Latest news with #SantKabirNationalHandloomAward
The Hindu
06-08-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Meet the young Telangana weaver keeping the Teliya Rumal tradition alive
Guda Pavan, a young weaver from Puttapaka village, is being honoured with the Sant Kabir National Award for his naturally dyed double ikat experiment on a sari History is quietly repeating itself in the Guda household of Puttapaka, a village in Telangana's Nalgonda district, known for its weaving traditions. In 2010, master weaver Guda Sreenu was awarded the prestigious National Handloom Award (by the Union Ministry of Textiles) for his craftsmanship in Teliya Rumal — a labour-intensive double ikat weave known for its geometric elegance and use of natural dyes. Now, 15 years on, it is his son Guda Pavan who is preparing to receive national recognition of his own. Pavan has been named the recipient of the Sant Kabir National Handloom Award (Young Weaver category) — one of the highest honours in the Indian handloom sector. He will receive the award from President Droupadi Murmu for weaving a silk sari in the traditional Teliya Rumal style. Double ikat in silk 'I wanted to push the boundaries,' says Pavan, speaking just days before travelling from Puttapaka to Delhi. 'Single ikat is usually done on cotton, but I decided to try double ikat in silk using only natural dyes, it's far more complex.' Silk, unlike cotton, does not absorb natural colours easily and tends to fade with washing. After attending a four-day workshop at Crafts Council of Telangana (CCT) Spaces in Hyderabad in 2024, Pavan began experimenting at home. 'The toughest part is maintaining consistency,' he says, referring to the precise marking-threading and tye-dye process, where warp and weft threads are dyed separately to form a perfect pattern. It took him six months to complete just four saris. Using natural colours Pavan learned the eco-conscious approach by watching his father using natural dyes like marigold petals, pomegranate rind, madder roots, indigo leaves, and even jaggery fermented with iron scrap and bark extracts to create hues of yellow, red, black, and blue. Drawing from the traditional Teliya Rumal motifs — ratham (chariot), muggu (rangoli), yagnam peeta (sacred platform), and kaya (fruit) — he tweaked the designs just enough to blend heritage with a modern aesthetic. This is Pavan's second trip to Delhi this year. In March, he and his father represented Telangana at Vividhita Ka Amrit Mahotsav, where they gave a live weaving demo attended by President Droupadi Murmu. Now, he's returning with his parents and sister, Guda Shubhadayanki, for the award ceremony. 'An award brings responsibility,' he says. 'With so many synthetic dyes flooding the market, it's not easy to protect your craft's authenticity. But when you do, the reward is worth it.'
The Hindu
06-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Meet the woman behind one of India's most exclusive ikat sari brands
'A special sari for a special day,' says Hyderabad-based Gajam Narmada, gently unfolding a handloom ikat silk sari in a striking cream, offset by a red border. Narmada, who runs Narmada Handlooms in Kothapet , has chosen this piece to wear on August 7, when she will receive the prestigious Sant Kabir National Handloom Award from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi. Recognised in the category for marketing handloom products, she also becomes the first woman from Telangana to be honoured with this distinction. Venture at home The Gajam family hails from the weaving community of Puttapaka in Telangana's Nalgonda district — a well-known hub for ikat. Narmada, who had only completed her intermediate education and had no prior experience in business, began her journey as a homemaker supporting her husband, Narendra. He had moved to Hyderabad in 1998 to set up a handloom sari business, and while he travelled for marketing, Narmada quietly managed the small venture from their home. It was her father-in-law, Chandraiah, a seasoned weaver, whose words helped her find her purpose and gradually grow into a businesswoman. 'He once told me, 'Weaving will help us meet our daily needs, but if we build something of our own and work hard at it, we can create a future not just for ourselves, but for others too.'' Popular designs Some of their popular designs are: Elephant, tree and bird in Narikunj design, paan patola, teliya rumal, peacock, forest and gollabhama. Ikat fabrics for men, dupattas, lehengas and blouse pieces for women. In 2013, Narender established Narmada Handlooms, naming Narmada as the proprietor. While he travelled across Hyderabad and beyond to secure orders, she oversaw operations at home — liaising with weavers, managing stock, and nurturing the growing business. 'Designers usually hand over patterns to weavers,' Narmada, now 46, explains. 'But we offered ideas based on what customers actually wanted and what was changing on the ground.' Strong weaver base Today, the enterprise supports a collective of 300 weavers from ten villages, including Puttapaka, Chandur, Ghattuppal, Munugodu, Balemla, Narayanapuram, and Choutuppal. This strong network, built over two decades, is a testament to the Gajam family's long-standing relationship with their weaving community. Supporting livelihoods has been central to that trust. 'COVID was difficult for everyone,' Narmada recalls. 'But we stayed in touch with our weavers, reassuring them not to lose hope. We'd say, 'Weave and keep the sari ready, someone will surely buy it later.' If a weaver doesn't have work, how will their family survive?' She also encourages them to evolve with changing times, while maintaining consistent quality. The Gajams live in a two-storey complex in Kothapet, which houses both their residence and wholesale store. 'I simply move between floors to switch roles,' she laughs, on juggling life as both homemaker and entrepreneur. Around 60 saris are delivered to their unit daily by weavers, and nearly 100 go out to stores across India. 'Our strength lies in exclusivity,' Narmada says. They don't sell online, preferring instead to supply to premium retailers such as Singhania's, Kalanjali, Neeru's, Second Skin, Gaurang Shah, Radha Krishna, and Kankatala in Hyderabad. Their saris also find shelves in stores across nearly 15 cities nationwide. As she lives out her dream, Narmada's next goal is to take their collection to an international audience.
