THE CRAFT
Rajasthan Extra-Weft Handloom
From the state of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Among the collection of Rajasthan’s crafts and textiles, there's an intricate technique, locally known as Pattu weaving. It has been prevalent in Bhojasar, and Karwa for several years, besides Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, and other parts of the state.
Heritage Value
The name "Pattu" comes from "patti", which means a narrow strip of cloth. Traditionally, Pattu fabric was woven with local merino wool and cotton yarn in black or white. Multi-coloured patterns or an additional weft adorned the fabric for embroidered geometric motifs.
This kind of weaving is also practised in Gujarat, Manipur, Assam, and Punjab. Each region boasts its distinctive style. In Rajasthan, men of the Meghwal community have been traditionally involved in weaving. They make different kinds of Pattus, like Kashida, Baradi, Bhojasari, and Hiravali in vibrant colours like red, pink, and orange. These textiles are woven in two sections and later joined together. The Baradi is woven on a warp with black or brown stripes. Hiravali exhibits a plain body with solid borders and subtle patterns on both ends.
The weavers make the loom and its components with locally available materials, except for items like the reed, beater, and cloth beam. The pre-weaving process includes wool spinning, dyeing, doubling, warp preparation, sizing, drafting, and denting. The fabric is put up on a pit loom, and patterns are created through interlocking and extra-weft figuring.
Soft furnishings, bags, kurtas, shawls, stoles, jackets, tablemats, as well as wool-cotton Pattus are created with this technique.
This kind of weaving is also practised in Gujarat, Manipur, Assam, and Punjab. Each region boasts its distinctive style. In Rajasthan, men of the Meghwal community have been traditionally involved in weaving. They make different kinds of Pattus, like Kashida, Baradi, Bhojasari, and Hiravali in vibrant colours like red, pink, and orange. These textiles are woven in two sections and later joined together. The Baradi is woven on a warp with black or brown stripes. Hiravali exhibits a plain body with solid borders and subtle patterns on both ends.
The weavers make the loom and its components with locally available materials, except for items like the reed, beater, and cloth beam. The pre-weaving process includes wool spinning, dyeing, doubling, warp preparation, sizing, drafting, and denting. The fabric is put up on a pit loom, and patterns are created through interlocking and extra-weft figuring.
Soft furnishings, bags, kurtas, shawls, stoles, jackets, tablemats, as well as wool-cotton Pattus are created with this technique.
Memory Vault
A 2022 paper published by the Journal of Sustainability and Environmental Management identified Pattu as an easily sustainable craft due to the abundance of materials and weavers. Written by Ankita Srivastava and Ankur Saxena, it was a collaboration between the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur, and the Ministry of Textiles. It highlighted an NGO named Urmul Marusthali Bunkar Vikas Samiti, which works for the socio-economic welfare of Pattu weavers.
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