A Community of Kilim Weavers

Master craftsman Abdul Kalam shares his skill, passion and success to help create a community of kilim makers in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Abdul Kalam is an artisan who has combined the mastery of his craft along with a great entrepreneurial spirit. He works from two locations: Mirzapur town, where his family lives, and Khamaria village, 8 kms from Bhadohi. The nearest airport is Varanasi, which is 65 kms from Mirzapur. He, therefore, has easy access to reach out to wider markets. He learned his skill from his 80-year-old father, who still spends his time weaving at home. 

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The weaving community resides on the banks of the River Ganges in Mirzapur.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

While the men are more involved with weaving, the women of the community are engaged in the cultivation of corn.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A notable feature of community integration in the area is a religious text in Urdu (spoken mainly by Muslims in India) pasted outside a Hindu weaver’s home to ward off the evil eye.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A charpai is hand-woven with jute yarn, which is left over from the dhurrie weaving.

These beds with handmade wooden legs are used by everyone in the community, both indoors and outdoors. Waste from dhurrie production, therefore, is put to useful purpose.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

From design conceptualisation and translation, the procurement of yarn and dyeing it, to finally creating the finished product, the process of weaving one carpet can take from a few days to several months, depending on the requirements of the particular piece.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Weaving takes place in sheds or in the extremely humble homes of weavers.

The roofs of some of the old-time weaving places are so low that one needs to crouch to enter.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Seen here is a loom shed in the community. It is around 8 feet in length to accommodate a pit loom. It sometimes has no source of direct sunlight or fresh air.

Even in these difficult conditions, weavers bring out beautiful carpets.

Dyeing Process (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The yarn

The community dyeing centre is in Mirzapur, where the weavers are located, and is 30 years old. The entire dyeing process takes place there. Wool, silk and jute yarns are dyed collectively in the same facility, but under different conditions. 

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The workshop at any point has different yarn counts ready to be woven into carpets after being dyed.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Different yarn counts in the workshop after being dyed and waiting to be woven into carpets.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Master weaver Abdul Kalam's elderly parents also participate in the weaving activities.

Here, his father is spinning the wool which is to be used for the carpets, while his mother is standing behind.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A woman unwinds the wool outside her house.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Mirzapur-Bardohi is a major centre for different types of carpets and floor coverings, despite some setbacks that occurred nearly two decades ago when the international issue of child labour disrupted the economy.

Presently, children go to school and they pick up small skills related to carpet production after school hours.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

While Abdul Kalam is a successful artisan and an entrepreneur who started from scratch, he is also unusual in his desire to see other artisans and members of his community share the benefits of this success.

Seen here is a weaver carrying his finished carpets to the master weaver's showroom for sale.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Flat straight looms

Weaving takes place in sheds or in the extremely humble homes of weavers. The roofs of some of the old-time weaving places are so low that one needs to crouch to enter. It is around 8 feet in length to accommodate a pit loom but sometimes with no source of direct sunlight or fresh air. In these difficult conditions weavers bring out beautiful carpets.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Unlike vertical looms the community also has flat straight looms. Flat weave dhurries are more affordable.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Flat weave floor coverings comprise of dhurries and rugs, which a variety of techniques for the interaction of warp and weft.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The distinguishing feature is that they do not involve a raised pile, as in carpets. Instead, they use interlacing, interlocking, wrapping and a combination of techniques that may also involve more than a single warp and/or weft.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Design specification sheet on the loom is being woven.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A metal brush is used for beating the weft yarn in order to make the designs.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Extra wool is cut after weaving.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The loom is set in such a way that the weaver can weave two carpets, one after the other.

Seen here is the margin between the two carpets when they are on the loom.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Abdul Kalam has five looms of his own. He also distributes work to other artisans in the community, and is associated with 65 looms in the area.

Like most local weavers, he gets his dyeing done from an independent dyeing unit.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Hand-tufted carpets

Abdul Kalam's production unit also produces hand-tufted carpets, which are faster to create and are more affordable. Craftspersons use a tufting machine to make these carpets. 

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

This technique is mostly used to make floor mats.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A craftsperson is seen hand-tufting the carpet with a tufting machine.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Hand-tufted carpets are often used as floor mats.

Weaving community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Master weaver Abdul Kalam (standing on the extreme left), with other weavers in his workshop area.

Abdul Kalam is an example of a craftsman driving his own success through his fine crafts skills and his passion, and his vision of where he wants to take it.

Mirzapur's Carpet weaving (2018)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Master craftsman Abdul Kalam takes us through the process of creating handwoven carpets.

Product Range (2017) by Abdul KalamDastkari Haat Samiti

Read more about Kilim Floor Coverings here:

- Weaving Process
- Dyeing Process

Range of Products
Credits: Story

Text: Jaya Jaitly
Photography: Ankit Kumar
Artisans: Abdul Kalam and fellow weavers
Ground Facilitator: Ankit Kumar
Curation: Aradhana Nagpal

Cinematic Video:
- Director: Jyoti Neggi
- Production: Studio Gola

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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