Kwizitrato eziphithizelayo zaseMumbai ligumbi lokusebenzela lomyili wempahla uBela Shanghvi. Njengomongameli we-Craft Council of Maharashtra kunye nomcebisi kurhulumente wase-Indiya kwiiprojekthi zophuhliso zabaluki, uhambe kakhulu kwilizwe liphela kwaye unengcamango yesiko elityebileyo lase-India, elibuyela emva ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-3 000.

'Ilinye lamazwe angama-28 eIndiya-kwaye uninzi lweedolophana ezikuloo mazwe-inoyilo olwahlukileyo, ulwimi lwayo lwempahla, utshilo.

'Ulwimi?' Ndiyaphinda.

'Ngokuchanekileyo!'

Umfazi onamandla, oneenwele ezichetyiweyo, uShanghvi uhamba ngokukhawuleza malunga negumbi, etsala amalaphu ezishelfini kwaye ezosasaza kwitafile esezantsi.

Sijonga okokuqala kwi-pashmina shawl yoboya entle evela eKashmir yoyilo oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nokumhlophe kuyo yonke indawo. UShanghvi uthetha ngendlela ubucwebecwebe, nobunzima bentsontelo yesikhafu bungqinelana nentetho eneentyatyambo kunye nokuntsonkotha kwabantu baseKashmiri, ngamanye amaxesha abonwa 'kunzima ukufundwa.' Sijonge amalaphu avela eGujarat, kwintshona ye-India, eneepateni ezibomvu, ezimnyama ezibonisa umahluko omkhulu, athi uShanghvi, anjengeGujaratis enesibindi. UGujaratis, uyongeza, nokuba ngabom okanye ngokungazi enze amalaphu avela kwindawo yawo embi. Ngokwahlukileyo, impuma yeIndiya ichumile kwaye igcwele umbala, kwaye, uShanghvi uthi, abafazi balapho bathanda iisaris ezimhlophe ezilula ngegolide okanye umda obomvu.

Incwadana yegolide ekhazimlayo evela eBenares iyavela. Ubumhlophe obumhlophe obumhlophe obumhlophe buthetha ngobunkunkqele basezidolophini eLucknow, kufutshane naseNew Delhi. Kungekudala itafile kaShanghvi igcwele ngeempahla ezinemibala emangalisayo kunye nemibala endingenakuyichaza. UKamaladevi Chattopadhyay, ingcali ekhokelayo kubugcisa baseIndiya obhala ngothando lwamaIndiya ngombala, wabonisa ukuba nokuba mhlophe apha kuneetoni ezintlanu-iimpondo zendlovu, ijasmine, inyanga ka-Agasti, ilifu lika-Agasti emva kwemvula, kunye neqokobhe le-conch. I-Indiya ivakalelwa kum, njengeqoqo lamazwe abonakaliswe kumalaphu awo.

Ndize e-subcontinent ngoDisemba, ekuqaleni kweenyanga ezipholileyo kunye nexesha lomtshato. Kwiivenkile zamalaphu naphi na apho ndiya khona, ndifumana abantu ababhinqileyo bezibandakanya nomsebenzi omkhulu wokuthenga ii-saris kungekuphela nje kumtshakazi kunye nabasebenzi bakhe kodwa kuzo zonke iindwendwe, ezihlala zisondela kwiwaka.

Ukusukela kumaxesha amandulo, amalaphu adityaniswa nezithethe ezibalulekileyo kunye nezihlandlo zaseIndiya. Imifanekiso eqingqiweyo engcwele inxitywa ngokwesiko, kwaye imicu yelaphu iyaxhonywa emithini nasezibondeni njengeminikelo ejikeleze iitempile zamaHindu. Ilaphu linikwa xa kuzalwa usana kwaye xa indoda ifikelela kwi-60 kwaye ivuselela izifungo zomtshato kunye nenkosikazi yayo. Impahla eyolukiweyo yaba yipolitiki xa ikhwelo likaGandhi lokusongelwa ngesandla ngelaphu laseIndiya —kwaye ngenxa yoko ukungathembeli kakhulu kwimpahla yaseBritane- lajika laba sisikhalazo sokufuna inkululeko ngoo-1940.

Ngapha koko, imbali yase-India inxibelelene kakhulu namalaphu kangangokuba kunzima ukwahlula ezi zinto zimbini. Umqhaphu nesilika zahlukahlukene, yaye xa abaluki bafumanisa indlela yokwenza iidayi ezimibalabala, amalaphu aseIndiya ayenqwenela ihlabathi. Omnye wabaphathi bomkhosi ka-Alexander the Great, wathi akufika kwilizwekazi eliphantsi komhlaba, wamangaliswa yile ngelaphu yase-Indiya 'ikhanya ngokukhanya kwelanga kwaye ikwala nokuhlamba.' Imfihlelo eyayibekwe esweni yeedayi yakhokelela abaseBritani ekubeni bamise iindawo zorhwebo eGujarat ngowe-1613 naseMadras (ngoku eyiChennai) kunxweme olusemzantsi-mpuma ngowe-1640. AmaDatshi namaFrentshi alandela namazibuko akufutshane. IGujarat kunye namaphondo akumazantsi mpuma eTamil Nadu naseAndhra Pradesh ahlala engamaziko abalulekileyo nanamhlanje.

Isimo sezulu esomileyo saseGujarat kunye nokuchaphazeleka kwimbalela kunye nezikhukula zihlala zisenza ukuba ezolimo apha ziqiniseke. Ngexesha leemonons zasehlotyeni, xa iindawo ezinengca ezisemantla eBhuj ziba lulwandle olusemaphandleni kwaye ukulima kufuneka kuyekwe, ukuhonjiswa kunye nokwenza iintsimbi kuyachuma njengeendlela zokuphila. UMntla Gujarat, entshona yeRajasthan, kunye neSind engummelwane ePakistan zihlala zintathu zezona ndawo zityebileyo zehlabathi zokuhombisa abantu. I-Bhuj kunye nedolophu yakudala yezibuko laseMandvi eGujarat ikwangamaziko bandhani , okanye umsebenzi wokubopha idayi. IBandhani Iisheyi ziyinxalenye yesinxibo esiqhelekileyo sabasetyhini baseIndiya basentshona.

Namhlanje ndiyangqubeka kwindlela yothuli eRann of Kutch, emantla eBhuj, kwimoto enomoya-moya kaMike Vaghela. Ungumnini weGarha Safari Lodge ngaphandle kweBhuj kwaye kubonakala ngathi wazi wonke umntu, kubandakanya inkosi yelali yamaMuslim Mutwa eDhordo, kwiikhilomitha ezingama-20 nje ukusuka kumda wePakistan. Emva kweti kunye notshintshiselwano lokonwaba, ndiye ndaziswa kumtshana wenkosi, uSofia Nani Mita, oneminyaka engama-25, othetha isiNgesi kancinci kwaye uthathwa njengomnye wabaluki abaphumeleleyo apha.

'Hayi, hayi, hayi, utshilo uMita kwizimvo zikayisekazi. Uthobela uninakhulu, oneminyaka engama-82 ubudala, amjonga njengegcisa elingcono. Undibonisa kanjari (iblawuzi) eyenziwe nguninakhulu, emva koko wasebenzisa isinxibo sokuhombisa asebenza kuso. Izititshi zincinci ngokumangalisayo kwaye zintsonkothile, zenziwe ngeenaliti ezincinci kuthungelwano oluvulekileyo, kunye neempawu zeSind. Iipateni azifakwanga kwaye zejometri kwaye zenziwe ngemibala eqaqambileyo-bomvu, luhlaza, luhlaza, tyheli, orenji, pinki, kunye nomnyama. Ziyafana nokuhonjiswa kwe-Afghanistan. (Abalusi beMutwa, iibhokhwe neenkamela, bafuduka apho ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-350 eyadlulayo.) Zombini ezi ziqwenga ziyamangalisa.

'Uninzi lwabasetyhini ezilalini benza nje umsebenzi kurhwebo lwabakhenkethi,' utshilo, 'kodwa ndizama ukwenza into- [uyasokola ukufumana igama elilungileyo apha] ngokwahlukileyo ngokunjalo. Uyabona?'

UMita uyanyamalala kwindlu engummelwane. (Kukho isitya sethelevishini-TV esincamathelayo kuphahla lwengca.) Ubuya nomtya omde welaphu elimnyama eline-intshi ezine nge-intshi ezine ukuyilo kulo. Luhlobo 'lwencwadana yokubhalela.' UMita uyachaza ukuba wenza udliwanondlebe nabafazi abadala belali kwaye urekhodisha imithungo yabo, 'ngoko ke sizakugcina amasiko.'

Njengakwezinye iidolophana ezikwiRann yaseKutch, abasetyhini apha benza owona msebenzi wabo ulungileyo wedrosi kunye nomsebenzi ochitha ixesha elininzi ezingxoweni nakwiziqu zokuthengisa kubakhenkethi nabaqokeleli. Oomatshini bokuthunga kunye namalaphu enziweyo, nangona kunjalo, atshintsha amadala izitayela kunye nezithethe, kunye neTV yekhebula, ethi ibonise ii-opera zakutshanje ze-Bollywood. A. Wazir, umqokeleli wempahla e-Bhuj, ukhalazela ukufika kwe-TV ye-cable kwi-Rann kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo. 'Kubi kakhulu kwisithethe. Kubi kakhulu, utshilo.

Iwaka leekhilomitha kude, kunxweme olusemazantsi mpuma eIndiya ngaphandle kweChennai, eVisalakshi Ramaswamy, umyili wezinto zangaphakathi kunye neengcali zamalaphu, uvakalisa iimvakalelo ezifanayo. 'Ngoku, ngeJacquard loom, ungaskena nawuphi na umfanekiso kwikhompyuter kwaye wenze amakhadi eepunch zenkqubo,' utshilo. 'Kunyaka ophelileyo,' iziketi zeCinderella 'yayingumsindo phakathi kwamantombazana amancinci. Wonke umntwana oneminyaka esibhozo wayefuna isiketi esinebali likaCinderella ephothiweyo ejikeleze umda. '

URamaswamy undixelela ukuba ama-Indiya asemazantsi adume ngokuzimela nangokwenkolo kunabantu belizwe labo elisentla. Amaza abahlaseli bamaSilamsi awazange angene kude emazantsi njengeChennai, ke izakhiwo ezintle zetempile yamaHindu ezikufuphi zihlala zinjalo. Iitempile, ezifuna ukuxhonywa eludongeni kwezenkolo kunye neebhanile, zaba ziindawo zokuyila iingcibi kwaye zihlala zinjalo namhlanje. ISri Kalahasti, indawo ethandwayo yokundwendwela e-80 yeekhilomitha kumantla e-Chennai, likhaya likaGurappa Shetty kunye nonyana wakhe uJ.Niranjan, amagcisa alukiweyo omsebenzi wawo uqokelelwa e-India. Isithethe saseSri Kalahasti kalamkari , ezotywe ngamabali kunye nezenkolo, wazala ngenkulungwane ye-17 uChintz, umqhaphu ocwebezelayo owawukhe wanqwenelwa ngabasebukhosini baseYurophu.

Ngale ntsasa, sisiya emazantsi eKhennai sisiya eKanchi-puram, esinye sezixeko ezingcwele eIndiya, sineendawo ezingcwele eziyi-125. I-Kanchipuram ligama lendlu leyona saris yomtshato inqwenelekayo eIndiya kunye neecottons kwiitsheki ezintle kunye neeplaids. Ngokwesiqhelo, i-Kanchipuram saris ineepatheni zemibala eqaqambileyo eyahlukileyo-imaroon kunye nohlaza, ipikoko eblue kunye nepinki- kunye nomtya wegolide okanye wesilivere olukwe kwimida. Rhoqo, i-Kanchipuram silk ithathwa njengeyona iphakamileyo kuba intambo nganye inezinto ezintandathu zesilika endaweni yesithathu, utshilo uRamaswamy. Ubunzima obongeziweyo besilika kuthiwa buwenza ukuba buwe kamnandi phezu komzimba womfazi, kudala amagophe apho kufanele ukuba kubekho nokufihla abanye.

Malunga ne-60,000 yabahlali baseKanchipuram's i-188,000 ngabaluki, kwaye bahlala kumaqela emisebenzi yosapho, njengoko benjalo kangangamakhulu eminyaka. Sima kwindawo enye. Izindlu zesamente ezisezantsi zinamagumbi amancinci apho amanye amadoda asebenza khona, abopha amaqhina kwimicu yomtya njengesikhokelo kuyilo lwezinto ezenziwe ngesandla. Abanye basebenzisa ikhompyuter ukubetha imicu yekhadibhodi emise uyilo kwiJacquard looms.

Kwelinye igumbi elikhanyisiweyo, umfazi usebenza kumatshini oqaqambisa intambo osuka kuJacquard, ogcwalisa isithuba. Umntwana wakhe omncinci uhleli ethe cwaka ebhentshini ecaleni kwakhe. Amakhadi ayiliweyo ayangxama njengoko ehamba ngapha nangapha komphambili wesoluki, eqondisa imisonto ethe tyaba elawula uyilo kunye nokukhulula umaluki kulo msebenzi uyindinisa wokwenza amaqhina. Okwangoku, ukuhambisa into yokuluka ngesandla ngesandla ngemisonto engama-2 400 (ububanzi belaphu) ngumsebenzi onzima-oya kuthi uzuze lo mfazi malunga ne-2 yeedola ngosuku. (Isari yeeyadi ezintandathu, ethatha malunga neeveki ezimbini ukuyivelisa, iza kuthengiswa malunga ne-70 yeedola.) Isengathi onke amandla akhe okudala nawentsapho yakhe ayabandakanyeka ekuveliseni eli laphu limangalisayo, kwaye imekobume yabo ayibalulekanga kubo.

Ngexesha lokuhamba kwam eIndiya, ndiye ndazibona ndiphantse ndingazi nto ndishiya iimpahla zam ezibutofotofo, zaseNtshona emva kwam kwiihotele: i-khaki, ihempe emhlophe, ibhatyi emhlophe ye beige. Akunakwenzeka ukuba ungakhohliswa ngamalaphu aseIndiya. Apha e Chennai, ndaye ekugqibeleni ndanikezela ekuthengeni isari. Owam uvela eArani, kufutshane naseKanchipuram, kumthunzi wombala omfusa-luhlaza obizwa ngokuba yimango yethenda, ekuthiwa uyafana nombala wamahlumelo amancinci omthi wemango. Andazi nokuba ndiza kuyinxiba na, kodwa andisoze ndidinwe kukujonga imibala yokudanisa kwelaphu ekukhanyeni. Iyaphila-ihlumelo lemango elifakelweyo kwigumbi lam lokulala.

Umbutho wempahla yaseMelika , e-Earleville, eMaryland, ( 410 / 275-2329; www.textilesociety.org ) kwaye i IMyuziyam yeeMpahla , eWashington, D.C., ( 202 / 667-0441; www.textilemuseum.org Baququzelele ukhenketho lwempahla eyolukiweyo kwihlabathi liphela, kubandakanya naseIndiya. Ezinye izixhobo ezilukiweyo zeliya zidweliswe apha ngezantsi.

UMUMBAI

The Indian Impahla elukilweyo Co. Amalaphu aphezulu, aphakamileyo avela kulo lonke elaseIndiya, aqokelelwa ngabanini uSushil noMeera Kumar. Ivenkile kunye negumbi lokubonisa bakwihotele yaseTaj Mahal & Tower kwiDolophu yaseMumbai. ( Apollo Bunder; 91-22 / 2202-8783 ).

Indawo yokuThengisa Umbono wonontlalontle waseIndiya uPushpika Freitas, lo ungenzi-nzuzo waseChicago oneminyaka engama-20 usebenza nabantu basetyhini kumatyotyombe aseMumbai, bethengisa iimveliso zabo eU.S., kwaye, kunye nesabelo samaqabane eIndiya, sikhuthaza uphuhliso loluntu. Ixabiso elifanelekileyo lempahla kunye nempahla yendlu. ( Ngama-800 / 726-8905; www.marketindindia.com ).

Mehta kunye nePadamsey Umyili welaphu uMeera Mehta unombala obalaseleyo kwaye usebenza nabaluki kwilizwe liphela. ( Amagumbi Fort, C Block, Tamarind St., Fort; 91-22 / 2265-0905 ).

Studio Aavartan I-boutique yobugcisa bezandla kunye nomcebisi woyilo uBela Shanghvi. ( Ness Baug, Isihlomelo 1, Ivenkile engu-1, Nana Chowk; 91-22 / 2387-3202 )

Itrasti yabaseTyhini Inhlangano engenzi nzuzo exhaswa yi-UN efuna ukuphucula ubomi babasetyhini baseIndiya ngokuthengisa iimveliso zabo eziphathwayo. ( I-83 Gool Rukh, iWorli yolwandle; 91-22 / 5625-8709; www.womenweavers.org ).

IGUJARAT

IMyuziyam yaseCalico yamalaphu I-mecca phakathi kweemyuziyam zelaphu, ezinenye yezona ndawo ziqokelelweyo ze-Indian antique kunye nelemihla zamalaphu aseIndiya, kubandakanya neepeyinti ezinqabileyo kunye nesinxibo. Yakhiwe ngeendawo zezindlu zakudala zelali kwaye ikwiShahi Bagh Gardens, malunga neekhilomitha ezintathu kumantla e-Ahmedabad. ( 91-79 / 2786-8172 ).

UKala Raksha Eyilwe nguJudy Frater, owayesakuba ngumlondolozi we-Textile Museum eWashington, D.C., le trust ixhasa amagcisa asekuhlaleni kwaye igcina ubugcisa bendabuko eKutch, kubandakanya nezinto zokuhombisa. ( UParkar Vas, uSumrasar uSheikh; Ngama-91-2808 / 277-237; www.kala-raksha.org ).

Impahla esemgangathweni yeMyuziyam A. A. Wazir noonyana bakhe baqokelela izinto ezimfakamfele kunye namalaphu ayinyani kwigama levenkile yabo ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-25. ( I-107 / B-1, iLotus Colony, iPCV Isikolo saseMehta uMarg, eBhuj; 91-2832 / 224-187; Imyuziyam yaseburhulumenteni.com ).

WAHLALA PHI

IGarha Safari Lodge Isiseko esihle ngaphandle nje kweBhuj sokuhlola imisebenzi yezandla kunye nezithethe zelaphu zamaSilamsi, amaHindu, kunye namaJain ahlukeneyo kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni zeKutch. Umnini uMike Vaghela angalungiselela ukhenketho lwelali. ( Idama laseRudrani, eBhuj; 91-79 / 2646-3818; iphindwe kabini ukusuka kwi- $ 60 )

UMMANDLA WESI CHENNAI

Ngobungqina Izindlu zembali ezivela emazantsi eIndiya zitshintshelwe kule ndawo intle yeehektare elwandle ukwazisa iindwendwe kwinkcubeko nakwizithethe zobugcisa zaseTamil Nadu nakwamanye amaphondo. Umsunguli ozelwe eMelika, isazi ngemvelaphi yabantu uDeborah Thaigarajan, uyaqhubeka nokwandisa imiboniso kunye neenkqubo zemfundo. Amagcisa asebenza esizeni kwaye athengisa izinto zawo. ( East Coast Rd., Muttukadu, Chennai; 91-44 / 2747-2603; www.wdshinchitra.net ).

IZiko loPhando noQeqesho laseKalamkari Eqhutywa ngumzobi wempahla eyolukiweyo uJ. Niranjan Shetty. ( Iplot 4, iTempile yaseShirdi Sai, Chennai Rd., Sri Kalahasti; 91-984 / 959-9239 ).

UNalli Chinnasami Chetty Imigangatho emihlanu yelaphu evela kumazantsi onke e-Kanchipuram yesilika kunye neesaris, iikhothi kunye neempahla esele zilungisiwe- kwaye zipakishwe ngabathengi baseIndiya. Uninzi lwabathengisi bathetha isiNgesi. ( 9 Nageswaran Rd., Panegal Park, T. Nagar, Chennai; 91-44 / 2434-4115; www.allani.com ). INalli ikwanazo iivenkile kulo lonke elaseIndiya nakwivenkile yase-US eMountain View, eCarlifonia ( 650 / 938-0700 ).

IGarha Safari Lodge

Impahla esemgangathweni yeMyuziyam

A. A. Wazir noonyana bakhe baqokelela izinto ezimfakamfele kunye namalaphu ayinyani kwigama levenkile yabo ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-25.

UKala Raksha

Le ntembeko ixhasa amagcisa endawo kwaye igcina ubugcisa bendabuko eKutch, kubandakanya ukuhonjiswa.

IMyuziyam yaseCalico yamalaphu

Studio Aavartan

I-boutique yobugcisa bezandla kunye nomcebisi woyilo uBela Shanghvi.

Meera Mehta

Umyili welaphu uMeera Mehta unombala obalaseleyo kwaye usebenza nabaluki kwilizwe liphela.

The Indian Impahla elukilweyo Co.

Amalaphu aphezulu, aphakamileyo avela kulo lonke elaseIndiya, aqokelelwa ngabanini uSushil noMeera Kumar. Ivenkile kunye negumbi lokubonisa bakwihotele yaseTaj Mahal & Tower kwiDolophu yaseMumbai.

IMyuziyam yeeMpahla

Ifunyenwe kumkhondo oqhelekileyo wabakhenkethi kwindawo yaseKalorama, le myuziyam incinci ibekelwe ukukhuthaza ukuxabiswa kwexabiso lobugcisa bempahla evela kwihlabathi liphela. Ekuqaleni yayisekwe nguGeorge Hewitt Myers ngo-1925, iMyuziyam yaseTextile igcinwe kwizakhiwo ezibini, esinye sazo yindawo yokuhlala yentsapho yakwa-Myers, eyakhiwa ngo-1913. Amagqabantshintshi abandakanya iiragi zaseMpuma, amalaphu amaSilamsi, kunye nelaphu langaphambi kweColumbian lasePeru. Imiboniso edlulileyo ibandakanya Umbala owakhiwe: ii-Amish Quilts kwaye Ifashoni yanamhlanje yaseJapan: Ingqokelela kaMary Baskett .