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CRAFT · GI HANDLOOM · TANGALIYATangaliya Weave
A 700-year-old handloom of the Dangasia community, Tangaliya builds geometric designs from tiny raised dots twisted into the cloth by hand — a GI-tagged craft unique to Surendranagar.
Weaving with tiny raised dots
Tangaliya, also called Daana weaving, is a roughly 700-year-old handloom craft of the Dangasia community of Surendranagar. Its signature is the daana — a tiny raised dot made by twisting extra thread around the warp by hand as the cloth is woven. Hundreds of these dots are placed in careful rows to build up bold geometric patterns, giving the fabric a distinctive beaded texture. The craft carries a GI (Geographical Indication) tag recognising its unique origin.
A 700-year handloom tradition
The craft traces back roughly seven hundred years in the Saurashtra countryside, made by the Dangasia community for the pastoral Bharwad who lived alongside them.
Dangasia weavers made shawls and wraps for the Bharwad, and the relationship between the two communities defined what was woven and for whom.
The daana is made on the loom, not embroidered afterwards: the weaver twists extra thread around groups of warp yarns by hand as the weaving proceeds, leaving a raised bead in the cloth.
Tangaliya received a Geographical Indication tag in 2009, which alongside renewed interest in handmade textiles pulled the craft back from near-extinction.
Why come
Daana dots
Each dot is twisted onto the warp by hand during weaving — hundreds of them in a single piece, placed to a counted pattern.
Geometric art
The dots build up bold geometric motifs, traditionally drawn from the pastoral world: animals, birds, grain and simple architectural forms.
GI craft
The GI tag ties the name to the Surendranagar weavers, protecting them from machine-made imitation sold under the same label.
Dangasia hands
The Dangasia have held the technique for centuries, and it is still concentrated in a small number of families around Surendranagar.
Wool & cotton
Traditionally shawls and wraps in wool for the Bharwad; today also cotton stoles, dupattas and yardage for contemporary use.
Take one home
The craft came close to dying out within living memory, so buying direct from the weavers is what keeps it viable.
What to see
THE CRAFTTangaliya
A beaded surface where the raised dots sit proud of the cloth — you can feel the pattern as much as see it.
THE MAKERSDangasia
The Dangasia weavers of Surendranagar, the only community that has ever made this cloth.
How to experience it
Meet a weaver
In a loom village.
Watch the daana
Dots twisted by hand.
See the patterns
Geometric designs.
Feel the texture
Beaded to the touch.
Learn the story
700 years old.
Buy direct
Keep the craft alive.
A living handloom heritage
For centuries the Dangasia weavers of Surendranagar have made Tangaliya shawls and wraps for the pastoral Bharwad community, encoding motifs of their world into the dotted cloth. Slow and painstaking, the technique nearly faded, but the GI tag and a new appetite for handmade textiles have helped revive it. Each piece is a small feat of patience — thousands of hand-tied dots forming pattern out of plain thread.
Our Surendranagar travel guide maps out the other places worth your time here.
Timing
Weaving goes on.
Best to travel.
Hot but open.
⏰ Tangaliya weaving is a year-round craft; visit the loom villages of Surendranagar in the cooler months for comfort.
Getting there
By Air
Rajkot (~90 km).
By Rail
Surendranagar Jn.
By Road
Loom villages near.
More in Surendranagar
AUG – SEP
Tarnetar Fair
Folk fair & music Explore →
PILGRIM
Chotila Yatra
On the Ahmedabad–Rajkot highway, a thousand steps climb to the hilltop shrine of Chamunda Mata at Chotila — one of Saurashtra’s most-visited pilgrimages, thronged by travellers and devotees. Explore →
FOLK
Dayro & Bhavai
The living folk arts of Saurashtra — the dayro, an evening of song and storytelling, and Bhavai, the old Gujarati folk theatre of music, satire and stock characters. Explore →
What to eat
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
A hearty spread.
ROTLOBajra Rotlo
With white butter.
FARSANFarsan
Savoury snacks.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Tangaliya Weave FAQ
What is Tangaliya weaving?
A handloom craft of Surendranagar in which tiny raised dots are woven by hand to form geometric patterns.
How old is the craft?
It is roughly 700 years old.
Who makes it?
The Dangasia community of Surendranagar district.
What is a daana?
The tiny raised dot, made by twisting extra thread around the warp, that defines Tangaliya.
Does it have a GI tag?
Yes — Tangaliya is a GI-tagged (Geographical Indication) handloom of Gujarat.
Can I buy it?
Yes — shawls and cloth are sold in the loom villages; buying direct supports the weavers.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026