The Himroo Revival Project

"Himroo: The Finest Fabric of the Deccan" ~ Marco Polo

Himroo is a luxurious handwoven brocade fabric made with silk and cotton yarns. It was brought to Aurangabad by Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq, when he shifted his capital from Delhi to Aurangabad in the 13th century. The name originated from the Persian word Hum-ruh which means 'similar'. This is because Himroo is similar to the Persian “kinkhwab” fabric. It was borne out of the interaction between Persian weavers and the local weavers of nearby Paithan. Himroo designs are traditionally ornate in nature with paisleys, marigolds, vines and fruit being popular motifs.

Himroo's popularity grew with Mughal rule and reached its pinnacle during the reign of the Nizams of Hyderabad who ruled over Aurangabad until the mid-1900s. However, post Independence, in the absence of royal patronage and due to cheap imitations being made on power-looms, the craft gradually began to decline.  

 

When we visited Aurangabad for the first time in 2018 we were not able to find a single operational loom.
Despite the challenges, our team took on the mission to make Himroo a precious Indian textile again. Over the last 5 years, through our efforts, we have been able to restart 2 of the original defunct looms and also set up new looms. We have been successful in training a group of weavers from the community to produce refined and high quality Himroo textiles.  The products have been highly appreciated and our work has been featured in Hand/Eye Magazine, the Selvedge Magazine blog, the Thought Haversack blog, the Silkmark magazine and many others

 

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#KaamNotDaan: A Landmark Campaign

During the challenging times of COVID-19, our project faced setbacks, as weaving came to a grinding halt. To support our weavers, we launched the #kaamnotdaan campaign on Instagram, urging pre-booked orders from people online. Textile enthusiasts across India and overseas showed overwhelming support. We received close to a 100 online orders. Thanks to this, we were able to provide stipends to our weavers. We were also able to help set up new looms near the weavers' homes so they could continue to weave, and fulfilled all orders within a year. This incident shall always remain a cherished memory as it was a true reflection of our resilience and community support.

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From Perish to Precious: The Road Ahead

From one defunct loom that we stayed up nights to restore to our own weaving centre today.

From our first rough product that was called a joke by some to our Himroo now being on the red carpet at Cannes...

Our project has come a long way. But the work is far from done yet.

 

We aim to continuously refine our weavers' skills so that we can re-create more and more complex designs and patterns. At the same time, we want to continuously innovate and ensure that Himroo textiles can reach a larger customer group. Some of our major collaborative clients so far have been brands who have embraced the art form in its truest form yet innovated in design, colour or technique to bring out new possibilities.

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Our vision over the next 5 years is to establish a world-class Himroo weaving studio in Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar), a beacon of pride and glory for this ancient craft. This centre will provide a safe haven for our weavers to practice their artistry while also serving as a hub for creativity and innovation. Designers and textile enthusiasts will converge here, collaborating to create new interpretations of this heritage weave, all while preserving its timeless beauty and cultural significance.

You can view our entire Himroo collection here
Please email or WhatsApp us for more info.
Email: arushi@loomkatha.in | WhatsApp: + 91 8291343085
 
Look forward to your support.
Let's not let Himroo die a second time!