Pochampally

Ikat is a resist-dyeing technique applied to the yarn rather than the finished cloth: the threads are tied and dyed in sections before weaving, so that when they are set on the loom and woven the pattern appears, with the characteristic soft blurred edge where alignment shifts slightly. Pochampally practises double ikat in silk and cotton, where both warp and weft are resist-dyed and must be matched on the loom, a technique found in only a few places worldwide. The village holds a geographical indication and was named a best tourism village by the UN in 2021. Thousands of handlooms operate across the surrounding cluster.

History

On 18 April 1951 Vinoba Bhave arrived at Pochampally, a large village of about 700 families, two-thirds of them landless, and the day is recognised as the birth of the Bhoodan, or land-gift, movement, which gave the village the first part of its name. In 1999 a young weaver, Chithakindhi Mallesham, built a machine to automate the slow and painful hand-winding of yarn before dyeing, and in 2004 the Pochampally saree received a geographical indication (Wikipedia, Bhoodan Pochampally).

What to look for

• The tied yarn - threads bound and dyed in sections before weaving.
• The double ikat looms - warp and weft patterns matched during weaving.
• The blurred edges - the characteristic soft outline of ikat design.
• The village cluster - thousands of handlooms across the surrounding villages.

When to go

October to March; workshops run on weekdays and are quiet at weekends. Hyderabad summers are severe. Visiting with a co-operative or guide gets better access to working looms.

Before you go

Power-loom imitations are widely sold as handloom ikat. Workshops expect purchase interest. The village is spread out and a car is needed to see several units.

Nearby

Hyderabad lies west; Yadagirigutta temple is northeast.