GONGADI SHAWLS - ART & CULTURE
News: Gongadi shawls refashioned into shoes for farmers
What's in the news?
● Recently,
The Gongadi shawls have been repurposed into all weather shoes for farmers by three
alumni of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
Gongadi shawls:
● The
rough wool of the Deccani sheep has
been handcrafted into a tough, all weather shawl called a gongadi in Telangana.
● Kuruma and Kuruba
pastoral communities are doing this Gongadi shawls.
Features:
● The
unique gongadi is not only the symbol of rich diverse traditional weaving
culture of the Deccan region but also the pride and identity of the local
indigenous pastoralist communities.
● The
coarse woolen blanket is famous for its durability and versatility.
● The
tough gongadi usually lasts for more than a decade and acquires this unique
quality from the craft of hand weaving.
● One
of the unique natures of gongadi is that it does not fade but grows darker in
time.
● The
indigenous Kuruma weavers say that gongadi is so strong that you can lift a
fully grown bull off the ground with it.