chaar manzil

The Design Story

chaar manzil

Chaar Manzil
This Manchaha is a shared canvas — woven by four artisans: Isriyal, Sunil, Kalamuddin, and Beerbal. Rather than dividing the rug diagonally like most collaborative pieces, they chose to split it horizontally so that each weaver could follow the designs of the others. The idea was simple: to let each person lead, and then let everyone else follow. The bottom section began with Isriyal, who brought in a sense of play with “lattu” (spinning tops) and torans (decorative door hangings), scattered across a calm zig-zag landscape. Next came Sunil. Inspired by Isriyal’s patterns, he continued the zig-zags in deeper tones, but filled his section with his favourite diamond-shaped sweets — kaju katri. Kalamuddin asked the others to weave kaju katri motifs too, but this time in soft, pale shades, placing them scattered across the surface. He said the diagonal zig-zag lines in his section represent the delicious aroma of the sweets drifting through the air. Finally came the most experienced weaver, Beerbal. Working with all the leftover yarns in every colour, he wove playful forms inspired by paper cutting and origami. His section is the most vibrant, a joyful ending that ties the whole rug together. Before starting, the weavers made one rule: everyone would get to weave one diamond motif in the center. Since Beerbal’s section was at the topmost, he had the least space left, and his diamond was the smallest. But as the others said, his part shines the brightest because of the explosion of the colours. At the end, they named the Manchaha “Chaar Manzil,” meaning “Four Floors.”

Isriyal S/o Bindu Kha