THE ART OF WEAVING KAPDAGANDA SHAWLS
This is a story of self sustaining tribes living in harmony with rich forests surrounding the hillside, where summer monsoon rain turns streams into rivers & mountains are worshipped as gods, these are Niyamgiri hills homed one of India’s most remote tribes in orissa” – The Dongria kondh
Every evening in the small hamlets spread over Niyamgiri hills, the Dongria women of all ages sit in their verandahs, individually or in a group, busy in embroidering Kapdaganda, the shawl that symbolizes their heritage and ethnic identity. The skilled needle work tells us about the importance of community & life in the midst of Niyamgiri.
The deep reverence that the Dongria have for their gods, hills and streams pervades every aspect of their lives. Even their art reflects the mountains, in the triangular motifs found on village shrines to the many gods of the village. They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
Woven with excellent craftsmanship, Kapdaganda is prepared by women of the community who gift it to their beloved ones as a token of love. It is presented by them to their brother and father as a symbol of affection.The off-white coarse Fabric used as raw material for Kapdaganda is procured from the Domb,The designs are embroidered on the cloth by a needle using threads.The Dongria used turmeric, bean leaves & wild seeds to colour yellow, green & red respectively. To prevent the colour from fading, they would boil the banana flower in water & dip the coloured threads in.
The use of Red, Green, yellow depicts the linkage with the environment,their occupation, age old human sacrifices & deep cultural value of their community. Red signifies blood &revenge while green symbolizes their fertile mountain ecology. Yellow symbolizes the origin of the Kondh. It also represents prosperity and turmeric cultivation.
Efforts are required to preserve kapdaganda shawls that embody the rich heritage of tribes of Niyamgiri. On Tribesindia.com you get a chance to explore the collection of Dongria Shawls & sarees.support the craft that has been the finest & rarest of all.
Shop these Dongria Shawls at www.tribesindia.com
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