Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Retio, a traditional charkha of the Rabari Community from Kutch, Gujarat is the ‘Exhibit of the Month’ at the Veethi Sankul of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.
Head of Office, National Archives of India, Regional Office, Bhopal Raju Naoroibam inaugurated the exhibition on Friday. Museum associate N Sakmacha Singh has composed the exhibition.
Singh says the present object on display is a magnificent piece of a large size spinning device collected by the museum in 1990 from the Rabari people of Kutch, Gujarat.
The object on display, talks about the role of women in the socio-economic life of the Rabari people. Moreover, the object also brings to remember Mahatma Gandhi, who used Charkha as one of the most significant unifying elements of the nationalist movement in India.
The Retio is a local term of Charkha (Spinning Wheel) used by the Rabari community for spinning thread or yarn from raw woolen fibers or the cotton balls. It consists of a pair of identical drive-wheels fastened with iron rings and fitted through an axle along the two vertical wooden frames. One end of the Axel bears a long handle to rotate the wheel.
The edge of the wheel consists of uniform grooves to tie both the wheel with threads in a cross pattern so that a drive-band can be fastened and looped at the rear end where the spindle is attached. At the time of spinning, the fiber is tied in on the spindle and by rotating the wheel it is spun into threads, Singh adds.
