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STATEMSNT OF CASE

NAME OF TTT GEOGRAPI{ICAL INDICATION:

MAIYdALAGIRI $AREES AND FABRICS

NAME AI\[D ADDRESS OF APPLICAhTTIASSOCIATION:

l. Suvarna takshml WCS Ltd.

Kabela Roa4 lTth War4
Mangalagiri, Gimtir District-522503.

Sri Chaitanya Laf,shmi WCS Ltd,,

Sharaff B azar, Mafigalagiri,

Guntur District-522503.

3. Sri Vijaya WCS l,td.,

Indira Nagar, ldanpalagiri,
Guntur District-52p503.

4. Lexmi IVCS Ltd.t

Indira Nagar, Madrgalagiri,
G untur District-522503.

5. Vijaya Lakshmi WCS Ltd.,

L.B.Nagar, Mangfl agiri,

Guntur District-5p2503.

Lakshmi Narasidha WCS Ltd.,

Kuppurao ColonyJ Mangalagiri,
Guntur District-522503.
7. Yijaya Durga
Bhargavapet4
Guntur District-

Rajeev}VCS
Bhargavapeta"

Guntur District-S

9. JanethaWCS
Chakalipet, Old

GunturDstrict-
10. Project WCS Ltd
NearG.R.Higlt Old Mangalagiri,
Mangalagiri, District-522503.

I l. The lfiangalagiri Ltd.,

D.R.WCS Mangalagiri,
Guntur District-

12. Sri Ganesh WCS

Tipparla Bazar,
Guntur Distri

13. Adarsha WCS

Ratnala Chenru,

Guntur District-

14. Sri Markendeya Ltd.,

l lth ward- veedhi, Mangalagiri,

Guntur District-

15. Saraswathi
APCO Gardens,
Mangalagiri, District-522503.
 16. HprijanaWCS
ArcO Gardens, Y Village,
Mpngalagiri Guntur District-522503.

17. Saravana WCS

Srlinagar Colony, am Villagg

Mangalagiri Guntur District-522503.

18. Abhyudaye Ltd.,

Sqi Ramanagar, Y Village,

V{angalagiri Guntur Distri st-522503.

19. JaiHanuman Ltd.,

l.favuluru
G[mturDistrict-

20. D.RK.WCS Ltd

KlajaVillage,
Guntur Distri

2l.l$angatagiri Vasthra Utpathi Darula Sangham.,

$haraffBazar, iri Mandal,

Guntur District-S

LEGAL COMPETEN OF THE APPLICANTIS:

MangalEgiri was al known as a pilgrim centre. There is a farmed and elegant temple
on a hillock in the of Manglagiri town dedicated to Lord Panakala Narasimha
Swamy. Here, jaggery r has been offered to the lord by the devotees for several

centuries. It is said in scriptures that, the lord is being worshipped since Satya Yuga

(The first of the four ). Below at ground level there is another temple dedicated to
Lakshmi Narasimha Sw y. It is said that, Yudhishtira @harmaraju, the eldest of the
Pandavas) installed the in deity in this temple. The temple has a very tall tower with
beautiful sculpture wh has I I stairs. It was constructed by Raja Vasireddi Venkatadri

Naidu, during the years -09.

Local legends speak of millennium old tradition in this region. It is said that pilgrims
were expected to offer respects to Lord Panakala Narashimha on the hill top, and

then buy a saree from a local weaver before leaving the place. This clearly emphasized
the patronage and i given to the weaving industry even as part of the tradition.

Besides, as per i on available in South Indian Inscriptions Volume IV (published

by Archaelogical of India) in pages 231 to233,t here is a clear r e ference to a

Pillar inscription in the inBazaar street of Mangalagiri Township called the shasana
Sthambam. This pillar ion is numbered as No.71 I and 71 1-A.

According to the inscri on this pillar, the muslim rulers belong to the Kutub Shahi
dynasty are said to have raised the taxes on Handloom textiles during the year 1593. As t
he weavers were not i a position to meet such huge taxes they left this village and
migrated to other centres of the State. Thus the weaving activity in this area

suffered a severe blow.
approach towards the
represent the positive
historical information
weaving tradition for
tly the rulers of this region pursued a more sympathetic
vers and thus reduced the Taxes. This pillar was supposed to
towards the weavers after their period of sorrow. This
the claim that Mangalagiri indeed had a strong
500 years.

The main occupation the town of Mangalagiri is Hand-loom weaving. Nearly 50% of
the population on this cottage industry only. Because of the HandJoom dress
material produced in town, Mangalagiri is placed in the world map.
DESCRIPTION OF

Mangalagiri pure cotton is a durable material , produced in the Mangalagiri region

near Guntur region of Pradesh . This fabric has no buttis or other designs on the

body and typically has elegant border with Indian motifs.

This fabric is typically ill made only in pit looms as the material is known for its

durability and tou and hence the weave needs to be very firm to render this
toughness. For this the weavers of this handloom industry, prefer to use pitlooms,

wherein they need to be on the ground and rest their legs in pits below the level of
the earth in pits dug out install the loom. This gives the weavers the necessary balance
to effect their special ing.

The Mangalagiri cotton fabric is durable, in vibrant colours and is very economical

being about Rs.50 per m . Another essential feature of Mangalagiri cotton is that there

are no gaps on the in the edge of the material which is again peculiar to this kind
of fabric.
The Nizam border is istic of Mangalagiri cotton saree which is finely woven
from pure zari specially from Surat in Gujarat . This border has intricate checks
with little dots in . The fabric is made in resplendent colours and is even made in
vibrant short co bination of two or more colours which give a special sheen to
the material. Though angalagiri weavers started their weaving with sarees, in more
recent times, the cotton fabric itself has gained wide acclaim due to its colour variants,
economical pricing, and ironmentally friendly qualities.

Mangalagiri cotton ile is characterized by

(a).pure durable cotton

(b).No weave designs body of the fabric

( c) Nizam border, is peculiar only to Mangalagiri region
(d).Material woven onl on pit-loom
(e). Material ranges Rs.45 to Rs.60 per metre

(f). Only produced in galagiri region

(g) No gaps on the weavp in the edge of the material which is again peculiar to this kind

of fabric.

Nizam border
 10

lv. icals for softening water, increasing solubility of dyes,

c ing the yarn, etc.

v.( y explanation for effluent disposal as chemicals are used)

(ir)

The cotton varn to be procured from mills in Tamil Nadu, but now it is

available even mills in Andhra Pradesh itself. Zari is brought from Surat in
Gujarat.

(iiD Purifi

The cotton which is brought from the mills are in Hank form is creamish tn
colour and in several impurities like oils, wax, cotton seeds, etc. This
makes the unsuitable for dyeing as the dye would not percolate into the
fibres due to wax content. So the yarn is boiled in hot water with caustic
soda and soap about 3 to 4 hours to ensure that the stickiness on the fibres
slowly give w
for
 After boiling, yarn is left to, soak in the same liquid overnight. The next
morning, the is thoroughly rinsed and the exeess water is squeezed out. Once

excess water ls g out, the yarn is ready for dyeing as the yarn now has the
capacity to the dyes.

(rD

This is a very step in Mtangalagiri textile production. For white sarees,

the yam is using either (a).bleaching powder or (b). bleaching solution.

The chemical of the bleach used is Calcium Hypochlorite. A minimum of 7

gms of Chlorine a litre of watpr is a minimum requirement. The yarn is soaked

in this solution about 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature and then washed,

wrung out and on barlilrco sticks for drying.

In the case of co rs, the yam is soaked in dyes.

It is noteworthy the Warp amd Weft are dyed separately. Since hank yam is
only used for Mangalag;iri Sarees and materials, 90Yo of the time, Vat

dye is used. are three kinds of Vat dye, namely-Vatl, Vat2 and Vat 3. Vat I
and 2 require upto,[0' C for dyeing while Vat 3 dye requires only
25"C.
 The Vat dye is to sodium Hyposulphite and Caustic soda, to effectuate

colour fast dyei rendering solurbility and absorption of the dye into the yarn.
The proportion as follows:
10 portions of V + 20 portions olfNaz SzO: +20 portions of caustic soda

The Vat dve of appropriate colour and hue is mixed with the above two
ingredients, and the varn is boiled at 40" C in the case of Vat I and Vat2 and

at25"Cinthe of Vat 3dye.

The Ilveine process

(v).

The yarn that is yed or bleachedl is then soaked in water in boiling temperature
with soap soluti and soda ash fior about 15 minutes to ensure that all molecules

ofexcess dye I on the surface of the yam come out. Since a mere wash does
not ensure the ofexcess clye, the soda ash and soap are added.
 t4

Yarn after

-\
rtl
r/|*.,
r \rrrb:--'

(vD. Dryins.

The yarn thus yed, is then dried out in the open on stands created for the
purpose. Certain light sensitive colours are dried in the shade. It is also a practice

for dyeing s ialists to dye yarns of particular colours , in which case, only
certain colours are mixed on certain days. This way uniformity could be

maintained in Weighing scales are used to measure the dye powder which
is used to mix in

PRE-LOOM

(vii). Windin weft

The hank is the transferred through a "charka" and shift bamboo into a bobbrn
and is now call the warp. The weft is made by winding the hank yarn into a
Pirn. The weft i then inserted into a shuttle.

Next, the warp the bobbin is rolled out into a warp machine which is a big
circular cont with bamboo sticks. By a rotating process, the yarn is rolled
 15

ogt of several into the w,op machine. Now the harnk yarn is in the form
of a warp.
 16

Next the warp i mounted on bamboo sticks and is extended to its full length.
Then it is with rice conjee to reinforce the fibres and make it amenable
for weaving. Th is done for about 45 minutes, and depending upon the time of
the day and conditions, the fibres are left to dry.

Street sizing

i;)o

(ix). w

After street sizi the warp is ready for weaving. It is mounted on a beam, and
the weft which i in the Pirn is placed inside a shuttle and placed perpendicular to

the warp beam. or every pull of the lever, the weft moves across the warp once
thus adding to a ve.

This was the itional method of weaving the warp and weft. However
nowadays, the is used and cards with punched holes are inserted and
placed y to effect the required designs on the cloth.
 t7

One warp can about 4 sarees.

lwarp = 12

I weft = 10 han

Zariis wound in I bobbins and is used only for the border. Since Mangalagiri

sarees do not any woven designs on the body, the Zai is used only for the
border.
It is very signi to note that Mangalagiri cotton textiles are woven only on
Pitlooms.

A pit is dug on ground, and the weaver sits with his feet planted in a pit below

the ground The loom is placed on the ground so that much force could be
applied with while the weaving process takes place. Many other kinds of
weaving involve loom, or stand loom wherein, the loom is mounted above.
In this case the is able to force himself a little more to be able to weave
the Nizam border into the weave. Admittedly, this border which is
created without gap in the edge of the textile requires much skill and manual
capacity. These characterize Mangalagiri textile weaving, as being
unique and di t from other

kinds of weaves.

Mangalagiri are also known traditionally for fine checks on the body which

is made by a g the required colours on the beam and woven by counting the

number of before adding the other colour to create the check design on the

material. The Mangalagiri material are in two tones. Eg. Yellow with red
checks and red . white with black checks and black border.
 l9

xi) Designs

The Mangalagiri textile is characterised by lack of woven designs on the body,

and Zari The Nizam border is the most characteristic kind of border
which is the hall of Mangalagiri cotton textiles though more recently other
kinds of borders ike the swan, or Rambam(or knife designs) or Khaddi borders
are also very . These designs are woven by the pure skill of the weaver on
the border which why the pitloom is of great help to them to apply force'

The Mangalagiri SAree however acquired its fame from its Nizam border which
has tiny checks ith dots in between. This is a typical characteristic of traditional
Mangalagiri and makes the saree stand out from other sarees.

It is noteworthy the Zai is superimposed on the border which is woven by

weavmg warp weft. Hence the zari layer forms a tier over the regular weave
unlike some sarees wherein the zari itself is woven as border.

The Nizam or other borders are made by plotting dots on graph paper, and

when woven. requisite threads area counted before the zari checks are woven,
so as to give the and pallu the precise look of the tiny checks.

The woven yarn oth is then cut according to the requirement of the goods which
is to be made . the cloth is folded and sent for inspection to the master
weavers.
/e\ r
 2l

(ix)

The woven varn loth is then cut according to the requirement of the goods which
is to be made i . Then the cloth is folded and sent for inspection to the master

weavers.

(xii). INSPECTION:

No formal i on methods are being followed. However the master weavers

are confident of tifying flaws by touch. The quality is assessed by the nature
of work done then sent to the showrooms for display. A Read and Pick

mechanism is wed to ensure the quality of the textile woven.

Weavers and ieties are confident and conscious of the kind of yarn used as the

all raw materials sourced from the same place.

TIUMAI\ CREATI
Mangalagiri sarees and fabric have the unique distinction of being made
only from . This means a lot of physical inconvenience and hardship for
the weavers as have to sit at ground level and place their feet in pits dug

below the earth . This posture allows the weavers to apply more force into
the weave as a of which the material is taut, durable and the fibres are

closely also giving it a special sheen. Besides, there is no gap at the

edge of the wea which makes the fabric durable even in the edges. While many
labrics have a y to fray at the edges, Mangalagiri cottons are far more long

lasting.

The sheen in the material is due to the tight weaving of the warp and weft.
The choice of and mixing with Sodium Hyposulphite in the right
quantities are ly done to ensure standardised finished product.
The washing the excess dye and the right temperature used for the dyeing is
also important effective dyeing.
 22

Graph paper desifn is notable which involves careful plotting of designs for the

border and pallu. Hence Mangalagiri sarees and fabrics involve human labour in
two ways-namelyffor creating durable textile which is hardy and requires strength
in weaving. At thp same time meticulous design in border and pallu make human
labour and creatiriity a necessity.

MARKETING
Till 1985, Man[alagiri weaving seemed to be slowly dwindling due to
competition froni power looms. From 1985, there was a sudden impetus to the
textile of this region when the same kind of textile was used to make dress

material especialfly for churidhar/salwar kurtas. The local weavers believe that
they received a lnew lease of life due to the sudden surge in the market for
Mangalagiri cottfn dress material. This has now taken over 75%o of their total
sales, and the Mfngalagiri weaving community is dependant on the dress material
sale even more fhan the saree production. The town of approximately a lakh
inhabitants has 4|o/o of them depending on weaving. Thus the Mangalagiri cotton
textile industry t{as become a very important livelihood in this region thanks to
the great deman{ for cottons world over. Though Mangalagiri weavers do not
directly export tt{eir textiles, they sell their materials to whole sale agents who in
turn use them for mass scale garment industry, which are circulated world over.

WAGES
Weavers in Man$alagiri are given minimum wages of Rs.600 for I warp which is
4 sarees.

come forward with several Weaver's benefit

 23

2. Health scheme under ICICI Lombardo scheme-

Each pays about Rs.50 per annum, and the Govt. of India pays
about Rs per year while Andhra Pradesh State Govt. pays abut Rs.90.

3. Gandhi Bunakara Yojana Scheme-

Weavers to pay Rs.80 per annum and Central and State Govt. pay
com sum for weaver's benefit.

4. Old age
Rs.200 month for those above 50 years of age towards old age

pensions.

5. Invalid old weavers benefit from distribution of 25kgs. Of rice, freee

of cost State of Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.

6. During periods of the year, like festival seasons, like Dushehhra,

During frxed earlier, a l0o/o discount over the sale of Handloom

textile, is llowed. and the cost of this discount translates itself into a
subsidy ich is borne by the State Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.

7. In addi specific societies are benefited every year from loans given by

State of Andhra Pradesh by which a certain number of free

looms glven.

0,,^) /r,u'aL
Ctunsel for Applicant
Anand and Anand