Toda Embroidery 2q3u23

A Tribal Treasure

i

The Toda People and their Embroidery

Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai 2015

Study and Survey of ‘Toda People and Embroidery’ and Documentation Akshita B Vhatkar Bidya Pradhan P. Manibharathi Geetanjali Sharma Ritika L Nair Copyright @ National Institute of Fashion Technology, 2015 All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from National Institute of Fashion Technology, except by a review, reader, who wishes to quote brief age in connection with a paper review or essay written for inclusion in a periodical, newspaper or broadcast. Faculty guide/Mentor: Ms. Divya N

Dedicated to the beautiful women of the Toda community.

iv

v

Acknowledgement We would like to thank the Director of The National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, Dr. Anitha Manohar for providing us with the facilities and education to complete this document. We would also like to thank the Cluster-in-Charge, Mr. B. Karthikeyan for giving us the opportunity to expand our learning skills in the field of design. We express sincere gratitude to our Centre Co-ordinator, Mr. N. Vennimalai and our faculty mentor, Ms. Divya N. who assisted and guided us along the way and provided us with extremely valuable and suggestions. Last, but not the least, we would like to thank Mrs. Vasamalli Pothili and the other women of the Toda tribe who selflessly took time out of their busy schedules to talk with us, and without whom the completion of this document would have been impossible.

vi

vii

Preface It is often one ignores the wonders of raw beauty for polished refinery. We cast aside the things that have stories to tell because of their outward appearance and find ourselves drawn to the superficially alluring. Tucked away in the cool, beautiful grasslands of the Nilgiris is a tribe of people proud to be themselves, a tribe who puts honour and loyalty to their kind above all else and a tribe who would never sacrifice their identity and traditions for anything; a tribe called the Toda. The Toda people are a local tribe of the Nilgiris whose origins remain a mystery to this day. Tall and lean, the Toda people are known for the buffaloes they rear and worship, as well as their unique embroidery. It is said that art is not just supposed to be beautiful; it is supposed to make you feel the beauty. This book offers you a story of art in the form of a traditional craft that is coarse, rural and exceptionally beautiful.

viii

Toda Embroidery The Todas Tribal Embroidery The Nilgiris 6 The Place

14 In India

21 24 30 31 37 40

People Location and Habitat History Culture Food Attire

ix

44 48 51 67 69

History The Embroidery Process Anatomy of a Poothkuli Motifs of the Poothkuli

Design Intervention Design Directory Toda Embroidery Today 75 76 78 83

89 Motifs, patterns and their meanings

Changes Process Changes Sale and Products Artisans’ Profiles

Contents

97 Posters 101 Flyer

The Nilgiris

The view of the Nilgiris, on the way from Ooty to Avalanche.

3

4

A view of the Nilgiris behind a temple, on the way to Ooty from Coimbatore

5

“

Great things happen when men and mountains meet. -Willaim Blake

The Place

”

The Nilgiris (directly translated to Blue Mountains) is a lovely place with lofty mountains, dense forests, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens. Situated at an altitude of 2,300m above sea level, nature has been generous with this region which is by far the most beautiful state. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and wattle dot the hillside of the Niligiris. The temperature in summers is rarely higher than 25°c with a minimum of 10°c and winters are distinctly cooler with a highest of 21°c and a lowest of 5°c. The first inhabitants of this land is a tribe called the Todas claiming that the Nilgiris had been their home since prehistoric time. The credit for modernising the Nilgiris and making it accessible to the people goes to the British who constructed the first railway line in the area and made the town of Udhagamandalam or Ooty the summer capital for the Madras State. Apart

6

House garden, Ponds, Italian Garden and thousands of rare protected plants and flowers. Botanical garden is a vast area of 22 hectares lush and green. It has five sections Lower Garden, New Garden, Italian Garden, Conservatory and Nurseries. The nurseries have eight glass houses and terraces. They have an annual Flower Show in the in the month of May which attracts thousands of visitors from all corners of India. The garden is well maintained. Nature is preserved and beautified with the aesthetic sense of man in the garden. To believe this, just make a visit and then you will understand the meaning of “A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever”.

from the favourable climate, Ooty’s homemade chocolates have been one of the reasons for Ooty’s heavy tourist traffic. Ooty chocolate stores expand from small shops on the busy commercial street to the current super stores on Garden road. Chocolates are not far behind with its spanking production of more than 100 varieties of chocolates. Religion in Ooty witnesses a harmonious blend of the historical expressions and modern intervention that has broadened the minds of the people of Ooty who have learned to welcome and accept the changes in their surroundings. Their culture, tradition, and religious beliefs have come into existence owing to the original inhabitants and varied society settlements of different cultural backgrounds that have made Ooty their home thus defining the secularism of Ooty. The Botanical garden of Ooty is more than 150 years old. It attracts the old and the young alike with its colourful plants, flowers, the vast sprawling and well-groomed lawn. This colour splashed and picturesque attraction of Ooty took 10 years to develop into what it is today. This garden houses the Cork tree believed to be the only one in India, Monkey Puzzle tree the tree which is avoided by the monkeys, Paper Bark tree, 20 million old fossil tree, Stone tree, Groomed Bushes, Fern trees, Orchids, Glass

The entrance to the Botanical Garden, Ooty

7

Flowers as seen in the Botanical Garden, Ooty

Allowing you a view of the Nilgiri plains from a height of 2623 meters is the Doddabetta Peak in Ooty. One can trek or go by any vehicle to Doddapetta which is 10 Kms from Ooty. Doddapetta means that clouds often meet and rest at this peak of the mountains. The peak hides itself amidst friendly clouds or fog. If the sky is clear, you are sure to have a sight of long distant plains of Mysore and Coimbatore. Even otherwise Ooty is blessed with breathtaking views with green mountains around it. The Tamilnadu Tourism Corporation has fixed telescopes around the peaks and allows people to look at distant beauties like hills, valleys, buildings, greens and forests. The path to peak is dotted with dense green reserve forests and tea gardens; a grand colourful buffet to the eyes!

A landscape as seen in Avalanche, Nilgiris

9

10

Tribal Embroidery

Lambani embroidery

Tribal Embroidery in India of embroidery has been handed down from mother to daughter through many generations, making every daughter of the house a Lambani artist. Some of the most important features of the Lambani embroidery are: • exquisite needlework • applique and patchwork • raw material like mirrors, shells and buttons • bright colours like red, pink and purple

Art of decoration of fabrics or other material with threads, wires or leather using a needle may be defined as embroidery. With the advent of sophisticated machines, embroidery is possible by machines also, especially for repetitive volume work. But, it is hand embroidery that continues to fascinate mankind even after a thousand years of its existence. Traditionally, women have been practicing this art from time immemorial, but in the last few decades, men have picked up this craft in a big way. The Tribal groups in India have their own share of embroidery influenced by their various cultures. The most famous of these are the Banjara or Lambani, the Kasuti and the Toda embroidery. The Lambanis have one of the richest and most vibrant cultures in Andhra Pradesh. A unique facet of the costume of the Lambani woman is its elaborate embroidery. This is usually combined with mirror work to produce the glitter and colour that are integral parts of the Lambani ensemble. The clothes of the Lambanis reflect their love of life and have evolved over the centuries to suit local, climatic and social conditions. The Lambani women’s costume comprising of Lehenga, Choli and Odhini are embroidered with bright rainbow-coloured fabrics covered with a mosaic of patchwork mirrors. Their work is sought after by collectors for its vibrancy of pattern and colour, and for the unusual technique of sewing hundreds of small mirrors into the compositions. This style

A lambani woman in her traditional attire

14

Kasuti of Karnataka is one of the oldest form of embroidery found in India. It is a highly developed embroidery style representing the art and culture of Karnataka and its spiritual urge and aesthetic sensibility. Kasuti motifs are influenced by the architecture, and religious symbols and objects that the women come across in their daily life. A temple-like geometric design called the “Gopur” is most popular in Kasuti. Animal motifs of elephant, deer, peacock, swan and parrots are commonly used. The difference is in colours used in distinctive motifs. The blending and harmony of colours is most important in this style. Indian colours like lemon, indigo, beige, parrot and peacock green and deep purple are used for embroidery. There are four styles of Kasuti: • Gavanti - Double running stitch is worked in horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions. • Murgi – is a zigzag running stitch which appears like the step of a ladder. Both these stitches are used in the same pattern. The work in these stitches are uniform and appears equally neat and tidy on both sides of the cloth. • Negi – is also known as darning or weaving stitch. It is worked in long and short running stitch and straight lines and resemble weaving patterns. Running stitches are used counting the weave. Finally giving a weave effect. • Menthi – is the ordinary cross stitch. This stitch is used mainly for filling in. Women’s attire, sarees, blouses were mainly embroidered in this style. Now all kinds of household linen-dresses, etc. are also made.

15

Kasuti embroidery of Karnataka

16

Toda embroidery

Like other tribal groups, the Todas of the Nilgiris have their own set of customs and traditions which have close association with nature and life around them. The Toda tribe is famous for their distinctive style of embroidery. ed on through generations, the embroidery is done in strips of red and black colour. The fine and intricate Toda embroidery is done by the tribal women on shawls. The shawl adorned with the Toda embroidery is called Poothkuli. Motifs are worked, by counting the threads. Patterns used in the embroidery are similar to the ones used as tattoos done by the Toda men and women in the earlier days, so fine that it resembles weaving. Two red stripes are woven in a balance weave structure and the embroidery is done with these threads before the cloth is sewn together. A man in a Poothkuli shawl, Garden Mund, Botanical Garden, Ooty

A woman embroiders a Toda shawl, Avalanche Mund, Avalanche

18

The Todas

“

We cannot live without our identity -Vasamalli Pothili

The Toda People

”

The Toda (also called as Tudas, Tudavans, and Todar) is a primitive tribal group inhabiting the Nilgiris District. This tribe is of special attention to the ethnographers and physical anthropologists as it is surrounded by groups like the Badaga, Kota, Kurumba and the Irula with whom they are in a socio-economic symbiotic relation. The Government of India has taken serious steps to increase the population and improve the lifestyle of this decaying tribe. The current population of the Toda community is of approximately 2000 people in more than 70 settlements scattered around the Nilgiris. Post pastoral Toda society in the 21st century is far from patriarchal. Toda women, much like many women around rural India, are far from achieving socio-political or ritual parity with their menfolk, but change is in the air. A few women from the Toda society have recently become engineers and policewomen, in and around the Nilgiris. The Toda people are humble and welcoming to everyone who wishes to visit them. They are happy to share information about their culture and traditions to curious travellers and tourists.

21

Lifestyle Two Toda men in Poothkuli shawls, Garden Mund, Botanical Garden, Ooty

22

A traditional Toda hut, Avalanche Mund, Avalanche

23

Location and Habitat The Toda tribes live in the hills of the Nilgiris, on the upper plateau of an average elevation of 2300 feet. The Nilgiris is a region located in the highest and westernmost parts of Tamil Nadu. The Todas were a pastoral people, often moving from one place to another on the hills along with their buffaloes in search of grazing lands. With the gradual conversion of grazing lands into cultivable lands by non-tribal people, grazing lands disappeared and the Todas stopped moving to other areas along with their families and buffaloes. They began to permanently live in selected settlements. They have now settled in and around Ooty city and their village names have the suffix ‘mund’, for example- ‘Tarnadumund’, attached to them. ‘Mund’ directly translates to ‘herd of cattle’. Usually a typical Toda settlement comprises of three to nine dwelling huts, one to three dairy huts and at least one buffalo pen (circular open shelter). The Toda huts are in the shape of a half-barrel which is said to be instructed by the Gods to resemble a rainbow. It is constructed from clay and dry grass. The design of the traditional dairy hut is cylindrical with the half-barrel – shaped roof. Of late, the government of India has constructed cement houses for the Toda people with electricity and better ventilation, in the same half-barrel shape. As the Toda people are now better off than before they extend their houses from the back, adding more rooms and bathrooms.

A Toda hut made of cement and bricks as sanctioned by the Government, Tamilagham Mund, Ooty

24

Shelves

Entrance to kitchen

Elevated ground used as a bed and seating 4 feet in height approximately. Entrance to house

House plan of a traditional Toda hut (aerial)

25

Bedroom

Bedroom

Gas stove Bathroom

Open fire stove

Bed

Kitchen

Shelves

Shelves

Entrance to house House plan of a modified Toda hut (aerial)* *Mrs. Vasamalli Pothili’s house at Tamilagam Mund, Ooty is taken as an example of changes in the Toda houses

26

27

A traditional Toda buffalo pen, Garden Mund, Botanical Garden, Ooty

28

A Toda boy standsin front of his hut, Avalanche Mund, Avalanche

History of the Todas The Nilgiris has little history because its inhospitable climate and thick forests never attracted invaders except the tribals. Regarding their place of origin, the Todas insist that God created them in the Nilgiris and that they were its oldest inhabitants. The study of ancient history reveals the presence of a race that was very different from its surrounding culture which is what to led to much speculation regarding their origin and migration. Scholars opine that the Todas came probably as conquerors or immigrants from the sea. They were primarily shepherds and with the steady decline and disappearance of the grasslands, were forced to settle down in hamlets in the upper Nilgiris region. The name Toda is supposed to be derived from the word ‘tud’ the sacred tree (Meliosma simplicifolia) of Todas. The uniqueness of their half-barrel shaped houses has raised speculations regarding their origin to have ranged from Rome to Sumeria. The Toda people where a a shawl that is thrown around the body by men and women like a ‘Roman Toga’. This also indicates some European influence but cannot be confirmed. The Government of India has identified the Toda as one of the six Primitive Tribal groups of Tamil Nadu.

“

You are truly home only when you find your tribe. - Srividya Srinivasan (author)

30

”

Culture The Toda people follow a complex religion revolving around the cult of the buffalo. They do not worship idols or deities. The buffalo is considered sacred as it provides the Toda people with livelihood and nutrition. The buffalo symbol is also painted on the front of their temples. The prosperity of each mund is judged by the herds of wild buffaloes owned by it. In the past these ferocious but magnificent animals would roam the forests living on wild vegetation and when it is time to milk them, the Toda in charge would make a particular call and immediately the wild herd would return to the mund. After the milking is over, the herd would adjourn to the wilds again. Today, the buffaloes are domesticated and fed by the people themselves. A Toda temple is the same half-barrel shape as the hut and made from the traditional clay and dry grass materials. The distinguishing feature of a temple from a hut is the graffiti of religious symbols painted over it, such as ‘X’ marks and buffalo heads. The ‘X’ marks are only an indication that the structure is a temple - it has no other significant meaning. The Todas also worship their ancestors and the nature around them. They have many rituals revolving around life cycle events such as marriage, pregnancy and death. The most popular occasion of the Todas is the “Bow and Arrow” Ceremony. The “Bow and Arrow” Ceremony takes place when a Toda woman is pregnant with her first child, during the 7th month. The father of the child must make a bow and arrow out of plants and present this to his wife. They have other rituals pertaining to social paternity, child birth, naming ceremony, ear piercing ceremony and funerals. There are also many ceremonies related to buffaloes like

31

A Toda Temple, Avalanche Mund, Avalanche

32

the naming of a buffalo, the first milking of a temple buffalo, buffalo migration ceremonies and the sacrifice of a buffalo. In the earlier days, a buffalo would be sacrificed along with a dead so that it travels to the same celestial region. The Toda people wear their traditional Poothkuli shawl on important religious and social occasions. When a Toda person is old, they make sure they have a new Poothkuli shawl kept ready, as it is mandatory for the funeral rites and ages. The Toda people also have many songs, which are inspired by and devoted to natural phenomenon like rain and the winds as well as religious songs. These songs are not written down in any books and are made up by them at social gatherings. . The Toda people do not have a manuscript for their language. It exists only verbally. Toda dialect is an independent language of the Dravidian family d with Tamil Malayalam. Details of a Toda Temple, Tamilagam Mund, Ooty

Graffiti on a Toda temple, Tamilagam Mund, Ooty

33

Bow and arrow ceremony, Image source: Tribal Research Centre, Ooty

A buffalo grazes in front of a Toda temple, Garden Mund, Botanical Garden, Ooty

35

36

Food The Todas are lacto vegetarians and never eat meat. They are the only completely vegetarian tribe existent in the world. They depend heavily on the buffalo for their food and make many dairy products out of buffalo milk. As the buffalo is sacred, it’s milk is collected in a special cylindrical vessel called ‘Pinnh’. After collecting the milk, it is then made into various dairy products like ghee and butter. They churn the butter themselves, with a churning stick called, ‘Matth’. The staple food of the Todas is rice, vegetable curry and dairy. The vegetables they cook are cultivated themselves. Their food is cooked or soaked in milk or ghee and they also drink plenty of buttermilk. ‘Pinnh’, milk collecting vessel, Tribal Research Centre, Ooty

A typical Toda meal: rice, vegetable curry and a papad

37

‘Matth’, butter churner

Two Toda men in Poothkuli shawls

Attire In earlier times, the Toda people, irrespective of gender, wore similar, simple clothing. The men wore plain dhotis with simple cotton shirts and the women wore plain skirts and plain blouses. Both genders wore a minimally embroidered poothkuli shawl over these basic garments. Today, the Toda people resort to more casual, modern clothing such as tros and shirts for men and sarees and salwar kameez for women. The poothkuli shawl is now heavily embroidered and worn only during religious and social ceremonies. The most striking feature of the Toda women is their hair, which is worn in ringlets and flows waving down to the shoulders. This is done by twisting the hair when it is wet and tying each ringlet to make sure the curls hold their shape even after untying. Earlier, the Toda men and women would tattoo their bodies by piercing themselves and creating blod clots in patterns. The process was so painful that many of the Todas today forfeit the tradition. A Toda woman in a Poothkuli shawl

A woman demonstrates how to achieve the traditional Toda hairstyle

An elderly Toda woman’s tattooed feet

40

Toda Embroidery

A picture from 1963 shows that Toda embroidery used to be very minimal

43

“

Our ancestors used to create these out of necessity, and now we do it for fun, to make money and to express ourselves - Phyllis George

History of the embroidery

”

The most alluring attribute of the Toda people is their exclusive embroidery style. The Toda women have, for many years, practised this striking form of embroidery as a means of leisure and recreation. This ancient art was never a means of livelihood or profit. Toda embroidery was a matter of pride, an identity, something that set the Toda people apart from the other tribes and city-dwellers of the Nilgiris. The Todas believe that their entire clan was created in the Nilgiris and that it is the place of their existence and afterlife. All motifs of their embroidery are inspired by nature and its elements like flowers, fruits, trees, rivers and mountain valleys. Toda embroidery has existed for as long as the tribe itself and the poothkuli shawl, worn over a shirt or blouse and dhoti, was the only embroidered garment. As recently as 50 years back, the poothkuli shawl was lightly embroidered and was something to be worn everyday. Today, it has become the most

44

important social, community and ceremonial garment they possess. Thus, the poothkuli shawl has come to be heavily embroidered and is worn only on special occasions. The Toda embroidery is done with red and black threads on a cloth of unbleached white cotton. The threads first used were cotton threads, derived from scrap fibres of cotton and were subject to fading after a few washes. Woollen embroidery threads have now replaced the thin, cotton ones. In the earlier days, merchants from Karur and Karnataka would bring the cloth up to the Nilgiris and the Toda women would buy this for their embroidery. Today, the cloth is still brought from Karur and purchased by the local women from a particular shop called “Preethi Stores” in the town of Ooty. Preethi Stores also supplies the wool and needles that are specifically needed for Toda embroidery. As much as the people and the craft have changed over the years, their tradition and customs have

remained the same. Hence, a poothkuli today, is made with the same expert hand and skill, and is just as beautiful as the poothkuli of a 100 years ago.

What is a Poothkuli Shawl? A Poothkuli Shawl is a 3 metre long, heavily embroidered piece of cloth worn by the Toda people during special occasions. It is white with black and red embroidery along with accents of blue and orange. It is the identifying factor of the Toda people.

45

A Poothkuli shawl

A woman embroiders on a dupatta

The Embroidery making each embroidered product different from the other. The cloth varies in measurement and is priced differently at different places. The approximate cost of one metre of unbleached white cotton in INR (Indian Rupees) 70. The embroidery is done with a long needle, approximately 7 cm in length. The needle costs between INR 2 and 3. The spools of black and red wool cost INR 25 per spool.

The embroidery of the Toda people is distinguished by their three traditional colours white, red and black as well as geometric motifs inspired by nature. The embroidery is done on a cloth of thick white unbleached cotton with threads of red and black wool. Each of the colours have a traditional meaning and depict the three stages of life. The white stands for innocence and the purity of an infant, the red stands for the blood of an adolescent and the black stands for the maturity that comes with old age. The geometric motifs are inspired by nature and each have a specific name in the language of the Todas. The most symbolic motif is the ‘todvahor’, meaning ‘mountain valley’ which is three lines of zig-zags that run in between two red lines. This motif is found only on the poothkuli shawl as it is a sacred symbol, depicting their land of origin, the Nilgiris. The poothkuli shawl can be worn from both sides. The back side, known as the ‘marr-moonh’ is flat and minimal and the front side is heavily embroidered and almost three-dimensional. (All motifs and names can be found in the Design Directory, page 80) The traditional motifs are retained but each Toda woman makes up the design on her own,

How to identify Toda embroidery: 1. Rough white cloth 2. Red and black embroidery 3. Geometric motifs inspired by nature

48

The Process The raw materials used for the embroidery are the thick white cloth as well as red and black woollen thread. The cloth may or may not have red stripes pre-woven into it. Only the Poothkuli shawl mandates the two red lines. The embroidery is done by a method of counting. The gaps between the threads of the cloth are counted for each motif and gaps are left where white space is necessary. The woollen thread is taken over the gaps where colour is needed and under the gaps where colour is not. Since the needle is long, it is taken over and under the gaps in one movement and then pulled out. To do the next line, the cloth is turned around and leaving a little loop, the needle goes through the same up and down singular movement, making sure of the counts. The loops leave a three-dimensional effect on the front of the shawl as they are not pulled close to the cloth, but are left slightly loose. The ceremonial garb of the todas, the poothkuli shawl, is made differently from any other shawl in the world. The white cloth that is first embroidered is actually only half the width of the poothkuli. This white cloth, comes with two

red lines, called ‘karrh’, pre-weaved into it from the manufacturing unit in Karur. The ‘todvahor’ or mountain valley motif is first embroidered in between these two red lines. After completing the embroidery of both the white pieces of cloth, they are ed together with a single running stitch. This stitch that runs through the middle of the poothkuli is called ‘kuth-kutit’. Then, one edge of the poothkuli is sewn together with a running stitch called the ‘kwersch-kutit’.

The raw materials used for Toda embroidery: red and black wool, a long needle and unbleached cotton cloth.

49

A plain piece of unbleached cotton on which the embroidery is done

The running poov motif

51

How to make a simple running ‘poov’ or ‘flower’ motif.

52

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

STep 1: creaTiNg The FirsT loop aNd The FirsT sTiTch Figures 1 and 2: After threading the needle, insert the needle into the first hole (A) from behind the cloth and pull it out a bit. Then, insert it into the second hole (B) from the top of the cloth to form the first loop. Figures 3 and 4: On forming the first loop between A and B, turn the cloth around to make the first stitch. Insert the needle into hole C from behind the cloth. Count the number of holes you need to make the motif and then insert needle into hole D and take the needle out from hole E. There will be gaps between B and C as well as between D and E. This is the gap between the loops and the motif.

54

Holding the loop on one end down with the thumb keeps the loop loose.

55

How a finished loop is supposed to look.

56

Figure 5

Figure 7

Figure 6

Figure 8

STep 2: couNTiNg aNd leaviNg gaps For The moTiF Figures 5 and 6: Create your next loop between E and F in the same way as you did between A and B. 4. Then, insert the needle from behind the cloth into the hole next to D, hole G. Leaving a gap of six holes, insert the needle into the next hole (H) from the top of the cloth. Leave three gaps and bring the needle back through the next hole (I) and complete this stitch by inserting the needle next to C in hole J. Make your next loop next to B. Figures 7 and 8: Follow the grids as instructed creating loops and leaving gaps where necessary.

58

A trick that the Toda women employ, is that after creating a loop, they put the needle through the cloth leaving gaps in one motion, rather than pulling the needle in and out of it (as seen in the image above).

59

The same technique is the reason behind the usage of long needles. It enables the completion of one line of the motif in one swift motion.

60

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

sTep 3: compleTioN oF The moTiF Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12: Continue the pattern. After completing the motif pattern, a final loop is made and knotted on the backside of the cloth.

62

Figure 13

Figure 14

FiNal moTiF Figure 13: The front of the completed running poov motif. Figure 14: The back of the completed running poov motif.

64

The completed motif.

66

67

Anatomy of a Poothkuli Shawl

The front of the poothkuli shawl

The back of the poothkuli shawl

68

Anatomy of a Poothkuli Shawl Motifs and Meanings

KARRH This red stripe is pre-woven into the white cloth from Karur. It is on either side of this that the embroidery is started.

SUID KARRH This is also pre-woven like the Karrh but has a pair of white lines running through it. ‘Suid’ translates to ‘pair’.

69

TODVAHOR This is the first motif embroidered on the Poothkuli between the Karrh and the Suid-Karrh inspired by mountain valleys.

OTS This is the last motif to be embroidered on the poothkuli. It is done on the edge of the cloth.

70

KUTH-KUTIT This stitch is used to the two pieces of cloth.

KWERSCH-KUTIT This running stitch at the edge of the cloth is used to make a pocket like closing in one end of the shawl.

71

POOV This motif is inspired by flowers and is the most widely used motif in Toda embroidery

All motifs shown here are the main motifs used in the Poothkuli shawl. There are other Toda motifs as shown in the Design Directory (page 88) as well as variations of the same motifs that are done on the Poothkuli.

72

Toda Embroidery Today

Changes As the Toda people progressed, the younger generations began to go out to work in more commercial fields. The practice of Toda embroidery began to diminish and the identity of the embroidery and the people had to be kept alive. Traditionally the Toda embroidery is done only on the Poothkuli shawl. The Poothkuli shawls are heavily embroidered and require a lot of time and effort. They are expensive and cannot be afforded by many people. With the help of researches, government aid and design interventions, a wider range of products with Toda embroidery were introduced in the market. These products were produced to target a larger number of people. Today, Toda embroidery is not restricted to shawls but also to borders, table mats, table runners, bags, pouches and other such articles. Sometimes it is also used to create a thematic range of products for interiors. The main products under the interior decorations category are: bed sheets, pillow covers, cushion covers, table cloths and stool mats. To target the young generation, some essentials like port pouches, bookmarks, spectacle cases, luggage tags and key rings are also made. For the fashion oriented people, varieties of purses, clutches and

handbags are made. Recently, kurtis for girls were also introduced. Apart from these products, dress yokes and embroidered patches are also made that can be stitched onto anything. This widened range of products ensures that the art is adapting to current market situations and attracts the curiosity of tourists. Many designers and Non-Government Organisations have successfully managed to encourage interest in the making of modern-day products as the Toda people do not have to make any change to their embroidery, only to the finished products.

Mirrors on the edge of the underskirt as well as on the poothkuli shawl indicates changes in the Toda style of embroidery

75

Process Changes The process of the embroidery still remains the same today. The few changes that have been observed are in the motifs and the designs which are embroidered on the products. Earlier the motifs created on the white cloth were traditional and had a definite meaning. The same motifs were embroidered for years and were ed on through generations. But nowadays, the designs are no longer an exact pattern but an amalgamation of the traditional motifs and the artisan’s imagination. While the process of the embroidery remains the same, there are hardly any changes in the raw materials used by them. The fabric used is the same cotton cloth on which the embroidery is done. Earlier, scrap fibres of cotton were made into cotton threads to be used for embroidery. Later, owing to the higher colour durability of wool, woollen threads were introduced. Today only woollen threads are used for the embroidery. The main colours used in the embroidery are black and red. Today, the same colour duo prevails although various shades of red and amber are seen along with the black coloured thread.

A table mat with Toda embroidery

New products such as mobile phone bags with Toda embroidery

76

77

Sale and Products The Toda embroidery products are sold mainly by two means. They are firstly sold from the Toda hamlets or from the centres of self help groups. The products are often made and sold by the artisans working in their homes. They sell their products from their homes to tourists who visit and do not prefer to enter the commercial market. There are also self help group centres, where they sell products to help the tribe with their social and economic conditions. They also help the women in the society to prosper and earn. Organisations such as the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India have been facilitating training programmes for the tribal development. The major sales are done at the well known Shalom Self help group which was started in 2005. This self help group was made to enable women to enhance their self worth and independence within the constraints of their daily routine.

A small purse with Toda embroidery on it

78

A dupatta with Toda embroidery

Details of the embroidery done on the dupatta

80

81

A handbag with Toda embroidery

82

Artisan’s Profiles

Name: Sindevi Age: 36 Married for: 20 years Husband’s Name: Sindisk Occupation: Cultivation No. of Children: 2 (male) Embroidering since the age of 15 Income: 1300 per month approximately

Name: Kavitha Age: 33 Married for: 20 years Husband’s Name: Puarasu Occupation: Gardening No. of Children: 2 (male, female) Embroidering since the age of 15 Income: 1300 per month approximately

83

Name: Kejindrapoof Age: 24 Married for: 4 years Husband’s Name: Kashthey Occupation: Farming No. of Children: 2 (male) Embroidering since the age of 15 Income: 1000 per month approximately

Name: Vasamalli Age: 55 Married for: 38 years Husband’s Name: Pothili Occupation: Cultivation No. of Children: 2 (male) Education: MA Sociology Has also won Woman of the Year 2006 from the Rotary Club for social work

84

Data Analysis The total number of Toda munds as of 2015 is 71. The total population of these munds is 71.

Toda shops (as seen in Table 2, page 86). Shalom also s their products via hoardings and their official website.

For this study we have examined three munds the Avalanche mund, the Tamilagam mund and the mund in the Botanical Garden.

Through our research of these three munds, we have found that there is no marketing for the sale of Toda products. We believe that knowledge of where to purchase the products and the kind of products available will lead to a significant rise in the number of people buying Toda embroidered products.

According to Table 1 shown below, the average income of a Toda woman is less than 50,000 INR per annum. This is an average of 4200 INR per month. Taking into the cost of living in rural India, which is approximately 8000-9000 INR per month with children that are going to school, it is obvious that the Toda women do not make enough money through their embroidery. Self help groups like Shalom charge their Toda products at higher rates than the munds or small

No. Of women No. Of women doing the embroidery Average income per annum per woman

Avalanche Mund Avalanche mund

Tamilagam Mund Tamilagam mund

Gardenmund Mund Garden

10

9

13

6

5

8

Rs 48000/-

Rs 24000/-

Rs 30000/-

Table 1: Average income of a Toda woman from doing embroidery

85

As a part of our design intervention, we have created posters and flyers to be put up and distributed in and around the Ooty town. These posters contain strong graphic images and bright colour schemes to attract the attention of tourists as well as locals.

Products

Munds

Small toda shop (in INR)

Shalom shop (in INR )

−

3000-5000

200

250-600

−

1200

350

Runner

100

Shawl

550

(in INR) Bed sheet Coin pouch

70

Cushion cover

−

Hand bag Laptop bag Luggage tag Pouches

 

−

100

300

300

−

80

400

400

−

100

200 600

1200

600

800

Table 2: Pricing of Toda products

86

150

Design Directory

Motifs and Patterns

MODIRVAHOR Inspired by the step farming on the hills

OTS The last motif done on any work on the edge of the cloth

89

KUDKOR-POHOR Variations of the motif that is inspired by a honeycomb

90

VANKEY Motifs inspired by the mountain valleys

91

92

POOV Motifs inspired by flowers

93

Process of making the poov

94

Design Intervention

These strongly graphical photos use the traditional colours of the Toda embroidery and the message that Toda embroidery is an artform. It indicates the strong presence of not just a beautiful craft, but a craft that tells stories. These posters will be printed in A3 or A4 size and pinned up at local stores and restaurants.

97

wear art.

When a Toda woman embroiders a saree, it’s not just a saree. It’s a work of art.

These strongly graphical photos use the traditional colours of the Toda embroidery and the message that Toda embroidery is an artform. It indicates the strong presence of not just a beautiful craft, but a craft that tells stories.

99

carry art. When a Toda woman embroiders a bag, it’s not just a bag. It’s a work of art.

We have also created this flyer, which can be printed in large quantities and ed around to tourists in Ooty. The photographs of products and the information regarding where to purchase such products will encourage tourits to the Toda women in their craft. These flyers will be printed in half A5 size and given out at local stores to tourists.

101

ItÕ s not just embroidery, itÕ s a work of art. When a Toda woman embroiders a product, it becomes a work of art. The Toda women of the Nilgiris are experts in a form of traditional embroidery done with wool on coarse white cloth. It is the kind of craft that tells stories of generations of religion and culture.

Buy a Toda product and the women who create these masterpieces.

!

the Ooty Collectorate Office to know the nearest Toda village to you and make a direct purchase.

An initiative by the Fashion Communication Department of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, Batch of 2017

Conclusion Through our research, we have discovered that over the decades, Toda lifestyle and embroidery has not evolved a lot. The people still depend on self-grown agriculture and the buffaloes they own for their livelihood, just as they had fifty years ago. The embroidery still is the only source of income for many of the women, despite being educated till the 12th grade. The Todas remain the only vegetarian tribe in the world, although the pastoral lifestyle is slowly changing and they are buying the vegetables that they do not grow in the nearby town markets. Their religion and traditions remain unscathed in a country where culture is constantly evolving. Toda embroidery remains largely as a hobby for the Toda women rather than a serious source of income. Many of the women embroider in their free time and sell only from their houses. This is a limiting factor when it comes to customer attraction as most of the Toda villages are out of the main Nilgiris towns and are difficult to get to. The Toda embroidery itself has changed drastically to include heavier patterns and a variety of products like table runners, pouches and handbags. With the rise of technology and online commerce, a backward community like the Todas face stiff competition from other handmade products that are commercialised and sold in diffferent avenues. Apart from a lack of product retailing, the Toda embroidery also has minimal marketing. Through extensive research, it is evident that the Toda embroidery requires awareness and marketing in the Nilgiris towns and this encouraged our team to create posters and flyers. It was a wonderful learning experience for our entire team as this project took us to unexplored aspects of tribal embroidery and tribal life. It was due to this project that we understood the difficulties and the skill involved in a craft like embroidery.

Ranjan, A. (2009). Handmade in India: A geographic encyclopedia of Indian handicrafts (Vol. 1). New York: Abbeville Press. Rivers, W. (1906). The Todas. London: Macmillan. Kemsey, N. (2011, August 19). Ooty Travel and Tourism Guide. Last accessed: June 14, 2015, from http://travel.india.com/ooty/ Agarwal, M. (2011, May 2). Ooty Hill Station. Last accessed: June 18, 2015, from https://www.tourmyindia.com/hill_station/ Ooty Tourist Places, Places in Ooty, Attractions, Places to see. (2003, June 30). Last accessed: June 16, 2015, from http://ootytour.com/places.html Ramey, M. (n.d.). Ooty Culture and Tradition. Last accessed: August 13, 2015, from http://www.eooty.com/culture-traditions.php Rao, J. (2002, December 15). Online Shopping - Nilgiri Products - Shop Online. Last accessed: June 13, 2015, from http://moddys.in Shivangi . R (March 15, 2015), Getting to know the Toda tribe of Ooty Last accessed: June 2, 2015 from http://www.weareholidays.com/articles/where-did-the-todas-come-from/

Bibliography

Supriya Banerjee On January 17, 2014, Social and Economic life of Todas Last accessed: 2nd june from http://www.importantindia.com/10089/social-and-economic-life-of-todas/ Devi Killi.O October 28, 2010, Indian Heritage - Embroidery - Toda embroidery from Nilgris, Tamilnadu Last accessed: 2nd june from http://www.indian-heritage.org/cci/toda/index.html Powell, S. (Ed.). (2013, January 10). Shalom-. Last accessed: June 14, 2015, from http://www.shalomooty.com/node/2 Parampara Project | Embroidery of Toda Women ::. (2012, May 15). Last accessed: June 3, 2015, from http://www.paramparaproject.org/traditions_embroidery-toda-women .html Rathna K. (July, 2011). Toda Embroidery - A rare form of embroidery work. Last accessed: June 1, 2015, from http://odysseyonapen.blogspot.in/2011/07/toda-embroidery-rare-formof-embroidery.html Chowdhary R. (July, 2011). The Todas of Nilgiris. Last accessed: June 1, 2015, from http://www.oneearthfoundation.in/

Ritika L Nair Content Editing Content Writing Copywriting Digital Illustrations Layout

Bidya Pradhan All Hand Illustrations Photography All Graphs

Geetanjali Sharma Content Writing Photography Digital Illustrations

Akshita B Vhatkar Content Writing Photography

P. Manibharathi Content Writing Photography Digital Illustrations

The Team