Weaving Himroo To Life

Brinda Gill gives us an insight into how the prolific lady Suraiya Hassan has revived the art of himroo weaving in Hyderabad. Sophisticated himroo fabrics are woven at her centre and are sought after for sherwanis today!

- Suraiya Hassan

Twenty first century Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, seamlessly straddles different worlds. While the Cyberabad area is home to IT and other companies, much of the city is home to majestic monuments, museums and craft centres that offer the grace and charm synonymous with the city’s ancient heritage, syncretic culture and refined aesthetics. Among the craft centres is Suraiya’s, a centre for traditional weaves and crafts, that specialises in fine himroo weaving under the gentle, discerning eye of octogenarian Suraiya Hassan.

A ROYAL HERITAGE

A beautiful, dense, sturdy textile, graced with elegant motifs, himroo had been patronised by the rulers of the Deccan Sultanates and their descendants through the medieval centuries till about the mid 20th century. By the very nature of its weaving technique, himroo fabric typically has cotton floats on the reverse that touch the skin. The nature of the weaving technique is such that if the weft is of cotton and the warp of silk, the lower surface of the fabric will have cotton floats while the upper surface highlights the silk yarn giving the fabric a rich look and texture. This attribute of the fabric suited the Islamic rulers, who did not subscribe to wearing fabric with a structure that led to animal fibre, namely silk (or wool) touching the skin, yet wished to wear garments stitched from fabric woven with silk yarn which bore a regal look.

With royal patronage, the practise of himroo weaving received a fillip and led to the weaving of textiles with a fluid drape, graceful motifs, sophisticated colour palette, and rich look and feel. As Hyderabad was under the rule of the Nizams (1719-1948), himroo weaving flourished under their patronage. Due to various factors, the practise of himroo weaving unfortunately declined in the second half of the 20th century.