel done in Marquetry

51

While the exact origins of Marquetry or

wooden patchwork are unknown, it is believed
to have its inception in ancient Egypt where
inlays were used in the palace of King
Mausolus around 353 BC, located in modern
day Turkey. In addition to this, hieroglyphs and
paintings from Ancient Egypt indicate this craft.
During this same time period, mosaic work was
also widespread.
An Egyptian Wall Panel done in
Marquetry

Thus, it is presumed that it didnt take long for old world craftsmen to also start
experimenting with designs formed from
veneers.
In the 14th Century marquetry or wooden
patchwork was developed in Northern Italy
and used as a method of decorating cathedrals.
Over the next few centuries, marquetry schools
were established in France, Germany and
Holland. During the 16th to 18th Centuries
much exquisite work was produced focused
primarily on decorating furniture, especially for
royalty.
A French table with Marquetry
work

52

Eventually, marquetry or wooden patchwork

extended westward from Europe to America
and beyond.
Today, it is being used to create new and
diverse artworks by a variety of artists around
the world.
In India, wooden patchwork or marquetry is a
non-traditional handicraft. This craft was
approved by the Government of AP as a
Handicraft 20 years back.
It was started 30 years back by Mr. Pendem
Mr. Pendem Raghu
Raghu in Nizamabad.
Pendem Raghu is a wood sculptor specializing in wooden carving.
He began wooden patchwork as a means to earn money and express his
creativity in a different way. Other reasons why he began this craft was that his
earlier profession, wood carving was common, non-profitable, time consuming
and a competitive field.
He started the craft in Nizamabad, as he is born and brought up in this place and
also due to the availability of different wood in the nearby
forest.
As the years passed by, wooden patchwork started popularizing and the demand
increased.
Mr. Raghu started an organization which steadily grew, and today has 60 workers.

53

EVOLUTION OF CRAFT IN NIZAMABAD

Earlier in the start of the organization, no machinery and different raw materials
were used.
The wood was knife cut and slowly the cutting process changed to jigsaw and
circular saw techniques..
Other requirements used were some cheap clear sticky tape, PVA glue and a
base-board. These are still used along with other materials such as Fevicol and
MDF as a base.
To finish the piece, sand-paper or wire wool, possibly with a sanding block, was
used earlier. With evolution, Disk Sanding machine and other such machines are
being used now.
Either ordinary varnish, special
varnishes, modern polyurethane
-oil or water based- good waxes
and even the technique of french
polish are different methods used
to seal and finish the piece. These
are being used today as well,
especially ordinary varnish.

Jigsaw machine replaced knife for cutting the wood.

54

LOCATION AND ORGANIZATION

The organization where wooden patchwork in Nizamabad is done is called
Shilpakala Nilayam Training Center. It is
2-3km away from the Nizamabad Railway
Station.
Address- Boigally, Weekly Market
Nizamabad 503001 .
It is sponsored by The Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts)
Government of India.
The organization is run by Mr Raghu.
The entire workplace is divided into
various sections carrying out different
works besides wooden patchwork, such
as sticker printing and pasting, screen
printing etc.

The address of the workshop

CRAFTSMEN
There are 60 Craftsmen working under the organization presently. Both men and
women are involved in the working process. They are employed based on their
skill and their training. It isnt a family craft like most traditional handicrafts are.
Before being employed, the craftsmen are trained for 20 days. This training
process is aided by the Government.
Wages of the workers vary according to their experience in the field. A new
craftsman gets Rs. 3000 per month, whereas the most experienced get Rs. 8000
per month.
55

RAW MATERIALS
Many types of wood are used due to their different textures and colours. They are sourced
from all over India.

Teak wood

Some kinds are

1.
Battakalam 2.
Durshan
3.
Thumakatte
4.
Peddiga
5.
Neelgiri
6.
Teak
7.
Pachchabattakalam
8.
Sonam
9.
Sheesham
10. Thalapuru

The thickness ranges from 3 to 12 mm.

Fevicol is used for the joining of the pieces.
For finishing they spray varnish.
Duco Paints are used for painting.
Black Gel pen is used for outlining.
Duco Paints

56

TOOLS
Cutting tools
Jigsaw Machine:
It uses a thin blade which moves up and down
rapidly and cuts out intricate pieces of wood.
Finishing tools
Sanding machine:
It is a spinning circular disk with an abrasive
cloth used for smoothening the surface of the
wood pieces, and also leveling the final product
surface.

Filer:

Disc sanding machine

A rough and a smooth file are used to correct any irregularities and smoothen
the edges of wood pieces.

Spray Painting:
Spray painting is a technique where a device
sprays a coating of varnish through the air onto
a surface. This is done for protection and a
glossy finish.
Paintbrush and pen:
They also use different sizes of paint brushes
and black gel pen for painting of edges and also
minute details
Spray painting

57

PROCESS
Step 1-The craftsmen selects their wood pieces
based on the right combination of grain, color, and
texture needed to create
the impression they want to
achieve.
Step 2-Depending on the
Selection of wood
type of cut used on the tree
to produce the wood piece, and the color of the wood
itself, the appearance of the wood piece may vary
greatly in both grain and color.

Drawing done on wood

Step 3-A pattern is chosen and each individual piece

should be drawn and then cut out in paper.
Step 4-Each paper element is glued onto the relative
wood.

Joining of different peices

Step 5-The individual wood pieces that will make up the design or picture are cut
out using the jigsaw machine.
Step 6-If each piece of the design is to be cut seperately then fitted together it
requires very accurate cutting. It also requires very accurate drawings. Any inaccuracy in the drawing will automatically result in an inaccuracy in the cutting.

58

Step 7-Following this, the pieces are assembled and then are glued together with
Fevicol and the completed design is mounted onto a rigid base.
Step 8-Then it is leveled on the disk sanding machine. And edges are smoothened
and irregularities are corrected using a filer.
Step 9-Details such as intricate motifs, patterns, outline, edges and features are
given with black gel pen or Duco paints.
Step 10-The final finishing process is to spray paint varnish on the product for protection and a glossy finish.
Step 11-Incase it has to be made into a mandap for
god, it has some cylindrical pillars and additional features which are made with wood on a lathe machine.
Joined peices to form an
entity

Step 12-Such separate parts

are stuck together using fevicol
to form a complete structure.

Leveling on disk sanding

machine

Finished Product

59

MARKETING
Main Market today is individual customers
and sometimes craft emporiums who place an
order.
Earlier main market was exhibitions, fares and
craft emporiums like Lepakshi and Kalanjali.
Tourists and art collectors are also important
buyers for these product.
New designs are in demand but the essence
of the craft is an important factor that the customers look for.
The types of products and designs are
Shop in the workshop premises
determined by the place of market.
They also have a small shop in the workshop premises.

DELIVERY
Products are mainly sold in Andhra Pradesh in
all the districts.
The are also sold in Maharashtra- 5 districts
and Karnataka- 2 districts
Delivery depends district location and quality
Can be delivered by any means (water, air,
road)

SWOT ANALYSIS
StrengthsIntricacy level is high
Easy to make complicated products.
It is not a time consuming process.
Waste pieces of wood can also be incorporated in the design, so there are no
wastage.
Reusability of material is possible.
Mass production is possible in this craft.
Market is vast and there is high contact with outside.
The craftsmen are educated so they can follow instructions easily.
Not much physical strength required.

OpportunitiesThere is a lot of scope in the market for wooden crafts as it is a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles.
Today, many organizations want products in bulk. This craft has the ability to
mass produce and has opportunity to provide to such organizations.

Weakness
Only two dimensional forms can be made.
The machines such as jig saw blade is not safe and accidents can occur.
A lot of precision is required as the pieces have to fit into each other, so if any
of the measurements go wrong the entire process has to be repeated.
The saw dust obtained when cutting and filing the wood, can be harmful for
the workers.
Without a base the pieces might get separated with time

Threat
Wooden patchwork/ marquetry is very similar to inlay work. So inlay craft is
competition to this craft.
(Inlay is the process of fitting a wood pattern into a negative of the same shape,
cut of out of a background base.)
Sticker print and screen print on the wood is being mass produced by the same
organization, which is threatening the traditional craft of wooden patchwork.
The wooden patchwork is losing its essence as a handicraft due to usage of too
many machines.
The depleting forests are a threat to the continuity of this craft.
This craft in Nizamabad will soon become nonexistent as it is not a family craft
and there is no one to pass the skill to.

62

INTRODUCTION

Womens with ghaghra and choli

The lambadas way of living is quite thrilling and full of adventures. What are equally
colorful are their costumes. A banjara womens mode of dressing is regarded to be the
most colorful as well as elaborate amongst
all the tribal communities in India.
A woman of banjara tribe is accustomed to
the costume ghaghra and choli ( blouse).
Ghaghra is a skirt made of red, black and
white cotton embellished with pieces of mirrored glass that are embroidered on it.

There is a band of material around the waist that strengthens the skirt and
is fastened with traditional stitches, the
odhani (mantle) which covers the head is
quite long enough thus draping down their
backs almost going as long as their feet. It is
accessorized with bone bangles and anklets.
Their love for ornaments from time to time
adopts quite absurd proportions and jewels
become there integral part of their body.

Lambada accessories

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HISTORY
As the lambada tribe is a nomadic tribe, roaming from one place to another, they took care
of everything they needed - food, shelter and
clothing. They did farming for their own food,
made temporary tents to live and stitched
their own clothes.
Finding cloth pieces from place to place they
had wandered, their dresses were very colorful and stitched different colored pieces together with different stitches. Using only few
colours like red, black and white to stitch their
Lambada women
garments, new colors where introduced to add
in more aesthetic value. The women use to stitch their own clothes with
materials available then like mirrors, shells cotton cloth etc.

Essence of the craft

Patch work with shells and beads

It is amazing to know how the people, 2000

years ago had an eye for the color schemes,
the arrangement of the motifs and utilization
of different materials to come up with a unique
design for their clothes.
The color combinations, natural motifs and accessories made from shells, beads and metal,
together make this craft quite exquisite. The
Lambada people were always influenced by the
nature and the environment, so the colors used
by them for their dresses have relevance with
nature, like- pink for flowers ,blue for sky etc.
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EVOLUTION
These dresses which are a combination of different
pieces of colored cloth stitched together is now a
traditional attire for the Lambada women worn only
on special occasions. These dresses are still stitched
by them and for themselves. They do not
commercialize this craft.
This craft gave a whole new path for normal
people who are not Lamabada to learn this
Pillow cover
craft and make their living. Other than clothes
cloth patch work is used for making other things like pillow covers, table mats etc. The essence of the craft is present but the product obtained
has changed.
The raw materials are different too. Firstly only cotton cloth was used for the
dresses as they used to travel a lot in hot regions, but now synthetic cloth
isnalso used as the price of other fabrics is high. The beads and mirrors are now
plastic too.
Different motifs and designs are incorporated which
are more modern and have less relevance to the
nature, to cater a market which is now demanding
for the same. Machines are also used for giving the
final touches to the products made. Major stitches
are only done by hand. However, the Lambada tribe
still follows the tradition of making their traditional
dresses with their own hand and not using machine
for any purpose.
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Plastic beads

CRAFT TODAY
In the interiors of Nizamabad there is a little village
called Verni, a place so colourful not because of the
environment but of its colourful craft, called Cloth
Patch Work. Cloth patch work is a form of needlework, where small pieces of cloth are sewn together,
to make an attractive design. The village is a hub of
all the artisans working and sustaining this craft in
the state over the years. The craft being centuries
old has still a place in the market due to the intricate
Intricate stiches
stitches,colour combinations and accessories used
to decorate the cloth. In this particular village which is 50 kms from the city,
embroidery is done, apart from cloth patch work.

THE VILLAGE
The village is small and comprises of 20 houses with a population of 70 people.
The village has a lively environment and is rich in its culture. It is a tribal village
and the tribe living here is the LAMBADA. Their lifestyle of living is very simple and they believe in eating what they get in and
around the village and farms, like rice, cereals, vegetables etc. They also raise poultry and goats and at
times use them as their food.
The village infrastructure is not as developed as
other villages we visited. Electricity is provided but
no landline connection. The only mode of new
age communication is cell phones. Auto rickshaws
and buses are the different ways to reach the village.
Verni village

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THE CRAFTSMEN

As an average, out of 100,

about 40 members work
on embroidery all together
in the village. For their
transportation they use
scooters and buses.
This craft is majorly done
by women of the village.
Men also do this craft after
Craftswomen
Mr. Dhanu
they are done with farming. Men do this craft in September till May when it
is off season for farming.
Only manual machines are used for final touch of
the product.The NGO and the craftswomen are working the patchwork for 2 years. This NGO is the only
source of order to the craftsmen in the village.
The NGO supports them with designs, material and
training programme to enhance their ability in the
Head craftswoman
craft. A training is provided to them for 15 days in
which designers come to the village and teach them contemporary designs and
patterns. For example, the designers make 1 design and the craftswomen replicate the same designs. These people get Rs-50 per day for a 4 months training
programme and Rs 100 per day for a 15 day course.
It is a full time craft which is done by the population of the village. The women
do it all time and the men join during rainy season as farming in that season is
difficult in that region. The head craftsman of the craft is Mr. Dhanu. He is the
one who motivates everyone and gives proper guidelines to the crafts women.

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PROCESS
This craft has various processes depending on the different products worked on.
One such process is described in detail. In here the craftsmen is making a pillow
cover where in cloth patch work method is used.
STEP 1:
A design is selected.
STEP 2:
A design is made on a paper which is used as a
stencil.
STEP 3:
The stencil is then traced on a piece of cloth.

Stencil of the design

STEP 4:
The cloth is then cut as per the design and used as a
patch.
STEP 5:
This patch is then pasted
with fevicol on a base
cloth according to the
design.

Cutting of the cloth

Placing different pieces together

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TYPES OF STITCHES

Rela

Vendiya

Phula

Pasadi

Katta

Bela

There are a number of stitches that they use. The craftmen have their own
tribal names for each type of stitch. All stitches are done manually and only
finishing touches are given by the machine which is again manual. This craft
needs a lot of patience and skill for the perfect look.

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TYPES OF RAW MATERIALS

The different types of raw materials used by the craftswomen for the clotch
patch work are as follows:
BEADS (coloured,metal, shining)
THREADS
MIRRORS
SHELLS

Colourful Beads

Small Mirrors

Metal Beads

Coloured Threads

Sea Shells

Shining Beads

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MARKET AND ECONOMY

This craft had a very less demand which was
taken care by an NGO named SAI BABA
MAHILA SOCIETY.
There is no financial support given to the
craftsmen for this craft. They are financially
supported by the Agro bank for the farming
they do.

The NGO head

They are paid Rs.120 per day to work on this

craft by the NGO for all the orders they place
to them.

Apart from commercializing their craft and the projects, they work and stitch
their own traditional clothes where they use
patch work. They buy the raw materials and
cloth for their own traditional wear from the
nearby Tuesday market of the village.
1 pow(1/4 kg ) of each colour patch(cloth) is
bought and stitched together to make their
own garment. They only make their wedding
dresses. Generally, very bright colours are
used for their dresses.

Bag made by cloth patch work

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SWOT ANALYSIS
Strength
A lot of variations and options are available to make new products making
each one different in their own way.
New materials are being used to enhance the final look of the product.
Age old techniques are still prevailing and producing fine and traditional
products.
The colour combinations used are very bright and attractive gaining interest of
the viewer.
The motifs used are age old and inspired by nature - the signature look of the
craft.
The metal accessories that are stitched on to the cloths are unique and are not
seen in any other craft, making this craft unique.
The entire product is hand crafted and every detail is taken care of by skilled
craftsmen

Weakness
The market is demanding for modern designs, has changed the original craft
designs which are more intricate and nature inspired.
The bold patterns and cuts are the signature look of the craft which makes it
difficult for a common man to make it a part of their wardrobe.
The skills required for the craft are difficult to learn and it takes a lot of
experience and practice to master it.
The entire product is hand crafted so it is time consuming.
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Opportunity
The NGO supporting them is giving them a lot of new inputs on the new
methods and designs.
Many craft exhibitions are taking place giving the craftsmen a new platform to
reach to customers.
Many training programmes are held to improve the skills and to enrich the
craftsmen with craft related information.

Threat
The industrial products are more attractive and lesser in price, giving this craft
a tough competition.
The demand of this craft has reduced in the past few years. This has stopped
the younger generation to learn and practice the craft
The modern designs that are now made are over powering the old motifs and
designs which are the signature look of the craft.

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CONCLUSION
The overall experience of the cluster initiative created awareness among us
about the hidden crafts of Nizamabad. The craftsmen have a unique statement through which they communicate with the outside world. Their ability
to create magic with clay, metal, thread and cloth, and wood is astonishing.
Terracotta craft is being practiced for ages. In this clay and mud are shaped
and baked to form a beautiful product like a decorative piece or a utensil.
Lambada Jewellery craft involves twisting, turning and heating of metal wire
into intricate and bold designs for a stunning piece of jewellery
Lambada Cloth work mixes and matches different coloured cloth pieces and
ornaments them with beads, mirrors, embroidery and lambada jewels, to
complete their traditional clothing- a formidable attire.
Wooden patchwork craft includes joining of different coloured wood pieces
artistically like a jigsaw puzzle to form a magnificent entity.
These crafts mainly take inspiration from gods and goddesses and flora and
fauna.
For us, it was an eye opener and an amazing experience to look into the lives
of the craftsmen and understand them. The interaction with the living habits
of the people, and the folk customs helped us understand the uniqueness and
the characteristic features of the four crafts.

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