Bheden: A weaver in Mahalakata village under this block in Bargarh district has carved a niche for himself by weaving separate pattern of designs on both sides of a Sambalpuri handloom cloth unlike the traditional pattern of same designs on each sides, a report said Tuesday.
The weaver was identified as Sukant Meher (36), son of Ichha and Jayaram Meher in the village. He has perfected the art of separate designs on Sambalpuri sarees and other clothes which is known as double wiff or ‘duiphaliha’ design in the local parlance.
He has achieved such excellence only due to his sheer grit and determination. Having dropped out from Class-IX he learnt the art of weaving from his father. Later, he underwent basic training in weaving from Debangan Weavers Cooperative Society at Remanda in 2013 for four months.
He has created a number of designs using both traditional and theme-based motifs and recreated them successfully on yarn. He is also a perfectionist in Bandha Kala (tie and dye), which is core to Sambalpuri handloom products. He has also trained students in Narendra Society in Bheden.
He has trained 15 youths on the craft with the help of district industries centre in 2015-16 and is now giving training to 15 more youths in the second batch. He is also training the youths at the National handloom Training Institute as guest lecturer. He has also been felicitated by a host of organizations including in Sambalpuri Lok Mahotsav and by Sambalpuri Vastralaya
His intricately designed sarees with separate design patterns on top and bottom of Sambalpuri clothes with various colours has given him a distinctive identity in the handloom sector when the country celebrated National Handloom Day Tuesday.
While top part of the cloth is woven with Bandha design, the other part has been prepared with Bamkei pattern. His designs on scarf, sarees and door screens have been woven in this method. His work has earned him accolades for which he has been felicitated by various organizations in and outside the state.
He first applied his new pattern of designs in 2009 when he made a scarf with traditional tribal art on one side and the design of plants and flowers on the other side. This scarf was widely appreciated for which he was awarded with the state handloom prize by the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Since then he has not looked back and went experimenting his new designs on various works. He then went on to prepared a scarf where on one side there was traditional tribal art with the picture of wild animals like elephant, lion, deer and an ancient shrine on the other side.
His new work soon became a craze and he was awarded with National Handloom Merit Award in 2010. Later, he went on to prepare a door screen where the images Om Namaha Shivaya, Rudrakshya, Swastik, Bell leaves are designed on one side and the story of Devi Annasuya on the other side. His unique designs became remarkable for which he went to win the Rashtriya Udyog award from the Indian Society of Industry and Intellectual Development in 2013.
He has not only mastered the double wiff designs but has created some beautiful wall hangings with Bandha and Bamkei designs where he has placed the mythological tale of Nabagunjar in his work.
PNN