Gota Craft of Rajasthan
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Jaipur is known for its gota craft work, also called lappe ka kaam. It is a kind of appliqué work on cloth; a fabric ornamentation, where small pieces of zari or ribbons are stitched onto the fabric with the edges sewn down to create elaborate patterns. Lengths of wide, golden ribbons are similarly stitched on the edges of the fabric to create an effect of gold zari work.
Traditionally, Gota ribbons were woven with a wrap of flattened gold and silver wire and a weft of silk/cotton thread and used as functional and decorative trims for a variety of garments and textiles used by the royalty, members of the court, temple idols and priests, as well as for altar cloths at shrines and prayer offerings.
With the subsequent substitution of pure gold and silver with gilt or lurex and the mass production of gota on electrically powered swivel looms at Surat and Ajmer, gota came to be
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used by all communities and castes of Rajasthan. It is considered to be a symbol of good omen and good will.
Gota may be used as kinari, edging, or cut and manipulated into motifs that are sewn onto garments and turbans worn during weddings and festivals.
It is worked with the appliqué technique using running, back, hem, or couching stitch on fabrics like georgette, chiffon, tussar silk, crepe, bandhani, cotton, viole, etc, and the various colours are red, orange, pink, maroon and yellow.
Motifs comprised of peacock, sparrow, paisley, floral, geometrical, human figure, palanquin, elephant and horse. These designs are organised into buta, buties, border and jal. As per the technique of gota tukdi, gota is cut into various shapes- gamla (flower pot), kairi (mango) and champak flower, and appliquéd onto a base fabric embellished with embroidery techniques such as zardozi and ari.
Gota patti involves the folding of tapes into basic rhomboid units, referred to as patti or leaves and combining them to create elaborate motifs and patterns that are sewn onto turbans, garments, baskets, thalposh or platter covers, and hookah. The various products made are salwar kurta, lehenga, short kurtis, topper, skirts, cholis, ghagras, odhnis, saris, rakhi, turbans, torans, cushion cover, mobile cover and jooties.
Image Courtesy: Handmade in India, M P Ranjan and Aditi Ranjan, 2007, COHANDS |
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