The Lost Art of Himroo Weaving
A
bdul Hamid Abdul Razzak (Hamid bhai for short) has spent the last 10 years shifting from
one temporary job to another—by turns auto-rickshaw driver, carpenter and watchman. His is
a financially unstable and vulnerable life like thousands of others in the dusty town of
Aurangabad, India. Yet, just like the city itself, which was once the splendid seat of power of
the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Hamid bhai’s present life is but the shadow of a former
royal chapter of India’s history. For Hamid bhai is literally the last surviving weaver of the
once-glorious craft of Himroo—the ornate brocade textile that clothed the erstwhile nobility
of the Deccan region in India.
“Himroo: The finest fabric of the Deccan” – Marco Polo
Himroo was a luxurious handwoven twill fabric made of silk and cotton such that the two
sides of the fabric had a different colour. It was brought to Aurangabad (in the heart of the
Deccan Plateau region of central India) in the reign of Mohammad bin Tughlaq, when he
shifted his capital from Delhi to Aurangabad in 1328. The name originated from the Persian
word Hum-ruh which means 'similar'. Himroo was the uniquely “Deccani” interpretation of
the Persian “kinkhwab” fabric. It was borne out of the interaction of the Persian weavers with
the local Hindu weavers of Paithan. Himroo designs are traditionally ornate in nature with
paisleys, marigolds, vines and fruits being popular motifs.
The Rise and Fall of Himroo
GALLERY
Himroo is intrinsically linked to the fascinating history of Auranagabad. Archival records of
the 17th century show that Himroo was a premium luxury fabric for the royals of the time.
The ruling Mughal nobility were patrons of the craft. Himroo was woven in rich colours with
pure silk and gold threads. In fact, Indian craftsmen made silver and gold wires of such
extreme fineness that the entire fabric could be woven from them, producing literally a cloth
of gold (Gillow and Barnard, 1993).
Even after the disintegration of the Mughal empire, Himroo continued to thrive under the
patronage of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the new ruler of Aurangabad. Through interviews with
local historians and other stake-holders, we have been able to learn that at the peak of its
glory (mid-to late-19 th century), there were approximately 2000-2500 Himroo handlooms
being operated in Aurangabad city and the nearby towns of Hyderabad, Paithan, Yeola and
Jalna. Himroo fabrics were greatly in demand by the nobility of the times and were tailored
into royal sherwanis and kurtas (long jackets and shirts).
However, in the late-19th century, himroo weavers suffered greatly due to the invasion of the
British and the advent of cheap mill-made fabrics from Britain. By the year 1949 there were
only about 150 Himroo artisan families and, according to the Rural Economic Enquiries in
Hyderabad State 1949-51, only 30 families were actively engaged in the craft.
It was then that a group of enterprising Himroo weavers got together and created a fabric that
was machine-made but still incorporated the basic motifs of Himroo. As a result, much of the
original beauty and grace of the product was lost. While the “powerloom himroo” continues
to thrive today, there is no trace to be found of the original product that would have a high
demand in the luxury market (Similar to the pashmina of Kashmir). Gradually in decline, it
appears to have died out completely in the last 10 years. Today, there are only 4 authentic
Himroo handlooms to be found in the city of Aurangabad and they are in defunct condition.
Hamid bhai himself was forced to stop weaving around 12 years ago when the last handloom
run by the Qureshi family (the original masters of Himroo) was shut down. His fellow
weavers from that time have all passed away and he remains the only one of his peers left.
Revival
Apart from Hamid bhai, the other custodians of the craft are brother Imran and Aamir
Qureshi, the grandsons of Himroo master-craftsmen, Abdul Hameed Qureshi. Their
emotional attachment to their grandfather led him to meticulously start saving scraps of
different Himroo designs from the looms run by the family. Today, while nothing of their
weaving unit remains, these little fabric swatches are the only actual physical guides to the
revival of Himroo. Each piece is a marvel of handloom weaving, depicting decadent flora and
fauna in rich jeweled tones.
The challenge of this monumental revival project has been taken up by LoomKatha, a young
Indian firm that focuses on reviving nearly-extinct weaves of India and placing handloom
weavers on the global market. Generously supported by Can-Pack India Pvt Ltd, as part of its
Social Responsibility project, LoomKatha has re-started 2 of the remaining handlooms owned
by the Qureshis. An inter-disciplinary team of designers and social science fellows has been
combing through historical books and speaking to diverse stake-holders to ascertain the best
way forward. Early this April, 2 looms have been re-started and Hamid bhai is finally back to
doing what he does best—weaving!
The Himroo Project by LoomKatha hopes to have market-ready products in June 2019.
However, it is a complex project given that the original yarns and loom constructions no
longer exist and we need all the support we can get. Please follow our progress here and do
write to us if you would like to be involved.
