Topic of the Day - Warangal Dhurries and Adilabad Dhokra

Geographical Indication Tag or GI Tag is an important topic for the UPSC exam. It is important to know what constitutes the GI tag, and what products of the country have been awarded these tags. This comes under the UPSC syllabus as part of economy, geography and also art & culture segments. In this article, you can learn about the craft forms of Warangal Dhurries and Adilabad Dhokra from Telangana, that were awarded the GI tags.

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GI Tag for Telangana Products

The craft forms of Warangal Dhurries and Adilabad Dhokra from Telangana have been awarded a Geographical Indication Tag (GI Tag) by the Geographical Indication Registry based in Chennai.  Warangal Dhurries is a famous variety of traditional rug made out of cotton and Adilabad Dhokra is an ancient bell metal craft. GI Tag is the sign on certain products corresponding to its origin or the geographical region that it exclusively belongs to. The products with GI tags get an edge over the others in the global markets as they are recognised for their quality, reputation and origin. The GI tag gives authenticity to the products. The GI tag enables stakeholders to authenticate their production while earning a premium and derive an improved livelihood.

To learn more about Geographical Indication tag, list of products with GI tags, and benefits of having a GI tagged product, click on the linked article.

Warangal Dhurries

Warangal Dhurries

The Dhurries of India have become synonymous with ‘Warangal Dhurries’ due to the high degree of craftsmanship involved in the creation of the thick rugs which are now famous across the world. Warangal Dhurries is being produced for the past several decades in the state of Telangana with the geographical advantage of finding cotton in abundance.

• It is a famous traditional thick rug, made out of cotton.
• Beautiful patterns are created on the rug by the weavers. They are later dyed with vegetable dyes and are washed in flowing water once the designs are printed.
• Germany, the United Kingdom, some African and European countries have a huge market for these Dhurries.
• It is a source of employment for women as females are actively involved in the durry making process.
• According to The Hans India, Pitta Ramulu was the first person to be awarded a national award and had won the National Handloom Award in 2015.

There are three different types of looms which are used to make Warangal Durries. These include:

1. Pit Loom – It is a pedal and hand-operated loom which is at ground level and is used to make carpets.  It is called Pit Loom because a pit needs to be dug up to insert the pedals which are used in the loom’s functioning
2. Frame Loom – In this type of loom, the shuttle is not operated by the weaver but works through the mechanism of pulling 
3. Power Loom – This is an automatic loom where all the weaving is done automatically once the yarn is inserted

Adilabad Dhokra

Dhokra is an ancient bell metal craft practised by the Ojha metal-smiths of Telangana, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. However, the workmanship and style of the artisan community are different in each of the states. In Telangana, the Ojha artisans are also known as Wojaris or Ojjis who create brass metal art objects using the tedious but perfect lost wax technique while casting the metal.

Adilabad Dokra

• The Woj community is native to Adilabad in Telangana.
• Cire Perdu (the lost wax casting technique) is followed by the craftsmen, wherein, from an original sculpture, a duplicate metal sculpture is cast.
• Idols of local deities, statues, bells, dancing figures, jewels, figures of animals and birds are made by the craftsmen using this technique.
• An ancient technique called “cire perdue” is used for Adilabad Dhokra. It is lost was casting technique where the duplicate metal sculpture is cast from an original sculpture.