Trible Textile & Handloom of Odisha

Odisha has a depth of weaving practices and techniques unparalleled in other parts of India. Most significant is Ikat; a style of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process. Double Ikat is an extremely difficult process whereby both the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. The pattern is revealed in the weaving process but set during the dying stage. Extremely difficult to master! The complex skills and time involved in weaving a double ikati sari ensures a unique gift.

The Bonda women weave their clothes, ringa, women wear of one and half feet in size and gasi, a loin cloth or men’s wear. Ringa is a piece of typical Bonda textile, prepared out of natural fibers collected from the bark of tree and spun, designed and weaven by the Bonda craftsperson. Bonda women are expert in weaving clothes in traditional handlooms and preparing bead necklaces, a rare variety of handicraft. They weave the cloth by a small handloom (Tenangtang), which is made of six pieces of wood planks. They make thread out the spinning fibres from the bark of a tree, called kerenga. The threads are dyed with vegetables colour. The ringa is woven with threads of different clour combinations, faded orange, yellow and red. It takes about 15 days for making a cloth.

The art of rope making is a significant aspect of Mankirdia economy. They harvest good variety of fibres by chopping and stripping the bark of seasoned siali (Lama Bayer) creepers collected from forest. In an open workshop, which sits in front of Kumbha, they tear the siali fibres into different sizes of course and thin threads and braid and twist them to get the finished products of ropes, slings, nets, bags and small baskets (topa). At times they use jutes as raw materials to prepare the ropes. These products have a great demand among the local peasants. The Juangs are experts in the crafts of bamboo combs (Barei Tangakat). Both men and women prepare the combs by using the simple tools like a special type of wood, knife, tiny saw, somer, thread, gum and needle. To make the combs beautiful they carve out impressive graphic pictures, floral or animal designs by heating thick needles. They make the combs for their personal use as well as for exchange of gifts among the beloved ones. This traditional art form has been already exposed to open market demand. Idital is an important traditional art form of wall painting drawn by the Saora Shaman. It is meant for the appeasement of Gods and ancestors.

Further it substantiates their aesthetic, cultural and religious life. Their paintings present temple like pictures on the inner wall of a house. It is represented by a square, circle or rectangle and over crowded with figures and motifs of natural objects. The frames of iditals are drawn with multiple straight or parallel lines. First the inner wall of a house is washed with red clay and then idital is painted on it with white powder of unboiled rice and different natural colours, made of castor or karanj oil mixed with carbon and dry green leaves by using a brush made of bamboo stick. The tradition is now being transferred to Tribal Scenario in Orissa 48 Review of Tribal Sub-plan Approach In Orissa a trade for Saora artists, who prepare usable articles with the prints of iditals that have a great demand in the markets, inland and abroad. The Didayi people practise both shifting and settled cultivation. Using simple implements, they grow a variety of cereals, pulses and vegetables in their dry and wetland and kitchen garden round the year. They do minor forest collections to supplement their incomes. They collect green bamboos and process them into slits for preparation of different baskets, dolleys for storing grains and other usable items of house decoration and carrying goods. They use the article and sale for cash incomes. The Dongaria Kandha of Niyamgiri hills are traditional horticulturists. They produce pineapple, banana and organic spices in large scale. Dongaria girls excel in art of cotton scarf embroidery work, Dongaria men in decorated woodcarving in doorframes and sacrificial wooden post and their women in wall painting. Their wonderful works in knitting of scarfs have a great cultural significance of gift giving among the lovers as well as good demand in outside market. Needless to say that under tribal art heritage their women are very fond of jewellery, which is very exotic. Most of them are handmade - necklaces made of cane, grass, or beads. They use silver ornaments. Also they use small pieces of wood, glass, peacock feathers, copper for making jewellery items and different kind of wild flowers and leaves to decorate their long hair. Tribal women wear chains made of rupee coins. The cultural efflorescence of a few STs/PTGs that require inventory are ethno medicine, ethno art and artifacts, etc. in all these; the indigenous people show their traditional skills, expertise, craftsmanship, artistry, aesthetic manifestations, originality and simplicity. The following statement gives efflorescence of certain long prepared effects on skills, techniques and material culture of the PTGs of Orissa.