Ghongadi: The Art and the Appeal

Introduction 

In the verdant of rural Maharashtra, shepherds weave a fabric of narratives and artisanal heritage i.e. Ghangodi. This wonder of intangible Khadi is a commodity of immense allure and significance for the village shepherds. This woollen blanket is referred to as ‘Kambal’ or ‘Kambli’ all across the Indian subcontinent. The communities involved in wool-related textile manufacture consist of these nomadic shepherds who breed, herd, maintain, and regularly shear the wool of sheep. Thereafter, the shepherds then sell this wool to a sub-group which crafts it into hand-spun yarns, which are naturally manufactured, allowing them to be woven together with a basic floor loom into ‘Ghongadi.’ This textile serves as a crucial accessory for both the communities, supporting their nomadic way of life, as they need to travel long distances to provide for their sheep herds. This historic fabric of Ghongadi becomes a pre-requisite for myriad seasons, providing protection from the monsoon, against the summer heat, and warmth during the cold winter months.

This traditional blanket is weaved and crafted by the nomadic community of Dhangars who transform desi wool acquired by their herds of sheep into Ghangodi. According to much primary research, the communities remark that Ghangodi has therapeutic properties and soothes the person wearing it—making it not only a cultural repository but also an essential healing clothing. 

Historical Artisanship

According to Vinutha Mallya, Bhimsen Joshi ascribed a didactic abhanga to Sant Dnyaneshwar which said, “Kanoba tujhi ghongadi changli…” (Lord Kanoba, your ghongadi is beautiful). This is one of the earliest mentions of Ghongadi through which the blanket can be deemed a historically rich and socially prevalent phenomena. Additionally to this, the patron deity’s consort Banal also belonged from the Dhangar community of herders. This, hereby, solidifies the centuries-old origin and roots of the pastoral shepherd sect of Maharashtra.

In recurring legends and narratives, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja incorporated the Ghongadi-wearing community as a part of his army and extended militia to enunciate espionage to report ongoings and news from surrounding kingdoms. The community also holds a strong belief in the ceremonial significance of textiles, reflecting their devotion to the deity Khandoba, in Jejuri near Pune, and is believed to have originated from a shepherd family. Clearly, every Indian community has some deep-rooted history of faith, belief, and customary laws. As a mark of reverence and tradition, they offer the Ghongadi to Khandoba. Given its pure essence, the Ghongadi is also presented to other deities, including Vithalla of Pandharpur and celestial saint Kalu Mama

Cultural Significance and Reminiscent Associations

The intricate and elaborate process of making the Ghongadi includes many steps and dedicated attention of internal conscience and external body. Prayers and Abhangas aid in this concentration of the spinners and weavers of Ghongadi. The Sangars are the weaving community who weave and beautifully transform the earlier wool into a coherent piece of blanket. These communities utilise Ghongadi for welcoming guests with honour, and is cherished by pregnant women as it provides satisfactory warmth to new-born infants.

In the effervescent folk music of Maharashtra, Ghongadi finds its namesake at many places. The memorable folk song by Shahir Nivrutti Pawar, “Kathi na ghongada gheu dya ki re an mala bhi jatrela yeu dya ki re…” expresses a desire to bring along a stick and the woollen blanket Ghongadi and come to the fair. This reflects how vital Ghongadi was historically and traditionally. The readings of ‘Shree Dnyaneshwari’ and poetry from Saint Tukaram’s works were composed while sitting on this woolen blanket and as mentioned, poetically talk about Ghongadi myriad of times. These songs evoke nostalgia associated and cultural effervescence with Ghongadi. 

Nitty-Gritties and Making of Ghangodi

Processes of crafting Ghongadi are initiated in the months of July and August, with sheep of Desi, Deccan or Usmanabadi category—which usually have a coarse texture. The sheep belonging to Central Maharashtra or Vidharba will have darker coloured wool, whereas the sheep inhabiting Solapur regions of Maharashtra will have a lighter colour due to hot and relatively cold weather respectively. The dark or black hued Ghongadi is abundantly available unlike the lighter hued Ghongadi which is relatively scarce since the latter is manufactured only at a particular time of the year. Labourers gather together and weave Ghongadi with Charkha. Women workers, especially, sing traditional folk songs while working which adds to their focus and camaraderie. 

The stage of measuring follows this, which is regionally known as Tanakadane. The usual size of Ghongadi varies from 8 ft. to 12 ft.—although 8 ft. Ghongadi called Konkan Patti is rare to find these days. To enhance the durability of Ghongadi, a mixture of Tamarind seeds is applied on wool prior to the inception of weaving. This concoction is prepared by converting Tamarind into a paste called hirakus powder and is mostly spread via a wooden brush all over the material. After completion, this is adorned as a blanket, shawl, or any other spread, and is primarily sold in rural-agriculture exhibitions. 

Contemporary Trajectories 

Mallika Dabhade-Samant and Anshu Sharma rightly describe Ghongadi as ‘rugged yet smart, basic but unique, simple yet chic.’ In recent times, Ghongadi is gradually fading away—this phenomenon emerged due to the rising usage of plastic as rain cover in Konkan farms since the 1980s. The abundance of synthetic woollen apparel and blankets in the market pushed the sale of Ghongadi to a low blow. Additionally, since Ghongadi is a handicraft, it is available at a slightly higher price than cheap, synthetic raw material and hence people find it expensive.

Despite the predictably bleak conditions and future, Ghongadi workers of Solapur made a remarkable twist in their route by launching Ghongadi.com to sell the woollen blankets online. Wearing and propagating Ghongadi will not only promote handicraft but also give an encouraging nudge to sustainability as opposed to fast-fashion trends. Modern innovations, therefore, have served as a boon and a bane to Ghongadi craft of Maharashtra. It has seen gloomy days due to declining sales and popularity because of alternative options. However, technological interventions gave these entrepreneurs hope to succeed in their handicraft and sartorial Ghongadi spaces. 

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