Handloom is one of the important sectors of the Indian economy. Even today, millions of people in India still depend on handloom for their living. Pochampally is a small village in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh which is known worldwide for its exquisite hand woven silk saris.
The Lure of the Pochampally Saree
The tradition of making the Pochampally saree is supposed to have begun in the 1800s using the Ikat “tie and dye” process. The Pochampally saree stands out because of its intricate and colorful design which looks similar from both sides. They can be bought online directly from weavers at pochampally.com.
Almost 1500 families in Pochampally are involved in weaving these sarees which have also received Intellectual Property Rights protection. These sarees were also chosen by Air India in 2004 for its air-hostesses. According to a report by AKSHARA, the annual turnover of Pochampally sarees is over Rs.100 crores.
Process of Making Pochampally Silk Sarees
Ikat, the weaving technique for these artistic sarees is an extremely laborious process. There are two main steps of the process before weaving commences – the tying of the yarn and the dyeing. The tying is an intricate process where the yarn is stretched out on a quarter circle block having a strong peg at one end and a certain number of smaller pegs on the other end.
The yarn is wrapped manually in a “to and fro” movement aka Asu which is repeated almost 9000 times for a single saree. The accuracy of this tying process eventually determines the quality of design produced.
Designs are then marked on this frame of yarn which is later dyed in a variety of colors. This is then followed by the actual weaving to produce the saree.
Asu Making Machine by Mallesham
Traditionally done by women, the Asu process produces a great deal of pain in shoulders and elbows because of its repetitive nature. Moreover only two sarees can be completed when done manually.
Mallesham, born in a weaver’s family could not endure the pain his mother had to suffer for the Asu process. After a great number of trials and tribulations, Mallesham finally succeeded in mechanizing the Asu process in 1999 thus bringing a great relief and exhilaration among the Pochampally weaver community.
The Asu Machine has revolutionized saree making in Pochampally. The machine has literally tripled the production of these sarees and allows the weavers to create more intricate designs.
Mallesham has received widespread recognition for his achievement including an award from the National Innovation Foundation – India for his innovation.
Yogesh Lokhande - I am a management professional with over 10 years of experience in Information Technology, Marketing, and Education. I live in Ahmedabad, ...
