Dancing with weaves

Riddhi Doshi draped in a Paithani

When the lockdown drowned out her plans to deck up for her brother's wedding, Riddhi Doshi, a Kharghar-based journalist, didn't know what to do with all the new sarees she had indulged in, or the ones she'd been saving for the occasion. "One day, I just happened to drape a Banarasi dupatta for the feels. And that somehow made me feel good," says Doshi, who is also a dance movement therapy facilitator. As someone who likes to break into a jig when she's happy, Doshi ended up doing so, and recording it. "I knew I wanted to do something more with that video. Since I'm married into a Banarasi household, I thought of reading up about the textile. It was such a revelation in terms of the cultural and historical context," shares Doshi, who then weaved her research into a short clip of her dancing to the song Piya tose naina lage re, giving birth to Dance and Textile Project.

Head to her social media feed and you'll find her draped in a colourful Puan from Mizoram, moving to the beats of Hoton mein aisi baat and narrating how these skirts are woven by women on back-strap looms; or dancing in a six-yard Paithani, telling you the story of the Romans waiting to get their hands on the royal silk at Kalyan ports; or grooving to Yaar bina chain kahan re while sharing anecdotes about Kanchipuram weavers. "India has over 200 kinds of textiles. Our wardrobes are bound to have at least three to four kinds of them. We just don't realise it. The idea was to communicate this research in a language that people enjoy. The artist MF Husain had once shared [with her] how we need to sometimes package our art in a way that people can understand and appreciate," says Doshi, adding that this is why she chose retro music.

A screenshot of her dancing in a Panetar, with an explanation about the Gujarati wedding saree

So far, she's documented the history behind different textiles and related crafts, such as ajrakh, Kutchi embroidery, Mysore silk, Paithani, among others, for which she has dug into her and her mother's wardrobe. "Our textiles themselves reveal so much about our history, culture and who we are. For example, the lotus motifs in Paithani are attributed to a Buddhist influence although it's widely known for its association with the Peshwas," she illustrates.

Apart from poring over books and plumbing the depths of the Internet, the storyteller also seeks out people to share their memories of the weaves. So, you'll find a government employee reminiscing about a 27-year-old Kanjivaram that her father bought her for '2,000; a newly-wedded bride gushing about the time her husband saw her in a gold-threaded Paithani; and a Powai-based headmistress recounting a fun Onam day with her sisters wearing a Kasavu. "I think every textile is as much about the hands that weave it, as it is about the memories that the wearer associates it with," she explains.

Riddhi Doshi in a Puan from Mizoram

At the heart of this project is also her faith in the socio-cultural fabric of the country. "Our handicrafts are the embodiment of our peaceful diversity. For instance, the Rajasthani lehariya was dyed by Muslims, patronised by Rajput kings and worn by Hindus. This project gave me the language to speak about this," she shares. Pointing to a bright blue Kutchi stole, that involves the craftsmanship of six artisans of different faiths and communities, she concludes, we are one. We agree.

Log on to @riddhi.doshi.anand on Instagram

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