Toda Embroidery: Pukhoor, A Tribal Traditional Embroidery
I along with my family traveled Ooty A hill station in Tamil Nadu, A family trip with a fun, food, travel, games, captured memories I mean Pictures, and lots of memories. When we were traveling, on the way to our hotel, I saw some different types of houses of the people residing there in those small huts, with no windows and oval-shaped. I couldn’t resist myself to interact with the local people residing there. Though, Differences in our languages, I could communicate with a young girl named “ Murthi “, in English. She was doing some unique embroidery work on her dress and I approached her and after a short conversation with her, I came to know about the Toda People and Toda Embroidery. The small huts in which they reside are called “ Mundhs”, a traditional settlement of Todas. The embroidery was so unique and known as “ Toda Embroidery “.
India is a country which has a rich culture, tradition, art music, literature, and sculpture and exhibits university in diversity through various charms of festivals, rituals, art music, costume, and languages. Embroidery is no exception. The Vedic literature of 5000 B.C. makes reference to embroidery work. The remains of Mohenjodaro of the Indus valley civilization reveal embroidery work as a manifestation of the artistic creativity of the people there. It is observed from ancient times, even primitive men did decorate themself through bodily decoration. Primitive man worshipped nature and it was one of the sources of inspiration from which he picked up motifs of floral, bird, and animal kingdom available geographically.
India is world-famous for its rich heritage and traditional textiles, magnificent workmanship. It is a symbol to identify the groups of people religion-wise, culture-wise, and designates the role, rank, and community at large. Each state in the country is unique by itself as far as textiles and embroidery are concerned. This is mainly because of the difference in the made of the people, availability of the indigenous textile material, ground fabric, influence of ecology, custom, festival, deity, occupation, skills, various motifs, the technique of stitch, and threads. Today embroidery as a form of art is universal. The impact of foreign influences figuratively speaking, the globalization of the embroidery art is manifested at a level of technical details. Indian culture, art, and traditions depict ‘Diversity and Yet University’. In India, there is a various state having their own particular embroidery. One of which is Tamil Nadu famous for various embroidery and arts. The southern parts of Tamil Nadu are surrounded by very beautiful Nilgiri Hills.
Let us see some detailed descriptions and information and discuss today’s Toda Embroidery.
Introduction
The Toda Embroidery, also locally known as “pukhoor”, which means flower, is an artwork among the Toda pastoral people of Nilgiris, in Tamil Nadu was made exclusively by their women. The embroidery, which has a fine finish, appears like a woven cloth but is made with the use of red and black threads with a white cotton cloth background. Both sides of the embroidered fabric are usable and the Toda people are proud of this heritage. Both men and women adorn themselves with the embroidered cloaks and shawls.
This handicraft product is listed as a geographically tagged product and is protected under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act (GI Act) 1999 of the Government of India. It was registered by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks under the title “Toda Embroidery” and recorded at GI Application number 135 under Class 24, Class 25, and Class 26 as Textiles and Textile Goods, clothing, and Embroidery, respectively, in March 2013. A certificate of the GI registration was formally presented to the community leaders in June 2013. This was first initiated in 2008 and the agencies who supported this registration are the Toda Nalavaazhvu Sangam, Keystone Foundation, and Poompuhar.
The Todas (also known by names such as Tudas, Tudavans, and Today) who make this embroidery live as one small community, the population of 1,600 spread over 69 settlements, and about 400 of them are stated to be engaged in the embroidery work) in the Nilgiri Hills in the higher elevations of the Niligiri plateau, in Tamil Nadu. Apart from their vocation as herdsmen of buffaloes and cultivation in the grasslands, they are also involved in the tradition of making many handicrafts items which includes traditional black and red embroidery practiced by the women of the community; the embroidery is usually made on their cloaks called “pootkhul(Zh)y” which is draped by both their men and women.
Murray Emeneau, a well-known linguist of the Toda language, had referred to nine Toda embroidery designs in his paper published in 1937. There is earlier mention in the ancient ethnographic documents of the Toda women working on this art form in the western region of the Nilgiri plateau.
The local terms used to describe the embroidery work are ‘kuty’ or ‘awtty’ meaning “stitching” and ‘kutyvoy’ meaning the embroidered piece. The materials used in this work are roughly woven white cloth, woolen black and red threads with use occasionally of blue threads and manufactured needles. The designs developed relate to nature and the daily cycle of life.
The fabric used is coarse bleached half white cotton cloth with bands; the woven bands on the fabric consist of two bands, one in red and one band in black, spaced at six inches. Karnol is the name of the embroidery done on the left part of the fabric, whereas the right part is known as karthal. The thread count is key for the embroidery to yield clean, impeccable, and detailed geometric motifs. The whole process is carried out by a darning stitch needle. Embroidery is limited to space within the bands and is done by using a single stitch darning needle. It is not done within an embroidery frame but is done by counting the warp and weft on the fabric which has a uniform structure by the reverse stitch method. To bring out a rich texture in the embroidered fabric, during the process of needle stitching, a small amount of tuft is deliberately allowed to bulge. A geometric pattern is achieved by counting the warp and weft in the cloth used for embroidery.
In Toda embroidery, it seems that every stitch has a story to tell, a meaning that is waiting to be conveyed-for instance, it is believed that the black of the embroidery represents the goings-on of the netherworld, the red, the essence of the earth, while the white signifies empyrean elements.
Though their favorite study is related to floral landscape, the patterns used in Toda embroidery do not cover many floral motifs but generally cover celestial bodies (like Sun and Moon), reptiles, animals, and horns of buffaloes, made in crimson and black colors. Rabbit ears are a constant depiction of the boundary of the embroidered cloth. Another common design in the form of black triangles in a box design is done in honor of their first priest. Women who do embroidery consider their work as a “tribute to Nature”. A dead body is always wrapped in an embroidered fabric with traditional designs and then buried. However, colored stripes are used in fabrics of daily use. As a traditional garment, it is worn by both men and women at all ceremonial occasions and also at funerals. Elderly people of the community wear this cloth daily.
The inspecting agency to oversee the quality of embroidery is the Textile Committee of the Ministry of Textiles of the Government of India.
From drapes and upholstery to apparel such as kurtas, skirts, jackets, and the traditional puthukali, Toda embroidery’s rich detailing can be sighted in several items. The textile received a Geographical Indication in 2012, giving the people of the tribe residing in the Nilgiris full control of making the authentic textile form.
Even today, the puthukali is considered auspicious by the locals and draped by the bride and groom during a traditional ceremony, as well as by people during festivals. The dead are buried wrapped in it and the elders of the community, as well as the priests, can be seen clad in them. If you happen to be visiting Ooty, it is possible to buy various iterations of the textile.
The remote areas in which the craft is practiced make it difficult to impart knowledge, but organizations such as Shalom continue to strive to help the women for whom the craft is a means of livelihood and by extension financial independence. Most of the practitioners are women who stick to the age-old traditional motifs and designs. Revival efforts would require workshops, training, clusters, and exhibitions which not only help in product development but also raise awareness about the textile.
Another major hurdle is the replication of the distinctive embroidery, one that continues even with the GI it carries. According to the census carried out in 2011, only 2002 people in 538 households were adept at the textile, and with the interest of the younger generation of Todas dwindling, the future remains uncertain. As of 2015, nearly 2,000 Todas lived across 65 villages burrowed in the Nilgiri hills. Poovadevi is one member of the tribe, who, earnestly imparts knowledge of the embroidery to a larger audience.
With the advancement of technology and newer ways of imparting education, hopefully, more and more exhibits about the craft will help advance its revival, through a wider audience and interaction. In fact, many Government and nongovernmental institutions, designers, and experts are endeavoring to revive this art form but the true impact might only come about if there is a repositioning of the embroidery as a relevant, modern-day rendition of its past.
Comment the place you had visited and the art you liked about it and also share some of the memories of the place in the comment section below. Soon, will be back with some interesting art of India, till then “ Be Creative, Be Artistic “. Let the artist within you comes out with new and creative art and beautiful creations.
Originally published at https://www.thelitthings.com on October 4, 2019.
