Dakkhan ko Chira: Hyderabad exhibition explores the textile heritage of the western Deccan
Textile researcher Vinay Narkar is hosting an exhibition in Hyderabad titled 'Dakkhan ko Chira' to showcase the textile and cultural heritage of the western Deccan region. The collection features Maratha-style paintings, traditional saris, and jewelry, aiming to document the aesthetic evolution of the region over the 17th and 18th centuries.
Why it matters
This exhibition serves as a cultural preservation effort, highlighting the intersection of regional history, traditional craftsmanship, and the revival of authentic textile techniques.
Dakkhan ko Chira (Weaves of Deccan), a two-day exhibition showcasing saris, paintings and jewellery of the western Deccan region, will be held at the Crafts Council of Telangana, Hyderabad.
Textile researcher and designer Vinay Narkar will present nearly 25 Maratha-style paintings, 100 saris and jewellery inspired by the architecture of the Maratha and north Karnataka regions. The collection is the result of a decade of research.
“The word revival is now overused,” says Vinay. His interest in the region's textiles goes back to his childhood in Sholapur, where he remembers women wearing Ilkal saris. “Since Sholapur is on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, it has a confluence of cultures, with influences from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana. You see this in the cultural, linguistic and textile traditions.”
That early curiosity led him to explore the textiles of the western Deccan, alongside Maratha folk literature and paintings for cultural and textile references.
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