Carpets of the Orient have always cast a fascinating spell on the rest of the world. It is not the tales from the Arbian Nights that gave the magical quality to the carpet made in India, Persia or Central Asia (Turkistan), but the intrinsic richness of the silk or wool, the craftsmanship, and the sense of opulence that a carpet gave that made it such an object of desire. The traditional centres of carpet making in India used to be around Srinagar in Kashmir, Mirzapur and Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. But, in the last four decades, carpets of exquisite designs and quality have come up in many areas of Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh & Haryana and the products have made a big splash in the export market. But, not everyone could or can afford a real carpet. Its poor cousin –the druggest made of coarse wool provided a common man’s substitute as a floor-cover or spread on the rough bed. Thanks to the genius of a man called sham Ahuja, the druggest went through a process of metamorphosis emerging like a butterfly from the druggest cocoon as an enchanting, sophisticated, pastel shaded durrie! And, the durrie made its appearance in the West, and the Pacific region – Japan & Australia. But, the durrie was not all that a new idea really. In the northern provinces of India from the land of five rivers to the Gangetic plains – cotton durries were always made as a floor or bed cover. When a youngman went out his village in search of a livelihood, he carried his modest belongings wrapped in a durrie, tied with a humble rope made from a local material. The lord and master of the house rested on a dumie. Women sat on it for a good gossip! These were functional and the aesthetically pleasing varieties normally came with a new bride, who had woven with her own hands, on a traditional ‘Adda’ loom, using a ‘Punja’ in one hand for beating the weft. A little guidance from the mother or the aunts helped create the vibrant, rich durrie- truly a product of exquisite craftsmanship. The ‘Adda’ was not a very efficient machine. Some improvements had to be done if these ‘Punja Durries’ were to be produced commercially and for the women to earn fair wages for the time they spend on the machine. Handloom provides a good scope for empowering the woman. TARA stepped in an manufactured an all-metal vertical ‘Loom’ capable of weaving ‘durries’ or ‘carpets’ of width varying from 120cm to 240 cm. The ‘Punja’ has six to eight fingers, the length of the warp is continuous, its tensio high, thanks to a screwjack arrangement. And, need we say that the all-metal frame makes it real sturdy! At about Rs. 7,500/- a machine, it is highly economical. We might as well mention one plus point – the loom is child –labour proof.
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