Date: 1st March 2020
Venue: Aurangabad, Maharashtra

What completes our travel experience?

Sightseeing, decent accommodation, local food, activities such as trekking or swimming, and last but not the least, markets. We try to visit the markets since this is where the pulse of a city lies. Markets are the best place to study the lifestyle and culture of a city.  During our recent trip to Aurangabad  for visiting Ajanta and Ellora, our round of the markets, particularly Gulmandi near Pathani Gate was a revelation. The markets of Aurangabad were a lot of fun. We realized conventional and modern live in happy harmony in Aurangabad.

Talking of conventions, Aurangabad has a checkered history dating back to early parts of Common Era till the times of the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. Given such rich heritage and phases of royal patronage, it goes without saying a culture of weaves would have evolved among local artisans.

We located two such weaves in the local markets that has stood the test of time and were still commercially viable items. The first is the world famous Paithani sarees and the other is the lesser known Himroo weave.  We did a little study of these weaves not only for the crafts value, but also because it gave us a glimpse into the history of Aurangabad.

Paithani Saree, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Paithani is a celebrated handloom weave from the village Paithan in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra. This weave is common as saris, stoles or fabrics. Silk and gold threads were widely used in Paithani giving it a gorgeous look. No wonder these fabrics caught the attention of the Peshwas of Maharashtra and the craft majorly flourished during their reign.

Paithani weaves traditionally combined silk and cotton threads and the finishing was somewhat coarse. Pure gold thread was used to jazz up the proceedings. Over time, pure gold thread has given way to synthetic substitute. The cotton thread is also done away with and Paithani is all silk now. Bright coloured bodies with colourful peacocks, parrots or lotus woven on solid gold band on the right hanging end or pallu of a saree, are identifying features of Paithani. The body often has intricate dot like designs or little paisleys woven on the surface.

Given that this is a handwoven process involving time as well expensive pure silk thread, Paithani silk sarees are somewhat expensive and start at about Rs. 7000/-. But then the grace and the demure brightness cannot be measured in money and make it a sought after product for any Indian craft loyalist. Paithani sarees are known to be passed on as heirlooms and are the most common bridal wear in Maharashtra. Paithani is registered as a Geographical Indication (G.I.) of Maharashtra.

Himroo weave, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

The word Himroo has evolved from the Persian word “Hum-ruh” meaning similar. This weave flourished under the reign of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq of the Tughlaq dynasty. He had shifted the capital of his kingdom from Delhi to Daulatabad in Aurangabad for being a more central location in the Deccan.

The Himroo weave that evolved in Aurangabad is similar to the traditional Kinkhab weave and thus is the name. Kinkhab, attributed to the state of Gujarat, was woven with gold and silver threads and was known as the Indian Brocade. Himroo traditionally was woven using similar material but the designs had Persian influence. Sartorial beauty was a benchmark of finesse and elegance even in earlier eras. Therefore the intricate weaving style of Himroo textile gave it a rich look. This made it a sought after item not only among royalty but also among the affluent class. The Himroo weaving industry flourished during Tughlaq’s reign during such an extent that weavers from other parts of India came and settled in Aurangabad to practice this trade.

Himroo was traditionally used to weave shawls and stoles. These days, they are used for making bed and table linen and furnishings as well. In fact, we spotted Himroo weave saris too in the market. Himroo has conventionally been a handloom product and is registered as a G.I. of Maharashtra. However, in current times, power loom woven Himroo items are also available in the market.

Where to shop for Paithani and Himroo in Aurangabad

Paithani is available at a host of places. We came across a line of so called factory cum shops of Paithani and Himroo on our way to Ellora. On the insistence of the taxi driver, we stopped at one such place. These were somehow very touristy and the goods overtly expensive.

If you want to check out these items, we suggest Gulmandi. The road here from Pathan Gate to City Centre is lined with sari shops. Most of them stock a range of Paithani saris, Himroo items and other local weaves such as Ilkal and Maharashtra’s famous 9 yards or Nauvari saris. The prices are reasonable and sellers patient. In fact they did not seem to mind if we just saw some items but did not make a purchase. Liked the complete experience and bought some Paithani and Himroo.

Paithani weaves are popular in India as well as overseas. Himroo has a limited reach and is still not so popular in other parts of India. Yet both these fabrics bear testimony to our rich artistic heritage and deserve to be explored by any culturally conscientious traveller.