Paramparik Karigar 2017 - page 123

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For purchasing the yarn for hand-
weaving, my family members would
go to Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh or
Jeypore in Odisha that is 35 km and
50 km away, respectively.
A Family Affair
I grew up in a small village watching my family
members involved in the process of hand-
weaving Kotpad textiles. Though the woven
cloth was off-white with maroon or brown
motifs, bore simple lines, and was slightly thick
and coarse to touch, it was extremely striking
to look at and very comfortable to wear.
Even though only two or three colours were
combined to make the weaves, the textiles had
a beauty. They were woven for members of the
Dhurua, Poroja, Gadaba, Madhia, Bhatara and
Muria communities.
For purchasing the yarn for hand-weaving,
my family members would go to Jagdalpur in
Chhattisgarh or Jeypore in Odisha that is 35
km and 50 km away, respectively. They would
bring home the yarn which would be cleaned
and washed in the local pond or river. Then the
laborious process of colouring the yarn with
all-natural processes and natural dyes would
commence. For the wheat colour, the yarn
would be kneaded with castor oil. It would then
be covered with cow dung and dried in the sun.
After it had dried completely, the yarn would
be kneaded and washed with warm detergent
water and dried in the sun, again. Then for
fifteen days, the yarn would be kneaded and
washed with warm detergent water two times a
day and then dried in the sun every day. At the
end of this period, the yarn took on the colour
of wheat. It would then be washed thoroughly.
For​​obtaining​​reddish-maroon​​coloured​​yarn,​​
the​​washed​​and​​cleaned​​yarn​​would​​be​​kneaded​​
with​​a mixture​​of ​​the​​powder​​of ​​the​​roots​​of ​​
the​​aal​​tree​​(Morinda​​citrifolia),​​castor​​oil​​and​​
water.​​It​​was then soaked​​in​​this​​mixture​​for​​24​​
hours.​​After​​24​​hours​​the​​yarn​​would​​magically​​
turn​​red.​​This​​yarn, soaked in the solution,​
was then​​boiled​​for​​a​​couple​​of ​​hours​, ​washed​​
in​​the​​pond​​and​​dried​​in​​the​​sun.​​The​​whole
process​would be ​repeated​twice ​to​​give​​the​​
yarn​​a​​deeper​​reddish-maroon​​colour.
For​​coffee​​brown​​or​​black​​colour​​the​​cleaned​​
and​​washed​​yarn​​would​​be​​dipped​​in​​a​​pot​​
that​​had water,​​the​​powder​​of ​​the​​roots​​of ​​the​​
aal​​tree,​​hirakasi​(pucca or type of stone) ​and​​