Journeying for the Joth

Brinda Gill drafts the interesting journey of Vinay Narkar, a textile designer and revivalist based in Solapur, spared no effort in the pursuit of joth, one of the lost weaves of Maharashtra, and reviving it.

- Brinda Gill

“I have been researching Marathi folk literature for some years to learn about the traditional weaves of Maharashtra, the evolution of dress styles and the trends in fashion in response to different factors”, says Vinay Narkar, a lawyer-turned textile designer and revivalist.

“While weaves like Paithani from Maharashtra are well known, and others like himroo are lesser- known, I believe there were once many more traditional weaves that have been lost. It is in the quest to find out about these weaves and attempt to revive and recreate them, that I research Marathi literature, meet collectors, and see and study museum collections. I also meet old weavers who may recall those weaves from their childhood or from the anecdotes they heard from their elders.”

In this process, Vinay started collecting ovis (two-line verses in Marathi) that speak of different aspects of the state’s culture, and at times, have references of dress or a textile. Vinay also started writing on textiles of Maharashtra in the Loksatta, the Marathi newspaper, to create awareness of traditional handloom weaves of Maharashtra. Reading his articles, Nilima Inamdar, an avid reader of Marathi literature and a connoisseur of textiles, sent him an ovi (on 18th May 2020) that had a reference to a joth that indicated it was a type of sari.

The ovi reads:

मातेच्या दरबारी

लिंबाचा नाही देठ

बेयों माझी नेसली हिरवा जोठ

It loosely translates as