HYDERABAD: Himroo, a time-honoured fabric, was launched in the city on the occasion of National Handloom Day by Handloom revivalist Suraiya Hassan Bose. She belongs to the family of Subhash Chandra Bose. At the event that took place at Jalapally on Tuesday, Suraiya, 86, interacted with weavers and educated the weavers on various techniques of weaving.
Designer Mamatha Tulluri is supporting the weavers by helping them sell their weaved fabrics. Himroo is a fabric made of cotton and silk which came into the existence in Aurangabad during the 14th century when king Mohammad Tughlaq was ruling. The legend goes that in those days, the Muslims did not patronise silks and as a result Himroo - a fabric with a cotton base and silk weaving - The word Himroo comes from the the Persian word Hum-ruh which means similar.
Himroo fabric is similar to Kum-khwab, which was woven with pure gold and silver threads. Himroo, touted to be one of the most premium attires of India back in the 14th century, is now appearing sparsely. To reinstate the legacy of this royal fabric, and to hold it from falling into the extinction list, Director of Handlooms and Textiles Shailaja Ramaiyer and Proprietor of Mamatha Tulluri’s The Designer Studio, Mamatha Tulluri joined forces and opened the Himroo unit.
The launch witnessed the presence of handloom enthusiasts alongside NRIs who are keen to buy it in bulk. Priyanka, a young NRI who is passionate about arts and handicrafts came forward to donate a certain amount to help the weaver community.