Weaves of Their Lives

Clothing is inseparably linked to tribal identity. Each tribe has a unique design language. Every embellishment, weave, and motif has a special meaning to the community

- Vineetha Mokkil

A few years ago, a newly-erected statue of Mother Mary at Singpur village in Ranchi district sparked a controversy that echoed across Jharkhand. The reason: Mary was depicted wearing a white saree with a red border. Members of the Sarna Dharm, the faith which many tribes in Jharkhand follow, objected to the saree. Sarna elders threatened to remove the statue from the village unless the attire was changed. Dressing Mother Mary in a red and white saree—worn by Jharkhandi tribal women—was seen as a tactic to convert Sarna tribals to Christianity. The saree, a distinct marker of tribal identity, was weighted with religious and cultural meanings.“Red and white are prominent tribal colours,” says fashion designer Ashish Satyavrat, founder of Ranchi-based Johargram. “In tribal philosophy, red represents blood and sacrifice, and white symbolises peace.”

Clothing—indigenous textiles, weaves, colours, patterns, and motifs—are all inseparably linked to tribal identity. A weave is not just a weave. Stripes, shapes, and patterns are rooted in a tribe’s lived experience. Embellishments like beads, feathers, stones; motifs such as flowers, animals, mountains, or trees—none of these are random choices. Each tribe has its own special design language, which is a rich form of creative expression. It springs from “their mythology, world view, and daily life.”

There is a specific significance to every colour, fabric, weave and motif that a tribe uses. For instance, Assamese tribal textiles feature motifs drawn from the wildlife of Kaziranga, especially the deer and the rhino; the motif of the ‘‘japi’’, a headgear used for protection from the sun; and ‘‘