Through her research, MSU student seeks to revive 700-year-old craft

VADODARA: Her research may or may not fetch her good marks, but it will definitely help revive the 700-year-old Tangalia craft which is now among the few Gujarati items to have got geographical indication (GI) embedded in a sarong-like garment worn by the Bharwad women from Motabhai Bharwad community of Saurashtra. Kinjal Vohra, student from Department of Clothing and Textiles (DCT), undertook study on Tangalia in Surendranagar district for her dissertation, has given this traditional art an urban touch to help it reach the wardrobes of the elite. Although she began just with the aim to study the craft, and get aninsight into the problems faced by the craftsmen, after a year-long study andinteraction with craftsmen, Vohra has come out with an interesting range offashion wear and footwear using Tangalia art under the guidance of seniorlecturer Bhargavi Patel from DCT in Faculty of Family and Community Sciences."I visited Surendranagar during a field trip and met craftsmeninvolved with Tangalia art. I learnt that there are no takers for this style ofweaving and it is struggling for survival," said Vohra. It took a long time forher to convince the craftsmen that her project was just academic and that shewould not exploit them. "I succeeded in speaking to 17 craftsmen andlearnt that present weavers are doing menial jobs to support themselves. Thenewer generation does not want to learn it due to irregular income. They wantedto work as Tangalia weavers but there are hardly any takers," added Vohra.Kinjal then designed sketches of high-fashion tops, kurtis, stoles,bags and footwear, which would attract urban buyers. "I shared the design andidea with one weaver explaining him that this might help him get work from thoseliving in the cities. In few months, we succeeded in coming out with 15 itemswhich were displayed at the faculty. People loved the works and have placedorders," Vohra, who works with national award winning weaver from Wadhwanvillage Lavji Parmar, said. Traditional Tangalia designs are done on wool, butVohra has diversified the yarn by replicating the same style on cotton to appealto urban class. "These items are expensive and will appeal to theelite class. I have created a brand name Ateet' for Tangalia products in orderto popularise it as a class product'. Right now, I am working with one weaverbut plan to involve many more once I get financial backup," said Vohra.