Woven by the Dhangar community of Kolhapur
Valoroak Store brings the Ghongadi from the weaving villages of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara to homes across India. Every piece we sell is woven by hand by Dhangar weavers, and every order supports their craft directly.
Who the Dhangars are
The Dhangars are a shepherd community of the Deccan. For generations they have moved their flocks across Maharashtra, sheared the wool by hand and woven it into the Ghongadi, the black blanket you see on charpais, temple floors and village verandas.
How a Ghongadi is made
The wool is cleaned, hand spun into thick yarn and woven on a pit loom, where the weaver sits in a pit in the ground with the loom at floor level. A single Ghongadi takes several days. Nothing is dyed; the colour comes from the sheep.
Why we started
Fewer young people take up weaving because the work is hard and the pay is low. We buy directly from weaving families at a fair price and sell online, so the craft keeps going and you get a genuine handmade piece.
