From pujas to headgear for workers, wrapped around the waist, used as a towel, or even a baby sling – the humble gamchha has seamlessly woven itself into everyday life. Celebrating this heritage fabric, a gallery at the National Crafts Museum was transformed into a colourful exhibit titled Gamchha: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary. Conceptualised by Dastkari Haat Samiti, the exhibition is an ode to the handwoven textile – its craft, heritage and resilience.
The hand-embroidered panel, designed by Kalpana Das, showcases the life of the gamchha from making of the thread to fabric to how it is used. Dolls, book covers, folders made of gamchha were also on offer at the exhibit
What is Gamccha
Woven in plain weave pattern, the rectangular cotton garment is usually 1-1.5m in length and 60-70cm wide. The functional garment, mostly worn by men, has different regional names like gamchha in Bengal, gamocha in Odisha, gamosa in Assam, angochhi in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and paigudda in Andhra Pradesh.
Called as gamchha in Bengal
Known as gamosa in Assam
It is called gamocha in Odisha
The showcase champions gamchha from 14 states – Bengal’s variant in bright colours like reds, yellows and orange, Telangana’s variant in muted shades to Assam’s red and white variant with regional motifs. “The gamchha has always caught my eye and stirred my love for textile and traditional aesthetics. Despite being a humble fabric, it has always been culturally honoured by its communities,”says Jaya Jaitly, founder of Dastkari. “Yeh gamchha kewal tauliya ban kar naa reh jaye, isliye hum isko innovate kar rahe hain,” says Rajesh Roy, who works closely with the weavers in Shanti Niketan.
The showcase champions gamchha from 14 states
Dolls dressed in gamchha fabric and the weaving process of gamchha
Making gamccha modern
The humble piece of garment, worn by some over their head, or the shoulder or wrapped as a lungi, is purely cotton, sustainable and versatile. Rajesh Roy, who works closely with the weavers in Shanti Niketan, says, “I am working with weavers in Bengal to make gamchha saris, dupattas, fabrics that suits modern and urban sensibilities, and minimise the gap between weavers and the urban market. To achieve that we experiment with colours like pastels, introduce colour blocking, and varied checkered patterns within the same fabric. While the garment is still made in handloom, power looms have entered the market extensively.”
From streets to spotlight – the exhibition has pinned the humble garment on the museum wall
In the simplicity of the fabric, there is a lot of diversity and it is a showcase of local expression. The multiplicity of its uses is intriguing
Thea Williams, a tourist from Australia, who was excited to have walked into the exhibition ‘serendipitously’
Pictures: Lokesh Kashyap
