A programme to develop the amazingly colourful needlework of Lambani women has seen some success.

THE main objective of committed NGOs is to recognise the potential of traditional craft and harness it to be commercially viable. To this end, the Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra (SKKK) established in 1984 by the Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Limited (SMIORE) has transformed the lives of the local Lambani women and the craftspersons of Sandur and the neighbouring regions. The ruler of Sandur, Y. R. Ghorpade, set up SMIORE in 1954. One welfare scheme, besides those directed at employees, was the development and promotion of handicrafts. Apart from textile-based craft, the Kendra also supports stone sculpture, cane and bamboo craft. 

Colourful people

The Lambanis or Banjaras of South India are a colourful people claiming descent from nomads who migrated from Central Asia. Their main occupation revolves around agriculture. The women are adept at needlecraft and, with amazing ingenuity, sew together bits and pieces of cloth embellishing them with embroidery and mirrors, designing objects of everyday use, and storing them as part of a bridal trousseau. These products are closely linked to rituals associated with the rites of passage and the embroidery traditions are paramparic. The women use yarn pulled out from old saris for their embroideries. The rangaras supplied the hand-block printed handlooms to the Lambanis in their cluster vicinities. A thread of connectivity exists between the Banjaras, Vanjaras, Gaudolia Lohars Lambadas and Vagaries.

A. Veeranna, Secretary of the Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra, says the women are part of joint families. “It is the women who take the responsibility of running family affairs like caring for their children, preparing food, bringing in firewood, washing clothes, besides working in their own agricultural fields. They run other errands to add to the family income. The contribution of the men is limited, as they seem to indulge mostly in illicit liquor activities.”

To begin with, the SKKK rounded up 12 Lambani women from a nearby thanda, Sushilnagar. The idea was to open up their traditional skills to a hitherto unexplored market. Today the number has gone up to 325 artisans from eight thandas and 20 self-help groups have been formed. The range of products includes exquisitely embroidered and finished cushion and bolster covers, bedspreads, wall hangings, hats, spectacle covers, bags and miscellaneous products extremely colourful and so typical of Banjara embroidery.

SKKK conducted a Natural Dye Workshop with the late Chandramouli and designer Lakshmi Narayan in 1995 after which natural dyes were introduced in their products. A range of vegetable/natural dye fabric products has been reserved only for specific orders. I look at a range of swatches and yarn in exquisite colours that only natural dye can produce. A dusty yellow from the anar and harda, a deep brown-black from ferrous sulphate, an indigo, a bright maroon from alizarin and doudi. The list goes on… The natural dyed yarn for embroidery and the fabric with hand block print is used as per the designer’s direction in developing the products.

According to Veeranna, the process of natural dye is tedious and time-consuming. There are problems to be addressed — fading colour, matching the colour exactly in bulk orders and other such issues. The conventional method of preparing natural dyes is still used — from seeds, barks, fruit peel. “Only 20 per cent of their products use natural dye. If the problems can be addressed by attending the forthcoming workshops and symposium at Hyderabad, they will benefit greatly,” says Devarajan who has worked in Sandur. And the export wing will no doubt benefit.

The Khadi Unit of the SKKK employs several women from three villages — Yeswantnagar, Krishnanagar and Sandur where weaving is done. About 200 women are engaged in production. The khadi material is converted into garments and embellished with embroidery and mirrors. For some reason, natural dyes have not been introduced in khadi, as they feel it might not be very popular with the local buyers

The Karnataka Kasuti embroidery craft, widely practised in Dharwar, Bijapur and Raichur, was introduced by the SKKK in Bellary district to provide an income-generation activity to rural women. Around 100 women have been trained in the Kana Hosalli area. Their website helps to bring in export orders and participation in international exhibitions.

Problem areas

Have the women become self sufficient in managing their business? Only a select number of Lambanis have been trained for marketing and billing. Correspondence, sourcing and processing raw materials and organising sales call for a different set of skills, which the Lambanis cannot handle due to their illiteracy and lack of exposure. Besides, they do not have the necessary support from their men.

Shanta Bai and Gowri Bai developed a beautiful wall hanging with design input from Dastakar New Delhi and the piece was exhibited at the workshops conducted by Dakshina Chitra, Chennai, as well as in Sweden. Shanta Bai received the National Award for best craftswoman for the year 2000. UNESCO recently awarded the Kendra Seal of Excellence certificate for the hand-embroidered products

SKKK acknowledges the help of DC (Handicrafts) for many of their programmes and together with NABARD Bangalore and the Zilla Panchayat Bellary, implemented the Cluster Development Program. They successfully implemented the Craft Development Centre programme of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) New Dehli through their grants and the strength of the artisans rose from a mere 12 to 150 in two thandas, Sushilanagar and MMHalli and if this is coupled with the inclusion of natural dyes it will be a new dimension for their success story.

SABITA RADHAKRISHNA

Reference Link:
The Hindu Online
Sunday, Jul 09, 2006

PHOTO:
C.V.SUBRAHMANYAM