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Somehow, one can recognize a thing of unique beauty and
construction in a few short glances. The depth of color, the unique design,
the texture, the physical presence of the thing that makes you come closer
and closer and closer. This was the feeling I had when I first passed by the
display of Gongadi blankets organized by the NGO Anthra who works with
herders, weavers and designers in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. I
tried not to admit my fascination, not wanting to bring another "thing" into
my home. But I couldn't keep myself away from them and soon was in deep
conversation with the blankets and with a British designer, and an Indian
veterinarian Yes, it was an odd set of ingredients that went into making
this divine creation.
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 Anthra's work is primarily to revive, rehabilitate and promote sustainable
livestock management practices and agriculture practices. Their work in the Telangana region was to help save an endangered breed of sheep the Deccani,
indigenous to this region of India. The small, naturally black sheep were
being sold for their meat and wool. As long as there was a thriving local
wool market, the sheep was valuable for both its wool and meat utility. With
the collapse of the local wool market, the Deccani lost out to other purely
meat sheep breeds, because of their size, which generated lower incomes .
Attempts to cross breed the sheep with other, larger meat sheep breeds, was
turning into a disaster for the animals ore hairy. Anthra was called in to help revitalize the sheep breed
and this is where it gets interesting.and for the local herders and
community members who relied on them, as the cross-bred lost its wool and
became more hairy. Anthra was called in to help revitalize the sheep breed
and this is where it gets interesting.
 During the course of their work in the community, they learned out about
traditional blankets that were once woven from the sheep's wool which are
beautiful, natural shades of rich black and shades of ash-grey, brown,
white, beige. The color of the wool is a unique and special aspect of these
animals and of the products created from their wool. The process of
listening and unearthing information, history, practices of the people in
Telangana makes this strange veterinary project a great example of true
craft revival. Anthra, as an NGO equipped with highly educated and trained
professionals could have gone into the community and gave the local people
their information and advice on how to revive the sheep and earn a
livelihood. However, Anthra's workers tried to understand the place, the
people, the histories and the practices that made this place what it is.
Their work then shifted and changed as they realized that the sheep had a
use other than being raised for slaughter and that the local economy could
be boosted by reviving the knowledge, skills and energies of local artisans.
 
What we have now is the painstaking result of rehabilitating the sheep from
the brink of extinction, unearthing and reviving traditional weaving
practices, introducing and innovating designs and motifs, and the
development of admirers and appreciators of the product the wider world. The
community has been reconnected to their own smarts, skills and ways of life
while being able to navigate the market demands of the 21st century. They
are no longer slaves to the market but active participants in creating
avenues of income and value creation for themselves and for future
generations.
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