Kamalapur brings centuries-old Himroo to life in Telangana

Warangal: Notwithstanding the handlooms' rich and intimate association with the Indian culture, the weavers locked in a losing battle due to lack of patronage and inadequate support from the government. Even against the greatest of odds, the handloom industry deserves kudos for its resilience for withstanding the onslaught of unrelenting competition from new age of hi-tech textiles. In search of product diversification and design innovation, the weavers in Kamalapur (Warangal Urban District), 160 kilometers northeast of Hyderabad, picked up Himroo, one of the oldest weaving traditions still alive, hoping to position themselves in a better off situation.

Thanks to the Weavers' Service Centre (WSC) in Hyderabad which came forward to transfer the expertise of weaving himroo fabric to the weavers of Kamalapur Handloom Cooperative Society. Thus Kamalapur has become the first in two Telegu-speaking States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to produce himroo fabric. It may be noted here that so far Aurangabad is seen as the major centre of manufacturing garments made of himroo fabric.

As of now, the two weavers – Vemula Mallaiah and Mamidi Sammaiah – who were give special training by the WSC experts for about a week are producing himroo fabric on jacquards procured from Hyderabad. The authorities procured other accessories required for the weaving of himroo fabric from Dharmavaram in Anantapur (AP). Although the range of products woven out of himroo craft includes coats, jackets, saris, sherwanis, skirts, bed sheets, curtains etc, currently, the fabric weaved by them is suited for knitting vas coats and Modi coats.

Speaking to The Hans India, S Ravindra, the Handlooms and Textile Assistant Development Officer, Warangal Urban District said: "The adaptation is aimed at achieving a giant leap from customary handloom textile to highly fashionable himroo fabric. Shailaja Ramaiyer, Director of Handlooms and Textiles, wants to ensure continuous employment for the weavers."

Compared to traditional handloom cloth, the himroo fabric gives a weaver additional income. The workers get around Rs 250 per meter for weaving traditional handloom cloth. The workers could get a wage of Rs 450 a meter for weaving himroo fabric. Moreover, the demand for himroo fabric is more, he said, stating that Telangana State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (TSCO) is ready to procure the fabric from the Kamalapur weavers. It's learnt that himroo fabric commands at least Rs 1,000 per meter in the market.

"With the fabric itself is based on an extra-weft weaving technique, it consumes a lot of time. It requires a lot of focus as well. As of now, I am able to produce one meter himroo fabric a day. The production speed is likely to go up further as we gain experience," Vemula Mallaiah said.

A little peek into the history tells that the himroo fabric, which originated from Persia, ruled the roost since the 14th century occupying the wardrobes of regal families. When Mohammad Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad near Aurangabad, the weavers of himroo also moved along with him. It's no exaggeration to say that Nawabs of Deccan regarded himroo-made products as must-have garments in their wardrobes. After the mid-20th century, the ravages of time saw patronage to himroo fabric dwindle. However of late, the himroo products are started to command a steady demand.