Weaving a forgotten art

THE needle punched the fabric, taking colourful threads along with it while carving designs and stories. This process is orchestrated by two hands that work in tandem, with loose skin showing signs of ageing along with experience, wisdom, and perspective.

- SONU M KOTHARI

The practitioner is Nisha Srikanth's grandmother. As she wove fabrics together and made dolls, Nisha used to observe the pattern and play with them. The skill took root in her, and she kept up the legacy by making fabric dolls even after getting married, moving to Chennai, and managing a high-profile job for almost 35 years. "My grandmother used to make fabric dolls, one of the oldest forms of doll-making. I would sit with her during Navaratri, decorating them, making thematic dolls, and then, when the festival ended, they became my toys," Nisha recalls.

Cut to 2017, Nisha’s childhood fascination with dolls left a spark at a family wedding. Instead of the usual fruit and vegetable arrangements at the reception, Nisha and her sister decided to try something new. “We made dolls that represented the rituals of a wedding—everything from the wearing toe ring and reason behind ammi mithidal practice to the seven rounds around the fire,” she says.