14th-century weaves to 2500-year-old mirrors: Inside Hyderabad’s Angadi

“Apart from the Qureshi family, no one else in India or the world does Himroo weaving.”

These words, spoken by sixth-generation artisan Imran Ahmed Qureshi at Angadi- The Craft Bazaar, are not just a statement of pride; they are a wake-up call. Sitting in the heart of Hyderabad at the Crafts Council of Telangana (CCT), Qureshi is one of the few living links to a 14th-century Persian legacy.

Similarly, from the hand-painted magic of Sohrai to the 2500-year-old metal mirrors of Kerala and many more, Angadi has gathered the last remaining custodians of India’s languishing crafts under one roof in Banjara Hills.

Ancient crafts, living traditions

Among the most fascinating stalls at Angadi is that of Aranmula Kannadi, represented by master artisan P. Gopakumar from Kerala, who has been practising the craft for over 46 years. “We make bronze mirrors using a combination of tin and copper. When both are melted, it turns into bronze, which is then cast in a mould. This mould creates thin sheets which are polished and turned into mirrors,” he explains. Unlike ordinary mirrors made of glass, Aranmula Kannadi are crafted entirely from metal and reflect images without refraction.

The craft is believed to date back over 2,500 years, and today survives in just seven families in the village of Aranmula. “My family has been doing this for the past 300 years,” Gopakumar tells Siasat.com.

Aurangabad’s own Himroo weaving carries a similarly fragile legacy. Practised by the Qureshi family for generations, the craft traces its origins to a Persian technique called kinkhab, which was introduced during the medieval Deccan period. The distinctive fabric, traditionally woven using silk and cotton, was once favoured by the royalty.

“Himroo means a replica of kinkhaab,” Qureshi explains. While the patterns and weaving techniques remain inspired by the royal textile, the materials were adapted over time to make the fabric more accessible. “We use the same technique of kinkhaab and do not use jacquard machines in our weaving process,” he explains.

From Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, third-generation artist Manik Chand Mahto brings Sohrai painting, a tribal mural tradition historically created by women on mud walls. Using natural earth pigments such as red ochre, white clay and black manganese, Mahto recreates the motifs on wood, paper and canvas. “It is quite an old art form, around 8000 years old,” he tells Siasat.com.

Another rare craft comes from Kutch in Gujarat, where Harijan Tejashibhai Dhanabhai has spent over four decades practising split ply braiding and Kharad weaving. Using cotton and goat wool, he creates braided belts that were once used to decorate camels but are now repurposed as decorative objects for homes. “I have been doing this since I was 12 years old, after learning it from my father and grandfather. We cannot date it back to any particular year; Kharad weaving has been done ever since man walked on this earth,” he says, adding that apart from his family, very few people continue the craft today.

Keeping craft alive at Angadi

While many of the crafts showcased at Angadi carry histories stretching back centuries, several artisans are also finding ways to adapt these traditions for contemporary audiences.

In Alibaug, Maharashtra, artisan Pramod Vishnu Patil has spent the past three decades practising copper enamel (meenakari) work. At his workshop in Bhaimala village, members of the local Adivasi community create vibrant enamel paintings on copper sheets to create earrings, bookmarks, rings, and much more. “This is completely handmade, but we also sell it commercially so that everyone is able to afford our work,” he says.

Textile traditions also feature prominently at Angadi. Ashfaque Ahmad from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh continues his family’s practice of weaving Panja durries, durable handwoven rugs created using the traditional panja tool to set the threads tightly.

Several embroidery traditions are also being revived through collective efforts. Through the initiative PENO – The Gor Banjara Embroidery Trail, Vijaya Shriram Pawar has spent more than two decades working to revive the intricate embroidery of the Gor Banjara community. “This art can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation,” she says, adding that the initiative now works with hundreds of artisans while adapting traditional motifs into contemporary designs.

From Telangana’s Adilabad district, artisan Niste Geetha represents Bharoon embroidery, a counted-thread technique practised by women in her village. “I have been doing this for the past 15 years,” she says, explaining that the embroidery is created by working from the reverse side of the fabric and carefully counting warp and weft threads to form geometric patterns. Today, only about 25 to 30 women in her village continue practising the craft.

Together, the artisans at Angadi offer a glimpse into India’s vast craft heritage, one that stretches across centuries yet survives today through the dedication of a small number of practitioners determined to keep these traditions alive.

Angadi- The Craft Bazaar is running at the Craft Council of Telangana Spaces in Banjara Hills until March 8, 2026.