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GAMCHA - THE HUMBLE TOWEL COMES INTO ITS OWN


 PROJECT GAMCHA – Rangila Dhaga -

Gamcha – what? Just a towel, did you say that…well Project Gamcha by Dastkaari Haat Samiti made it that and beyond. Taking the humble gamcha or towel, they have created a collage, design scape of what can be done with these wondrous weaves. The handloom gamcha has found its place in the sun…actually – the sun, the moon and the stars.

The ordinary gamcha gets its moment under the sun. Taken out from the unsung ordinary to the extraordinary. It has been able to achieve two folds, one to document the various traditional handwoven towels made in the country and two provide a method using the same fabric for apparel, sarees and more.

Gamcha for the uninitiated is the towel that is commonly used everywhere. It is used at home by the family to dry oneself as a towel. However, it comes out on its own when it is used by men. Most men in villages have a towel or an anghavastra on them. It has a host of versatile uses..yes it is ideal to spread on the ground under the shade of the tree for a quick nap, it can be rolled into a bun and kept under the head as a pillow, it can be used to cover the face so that flies do not disturb a midsummer day nap, it is used to wipe the sweat, used as a bun to carry load, worn around the body…well the list can go on…The names commonly used for these are Gamchha, Gamucha, Gamla, The traditional length of the gamcha is 70 inch by 30 inch or so. The cotton is coarse but the fabric goes soft with repeated use. So commonplace that the gamcha is never considered a part of fabric or material.

Gamcha though is the name used in Bengal / Assam / Odisha. It is known by several names like Thundu in Tamil,   Thortu in Malayalam. The North East has its own repertoire of names. The motifs and colours can be used to identify the tribe the person belongs to. The North also uses this extensively.    

Under project Gamcha, many weavers have worked along with Dastkari Haat Samiti to incorporate the weaving into their apparel and fabric. So there are some gorgeous gamcha sarees with jamdani work on them, gamcha material, place mats, runners.. Gunjan has incorporated gamcha weaving with her trademark ikkat and more.  


Catch the exhibition till the 10th March 2025 at National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy. And for those keen to know about the fabric, weaves etc..Dastkaari Haat Samiti is the contact point.

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