CASESTUDY:-

GADWAL HANDLOOMS
AND
KUTTU SAREES
INTRODUCTION TO HANDLOOM
• Handloom refers to wooden frames of different types which are used by
skilled artisans to weave fabrics usually from natural fibres like Cotton,
Silk, Wool, Jute etc.  It is a cottage industry where the entire family is
involved in the production of cloth. Right from spinning the yarn,
colouring, to weaving on the loom if done by them. Fabric produced from
these looms is also referred to as Handloom.
• The tools required for this entire process are made from wood, sometimes
bamboo and they do not require any electricity to run them. The entire
process of
HISTORY OFfabric production
HANDLOOM - Earlywas totally manual in earlier times. Thus this
Days
is the most eco-friendly way of producing clothes.
•Indian Handloom dates back to the Indus valley civilization. Even in
ancient times, Indian fabrics were exported, Rome, Egypt and China.
• In earlier times, almost every village had its own weavers who made
all the clothing requirements needed by the villagers like sarees,
dhotis, etc. Some areas where it is cold in winter there were specific
wool weaving centres. But everything was Hand-Spun and Hand-
Woven.
• Traditionally, the entire process of cloth making was self-reliant. The
cotton / silk / wool came from the farmers, foresters or shepherds, and
the cotton was cleaned and transformed by weavers themselves or
agricultural labour community.  Small handy instruments were used in
the process, including the famous spinning wheel (also known as
Charkha), mostly by women. This hand spun yarn was later made into
cloth on the handloom by the weavers.

SOURCE :- WIKIPEDIA
GEOGRAPHY
• VILLAGE :- GADWAL [RURAL]
• MANDAL :- GADWAL
• DISTRICT :- JOGULAMBA GADWAL
• STATE :- TELANGANA
• AREA :- 33.46 sq.km
• AVERAGE ELEVATION :- 325M ABOVE SEA

CENSUS
• TOTAL POPULATION :- 1,14,390
• SEX RATIO :- 971
• LITERACY :- 60.23%
• NO. OF LOOMS :- 257
• WORKING POPULATION ON LOOMS :- 47,777
• TOTAL WORKING POPULATION :- 97,821
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
• The town of Gadwal, situated between the rivers Tungabhadra and
Krishna, is not just famous for its peaceful co-existence between Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka, but also for its handloom weaving industry.
• Mythology tells us that the Gadwal silk weavers are the direct
descendants of Jiveshwar Maharaj – the first weaver of Hindu gods and
goddesses. The weavers of the saree were sent to Benares (now
Varanasi) so that they could perfect the art of weaving. However, despite
being perfected in Benares, the art takes zero influence from the state of
Uttar Pradesh and relies instead on South Indian aesthetics.
• It is a testimony to the skill involved that a 5.5 meter Gadwal saree can
fit into a matchbox when folded. Popular since 1930s, it’s the silk borders
of these cotton sarees which make it stand out. Simple in their look, but
with a sophisticated elegance, they have a certain nostalgia to them,
often reminding one of ammamas and nannamas who would sport these
comfy garments.
The Borders of a Gadwal Silk Saree
• The sarees are lustrous and have their own
beauty and identity for the different weave
designs on the side borders. The with of the
borders can be of different sizes as per design
concepts. The saree base or body can also have
butti weaves or different jaal designs like a
Banglori silk saree or Paithani but the identity is geometric shapes and checks on the nine-yard
from the border designs.
• The designs of the borders are from stripes,
temples and coin motifs, florals and leaf jaal
motifs too. The contrasts of the saree borders are
the most attractive and make these sarees subtle
as well as convenient for all types of occasions.
Motifs
• Sticking to its inspiration from temple and
nature, the motifs have always been in the
shape of temples, and the architecture of
religious places. However, with the
globalization of the sarees, you can also see
wonder. The most noteworthy feature remains
the zari work, in gold and silver, on the border
of the saree, which is always made of silk.
Colors
• The earlier sarees were only available in earthy
colors. The major inspiration came from
temples and nature respectively, however,
with more commercial sales, and the inclusion
of dyeing and machinery, the sarees took on a
multitude of colors to appeal to a more global
audience. Available in contrasting colors, they
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
• The core materials used for manufacturing the saree are
Silk/Cotton and Jari. They import silk/cotton from
Bangalore and gold/silver Jari from Surat.

SILK YARN SILVER JARI GOLD JARI COTTON YARN

 STEP 1 STEP 2:-
The process starts with dyeing the
STEP 3:-
silk/cotton material. The coloring After coloring the
process includes dipping the After the silk is
silk is dried in
material repeatedly in the boiled dried, it is rolled
color water. Color is uniform shade. Drying the
throughout the material and it over small sticks
doesn't affect the quality of the material in sunny
material. The colors are applied (called kandis
can harm the
as per the specifications from the locally).
designers. material.
STEP 4:- The next step involves the actual weaving
process of the saree.
• One of the most remarkable features of the saree is the
admirable zari pattern found on the textile and the well-
crafted Kuttu borders. Kuttu is the art of joining in the border
and pallu of the saree after it has been woven. The
interwoven weft technique used to design the Gadwal saree
is locally known as “Kupadam” and the weaving style for the
borders is “Kumbam”.
• The warp was placed between two beams about five feet
apart; half way between the beams the warp passed through
a frame work of looped threads, called healds, each
alternative thread of the warp going through one heald, and
the other threads through the other heald. The healds were
worked by two treadles, which upon one being put down by
the foot, raised one half of the healds and every second
thread of the warp; the shuttle which contained the weft was
then thrown by the right hand between the threads which
were at rest, and the second or alternative threads raised by
the treadle and the healds; the shuttle was caught on the
other side by the left hand, and the weft thus transversely
shot between the threads of the warp.
 WORKERS LIVING ON A
SINGLE LOOM
DYEING WEAVERS
PERSONNEL
JACODARD MAKERS

ESIGN CARD MAKERS NYLON THREAD LAYERS

SPINNERS
QUESTIONAIRES
AS WE VISITED A HOUSE WITH TWO PERSONNEL, THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS
WERE GIVEN TO THE QUESTIONS ASKED
• Q. What is the name of the saree are you working on?
• A. This is the famous variety of Gadwal sarees called the Kuttu saree.
• Q. What is the cost of the saree in the market?
• A. It costs around RS.15,000 in the wholesale market.
• Q. How much do you earn for this saree?
• A. It differs for different sarees and on this I earn up to RS.5000.
• Q. When did this occupation start in your family?
• A. I am the third generation person from my family working in this occupation.
• Q. How many families in this village live on this occupation?
• A. There are nearly 200 families in this occupation.
• Q. Will your children take this occupation further?
• A. Not really. Probably we are the last generation to work on this occupation but if they are
interested we are ready to help.
• Q. Which is more comfortable for Working? Sitting on floor or working on a
table?
• A. Sitting on the floor (pit loom) is more comfortable than the elevated
loom.
• Q. How many days do you work on a single saree?
• A. A simple saree takes around 8-10 days and heavy motif prints take 20-25
days to complete.
• Q. What are your working hours?
• A. We work from 7am - 8pm on daily basis.
• Q. When do you take a holiday?
• A. One or two days after every saree and in times of festivals.
• Q. Is the lighting enough for working?
• A. Yes we provided a small ventilator to the roof to attain light. And also we
prefer a dull light
so that we don't get much glare and our eyes doesn’t strain while
working on the designs
• Q. How did u learn this art?
• A. My dad taught me the art of weaving and with time I learnt the
 SPINNIN
G

WEAVIN
G PARTS OF A LOOM
LOOM
SKETCHES
 THANK YOU
• ADITHI REDDY :- 17091AA001
• UJWALA KAMUNI :- 17091AA010
• MANIDEEP N :- 17091AA017
• SUCHARITHA S :- 17091AA024
• TARUN TUMMA :- 17091AA026