Madurai Sungudi: Difference between revisions

'''Madurai Sungudi''' is a cottondesign fabric offrom [[Madurai]], in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Tamil Nadu]], which is an exclusive [[textile]] product traditionally produced using tie and [[dye]] (using [[Natural dye|natural dyes]]) method by the [[Saurashtra people|Saurashtrians]], who migrated to Madurai under the patronage of King [[Tirumala Nayaka|Thirumalai Naicker]] in the 17th century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=httphttps://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/dec/17/call-for-museum-to-keep-dyeing-sungudi-art-alive-1912516.html|title=Call for museum to keep ‘dyeing’'dyeing' Sungudi art alive|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=2019-05-31}}</ref> The fabric's traditional popular use is as a [[Sari|saree]]; the fabric is now also used to make shirts, salwars, shawls, handbags, bed sheets and pillow cases. The product has been given protection under the [[List of Geographical Indications in India|GI registration]] act.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=Temple>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/madurai-sungudi-needs-patronage-to-revive-its-glory/article5420955.ece|title=Madurai Sungudi’Sungudi' needs patronage to revive its glory|date=4 December 2013|accessdate=9 June 2016|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name=Article>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/colourful-history-of-sungudi/article6161545.ece|title=Colourful history of ‘sungudi’'sungudi'|date=30 June 2014|accessdate=9 June 2016|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref>

In recent years, in view of tough competition from other textile fabrics, to meet the market demand this fabric, "sungudi" as it is commonly known, is made with modern designs and techniques of [[Woodblock printing|block printing]], [[Encaustic painting|wax printing]] and [[screen printing]].<ref name=Temple/><ref name=Article/>

The Madurai Sungudi, produced in Madurai city, a cottage industry product, is given protection under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act (GI Act) 1999 of the [[Government of India]]. It was registered by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks under the title "Madurai Sungudi" and recorded under GI Application number 21, Class 24 - Textile and Textile Goods and Class 25 – Clothing including Sarees and Rumal, as a textile product. The GI tag was approved on 12 December 2005.<ref name=India>{{Cite web|url=http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/treasures/21.htm|title=G.I Application No.21 Madurai Sungudi|accessdate=9 June 2016|publisher=Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630192805/http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/treasures/21.htm|archive-date=30 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Form>{{Cite web|url=http://ipindiaservices.gov.in/GI_DOC/21/21%20-%20Statement%20of%20Case%20-%2024-01-2005.pdf|format=pdf|title= Statetuent Of Case:Madurai Sunqudi Saree|accessdate=9 June 2016|publisher= Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks : Government of India}}</ref>

Sungudi is made in [[Madurai|Madurai City]], which is located in Tamil Nadu on the banks of the [[Vaigai River]].<ref name=Form/>

The primary input to make this fabric is woven unbleached cotton fabric or [[saree]] in which the warp and weft are made of 80s and 100s combed /carded yarn respectively. Then this fabric is subjected to the tie and dye process. The fabric is first bleached and printed with motifs. Then it is subject to the process of tying the knot called as "''putta''" or "''bandhani''" work. In a fabric of more than 6 yards, the number of ''puttas'' are more than 20,000 puttas or knots which are spaced uniformly and stitched by a single thread. The "pallu" (loose end of a saree) part of the saree or the fabric is made in a contrast colour by tying it firmly before subjecting it to a further process of treating in a solution of groundnut oil and alkaline earth. In this process, the fabric dipped in the solution is tamped well by foot several times and kept in a wet state for 2–3 days. It is then taken out and washed in the Vaigai River water (the water of this river is believed to give a special sheen to the fabric) and then dried. This process is repeated over a week. After washing and drying, the fabric is subjected to dyeing in a vat with a solution of alizarine red and ''kasa'' leaves. After dyeing the fabric is steamed and dried.<ref name=Form/>

A special characteristic of the Sungudi saree is that the knots created along the lines of the fabric cloth with red pigment prevent colours from intruding into the knotted part of the fabric when it is subject to the dyeing process in the vat. After the dyeing process, the knots are untiedreleased by removing the thread and the knotted parts.<ref name=Form/> In the traditional dyeing process, vegetable dyes are used to obtain different colours. However, in the modern dyeing process artificial chemical dyes (aniline) like [[Alizarine|alizarine red]], [[napthol]] and [[indigo]] are used to obtain the red, blue and other colour effects.<ref name=Form/>