Dhurrie Weaving - Belgaum, Karnataka
Dhurrie weaving is done on a vertical loom locally called as khadav magga which means vertical or upright loom. Yarns (threads) purchased in Hulkoti in Karnataka and colored in Rona taluk of Gadag in Karnataka. Six cotton yarns are unwound and plied together to form a finger hanks or butterflies to be used as weft. Jamkhana looms are permanently installed in the corner of their house extending along one side of the wall. To which two bamboo poles (rods) of the warp yarns are tied at the upper and lower extremities. In this the basic character of pit loom are found combined with the vertical loom.
Unbleached cotton yarn of 3/10s (10s is count of yarn) is used in the making of warp yarns for the required width and spread across evenly. Heddles are made by looping each set of warp yarns to operate as the individual shafts to upper and lower the yarns. Weaving is mainly done indoors by the women in the house, where two weavers facing each other and work on this loom. Weaver who sits back of the loom operates the heddle raiser and weaves one half of the dhurrie width.
Jamkhana (mats) are woven weft faced where different colored yarns are inserted from the finger hanks moving in one direction and then return in opposite direction. Tibni (wooden tool) is used to guide the weft down its place. Weaver doesn’t refer any reference or graphs but weaves from their experience and memory which gives each dhurrie a human, individual touch. After yarns are inserted completely it is taken off the loom and the extra threads hanging are trimmed.
