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Bonda women keep Ringa weaving alive on Handloom Day
The Hindu··7 Aug
On National Handloom Day, reports spotlighted Odisha's Bonda women in Malkangiri who still weave the Ringa, a striped wraparound skirt central to their identity. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group passes weaving within families beside farming and forest work each week. Ringa usually takes two to three days on indigenous looms between daily chores. Women sell and trade at weekly Onukudelli market.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Handloom buyers can learn why Ringa is identity clothing first and a commercial product only recently.
- Travellers interested in crafts can see how ethical tours try to keep Bonda privacy while supporting weavers.
- Readers of tribal affairs can note PVTG cultural skills surviving even as young people seek other work.
What's Happening
- National Handloom Day coverage focused on Bonda women weaving Ringa cloth in Odisha's Malkangiri district.
- The striped wraparound remains a daily and festival garment in a community classified as a PVTG.
- Weaving is taught at home and typically takes two to three days per Ringa beside other livelihood work.
Why Ringa Matters Beyond Handloom Day
- Historically Ringa used Kerang bark fibre; cotton yarn is now common while the visual stripe language continues.
- Bonda society places women at the centre of farming, market trade and cultural transmission including weaving.
- Artisans say appreciation from visitors encourages continuity even though weaving alone is not a steady income.
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