Article Type: Research Article Article Citation: Ms. Amrita Rathi. (2020). A PROJECT ON
BALUCHARI SARI. International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 8(8), 389-402.
https://doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v8.i8.2020.744 Received Date: 18 July 2020 Accepted Date: 31 August 2020 Keywords: Project Baluchari Sari In India, the epic story of the sari is not less than 2000 years of romance. The essential simplicity of a sari is an untailored length of cloth, measuring between 4 and 9-meter-long and approximately one meter wide with highly sophisticated design vocabulary. Thomas Carlyle once said, “Society is founded on cloth”. India’s sari evolved out of a complex physical, historical and cultural environment that differs from region to region and community to community. While the sari remains an overarching symbol of Hindu vestimentary practices, it is the harmonious coherence of design and techniques of production that impact a distinct identity to the tradition. Ethical, moral and political dictums of social codes have always guided the core of design philosophy for saris since ages. Such regulations have forever posed a challenge to seek the scope for independent expression of the weavers.
1. INTRODUCTIONThe sari is the national dress for Indian women. Nothing identifies women as being Indian as
strongly as the sari. Sari comes in various lengths and from textured
hand-woven fabric created in remote mountain areas to luxurious silk from
tropical regions. They are now being
also made at textile mills in Mumbai (Bombay), Ahmedabad, Delhi and a few mills
in South India. They vary in texture depending on the fineness, or thread
count, of the threads that are used. These have usually multicolor, printed
designs while some are block printed by hand. An Indian cottage industry
thrives making them on handlooms. 1.1. HISTORY OF SARIThe origin of the
sari is obscure, partly because there are so few historical records in India.
Yet, we know that Indians were wearing unsewn lengths of cloth draped around
their bodies long before tailored cloths arrived. This elaborate body-hugging
style represented in the terracotta may have evolved among India's temple
dancers in ancient times to allow their limbs freedom of movement while at the
same time maintaining their standards of modesty. There are many
sculptures of Graeco-Indian Gandhara civilization which show a variety of
different sari draping styles. The concept of beauty in ancient India was that
of small waist and large bust and hips, as is evident in the sculptures of
those times. In this regard, the Sari seemed to be the perfect dress to flaunt
those proportions as it exposes the waist of a woman and emphasizes the waist
and bust with the pleated fabric. Sometimes women wore accessories like girdle
(a belt) with elaborate design around their waist to emphasize the hip area. 1.2. ORIGIN OF A SARIThe origin of Indian
textiles can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization. The art of fine
weaving of hand and loom embroidery and the complex processes of bleaching and
dyeing were perfected by the people of the valley long before textile industry
was modernized. References in ancient history indicate that a variety of
costumes made of silk and cotton fabrics were used in India. Excavations at
Harappa and Mohenjo Daro have unearthed household items like needles made of
bone and spindles made of wood, amply suggesting that homespun cotton was used
to make garments, with fragments found at the sites. The first literary
information about textiles in India can be found in the Rig Veda, which refers
to the art of weaving, The ancient Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata also
speak of a variety of fabrics of those times. The Ramayana in particular refers
to the rich styles worn by the aristocracy on one hand and the simple clothes
worn by the commoners and ascetics. The story speaks of a garment of
considerable length and drapery. Over the centuries there have been changes.
The diversity of the Indian people is reflected in a variety of materials used
for a sari and the way it is draped in different parts of the country.
"The sari," it is said, "was born on the loom of a fanciful
weaver. He dreamt of Woman; the shimmer of her tears; the drape of her tumbling
hair; the colours of her many moods; the softness of her touch. All these he
wove together. He could not stop. He wove for many yards, and when he was done,
the story goes, he sat back and smiled and smiled and smiled." The past traditions
of the textile and handlooms can still be seen among the motifs, patterns,
designs and the old techniques of weaving still employed by the weavers. The
magical combination of material and colour has led to the creation of a myriad
of traditional sari styles. Tailored clothes arrived in India with the
arrival of Muslims. Hindus believed that any cloth pierced by needles was
impure. It is commonly believed in India that today's petticoat or
"Ghagra" and the blouse or "Choli" which are worn under the
sari are later additions which started with the coming of British in India.
Increasing number of upper class women in the early 20th century adopted items
of European style clothing in the form of fitted blouses and slim petticoats.
This was also adopted due to the prevalent fashion of draping the transparent
chiffon saris during the particular period. 1.3. HISTORY
OF BALUCHARI SARI
Textile and ancient
literature when blended together can create a unique learning experience. The
national costume of the Indian woman — the ‘sari’ which dates back to 2800-1800
BC — expresses these sentiments. Every state of India, defines its sari styling
with different motifs and patterns based on its cultural influence and habitat.
The southern states of India derive their designs from carvings made on temple
pillars and archways. One particular eastern style of sari known as the Baluchari
specializes in depicting folklore and translates momentous scenes from the
epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata on fabric. This royal art of weaving became
world famous for the portrayed of the royal lifestyle and trends. The Baluchari
tradition dated back to the 7th century A.D and since then it has
undergone several changes in style and technique. Inspite of this silk weaving
of the Baluchari continues to be an important landmark Bengals’s handloom
tradition The history of the
Baluchari goes back centuries. During the role of the Mughals, Baluchari was in
high demand. It was mostly reserved for the elite class due to its high
quality. Only royal families and members of the royal court used to wear
Baluchari. During Mughals were ruling Indian from their Delhi throne in the 14th
or 15thcentury, a group of experienced weavers from Varanasi,
Gujarat migrated to Bengal, for reasons not particularly known and settled in
Baluchar a village near Jiaganj in the Murshidabad district of Bengal, 23kms
North of Behrampur. The term “char” means a delta created due to slit deposit
from a river. The village Baluchar obviously was created due to the slit
deposit from the river Bhagirathi. It was under the Mughal rule that the craft
flourished with the weavers competing to produce more complicated pieces. The
Muslim nobility had these beautiful fabrics fashioned into tapestry and robes
while Hindus nobility ordered for saris. Although in reign of Mughals, royal
women wore only saris. The presence of wealthy patrons and nobility gave
importance for the craft to survive. Murshid Quli Khan, the
Nawab of Bengal (18th century) transferred the capital of Bengal to the Murshidabad, to name and after him the area
around Murshidabad has been famous as a silk growing district especially in
ancient times and is well known for its silk called Murshidabadi silk. This
availability of raw material could also be a reason for the development of the
craft here. The Baluchari tradition of weaving reached its pinnacle of
excellence during the reign of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, who extended lavish
patronage to the art. Baluchari
saris are originally from Murshidabad in west Bengal a time honored silk
weaving center where weavers use untwisted charkha silk for making brocades
with distinctive pallav designs that resemble miniature paintings. The pallavs
are intricately woven with contrasting colours in warp and weft. The narrative
motifs are derived from aristocratic lifestyle. A quantum leap in terms of
technique was witnessed during the 18th century with the emergence
of Baluchar saris in the region of Murshidabad, possibly due to the direct
patronage of the Nawab who ruled Bengal and Bihar. The Baluchari is a unique
phenomenon both in concept and technique, a combination of the Islamic and
Hindu in the spirit and echo of its visual imagery and the most elaborate of
extra weft techniques in body and border. Strong artistic values of the Mughals
are commonly displayed by patterns and design of these saris. The most
distinctive feature of Baluchari is the use of human brocade figures to adorn
the borders and pallu. The experienced
weavers of Baluchar were famous for their skill in weaving beautiful weaving
designs on tassar and mulberry silk fabric mainly used as saris. These weavers
were patronized by the Nawabs and nobles to manufacture exclusive dresses for
them. These famous weavers were gifted cultivable land, ponds, etc. by Nawabs
in exchange for the woven fabrics made by them. Though normally the width of
saris even at that time was 45 inch, these saris were woven 38 inch width, with
a specific purpose to permit exhibition of ornaments worn on the ankles and
above by the female folks belonging generally to the families of kings and
nobles. Thus the weavers used to remain busy throughout the year having average
productivity of 2 to 3 saris per family per annum. With abolition of
the rule of the Nawabs rule in Bengal, following the British Raj the weavers of
Baluchar were denied the patronage and gradually it became difficult for them
to survive. To add to their misery, Bhagirathi washed away village at Baluchar
compelling the weavers to migrate to Jiaganj and other places in Murshidabad
district. As a result of this, they lost the properties that they had and
competition from the cheaper mill made fabrics acquired from the Nawabs. The
lack of patronages, natural calamities were thus the dissertation of this
weaving and added to the death of the lone weaver practicing this art in mid
forties, led to the near death of the Baluchari art of weaving. Thus this
flourishing art declined, especially during British rule, due to political and
financial reasons and the weavers were compelled to give up the profession.
At the time of the British, Bengal silk was very popular, mostly because it was
high in quality and cheap. The silk industry of Bengal flourished at that time
and gave employment to many silk weavers. Later in the first
half of twentieth century, Subho Thakur, a famous artist, felt the need of
reviving the rich tradition of Baluchari craft. Though Bishnupur was always
famous for its silk, he invited Akshay Kumar Das, a master weaver of Bishnupur
to his center to learn the technique of jacquard weaving. Das after learning
the art went back to Bishnupur and worked hard to weave Baluchari at home. With
hard work and appropriate planning the first piece of baluchari was
produced after a lapse of several years in the year 1957 AD. Bishnupur was
the capital of Malla dynasty and different kinds of crafts flourished during
the period under the patronage of Malla kings. According to another legend the
Malla kings introduced Baluchari weaving of Bishnupur as a mark of glory for
queens and princesses about 500 years ago. The weaver families had migrated
from different parts of the country to help the classical sari industry grow.
The excellence of the weavers as a prime product of south Bengal first got
export consignment during the time of the Malla rulers. A major influence of these temples
can be seen in Baluchari sarees. Mythological stories taken from the walls of
temples were woven on Baluchari saris. Of all the villages
in the Baluchar circle, the name Bahadurpur stands out predominantly because it
was the native place last of the master weavers. Dubraj a legend in the
traditional gharana (mode) of Baluchari art. The two monographs of silk
fabrics, written in 1892 and 1903 offer some clue to the period when Dubraj
dominated the scene. Dubraj belonged to the chamar caste (leather workers). He
actually began life as a maker of drums in which leather was used. But it seems
that art was in his blood and he changed profession entirely and became the
leader of a group of kaviyals (impromptu singers). He possessed a natural
literary gift and in spite of lack of formal education he could compose verses
extempore. His life had a sudden turn when he became an apprentice under a
weaver artist of Baluchar. From him Dubraj acquired the technique of setting
looms for turning out exquisite patterns. He has also woven religious texts on
fabrics in place of ornamentation. His expansic artistic vision enabled him to
keep pace with changes in contemporary taste and style. To set the loom to work
out a new pattern according to the demand and trend was beyond the capacity of
any weaver. Dubraj was the only surviving artists of his time who “could set
the loom for any patterns possible”. Even for old patterns if any loom got out
of order, the weaver concerned would come to Dubraj for restoration or readjustment
of the loom. In spite of this extraordinary mastery, Dubraj did not part with
his exclusive knowledge and trade secret. In fact, during his time, his saris
were the best pieces of fabrics, both heavy ornamentals and plain elegant
comparable only to the best products of Kashmir or Varanasi could not. With the death of Dubraj Das, the last of the master weaver of the
Baluchari sari towards the end of 19th century without imparting the skills to
anyone, the glorious tradition of weaving these exquisite saris perished ended.
Many of Dubraj’s work beautifully depicting the social activities of that era
can also be seen in section of the weaver artists of the Baluchar style as no
one could grasp the complicated process of reproducing Dubraj’s patterns. Even Mrityunjay
Sarkar-the finest plain silk weaver from Murshidabad failed to achieve this
reproduction. Subsequently, several schemes have been launched by the
Government to revive the ancient Baluchari tradition. The figured
Baluchari, which once dominated the Indian textile panorama, began to register
downward trend towards the last quarter of the 19th century. The
foremost reason was on the change of the taste of the patrons due to the
contact with the Europeans. The modern elites were attracted to European elegance
and considered the figured traditional Baluchar clumsy. Dubraj attempted to
cater to this altered taste by removing figures in the anchal or end piece and
craftsmanship and confining the designs to Kalka panel, intricate borders and
floral ornamentation but there was none to keep the flame alight after his
death. Moreover, competition with European mill products as well as the active
hostility of the English to Indian textile industry pushed this art further to
its decline. The English wanted raw silk rather than the finished goods.
Further, gold embroidered Banaras saris set new trends in taste as they proved
more attractive and comparatively cheaper. Consequently, this Baluchari art of
weaving became totally extinct by the end of the 19th century.
Although attempts have been made by the weavers of Ahmedabad and Banaras to
revive the figured Baluchari, the imitations never attained the splendor of the
original. A revival of the traditional weaving style was sought by showing the
pieces to various craftsmen. Finally one weaver from Varanasi figured it out
and was able to replicate it, but it proved to be very expensive and unviable. This glorious fabric stood for an age and
the sophisticated revival of the mere art form cannot redeem the lost era. The craft, in its much-diminished glory is now being practiced in
Bishnupur located in Bankura district, where the Baluchari style has been
superimposed on an existing silk weaving tradition. The intricately carved
terracotta temples of Bishnupur provide ample inspiration for the weavers who
reproduce whole epics on the pallu of the sari. The ground colors range from
sober beige, to resplendent blues and reds with contrast borders, all on fine
mulberry silk. While the present-day Baluchari may not be as grand as its
ancestor, it still has a unique appeal, making the wearer stand out in a crowd.
The Silk Khadi Seva
Mandal, a voluntary organization dedicated to the production of khadi and
village industry-based goods continued its effort to fully revive this
baluchari art of weaving to its original glory in its own way. Since the
ancient process of production of this sari was time consuming, it caused an
escalation in the cost of each sari which resulted in a fall in its market
demand. To tide over this crisis, the jacquard loom with punched cards was
introduced. This ensured higher production, higher wages and lower cost of
production. However, it could not replication on the uniqueness and quality of
the traditional Baluchari. The modern Baluchari produced with the help of the
jacquard does not have reversible designs nor are the designs fine and minute
as those found on the traditional ones. In fact the efforts made around 1960 by
the All India Handicrafts Board to reproduce two old Baluchari sari designs at
Bishnupur on a Jacquard loom with 400 hooks failed, the product lacking the
softness and vitality of the original. 1.4. WEAVING TECHNIQUE Fragile and
delicately woven Baluchari fabric is wrongly interpreted as the “sister fabric
of Jamdani”. It is true that Dacca figured muslins and Baluchar figured silks
and the weavers of both textiles were the Hindus but the treatment of subject
and techniques employed were widely different. The high-class texture of the
silk, the extra judicious color harmony and pictorial splendor combined have
conferred unsurpassed charm, elegance and dignity to it. Although the silk
industry was in the hands of Muslims, they were not allowed to wear pure silk
since it was considered unlawful for Muslims to wear pure silk. Murshidabad
silk was outstanding for its purity since there was no admixture of cotton or
jute even in the cheapest and coarsest varieties. Thus, Murshidabadi silk was
in great demand which the Hindus used during all their religious and auspicious
occasions. The Murshidabad weavers belonged to the Hindus castes and were
hereditary weavers Baluchari is woven with two varieties of silk
threads one from Bangalore and the other indigenous from Malda, West Bengal
another silk used for extra weft was Assam dupion silk. Baluchari
saris are similar in appearance and in weaving techniques to many Banaras
Brocades although they never contain zari threads, only silk is used. Fine twisted
silk set vertically as the warp and heavy silk is set horizontally as the weft
on the special looms. The patterns on the border and pallav were woven using untwisted silk.
This combination of silk gave it softness, a unique drape-ability and a certain
texture. In keeping with the
times, these saris are also being woven in cotton. Before fixing
the threads on the loom, the silk threads are repeatedly washed in boiling
water containing soda to soften the silk. It is then dyed by using vegetable colors
that remained fresh and improved with every wash. Today however synthetic
colors are also used. Then the threads are rolled on the spinning wheels. A casual observer could easily mistake the weaving of these saris for
embroidery such was the fineness of the weaver’s craftsmanship. The weavers of the traditional Baluchari used an
indigenous system, a contraption like device in wood colloquially called “jala”
meaning web in Hindi. The origin of this Jala is usually traced to the mid-18th
century. The Jala could be called a precursor to the modern-day jacquard looms.
The same jala could be used for weaving saris having similar motifs but
different color combination, or jalas could be tied singularly for exclusive
one-of-a-kind pieces. The tradition of using jala looms to weave the Baluchari
was revived in the bed of jalas — Benares and it was Shri Ali Hasan
Alias Kalloo Hafiz a famed Naqshaband of Benares who attempted this revival and
was successful in recreating the splendorous textiles of yore, weaving it the
traditional way. Today, this proud tradition is being carried on by his great
grandson Naseem Ahmad of Benares (Kalloo Hafiz is his father's grandfather). A
skilled Naqshabandi he successfully learnt the craft of tying and making the jalas
expertly from his grandfather and today weaves Baluchari panels and saris,
apart from traditional Benares brocades. A National Awardees, the Delhi Crafts
Council awarded him the Sutrakar Samman for 2011. In the modern Baluchari
saris designs are first sketched proportionally on the graph paper. This transformation
will ensure the proportionality of the figures and how they will ultimately
look on the sari. Rectangular cards used on the Jacquard looms are punched in
accordance with the pattern on the graph paper. It is through these cards,
punched at the appropriate places that the silken threads pass. Thus, the cards have punched holes, which
correspond to the design. Thousands of punched cards are required for one sari
design. The number of cards in a sari varies depends on the intricacy of the
design - some highly stylized pallav could have more than 18000 such cards. A
separate punch card sequential is used for the pallav depending on the depth of
the weave. As the chain of the
punched cards move during weavers, and the hooks carrying the warp threads move
against it, the hook meets a hole on the card and raises the warp threads.
These hooks can be connected to more than one thread, allowing weaving of
multiple repeats in a pattern. On a
jacquard loom it takes 5 – 8 days to weave a simple sari while a complicated
one could take as much as 20 days, the time being directly proportional to the
intricacy of the work. Jala
versus Jacquard is the predecessor to the jacquard technique but what
sets it apart is that the great degree of flexibility and the ease with which
diversity of patterns can be created on it as opposed to jacquard. The jala
patterning can be tweaked and fiddled around with, but with jacquard large
motifs and a variety of patterns on one piece is difficult and works out very
expensive. Also once made, changing the jacquard pattern is not possible while
it can be played around with in the jala. Thus, jalas once made last
almost 100 years. Also, in the jala system one can use more colours and
designs. The original 19th century versions could easily have taken 6 months to
one year to weave. If the present punch card involves so much calculation, it
is a wonder how it was done earlier by the tying of the jala. The designer then
was not only good at mathematical and graphical calculation but was also well versed
in the repertoire of stories to be told through the panels. Baluchar
is the only sari created on the drawloom, which contains complicated mechanisms
for weaving multi-warp and multi-weft figured textiles. It is be believed that
this loom was developed in Persia in about 300 AD, and the technology arrived
in India during the influx of immigrants following the Islamic invaders
sometime between 700 and 1200. A story usually heard is that of a persistent lady who had
got panels of Baluchari sari to show to the Naqshabandi of Benares asking them
if they can recreate ancient looms or jalas to make these. The lady
Prabha Shah who along with Pupul Jayakar was instrumental in reaching the
Baluchari sari pieces to the Naqshabandi of Benares. Of the samples handed out,
only one man was able to succeed in recreating it and with him is tied the
story of revival of weaving Baluchari sari on the traditional jala
looms. Today, that is the world of Naseem Ahmad, National Award winner who now
is using the same jalas to weave traditional complex Baluchari saris and
panels as it was once done. 1.5. COSTThe price factor of baluchari sarees also varies with the quality of manufacturing. The
making of the jala for such a piece translating the pattern on to the
machan takes about four months if worked on continuously, while the weaving
takes up to one and a half months. Since the production of the sari is
painstaking and time consuming, they are highly priced. 1.6. COLOURThe decorative artifices
in beautiful colors bear eloquent testimony to the extraordinary skill of these
weavers who raised a fabric to the status of fine art. Extremely colorful, a
traditional Baluchari is set to have been woven in 17 different colors. The
weavers usually did their own dyeing though professional bleachers and dyers
were occasionally employed. Silk thread was dyed first to work out desired
patterns. Among the different colors used in the Baluchari saris, different
shades of red, purple, green, yellow, chocolate and white were most common.
Occasionally short colored effect was also created. Blue came in vogue in the
last phase of the 19th century. There was no black dye. In order to
obtain the effect of black, deep indigo and deep chocolate colors were used.
The absence of pure black was either due to the non-availability of the desired
shade from the vegetable’s dyes or due to the Hindu prejudice against black as
an auspicious color. Moreover, black dyes adversely affected the durability of
the silk fabric materials. The colors were
mostly obtained from lac, turmeric, sunflower, and indigo. The magnificent
colors of traditional Baluchari relics have grown richer and mellower with the
passage of time and it appears that the Baluchari weavers did resist the
temptation of fugitive aniline dyes, which were gradually accepted by other
weaving establishments. Hence the traditional Baluchar is proved genuine and
lasting and withstood even rough washing. Almost all saris are woven from pastels to
deeper shades of blue, purple, red or black. The ground colors range from sober beige,
to resplendent blues and reds with contrast borders, all on fine mulberry silk. Double shaded
effect is achieved by having different colors on the warp and weft. The panels
or borders are woven using 2 or more contrast colors. Complicated ones using as
many as 6 – 7 colors. The buties are usually woven in extra- weft using cream,
white, red, gold, orange and yellow hues. The motifs are woven in single or at
most two colors. The other colors are used sparingly to highlight certain
portions of the motifs. This gives an almost enameled effect to the motif. The pictorial were woven with silk threads of
lighter colors like cream which look like old gold, white, yellow ochre, light
green and mauve giving an enamel effect. Unlike other saris woven in the country,
these use very little zari (gold thread) in its weave. In spite of richness
in patterns, the Baluchari was free from strong contrast and the pattern color
harmonized so well that there was no scope for monotony. In the color scheme of
Baluchari art, though red in different shades, purple, green yellow, and
chocolate were popular, blue came into vogue in the last phase of the 19th
century. Modulation of color tone was achieved by dexterous mingling of
different shades of the same color and accentuated by specks of different
tints. 1.7. DESIGNSBaluchari sari is inspired from the Jamdani Saris of Dhaka in
Bangladesh. They have intricate supplementary weft or warp borders and end
pieces created in untwisted silk threads of colors that contrast with the
ground, with elaborate floral border. Baluchari saris are famous for
its designs. Baluchari the
traditional silk sari from this tiny village was hallmarked for its spectular
elaborate having pictorial designs woven on it using high quality silk along
pallav with the same design running across the border of the sari. They truly
signify religious views of Hinduisms. The intricately carved terracotta temples
of Bishnupur provide ample inspiration for the weavers who reproduce whole
epics on the pallu of the sari. 1.8. LAY-OUT OF THE SARI Borders: The sari is about 5 yards long and 42 inch wide. The Saris have 4”-5”
borders on both sides intricately ornamented by supplementary weft or warp
threads. The pictorial views of sun, moon, stars and mythological scene are
portrayed on the border of the saris Body: Against the lavishly ornamented end-piece, the ground or field of
these saris is usually designed with floral sprays or small booties or motifs,
both large and small. Judicially distributed over the entire field. The body is
usually covered with little motifs of drops, circles coins, flowers, paisley,
or just one tiny panel from the story. They are often in dark colours with
purple dark brown and deep red being common. While the wide range of colours
found in the supplementary threads forming the booties or designs are always in
lighter colours viz. white, yellow, orange and pink. Sometimes short-colour
effects are also found in the saris where the warp and the weft are in
different colours. A traditionally simpler version of these saris is a group of
saris called Boottidar Saris. Like the Balucharis, they are figured silks, but
usually have supplementary warp borders instead of the weft ones and
supplementary weft discontinues booties in the field. They are called Boottidar
Saris because of the large volume of small supplementary weft booties woven in
the field. End piece: The saris are characterized by a wide end piece (often 14 inch to 32
inch long) running throughout the length of the sari ornamented with the
diversed designs. This part of the sari is the most attractive features end was
woven with utmost skill so much so that the motifs could be looked upon as the
reflection of contemporary life style and were considered as valuable art
pieces and source of historical information. There are rows of large floral
“Kalka” in the centered of the end piece which are characteristically
surrounded by about 3 boxes like rows contain a repeat motif of human figures
usually placed within architectural arcades. Various motifs are arranged around
these boxes. The motifs mainly comprised of human figures( often dressed in the
Mughal style or European clothes) in action viz smoking “hookah” , riding a
horse or smelling a flower other popular
motifs commonly used include royal court scene, domestic or travel scenes,
palanquins, Taj Mahal, the stylized peacock, the bee, the rose, the lotus, the
bridal alpanas of Bengal etc. 1.9. MOTIFSAn interesting feature of the earlier Baluchari saris was the stylized
word and animal motifs, often incorporated in the paisley motifs and other
floral decoration, gradually pictorial representation of various subject came
to be included and the contemporary ones are characterized by the presence of
human figures in there. The thematic
presentation of stories in the weave designs of these saris was astounding.
They were followed on all parts of the sari. The wedding scene is a typical
charming one. the pallav could rose of 4 or 5 panels, the centre one showing
the exchange of garlands, the smaller ones the playing of musical instruments,
the palanquin bearers set to take the bride away or taking vows by going around
the fire. Lord Krishna forms the theme for many a piece – dancing with his
consorts, with his beloved Radha etc.; Lord Krishna expounding on the Geeta to
Arjun is a story drawn to the last detail from chariots, Lord Krishna playing
his trademark flute and so on; forest scenes come replete with deer, a typical
cottage, petting a deer, the stylized swans and peacocks, trees and bushes.
Although today the saris a replica of 19th century originals in
terms of types of threads, colours and design used but now ‘fashionable’
versions are woven depicting among other things, scenes in the form of
historical end, legendary stories like the Mahabharata, the Ramayan, the
Krishanlila, Dushayan- Shukuntala, Harishchand- Taramati etc. These scenes
along with flowers and birds are usually made in only 2 colors. Some of the
popular, motifs are listed below ·
Scene of Ramayana - Hanuman
crossing ocean to get Sita, Ahiliya Uthar, HaAro Dhonu Bhango(breaking of
famous arrow by Ram). ·
Scenes of
Mahabharata- Karrna Wadh, Dhusyasab Wadh, Arjun- Draupadi Mala Bodol, Pach Pandav,
Bishma Saro- Saja(Bishma Pitama on bed of arrows), Subhadra Haran, Karan Rath
Chakra(wheels or Karan’s Chariot), Arjun Lakha Bhad. ·
Scenes from
Krishanaleela- Krishana and Radha dancing with Gopis(Raasleela) or playing holi with
them, Swinging(jhula) or Riding a boat(Nauka). Other popular scenes include
Madan Mohan Drishti, Madan Mohan Kaman Daga, Madan Mohan giving tobacco to
king’s servant, Madhav. ·
Wedding Ceremonies – Mala
Bodol(exchange of Garlands), Subho Drishti( auspicious sights), Agniskshi(sworn
by the fire), Phulo sajja(bed of flowers), Boor- Bohu on Palki(bride and groom
on palanquine). ·
Lata - Paata –
Kalka - Flowering shrubs, tress of life, floral motifs, meandering, creepers and
mango motifs. ·
Geometric – Bridal alpana
motifs of Bengal ·
Animal and birds - Figured swan
and other animals motifs- deer, tiger. ·
Miscellaneous- Pathorr
Dorja(door made of stones), Hauda Haathi with Jhalar, Rasmancha, Nawab Nobelman
smoking a hookah, a pair of ladies with birds in their hands or in
conversation, seated lady holding a flower, lady riding on a horse back, prince
proceeding to a battle holding an unsheathed dagger, Nobelman with falcon in
their hands, Nobelman riding elephants with the mahout holding a flag,
cannonries in panel, legendaries stories of Bishnupur, etc. When the British
took over Bengal,’ sahibs’ replete with a hat and pipe and ‘memsahib’s’
appeared, sahibs smoking while memsahib fanning herself, the advent of
railways, trams and steam boat was also interestingly documented on these
saris. A remarkable feature
of the Baluchari sari is the introduction of human figures in their
contemporary costumes and modes. A scrutiny reveals a transition from one
period of history to another whereby Hindu motifs yield place to the Muslim
motifs and they in turn are replaced by the European figures. Nevertheless, the
pictorial element of these fabrics retains a degree of continuity and evidence
of assimilation of diverse cultures giving rise to a distinctive art form that
was neither stagnant nor fanatic but accommodative and secular. The artists’
awareness of the political changes is meticulously brought out in the natural
tendency to highlight the ruling authority. The
Baluchar Boottidar saris produced in British times show the introduction of
European motif. The old designs
gradually transformed into newer forms by the introduction of human motifs with
Muslim setting. The distribution of human motifs was usually confined to
intricately decorated panels with floral designs as a ground work, leaving bare
a central rectangle which was ornamented by four mango motifs in the corners
and human figures were arranged in rows along the sides of the rectangle. The
figures were in architectural frameworks and resemble portraits and each motif
had its own frame. Pictorial representation
of subjects included a seated lady holding flower, a lady riding on horseback,
a lady smoking a traditional hookah, a pair of ladies with birds in hand or in
conservation. Male figures represented nobility on horseback, a prince
proceeding to a battle holding an unsheathed dagger, nobleman smoking hookah
with falcon in hands, riding on elephant with mahout holding a flag, a lion or
tiger hunter and cannoners in panels. The scrutiny of these pictorial panels
will reveal a marked projection of Muslim environment in respect of their
dress, hairstyle, posture and décor. Some authorities feel that these were so
because the weavers wanted to please their Muslim patrons or the contemporary
Muslim nobility had commissioned them. Subsequent changes
in motifs where European faces made their appearance in their conventional
mores and life style along with Indian figures are illuminating. European men
and women holding conventional flowers or other objects resembling wineglasses,
in their circular hats and bonnets with tight fitting dresses and prominent
side burns are indicative of the artist sensitivity to the current political
changes. The first locomotive that was introduced in India in the mod 19th
century did not escape the weavers’ notice. Thus, the dominance of locomotive
engine in the designs of the art relics available offer an idea of the degree
of fascination and awe inspired in the imagination of the artisans. The European
figures, however, appear decorative and stylized. It may be that the Europeans
carried themselves in a stiff air of superiority or that the average people
were mortally scared of the \Europeans and artist being no exception to it
gives expression to this feeling in his own way. Against this lavishly
ornamented anchal or end piece, the rest of the ground of a sari was designed
with traditional butti or motifs of floral spray distributed to emphasize the
contrast. 1.10. PACKAGINGThe packaging of the Baluchari sari is a simple process. To pack
a sari two persons are needed simultaneously. First the whole sari is rolled
down on a round shaped beam. The beam is taken out from the loom and brought it
to a open space, where enough sunlight is there. Though water is put during
weaving for polishing, enough sunlight is required for drying. After drying two
persons start folding the sari stretching it from both the side tightly. A thin
metal rod is kept on each fold temporarily to give it a precise fold. A thin
starched brown paper is put inside the sari to give the fold a proper shape.
The last step is to put the saree inside a thick transparent polythene bag. 1.11. MARKETINGProducers of the Baluchari have fixed market in Kolkata and other big
cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore etc. generally the weaver sell the saris
through middle men. People from nearby cities like Durgapur, Kolkata, and
Burdawan buy saris directly from the Mahajans at Bishnupur. In these cases the
saris is sold slightly cheaper price as the Mahajan himself plays the role of
the middlemen between the weaver and the customer. Weavers also participate in different fairs and exhibitions through
organizations like West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation, Crafts
Council of West Bengal were buyer purchase products from them directly. Saris are also supplied to West Bengal Handicrafts Development
Corporation and sold at the government emporium- Manjusha, Tantuja and Tantushree.
1.12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES RELATED TO THE SAREES1.12.1. ECONOMICAL ISSUES A complete Baluchari sari cost more than Rs. 2500 of which the weaver
only, gets Rs 450 to 500 per sari from the Mahajans. Each sari is completed by
two craftsmen, thus after sharing the wages each of them gets only about Rs 200
to 250 per sari. Weavers can make maximum of 5 saris in a month. Thus, there
monthly income is only about Rs 1000- 1250. On the other hand, weavers having
looms at their own house can earn about Rs 1000 per sari. However, they have to
do the dyeing, spinning of the yarn and other small jobs on their own. 1.12.2. EDUCATION AND LITERACY Bishnupur has several higher secondary schools and colleges. The entire
craftsman’s send their progeny girls and boys alike to school, and they are
keen to teach their children properly before they join the family business.
Rate of literacy is remarkably high. 1.12.3. GENDER ISSUES Women take equal part in the making of the sari. Besides their household
work, they do the process the yarn. Some also participate in the weaving the
sari. 1.12.4. HEALTH ISSUES 1)
During the rolling of tussar thread, the worker
mostly women stretches both their legs in front and rolls the thread from
cocoon on the upper level of their thigh. During this process the skin of that
particular portions become tender and the yarn sometimes cuts through the skin.
2)
To concentrate on weaving minute designs, only one
lights hangs on the top of the loom and rest of the loom doesn’t get much
light. Though the major part of the weaving is the precision job, it is
strenuous for the eyes. Most of the weaver reportedly gets spectacles after
weaving for a short period. 3)
When they weave, the take-up beam where the sari
rolls down, strikes on their stomach causing permanent abdominal pain. 1.12.5. SOCIO- CULTURAL ISSUES People involved in
Baluchari making, belong to weaver's community. Locally they are called Tantis.
Now because of the prosperous future of the craft, lots of people from other
community have also adopted this profession. Traditional weavers of this sari
had being conferred with the title ‘Khan’ the local Malla kings. Rich weavers
have more than one loom at their workshop. Locally they are called Mahajans. There are two kinds
of weavers in Bishnupur: - Some of these
weavers come to Mahajans to work at their looms. They weave the sari in shifts
for the Mahajan. All raw materials are provided to them by Mahajan. These
weavers work for four to five hours at a stretch and they work eight to nine
hours in a day. Two weavers work on one sari. These weavers are more in number
at Bishnupur. There are other
kinds of weavers who have looms at their own house. The Mahajan provides them all necessary raw
materials. They weave the sari for the Mahajan within a certain time period.
They fix up a price for the sari with the Mahajan, and the weaver is bound to
sell the sari to him at that price. Except the weaving part, there are other
processes like processing of yarn, motif making, which is done by other people.
They do these jobs as part time basis. 1.12.6. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Sampling and cataloguing systems
are not yet in practice. There are no have proper records of works already done
and designs created. 1.13. ISSUES AND SOLUTIONIntroduction of
Jacquard loom itself is a remarkable development which has taken place in this sector.
This mechanical loom has enabled them to produce high quality saris in much
lesser time. State government started a scheme of providing loan to poor
weavers, and they organize yearly handicrafts fair at the state capital.
Weavers participate in important fairs like "Textile Fair",
"Kamala Mela", through the help of NGO'S like Crafts Council of West
Bengal. They participate in fairs at foreign countries like England; Canada
etc. Mechanization of small tools saves their time, eg (Mechanization of yarn
rolling machine). At Bishnupur most of
the weavers are very poor. Their one and only way of earning is weaving. But
the system of work prevailing here is exploitation of poor weavers by rich
Mahajans. State and Central Government organizes awards for master craftsmen
every year. But surprisingly the award always goes to the middleman who
actually makes their work done, not to the poor craftsmen who puts his skill.
These poor weavers always live in oblivion without any recognition. State
government provides loan for the poor weavers. The problem this business faces
is the steep decline in sales all over the country. The growing trend in recent
years has been that fewer women are wearing saris, because taking good care of
them is expensive and difficult, besides the fact that they are not the easiest
of clothes to wear for the mobile and active young women in today's crowded,
jet-set world. These saris are marked up by a huge margin when sold outside. A co-operative
exists here called Baluchari Workers Co-operative. It is the organization of
mostly wealthy weavers. All Baluchari workers see no hopes from this
cooperative. In Bishnupur mostly saris are in production. As product
diversification they have not yet experimented much, though they possess a rich
design vocabulary. These weavers just produce shawls and blouse pieces using
same designs of saris. Some Bishnupur
weavers are not able to find employment on a regular monthly basis and work
part time as weavers and the rest of the time work as farm labor or vegetable
vendors. The weavers fear that if the demand continues to stagnate many of
these handloom units may have to be shut down. The problem here seems to be a
lack of imaginative thinking to come up with ideas and designs. The same,
monotonous items may be putting off the buyers. If other products, such as
scarves, tablemats and handbags with the same motifs were to be marketed, may
be the sales and employment would increase. But this may turn out to be self-defeating
if given the wide variety of choices the consumer has today, he or she finds it
pointless to buy products using the same Bishnupur designs that are used on
saris. One needs to carry out some market research to find out what new, useful
items could be made by these artisans and weavers using their age-old skill 1.13.1. PROBLEM FACED BY THE WEAVERS The problem the
weaving business faces is the steep decline in sales all over the country. The
growing trend in recent years has been that fewer women are wearing saris,
because taking good care of them is expensive and difficult, besides the fact
that they are not the easiest of clothes to wear for the mobile and active
young women in today's crowded, jet-set world. These saris are marked up by a
huge margin when sold outside Bishnupur. Sari
that costs Rs. 1500 in this town sells for Rs.3000 in big cities and
they are certainly not for daily wear. In any case, the demand for special
occasion saris is on the decline all over India. Some Bishnupur
weavers are not able to find employment on a regular monthly basis and work
part time as weavers and the rest of the time work as farm labor or vegetable
vendors. The weavers fear that if the demand continues to stagnate many of
these handloom units may have to be shut down. The problem here
seems to be a lack of imaginative thinking to come up with ideas and designs.
The same, monotonous items may be putting off the buyers. If other products,
such as scarves, tablemats and handbags with the same motifs were to be
marketed, may be the sales and employment would increase. But this may turn out
to be self-defeating if given the wide variety of choices the consumer has
today, he or she finds it pointless to buy products using the same Bishnupuri
designs that are used on saris. One need to carry out some market research to
find out what new, useful items could be made by these artisans and weavers
using their age-old skills. Though the village of Baluchar is forever lost, this craft
is being pursued in many places in Bankura like Bishnupur, Kenjakura,
Panchmura, Jiaganj and Sonamukhi. In spite of the grandeur of the
craft, the weavers of Bankura are sunk into a profound gloom. There are several
reasons behind this: 1)
Generally, they suffer from an acute deficiency
of food and nutrition due to abject poverty. So the jacquard paddle proves too
heavy for them to lift up so often. 2)
Poor lighting condition with such an optically
strenuous job compels them to wear spectacles because of poor eye sight
developed after joining this work. 3)
Exploitation of these artisans by mahajans is
common. Every year the central and state governments arrange awards for the
master weavers for their creative excellence. But most of the time this award
is snatched away by the middlemen who only represent the sari on behalf of the
relevant artisan. They live thus without any recognition, honor and
acquaintance. 4)
Though a cooperative was set up by the Weavers’
Society, the wealthy weavers generally run it. The poor people seldom get any
facility from this organization. 5)
The Baluchari weavers are mostly restricted to
the sari production. They are less aware about the products that can be brought
forth with this technique. 6)
Grossly the Baluchari production of this district
is suffering from lack of space, low supply of raw materials, lack of proper
transportation facilities, knowledge of proper business transactions, fund to
purchase adequate looms etc. 7)
Sometimes government announces several schemes
for reviving this craft cultivation. But their mere ignorance about schemes
sets them back from the contemporary competitive market. 8)
Computer technology still remains a subject of
fantasy to them. Lack of technological knowledge and inability for adaptation
to these advancements are great hindrance in saving a good amount of time and
producing a large amount of silk during the same time. But these craftsmen again can witness a revival of this age-old
creation through following a few steps. 1)
The weavers have to be accustomed to producing
more items other than saris. Women’s scarf’s, furnishing fabrics, dupattas and other
utility items have to be incorporated in their production list. 2)
They have to remain updated about the current
market trends and try to expand the marketing chain by supplying the products
in bulk. They have to struggle for satiating the customer’s choice too. 3)
They have to participate in various fairs and
expos which enact as a great platform to bring these precious craft out to the
craving buyers. 4)
They have to appoint masters for their proper
training and learning about the international weaving standard and proper
marketing strategies. ·
Lack of
space ·
Lack of
raw materials ·
Lack of
variety in color shades to try new variations. ·
Lack of
transport ·
Lack of
official staffs for managements of business transactions ·
Lack of
funds to purchase looms. ·
Lack of
funds to start a dying section in the village. 1.13.2. PROMOTION
But because of the
lack of awareness and ignorance craftspeople cannot take full advantage of
these schemes. There are renowned designers who are using traditional crafts
skills in their work. If their attention focuses on to this craft pocket, it
will be a major help for thecraftsmen. 1.14. STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENTIn West Bengal more
than five lakh families are dependent on the handloom industry; out of every
sixty, one man is a handloom man. 500 million fabrics are woven in India, and
270 million meters comes from Bengal alone. The government is endeavoring to
bring 60% of these weavers to a cooperative scheme. By the March 1980
statistics, 23.2% (41,200 weavers) have bought under the cooperative scheme in
West Bengal. There are 1261 handlooms cooperatives in Bengal of which 813 are
active. It is hoped to commence at least another 550 cooperative societies.
India has 23 weavers service center, of which one is in Kolkata. They work for
the development of and refinement of handloom designs and to provide the
required outputs. 1.15. PROBLEMS OF HANDLOOM SECTOR IN WEST BENGALSilk Khadi Seva
Mandal could sustain this art for last three decades; have to pass through many
ups and downs. The problem however is the high designs cost and various traders
who lured away weavers by paying advances and encouraging Baluchari of
substandard quality. This gives bad name to the beautiful art the weavers are
duped and finally many talented weavers forgets the art they learnt over the
years by producing substandard Baluchari. All concern has to think for an
appropriating planning to sustain this wonderful art that could be revived with
so much difficulty due to labor and organization. The financial
institution financing the production of Baluchari provides working capital on
the basis of production value but no fund was ever provided for design work.
This fund constraint caused hindrance in further expansions which has in fact
encouraged production of sub standard Baluchari. There was a problem of
marketing to some extent. Although production of Baluchari now too less than
actual demand, the market in India remained seasonal. Fabrics of such high cost
are usually sold either during festive occasion or marriage seasons and
afforded only by people belongings to higher middle class and above. This
causes uneven cash flow. To tide over this crisis attempts should be made to
tap export market since it is told that Baluchari has good demand not as a
ap1parel but as a interior decoration piece. 1)
Lack of
working capital, 2)
Uncertainty
of sales, 3)
Shortage
of raw materials The Government has
been spending a considerable amount of money on buying cooperative shares with
the objective of strengthening their financial base and to help them to attain
qualifications to receive bank loans. After much efforts the Reserve Bank of
India has come up with a refinancing scheme for the handloom industry, through
which was financial aid was given. Without a well defined marketing channel the
weavers will neither get guarantees or interests for undertaking new
productions or for evolving new designs. The state apex cooperative association
and the state handloom and garments rights association has united with them and
is taking liabilities incurred for marketing garments of new designs. The
cooperative association with the help of its 90 handloom selling centers called
"Tantuja" and "Manjusha" and the development corporation
with their 30 "Tantushree" shops are selling handloom products both
within and outside the state. 1.16. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIESAgnimitra took up
the revive-Baluchari project in earnest when, after the “overwhelming response”
to a jute collection she did a few years ago, she turned to the weave from
Bishnupur to experiment, only to realize the “lack of infrastructure and funds”
dogging the artisans. “Changing a loom is costly and this is difficult without
government support,” she says. This prompted her to
write to Manas Bhuniya, the minister then for irrigation and waterways, micro
and small-scale enterprises and textiles, suggesting ways to revive the
textile. Instead of working with motifs only from the Ramayana
and Mahabharata on a whole sari, new
designs that are contemporary could be used and at the same time have a touch
of artistic Bengal. The same old colour combinations and designs are not
finding takers and the weavers are afraid that their off springs won’t be
interested in pursuing this career,” says Agnimitra, who also touched upon
issues like government-controlled pricing and marketing the products in both
metros and smaller towns. 1.17. SUGGESTIONS
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