Gongadi shawl

May 31, 2023

Recently, Telangana’s woollen gongadi shawls has been refashioned into shoes for farmers by alumni of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

What it is? Gongadi, (known also as Kambal) is the traditional woolen blanket woven by the indigenous Kuruma pastoralist communities from wool of the indigenous Deccani sheep (known locally as Nalla gorrae) breed found in the Deccan Plateau region including the Indian state of Telangana.
The famous blanket has once served the Indian Armed Forces to beat harsh winters at the borders.
Features:
- The unique gongadi is not only the symbol of rich diverse traditional weaving culture of the Deccan region but also the pride and identity of the local indigenous pastoralist communities.
- The coarse woolen blanket is famous for its durability and versatility.
- The tough gongadi usually lasts for more than a decade and acquires this unique quality from the craft of hand weaving.
- One of the unique natures of gongadi is that it does not fade but grows darker in time.
- The indigenous Kuruma weavers say that gongadi is so strong that you can lift a fully grown bull off the ground with it.
The traditional gongadi is produced organically, without using any dyes either natural or synthetic. Sizing of the strings is done using the paste of soaked and cooked tamarind seeds