Kapdaganda

Rayagada

Kapdaganda is not merely an aesthetic garment—it is an embodiment of cultural identity, social cohesion, and symbolic expression.

Kapdaganda Embroidery Shawls, a rare and intricate textile tradition, is practiced by the Dongaria Kondh tribe of Rayagada district in southern Odisha. The Dongaria Kondh, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), reside primarily in the Niyamgiri hills, spread across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, and number around 10,000 individuals according to the latest census estimates (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2021). Their society is deeply rooted in eco-centric customs and traditional wisdom, passed down orally through generations.

The embroidery is typically practiced by Dongaria Kondh women, many of whom begin learning the technique in adolescence. It forms part of the tribe’s collective cultural capital, reflecting their worldview, cosmology, and relationship with nature (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).

As per field surveys conducted by the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) and supported by grassroots NGOs like DSR Foundation, around 1,500 to 2,000 women are engaged in some form of embroidery work, though not all practice Kapdaganda regularly. While it is not traditionally seen as a commercial activity, recent initiatives by development organizations have encouraged women to view embroidery as a livelihood option (Craft Revival Trust, 2020). Despite this, the craft remains largely artisanal and identity-driven rather than market-driven.

Economically, the Dongaria Kondh people face multiple challenges: limited access to education and healthcare, lack of infrastructural connectivity, and marginal integration into formal markets. Their primary livelihood sources include shifting cultivation (podu), horticulture (notably mango, turmeric, and pineapple), minor forest produce collection, and wage labor (Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme, OTELP).

In such a context, embroidery serves as a supplementary source of income for some women, especially when linked to craft cooperatives or government-run marketing platforms. The skill also offers a dignified, culturally rooted alternative to migration or unskilled labor.

The resurgence of interest in Kapdaganda—both as a heritage craft and a sustainable livelihood option—holds promise not only for economic empowerment but also for cultural preservation in the face of increasing socio-economic pressures.

Historical Origins and Evolution

The craft is believed to have ancient roots, dating back several centuries. While no fixed timeline exists due to the oral transmission of Dongaria history, local legends suggest that Kapdaganda originated as a sacred offering to the ancestral spirits and later evolved into a customary token of love and labor. It is said that a Dongaria woman who embroidered a shawl for her suitor ensured not only warmth but spiritual protection and fertility blessings (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).

The founding custodians of this craft were the elder women of prominent clans in the Niyamgiri hills, who passed on embroidery techniques through generations, often during puberty rites or harvest rituals. While no historical evidence links the embroidery to royal patronage, the Kondh region did come into indirect contact with the Eastern Ganga and Bhoi dynasties, which may have influenced textile aesthetics through trade exposure and symbolic syncretism (Craft Revival Trust, 2020).

The term "Kapdaganda" refers to a traditional embroidered shawl gifted by Dongaria Kondh women to their male kin—husbands, brothers, or lovers.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2021

Culturally, Kapdaganda holds deep religious significance. The motifs embroidered—such as the sun, mountains, flora, and fauna—are not decorative alone but embody sacred cosmology. The diamonds and intersecting lines often symbolize Niyamraja, the supreme deity of the Dongarias, and their worldview of interdependence among life forms.

Tribal Textiles of Odisha, 2020

Originally, natural dyes, hand-spun cotton, and quills were used for stitching. Over time, with the introduction of industrial threads and cheaper synthetic fabrics during British colonial influence and post-independence industrialization, the raw materials transitioned. The use of bright acrylic threads and factory-woven cloths replaced some of the natural elements but retained the design vocabulary

DSR Foundation Report, 2022

Motifs too have transformed. Traditional abstract forms have given way to more representational styles—birds, flowers, and even modern symbols introduced through exposure to market trends. Similarly, the use of Kapdaganda has evolved from intimate familial gifting and ritualistic utility to being sold in exhibitions, craft fairs, and urban fashion outlets.

Tribal Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, 1975

There are no written archives dating back before the 20th century, but photographic records, anthropological fieldwork, and NGO-led documentation over the past two decades have contributed to preserving knowledge. The earliest formal mention of the craft appeared in tribal studies journals during the 1970s.

ORMAS Annual Report, 2021; SCSTRTI Odisha Publications

Historically, embroidery skills were passed through a guru-shishya tradition—grandmothers mentoring granddaughters in homesteads. Today, NGOs and government livelihood missions like ORMAS and SCSTRTI have introduced formal training modules, often in group workshop formats, as part of capacity-building and self-help group empowerment.

Craft Revival Trust; INTACH Odisha

The resilience of Kapdaganda lies in its adaptive yet rooted evolution—retaining tribal essence while absorbing contemporary forms of livelihood and aesthetics.

Geographic Spread

Kapdaganda embroidery is rooted in the remote and forested terrains of the Niyamgiri Hills, predominantly in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha. Core production villages include Hundijali, Kurli, Khambesi, Parsali, Sakata, and Lakpadar, where the Dongaria Kondh community maintains its stronghold. These villages form the epicenter of traditional practice and knowledge transmission (SCSTRTI Odisha Report, 2019).

Peripheral regions like Kandhamal and Koraput districts also host occasional practice, especially in areas where Dongaria Kondhs have migrated due to marriage, displacement, or economic necessity. Migration patterns have led to the intermingling of embroidery styles with other Kondh sub-groups, resulting in slight regional variations in motif size, color palette, and thread density (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).

Within Odisha, Kapdaganda remains largely a rural tradition, although awareness in urban centers like Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, and Rourkela has grown through exhibitions and fairs. The craft’s distribution across the state is primarily artisan-driven, with occasional government and NGO facilitation (Craft Revival Trust, 2020). There is no significant spread to other states or countries yet, though some handcrafted shawls have found their way to international craft expos and tribal art exhibitions abroad (Dastkar Craft Exhibition Report, 2022).

Raw materials, such as cotton cloth and synthetic embroidery threads, are sourced from nearby markets in Rayagada town, Bissamcuttack, and Muniguda, connected by narrow ghat roads. While these roads allow basic transportation, the lack of robust infrastructure remains a barrier to wider market integration (Odisha Livelihoods Mission, 2021).

Historically, Kapdaganda was traded locally through informal barter and gifting during festivals. In recent decades, with the intervention of government bodies like DKDA, ORMAS, TRIFED, and NGOs such as Dastkar and Living Farms, the embroidery has entered craft-based trade circuits (ORMAS Annual Report, 2020; TRIFED Handloom and Handicrafts Scheme Overview). Occasional presence in Delhi Haat, Surajkund Mela, and India International Trade Fair (IITF) has amplified visibility beyond Odisha to some extent (IITF Event Brochure, 2022).

Today, the embroidery practice remains concentrated in the hills but is steadily reaching new audiences via exhibitions, NGOs, and digital platforms that celebrate indigenous textile narratives (Living Farms Program Report, 2021).

No government-designated cluster yet exists exclusively for Kapdaganda; however, some villages have been covered under Odisha’s tribal craft promotion schemes. Workshops under the SCSTRTI and capacity-building efforts have facilitated the emergence of local clusters, albeit informally.

(SCSTRTI Craft Cluster Mapping Report, 2019)

GI Tag Recognition

In 2023, Kapdaganda embroidery received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) Tag under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. This recognition acknowledges the unique cultural and geographical identity of the embroidery, exclusively practiced by the Dongaria Kondh tribe in the Niyamgiri Hills of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in Odisha.

The GI tag safeguards the intellectual property of the community artisans, ensuring that only genuine products originating from the designated region and community can be marketed as Kapdaganda. This is expected to significantly improve market access, visibility, and fair pricing for Dongaria Kondh women involved in embroidery, while also protecting the heritage from cultural appropriation or misrepresentation (Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, 2023).

The initiative to secure the GI Tag was taken by Living Farms, a grassroots NGO working in Odisha to support tribal rights and livelihoods, in collaboration with the Dongaria Kondh Development Authority (DKDA) and the SCSTRTI (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute), Odisha. Their joint application was supported by field documentation, community testimonies, and product samples. This collective effort reflects a broader commitment to recognizing and sustaining tribal artisanal knowledge systems within national and global platforms (Living Farms Press Release, 2023; GI Registry Filing No. 718, Government of India).

This recognition also aligns with growing national interest in preserving India’s intangible cultural heritage, as defined under UNESCO and Ministry of Culture guidelines.

Communities Practicing Kapdaganda

Dongaria Kondh, meaning 'mountain dwellers'—derived from 'Dongar' meaning hill and 'Kondh' being the name of the tribe

The primary community engaged in the practice of Kapdaganda embroidery is the Dongaria Kondh, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) located in the Niyamgiri Hills of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha. A smaller group of Desia Kondh in neighboring regions such as Koraput and Kandhamal have also absorbed elements of the embroidery practice through inter-community exchange and marital migration (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).

The Dongaria Kondh population is estimated at around 10,000 individuals, with women comprising nearly half. Women, particularly adolescent girls and married women, are the exclusive practitioners of Kapdaganda embroidery, while men primarily wear the shawls during rituals, courtship, and marriage ceremonies. Embroidery skills are traditionally passed down through matrilineal oral instruction, often between mothers, grandmothers, and daughters. There is no formal hierarchy, but elder women are culturally regarded as repositories of design memory and technique.

Most artisans are part-time practitioners, with embroidery integrated into their domestic and agricultural schedules. With younger generations facing pressure to migrate for work or education, there is a decline in youth engagement, though some initiatives have attempted to involve them through workshops and market-linked production units (Living Farms Program Report, 2021).

Urbanization and external influence have altered engagement patterns; for example, some families now produce Kapdaganda for sale rather than purely cultural use. While full-time artisans remain rare, NGO and government collaborations with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have begun nurturing collective production models. Inter-community collaborations have emerged through cluster-level federations and craft conclaves, creating shared platforms between Dongaria and other tribal artisans in the region (ORMAS Annual Report, 2020).

Cultural Significance

Kapdaganda serves as a cultural emblem within the Dongaria Kondh community, reflecting their spiritual connection to nature, ancestry, and identity. The diamond motifs are believed to symbolize fertility, protection, and the sacred Niyamraja hill, the deity and spiritual center of Dongaria cosmology (SCSTRTI Odisha Report, 2019).

These shawls are used in major rituals and life events, including marriages, where a woman gifts the shawl to a prospective groom as a token of affection and capability. During festivals such as Meria and Niyam Raja Parab, men adorn the Kapdaganda as a mark of pride and tradition.

Colors used in the embroidery are not arbitrary—red signifies life and energy, yellow for prosperity, and green for the forest, reinforcing the tribe’s symbiotic worldview. Certain patterns are considered taboo for unmarried girls or are reserved for high-status occasions, underscoring the ritual stratification of design (Tribal Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, 1975).

The craft is embedded in oral traditions, with songs and folktales often referencing the making or gifting of a Kapdaganda. These narratives play a role in preserving tribal heritage and transmitting ecological knowledge. While modern usage has diversified to include commercial applications, for the Dongaria, the Kapdaganda remains a living document of personal and collective identity, passed thread-by-thread through time.

Tools and Materials Used

The materials used in creating Kapdaganda embroidery are rooted in both traditional and adaptive practices.

Base Cloth: Traditionally, the base fabric is made of handwoven cotton, typically black or dark indigo, woven on simple backstrap or loin looms by women of the community themselves. In more recent years, mill-made fabrics are also being used as a practical alternative.

Embroidery Threads: Bright-colored cotton threads have been replaced over time with readily available acrylic threads in red, green, yellow, and white, reflecting the evolving accessibility of materials (SCSTRTI Odisha Report, 2019).

Needles: Simple steel hand sewing needles are employed for embroidery. In earlier times, sharpened thorns or bones were used when metallic needles were unavailable (Tribal Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, 1975).

Accessories: Occasionally, adornments like mirrors, glass beads, and cowrie shells are sewn into the fabric for special ceremonial shawls. These embellishments are used sparingly and are intended to enhance the symbolic richness of the item (D'Source India, 2020).

Process of Making Kapdaganda

The production process is a slow and meditative craft, executed entirely by hand and devoid of mechanical tools.

Design Planning: No pre-drawn patterns are used; designs are created intuitively, based on the artisan’s memory and inherited visual vocabulary. This improvisational approach ensures that each shawl is a one-of-a-kind creation (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).
Motif Selection: Motifs reflect Dongaria cosmology and local biodiversity—mountains, rivers, trees, animals, and the diamond shape, which represents fertility and protection. The selection often corresponds with the occasion or the intended recipient's social context (Living Farms Field Notes, 2021).
Stitching: The primary techniques include running stitch, cross-stitch, and satin stitch. Each artisan uses their own variation in spacing and layering, which results in diverse textures and density across shawls (SCSTRTI Craft Cluster Mapping Report, 2019).
Completion Time: Depending on the complexity, the availability of free time (as most artisans are also engaged in farming), and the purpose of the shawl (ritual, personal, or commercial), a piece can take between three weeks to four months to complete. The rhythm of embroidery often coincides with agricultural lean periods.

Types and Categories of Embroidery Patterns

Kapdaganda embroidery is characterized by a rich vocabulary of motifs that are deeply embedded in the Dongaria Kondh's cosmology, environment, and identity. The patterns broadly fall into the following categories:

Geometric Motifs: These are the most fundamental and often include diamonds, triangles, crosses, and zigzag lines. The diamond motif, known as ‘puli’, is the most frequently repeated and symbolizes fertility, the female body, and protection. Crosses and intersecting lines may signify balance and connection between the earthly and the spiritual (SCSTRTI Odisha Report, 2019).
Floral and Faunal Motifs: These include stylized renditions of trees, flowers, birds (especially peacocks), and other animals like deer and tigers. These motifs represent the tribe’s reverence for the forest and its biodiversity, acting as both homage and symbolic guardians of nature (INTACH Odisha Report, 2018).
Symbolic and Ritual Motifs: Patterns like the sun, mountain peaks, flowing water lines, and representations of clan totems or Niyamraja (the tribal deity) are used. These designs imbue the garment with ritual meaning and spiritual protection, often linked to specific life-cycle events such as birth, marriage, or harvest (Craft Revival Trust, 2020).

Each shawl is unique in composition. There is no use of tracing paper or stencil; artisans visualize the pattern in their minds and improvise on cloth using color, symmetry, and rhythmic stitching. This intuitive process means that each piece bears the distinct personality and emotional resonance of the maker, often reflecting her relationship with the recipient (Living Farms Documentation, 2021).

Some contemporary interpretations have begun incorporating motifs inspired by urban symbols or abstract art, largely influenced by design workshops or collaborations. However, purist embroiderers still preserve the integrity of traditional motifs, especially for ceremonial or ritualistic use (ORMAS Design Development Report, 2020).

Contemporary Challenges

The survival of Kapdaganda embroidery is threatened by a number of socio-economic and cultural factors.

Decline in Daily Use: With the growing influence of urban fashion and synthetic clothing, the everyday use of traditional shawls has diminished significantly, reducing the demand for Kapdaganda in local communities.

Market Invisibility: The absence of organized marketing mechanisms and insufficient representation in mainstream craft circuits has led to poor visibility and undervaluation of this unique embroidery.

Low Income & Exploitation: Artisans often receive minimal returns for their work, with middlemen absorbing much of the profit in occasional market linkages (Living Farms Field Notes, 2021).

Generational Disengagement: Younger women, influenced by migration, formal education, and alternative employment opportunities, are less inclined to learn the slow, detailed craft, leading to knowledge erosion.

Revival Efforts

NGOs like Dastkar, Living Farms, and state-run bodies like ORMAS have facilitated capacity-building workshops, design development programs, and financial inclusion for women artisans.

(ORMAS Annual Report, 2020).

Despite these challenges, a number of interventions have revitalized interest in Kapdaganda -

- Work of DKDA (Dongaria Kondh Development Agency): The Dongaria Kondh Development Agency, functioning under the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), has played a proactive role in the cultural and economic upliftment of the Dongaria Kondh community. DKDA has initiated awareness campaigns to promote the continued use of traditional garments, facilitated embroidery training programs focused on younger women, and supported exhibitions featuring Kapdaganda embroidery. In collaboration with local self-help groups (SHGs), DKDA also promotes micro-entrepreneurship by helping women artisans access raw materials, connect with buyers, and navigate government schemes (DKDA Activity Report, 2021).
- Exhibition and Fair Platforms: The inclusion of Kapdaganda in national and international exhibitions such as Surajkund Mela, Delhi Haat, and India International Trade Fair (IITF) has elevated its cultural prestige and market appeal (IITF Event Brochure, 2022).

- Digital and E-Commerce Channels: Artisan-led collectives and platforms like Tribes India, GoCoop, and NGO-run online stores now showcase and sell Kapdaganda products, allowing wider reach and better returns for rural women (TRIFED E-Commerce Policy Note, 2021).
- Cultural Documentation and Advocacy: Efforts by researchers, filmmakers, and anthropologists to document Dongaria Kondh traditions and embroidery are adding to its recognition as an intangible cultural heritage worth preserving (INTACH Odisha Reports; Ministry of Tribal Affairs Archives).

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