Handloom Artist
khetaram sumra
Barmer, Rajasthan
Khetaram Sumra, 24, from Dhanau, Barmer, learned weaving at 15 and founded Rohida Handlooms in 2022, specializing in pattu weaving. His products, including stoles and wall hangings featuring intricate figures of birds and animals, showcase a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and entrepreneurial flair. Despite his father’s shift to farming, Khetaram has revitalized the family’s weaving legacy, blending artistic skill with business acumen.
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about craft
Pattu weaving, a traditional craft practiced primarily in Barmer and other districts of Rajasthan, has deep cultural significance in Western India. Traditionally, these shawls or blankets, known as pattus, were woven on pit treadle looms using camel and sheep wool, resulting in narrow strips adorned with colorful motifs. Over time, the introduction of synthetic dyes and cotton fibers has expanded the color palette, with patterns created through intricate methods like interlocking and extra weft figuring. The weaving process involves vertical warp bands in complementary colors, with the extra weft yarn creating an embroidery-like effect. Specialist communities like the Meghval excel in crafting various pattu designs, including hiravali pattu and baladi check. These pattus, known for their warmth and vibrant colors, are worn by both men and women, serving as essential garments in rural Rajasthan during the winter months.
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Handloom Artist
notable collabs
Desert Black Buck Scrolls
Enakshi Ghosh
Textile Designer
Desert Black Buck Scrolls
The inspiration for these scrolls is dual. On one hand, the designer is inspired by wild-life found across the arid landscape of Rajasthan, India. And, on the other hand, the scroll attempts to capture the essence of the struggle to revive a lost craft and its craftsmanship and the conversation between the craftsman and designer working in tandem to achieve the same. The artisan hails from the weaver community of Dhanau – a village located within Barmer district of Rajasthan, India and is from a generation trying to revive the craft of “Pattu” weaving. The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), known as the Indian antelope, is a now protected species native to Rajasthan which was near extinction post Indian Independence, but, is now under the least concern status, which shows its resurgence. By portraying two male blackbucks being engaged in a symbolic duel over a female against the backdrop of the rising sun spread across the three scrolls, the designer and the craftsman are trying to portray the struggles not only to save the species from extinction but also of the dying craft of “Pattu” weaving.
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