Craft Documentation On Baluchari Sarees 1gu2x

BALUCHARI SAREES OF BENGAL | NID

Baluchari Sarees of Bengal

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Makur tane kabbyo gaatha , Balucharir juri kotha....... Translation: Weaving poetry and lore with a shuttle, the Baluchari is beyond compare

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PICTURES COVER PAGE: A Baluchari saree from Bishnupur PREVIOUS PAGES: Terracotta work on the walls of Jor Bangla Temple, Bishnupur THIS PAGE: A pillar from the Shyamrai Temple, Bishnupur NEXT TO NEXT PAGE: Raasmancha OPPOSITE TO TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE: A village hut, Bishnupur Copyright © Shreyasi Sengupta, 2014 Digital publication of student document for private circulation only. PGDPD Apparel Design & Merchandizing National Institute of Design, India Text, Photographs & Illustrations - Shreyasi Sengupta Other Sources: Mentioned under the photograph unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved under international copyright convention. No part of this documentation may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the publishers. Edited & Designed by: Shreyasi Sengupta. 4


Baluchari Sarees of Bengal -Weaving stories on cloth

A craft documentation of the Baluchari Sarees of West Bengal by: Shreyasi Sengupta Student of Apparel Design- 2013

Guide: Amit Sinha

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Preface

Craft sector in India is a vast one with its own rich tradition, values and culture, which is evident in the forms, color, texture and techniques. But while some crafts have been promoted by the government, exporters, designers, and get to evolve, some are often lesser known and do not see a growth with time and eventually die out. People are often unaware of their own cultural heritage and the different crafts that are indigenous to their birthplace. There is a need for people to know about the different crafts of India, because they directly talk about India and its culture, and also because they are a repository of our traditions and way of life. The pre-independent Bengal, with its muslins, brocades and jamdanis, was once one of the most prominent centers of handloom in the world. Being interested in Bengal handloom for a long period of time I took this opportunity to study one of the finest Bengal weaves - the Baluchari. The intricacy of the weave patterns and the stories that unfold with each saree, be it of mythology, history, or other contemporary events, have always intrigued me. The early Balucharis can be considered as a documentation of the times they belonged to.

I tried to study the reason for the craft to shift from its place of origin i.e. Baluchar, Murshidabad to present day Bishnupur, the state of the craft right now, and the social and cultural aspect of it. Undertaking this journey enabled me to understand the speciality of the craft and its existence and as to how and why its importance is dwindling in the present day. Being a design student at the National Institute of Design, I got a scope to understand and interpret it as a document in my own way. This journey has helped me to decipher the craft as an interpretation of culture, values, environment, and experiences along with how also traditions & techniques are becoming modernized.

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Acknowledgement

I would like to dedicate this to the weavers of Bishnupur, who work day and night to create art and tell stories through their weavings on cloth. I am thankful to NID and the entire Apparel Design department; especially my guide Mr. Amit Sinha, for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to work on this craft documentation & guiding me throughout the process. I would specially like to thank Mr. Tanmay Bhattachariya, treasury officer of Bishnupur, for introducing me to several weavers’ workshops, stores etc and also acquainting me to the people, culture, lifestyle of the town; Mr. Tusar Sarkar, the curator of Bishnupur


museum & Mr. Sayan Bhattachariya, the education officer of Indian Museum, Kolkata, for granting me special permissions for documenting the ancient textiles and artefacts; Mr. Baneswar Das who introduced us to the villages of Tantipara and gave us an insider’s perspective to the craftsmen’s livelihood and also helped with our commute; Mr. Tarun Chandra, owner of the store Anubhav, for letting me take as much time with his artisans, understanding and observing the craft, and also explaining me the business & marketing aspects of it; Mr. Dilip Kumar Dalal for making me aware of the history of the craft; the villagers & weavers of Tantipara, especially Mr. Arun Dey and Mr. Harisadhan Dey and his son, who opened their doors for me to study their age old family looms and familiarised me with each and every step involved in creating an exquisite Baluchari saree; our tour guide Mr. Alok Adhikari who told me about the history of the fort city Bishnupur and introduced me to the various other crafts of the town. Also I would like to express my gratitude towards Mrs. Jonaki Dasgupta for helping me record draping styles. I would also like to thank my parents for accompanying me to Bishnupur and providing me as much as possible and also making it an educative yet enjoyable trip.

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Table of Contents

1. PREFACE - 6 2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - 7 3. INTRODUCTION - 11 4. WEST BENGAL - 13 4.1. About West Bengal -15 4.2. Crafts of West Bengal -22 4.3. Sarees of Bengal -26 5. BISHNUPUR - 31 5.1. About Bishnupur - 33 5.2. The Journey - 35 5.3. Methodology - 36 5.4. History of Bishnupur - 39 5.5. Topography - 43 5.6. Climate & Geography - 44 5.7. Flora & Fauna - 45 5.8. People, Culture, & Occupations - 46 5.9. Religion & Festivals - 49 5.10. Local Attire - 56 5.11. Music - 58 5.12. Architecture - 61 5.13. Cuisine - 69 5.14. Crafts of Bishnupur - 71 6. BALUCHARI SAREES OF BISHNUPUR - 79 6.1. History & Origin - 80 6.2. Balucharis & Swarnacharis of Bishnupur - 86 7. TAANTIPARA AND ITS WEAVERS - 91 7.1. Visit to Taantipara - 93 7.2. Visit to Store Setups - 94 7.3. Interviews of the Weavers - 96

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8. BALUCHARI WEAVING- TOOLS & TECHNIQUE - 101 8.1. Silk Used - 102 8.2. Loom Used - 103 8.3. Yarn Processing - 105 8.4. Preparation of Warp & Weft - 108 8.5. Graph & Punch - card Making - 110 8.6. Weaving Process - 112 8.7. Weave Structure - 120 8.8. Drying, Folding & Packing - 122 9. VISUAL LANGUAGE & AESTHETICS - 125 9.1. Size, Weight & Layout - 126 9.2. Colors: then & now - 132 9.3. Motifs: then & now -134 9.4. Baluchari: then & now, a comparative study - 168 10. S AND DRAPING STYLES -171 10.1. End s - 173 10.2. Draping styles: old & new - 174 10.3. Accompanying Jewellery - 182 11. PRESENT DAY SCENARIO - 185 11.1. Revival of Jala Looms - 186 11.2. Market & Distribution - 187 11.3. Product Diversification - 188 11.4. Designer Take on Balucharis - 192 11.5. Problems Faced - 194 11.6. Government Interventions - 195 12. CONCLUSION - 197 13. REFERENCES - 198 14. GLOSSARY -200


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Introduction


West Bengal, the fourth most populous state in India, is rich in its historical, political and cultural context. Its capital Kolkata was the seat of governance for British India and is often cited as the cultural capital of India till date. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is also known for it’s political activism and the state’s cultural heritage, which, besides varied folk traditions, ranges from stalwarts in literature including Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore, film-maker Satyajit Ray to scores of other musicians, film-makers and artists. West Bengal is also distinct from most other Indian states in its appreciation and practice of playing football. Bishnupur, a town and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, is famous for its contribution in Bengal’s history, architecture, music and textiles. Named after the Hindu God ‘Vishnu’, Bishnupur was ruled by the Vaishnavite Malla rulers, who built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th century, some of which are easily the best specimen of the classical style of Bengal architecture. Royal patronage of the Malla kings also gave rise to Bishnupur Gharana of Hindustani classical music in late 18th-century and the Bishnupur school of painting which are prevalent even today. Bishnupur’s major reason for popularity though can be attributed to the exquisite Baluchari sarees that are woven in this place, which has been granted the status of Geographical Indication in India recently. Bishnupur’s tussar silk sarees are also well known for its quality. Other crafts include terracotta artefacts, pottery & jewellery, bellmetalware, dokra and conch shell crafts. Left: A part of the pallu of an early 20th century Baluchari as seen at the Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum. 11


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West Bengal


Left: A detailed map of the textile centers of West Bengal Image Courtsey: Saris Tradition and Beyond by Rita Kapur Chishti & Martand Singh, Roli Books, published: 2010 Previous page: Paddy fields in West Bengal Image Courtsey: Soumya Bandyopadhyay, https:// www.flickr.com/photos/soumya_b5/7992728434/in/ photostream/ Facing page: Women in paddy fields in Birbhum, West Bengal Image Courtsey: https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/257197828696307844/ 14

A boutWest Bengal


The state of West Bengal is located in the eastern part of India. It is bounded by the states of Sikkim, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar; the countries of Bhutan & Bangladesh, & the Bay of Bengal. Although West Bengal ranks as one of the smaller states of India, total area being 88,752 square kms, it homes one of the largest populations (90.32 million as of 2012) of the country. The capital of West Bengal is Kolkata (Calcutta), which is my hometown.

HISTORY The name Bengal, or Bangla, is derived from the ancient kingdom of Vanga, or Banga. It formed a part of the extensive Mauryan empire, followed by the Gupta empire, and Later by the Pala dynasty. From the beginning of the 13th century to the mid-18th century Bengal was under Muslim rule. In the Battle of Plassey in 1757 British forces under Robert Clive defeated the nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah. By the Regulating Act of 1773, Warren Hastings became the first British governor-general of Bengal. The British-controlled government, centred at Calcutta (now Kolkata), was declared to be supreme: essentially, the governor-general of Bengal was the chief executive of British India. Thus, the Bengal Presidency, as the province was known, had powers of superintendence over the other British presidencies, those of Madras (now Chennai) and Bombay (now Mumbai). Under the Government of India Act (1935), Bengal was constituted an autonomous province in 1937. This remained the situation until the Indian subcontinent was partitioned into the two dominions of Pakistan and India after the British withdrawal in 1947. The eastern sector of Bengal, largely Muslim, became 15


East Pakistan (later Bangladesh); the western sector became India’s West Bengal.

FLORA & FAUNA More than one-tenth of the total land area of the state is occupied by forests, and the region as a whole has a rich and varied plant life. In the sub-Himalayan plains the principal forest trees include sal and shisham, the forests are interspersed with reeds and tall grasses. On the Himalayan heights we can find coniferous belts occurring whereas the delta of the Hoogly constitutes the western end of the dense coastal mangrove forest called the

LAND Bengal may be broadly divided into two natural geographic divisions—the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan area in the north. The state capital, Kolkata, is situated on the Gangetic distributary Hoogly in the southern portion of West Bengal. Another important river, the Damodar, s the Hugli southwest of Kolkata. The elevation of the plain increases slowly toward the west. The sub-Himalayan tract, Western Duars, is a part of the Tarai lowland belt between the Himalayas and the plain. Some of the finest tea plantations of India are situated there. North of the Duars, the Himalayan mountain ranges rise abruptly along the northern boundary of the state. Mount Kanchenjunga, located in adjacent Sikkim, dominates the landscape of the area, particularly in Darjeeling.

Above: The Bengal tiger Image courtsey: http://www.desktopwallpapers4.me/animals/bengal-tiger-3617/

CLIMATE West Bengal’s climate is transitional between tropical wet-dry in the southern portions and humid subtropical in the north. Throughout West Bengal there is a pronounced seasonal disparity in rainfall. Kolkata averages about 1,625 mm precipitation per year. The state also is subject to considerable variability from year to year. In the sub-Himalayan region, rainfall is considerably greater. Average temperatures at Kolkata range from about plesently cool winter of around 18 °C in December and January to a hot and humid summer of nearly 38 °C in April and May.

Sundarbans. A large portion of this area has been set aside as a national park. The forests of West Bengal are inhabited by the Bengal tigers, panthers, elephants, gaurs (wild cattle), deer, salt water crocodiles, and rhinoceroses, as well as by other animals of the Indian plain. PEOPLE The majority of West Bengal’s people live in rural villages. Of those living in urban areas, more than half reside in greater Kol16


kata. More than three-fourths of the population consists of Hindus & most of the remainder is Muslim. Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Sikhs constitute small minority communities. Bengali, the main language of the state, is spoken by much of the population. Other languages spoken include Hindi, Santali & Urdu. English, together with Bengali, is the language of istration. AGRICULTURE Agriculture dominates both the landscape and the economy of West Bengal. Rice is the leading crop of Bengal contributing a significant percentage of the country’s total produce. Jute, wheat, mangoes, jackfruit, and bananas are also grown in abundance. The tea from Darjeeling has worldwide demand.

Above: A Bengali thali offering from the restaurant ‘6 Ballygunge Place’, Kolkata Image courtsey: http://breakoutwear.co.uk/blog/?p=481

are several Bengali festivals celebrated here such as Nabo Borsho (the Bengali new year), Dol purnima & Bashanta Utsav (Holi), Ratha Yatra, Janmasthmami, Rakhi purnima (Raksha Bandhan),

CUISINE West Bengal being a majorly agrerian state produces a lot of rice, climate specific vegetables and wheat. Also situated near the coastal region, fish is an integral part of daily diet for people of Bengal. Some of the popular traditional dishes of West Bengal are, Ilish Mach Bhapa, Shukto, Panch Mishali Chorchori, Alu Posto, Mochar Ghonto & Luchi. Sweets made of cottage cheese like sondesh, rashagolla, chamcham etc and sweetened curd (mishti doi) are some of the other delicacies. Mutton, chicken and prawn curries are also popular. Bengalis also love indulging in Mughlai and Chinese preparations. FESTIVALS People of diverse culture live in West Bengal in harmony. There

Above: Sindoor Khela (playing with vermillion), a ritual of Durga Puja Image courtsey: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/2014/10/41b29394-d95d-418 e-b44b-f3b936f6d88cWallpAutoWallpaper2.JPG 17


gion are celebrated with equal fervour and people participate in festivals of other religions and communities as well. Christmas, Eid, Navratri, Diwali are all celebrated with great zeal. CULTURE Bengalis have long fostered art, literature, music, and drama. The visual arts have, by tradition, been based largely on clay modeling, terracotta work, and decorative painting. Some of the well known artists, sculptures and painters of the state are, Acharya Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Asit Kumar Haldar, Kshitin Mazumdar, Samar Gupta, Benod Behari Mukherjee, Sarada Ukil, Sudhir Khastagir and Ram Kinkar Beij. Bengali literature dates to before the 12th century. The Chaitanya movement, an intensely emotional form of Hinduism inspired by the medieval saint Chaitanya, shaped the subsequent development of Bengali poetry until the early 19th century, when with the West sparked a vigorous creative synthesis. The modern period has produced, among others, the Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), whose contribution still dominates the Indian literary scene. The contributions of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dinabandhu Mitra, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Kazi Nazrul Islam and their likes are immensely significant to Bengali literature and society as a whole. The theatre is popular, and the performances are sophisticated. jatras, traditional open-air performances that may treat mythological and historical topics or contemporary themes, are popular both in the countryside and in urban areas. The film industry is a well-established modern form of popular entertainment. Bengali

Rabindranath Tagore at his painting desk, Government School of Art, Calcutta 1932 Image courtsey: http://oldindianphotos.our24x7i.com/history_based/HISTORY_ OLD_INDIAN_PHOTOS/172.jws

Shivratri etc. Durga puja takes place in the months of September or October to celebrate the homecoming of Goddess Durga to her father’s home on earth with her children. Pujas of Goddesses Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Jagatdhatri are also celebrated with great grandeur. The state is very secular, and festivals of all reli-

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Modern dance forms originated with the start of ‘Rabindra Nritya’ where performances are done to the songs of Rabindranath Tagore. Besides these, dance forms like Jhumur, Santhali tribal dance, Nepali folk dance etc. are also popular in West Bengal. People also dance with a ‘dhunuchi’ at Durga Puja.

films have earned national and international awards for their delicate handling of Indian themes; the works of the directors Tapan Sinha, Mrinal Sen, Aparna Sen, Rituporno Ghosh and Academy Award winner Satyajit Ray are particularly notable. MUSIC

Rabindra Sangeet, a form of music based on the songs written by

the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, is the most renowned form of Bengali music which draw inspiration from the pure Indian classical as well as traditional folk-music sources. There is also the Bishnupur Gharana based on the ancient Hindustani classical music which we will discuss in later chapters. Shyama Sangeet is a genre of devotional music dedicated to Devi Kali or Shyama. Kirtan is another style of devotional Bengali music written on the early life of Lord Krishna. Songs written by Kazi Nazrul Islam, Dwijendralal Ray, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, Atul Prasad Sen are also noteworthy. The kavigaan is an impromptu duel in musical verse between village poets. The kathakata, a religious recital, is another traditional form of rural entertainment, based on folklore. Baul songs are also popular in the villages.

A baul troupe from Bolpur, Shantiniketan Image courtsey: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VENSTS8yMDEwLzAyLzA2I0FyMDMyMDA%3D

INDUSTRY The corridor extending for a number of miles north and south of Kolkata, along the Hoogly River is the most important industrial belt of Bengal. Another significant industrial region is located along the Damodar River. Durgapur and Burnpur have steel plants and a there’s a locomotive plant at Chittaranjan. Haldia is the terminus of an oil pipeline from Assam, a site of a large oil refinery and it also has a petrochemical industry. Other important manufactures include ships, automobiles, chemicals and fertilizers, wagons, electronics, paper, and cotton textiles. The state has a large number of small-scale and cottage industries as well. Mineral resources of West Bengal which are nationally

DANCE

Gandiya Nritya was prevelant in Bengal in historic times from

which modern day Odissi, Manipuri and Kuchipuri is said to have originated. The Raibense Dance is the ancient dance form of the Burdwan and Birbhum district which is based on an martial art technique. Chhau dance is a form of costumed & masked tribal dance which is popular in Purulia and Jhargram regions. 19


significant are coal and clay for brickmaking. TRADITIONAL ATTIRE During earlier times men in Bengal used to wear white coloured cotton panjabis (kurtas) along with dhotis and women wore saris with ‘ghomta’ (draping a part of the sari on top of the head like a veil) and the pallu/aanchal draped in front of the torso. Benarasi saris are mostly worn by women for their weddings. Traditional clothing is mostly worn during festivals and weddings now. Gold ornaments are very popular among women of Bengal. Mordern day clothing for men is mostly western with the ocassional exceptions of panjabis & pyajamas. Women too either opt for western attire or go for salwar kameez, kurtis, churidaars etc.

The Howrah Bridge Image courtsey: Mahesh Balasubramanian, https://www.flickr.com/photos/maheshguild/9740103174

TRANSPORTATION Local river transportation in India was first introduced in Kolkata but ongoing deterioration of river channels has disrupted it to a certain extent. Two ports in Kolkata and Haldia handle international trade. Indian railways was inaugurated in West Bengal in 1854. Kolkata was the first Indian city to start an underground railway network. It is also the only Indian state to have a tram network. National highways link West Bengal with the rest of India while state highways link internal connection. The state’s only international airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum. Other airports include Bagdogra airport, Andal airport etc. Howrah Bridge, Hoogly Bridge, Bali Bridge, Rabindra Setu, Vidyasagar Setu and Vivekananda Setu connect Kolkata with the rest of the state. A well connected network of local trains link Kolkata to the subarbs of West Bengal.

Above: Dolls dressed in traditional Bengali attire Image courtsey: http://www.dollsofindia.com/product/costume-dolls/bengali-couple-cloth-CX03.html 20


Above: The Victoria Memorial Image courtsey: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=730554&page=2

ARCHITECTURE Hazarduari Palace of Murshidabad, Palace of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, terracotta temples of Bishnupur, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple etc. are some of the prominent examples of archi-

tectural excellence of West Bengal. The Bengal architecture had ‘chala’ style roof which converges to a pinnacle. Victoria Memorial, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Indian Museum, Fort William are some of the examples of architecture during the British rule. 21

Crafts of West Bengal


An artisan works on a clay statue of Hindu Goddess Durga in the idol-makers’ village Kumartuli Image Courtsey: https://www.tumblr.com/search/hindu%20goddess%20durga

West Bengal is blessed with master artists from various districts, small villages and Kolkata. The handicrafts here depict the richness of fine art present in the region which varies from terracotta, dokra work, wood and cane carvings, shola arts to beautiful pottery making and handloom designs. Handmade potteries are

an important fine art found in West Bengal, especially in regions like Murshidabad, Bishnupur, Bankura, Midnapore and Chaurigacha-Katalia. The potters are known as the Kumbhakars and many of them are women. They produce handmade figurines, utensils, dolls and toys made with perfection. 22


Clay modelling is also popular in the region. The clay idols of various Gods and Goddesses are world renowned. Kumartuli is a region dedicated to the making of idols of Gods and Goddesses like the Mahishasur-mardini Durga, Saraswati, Ganesha etc. The conch shell carvers or the Sankhari families of Bishnupur are famous for their intricate carvings. The Terracotta murals and sculptures of Birbhum, Murshidabad, Digha, Bishnupur and Hooghly are the finest of India. Various shapes of animals and utensils are generally made. The clay dolls made at Krishnanagar are also very popular. Some artisans of Murshidabad are engaged in ivory crafts. The Dokra metal works of Bishnupur are one of the oldest forms of metal casting. The Dokra models are made of an unique process which involves wax. The artisans make small wax models with intricate designs on the body and put them in clay core. Then a typical metal casting is done on the models by which the wax melts while giving the model a shiny brass look. This artworks are popular in the Bankura, Budwan and Midnapore districts, from where the goods are sent to Kolkata and abroad stores. Small dancing Santhal dolls, animal figurines, Paikons, Pancha Pradeep are some of the popular Dokra arts. The Chhau masks and costumes of Charida village of Purulia are world famous. These masks form a part of the costume for the traditional danceform of Chhau. The art is limited to around 250 artisans of the village but it has an immense international demand. These masks are huge in size, made of clay, dried and covered with paper and cloth strips. After that they are painted with bright colours and decorated with Zari and Peacock feathers and big eyes and nose are painted on them.

Above: A Purulia Chhau performer dressed as Shiva wearing a traditional Chhau mask Image courtsey: Paresh Kale, http://pareshkale.blogspot.in/2014/12/chhau-dance-i.html 23


Top Left: A patachitra artist at Naya, in Pingla, West Bengal; Image courtsey: http://www.maamatimanush.tv/articles.php?aid=476 Top right: Kantha embroidery, needlework on cloth; Image Courtsey: Asis K. Chatterjee, https://www.flickr.com/photos/indiantraveller/2136222531 Bottom left: A wedding mukut (tiara) made out of Sholapith; Image courtsey: Anirban Brahma, https://thediaryofamadbride.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ani_195.jpg Bottom right: Ethnic wood carved character dolls handmade from Katwa, Bardhamaan District; Image courtsey: Pallab Seth, https://www.flickr.com/photos/23985194@ N06/6743677155/

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A woman ‘kumbhakar’ working on terracotta clay idols of the snake Goddess Manasha making a ‘Manashar jhapan’ in Panchmura village in Bankura district Image courtsey: Partha Saha, http://convozine.com/30-nov-challenge/7807

and generally portray the culture of Bengal. Wood carving is popular in Katwa. West Bengal is rich in various handloom products and the legacy is being carried on till today by the master weavers and artisans, who put in their effort to produce exquisite pieces everyday. The product range include saris, dhotis, stoles, kurtas and dress materials. ‘Tangail’ and ‘Jamdani’ are the two forms of handloom sarees exclusively made in the state. Silk in West Bengal has its own charm. The ‘Baluchari’ Sarees of Bishnupur and Murshidabad Silk Sarees are some of the most intricately woven sarees produced in India. We will cover many of these crafts in details under the chapter ‘Crafts of Bishnupur’.

‘Shola Pith’ is a form of natural thermocol like material which is used in a form of artwork in Murshidabad district. It is a milky white coloured sponge wood used by artisans to make amazing complicated artefacts of Gods and Goddesses faces, wedding tiaras, elephant-howdahs, peacock-boats, palanquins etc. Shantiniketan is famous for Kantha embroidery work and leather batik. ‘Pat’ is an art form is done on schrolls made up of ‘Jorapata’ or ‘Dighol Pat’ which s a form of leaf. It is found in Purulia, Pingla and Kalighat and the craftsmen are called potuas. Stories are drawn in the form of a series based on tribal lifestyles and other mythological stories. The paintings are done with bright colours 25

1.

Saris of Bengal


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3.

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Although the pre-independence Bengal was known worldwide for its super fine muslin, the western part of Bengal (present day West Bengal) mostly produced coarse count saris. Fine count transparent cotton was a luxury only few could afford and was thus a statement for the affluent. But shift of population between East and West Bengal during the first partition in Bengal in 1905; during formation of East Pakistan and in 1947; and during transformation of East Pakistan into Bangladesh; lead to a massive influence of East Bengal’s fine count cotton saris in West Bengal. Another reason for the shift to fine count cotton from coarse count cotton was the great sweep of socio-economic change in India since independence and the greater upward social mobility that came as a consequence. Coarse counts have now all but disappeard or moved to becoming finer, from 16s and 20s to 40s count. These shifts have transformed the face of handloom production in present day West Bengal. Despite the changes that have taken place due to shifts of population, modernization of loom technology and market trends, a certain aesthetic homogeneity is still decipherable between coarse cottons, fine cottons and silks of Bengal. They seem to share a common heritage of symbolic layouts and motifs capable of transiting from one category to the other, yet retaining a distinct identity. Though sari categories in Bengal are essentialy material based (mainly cotton, tussar and mulberry), there are several varieties where a cotton saree may use silk to uplift colour and texture in the borders or the body and silk may introduce a cotton weft to cut cost, thus defying categorization yet maintaining a continuity in design language to a large extent.

4. BALUCHARI SAREES OF BENGAL | NID

1. Jalchuri saree; 2.Dhonekhali saree; 3. Shantipuri saree; 4. Tangail saree; 5. Dhakai saree; 6. Dhakai Jamdani saree

COARSE COTTON The Jalchuri (pebble on water stripes) saris are characterized by plain or receeding stripes in coarse cotton, or at times, munga silk. Another example of coarse cotton sari is the Pachha-phere which is characterized by it’s three borders, two on sides and one encircling the hips. These saris are known for their simplicity in the use of color and texture as accents and limited warp patterning. FINE COUNT COTTON Shantipuri saris (fine cotton saris from Shantipur) are characterized by its light, airy drape balanced with a well-woven body and the subtle play of patterns in the finely etched borders. it often featured jalchuri and the paata baanshano techniques as seen in the kolash paar variety. Dhonekhali saris were densely woven with receding stripes as its main design feature. They were more opaque than Shantipuris, yet subtle in their appeal. Khadi from Navadweep and Fulia were spun on the Ambar semi mechanized charkha which could weave upto 450s count of saris which are the finest in India. Because of the fine transparent nature of the cloth, the cotton was heavily starched, crinkled and worn as a relatively opaque drape. Dhakai Jamdani sarees are the ultimate fine cottons of Bengal, with its loom embroidery in the weft at every pick woven in jala looms. The indigo ground neelambari ornamented in gold/ silver or madder red that glows out of the darkness of the ground and was often worn for pujas or festivals.

5.

6.

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7. Dhakai bheeti saree; 8. Garad saree; 9. Korial saree

Tangail saris were born from the influence of the Dhakai Jam-

8.

9.

dani saris from the eastern part of undivided Bengal. The Tangail saris imitates the extra weft loom embroidery of the Jamdani on the alternate or the third, fourth or even fifth pick, greatly simplifying the technique. The Dhakai bheeti is a unique fine count, densely woven, cotton ground, East Bengal sari with jamdani weft-patterned elements in the end piece and double sided warp patterning in cotton, silk and zari in the body and borders. It often had extra warp, double sided and double coloured stripes in silk in the body in satin weave. This sari is no longer woven today, even in Bangladesh. TUSSAR SILK Tussar saris are best represented by the red bordered Lal-paar sari and Garad sari. There is a range of tussar in plain and narrow, to broad border saris with jalchuri accent stripes worn for auspicious occasions. Another range comprises of limited border and patterend end piece but this sari is increasingly becoming rare. The Bengal variety of tussar is a lustrous and heavy, 7 to 12 cucoon hand reeled silk which is unique among the tussar varieties of eastern India. MULBERRY SILK The mulberry silk of West Bengal is diverse in nature. Malda used to produce a heavier version of this whereas Bishnupur had a softer and more lusturous version. Until the popularity of Bangalore silk grew all over India, West Bengal used to be the primary producer and exporter of mulberry silk.

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10. Baluchari saree; 11. Murshidabadi silk saree; 12. Tribal Saree Image courtsey for 1,7,9,12: Saris Tradition and Beyond by Rita Kapur Chishti & Martand Singh, Roli Books, 2010 publication.

Garad silk saris are distinguished by its red border and small

paisley motifs. Silk fabric used to weave Garad sarees is not dyed which keeps the purity factor of the fabric intact and therefore these sarees have a sacred importance to the women in Bengal. Murshidabad specializes in weaving these Sarees wherein the silk yarns are woven close together which imparts the fine texture to the sarees. Garad in Bengali means white. The Korial sari’s khooni lal (blood red), four inch borders were traditionally woven with three shuttles; two for the borders and one for the ground. The Murshidabad silk saris are in general brocades with bright colour combinations. These silk sarees are generally handcrafted by a specific community of muslim artisans. The sarees have Kalka designs and Cone motifs with flowers at the borders. The intricate Bishnupuri Baluchari brocades also fall in this category which we will discuss in details in later chapters. Mulberry silk sarees with Kantha embroidery from Shantiniketan are also quite popular nationally and internationally. TRIBAL DRAPES In the northenmost end of West Bengal, there is a small amount of coarse count cotton spinning and weaving of the two-piece drapes dhokna-paanchhi for the Mechh community and the paanchhi for the Santhals. These drapes are similar to the sari in their layout. These Mechh drapes are mostly woven on backstrap looms by the women who wear them and sell the pieces produced. The drapes therefore acquire a unique and personalised texture and pattern quality.

11.

12.

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Bishnupur


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About Bishnupur


Bishnupur is a town and a municipality in Bankura District in the state of West Bengal. It is partly semi-urban and partly rural. It is famous for its contribution in Bengal’s history, architecture, music and textiles. Named after the Hindu God ‘Vishnu’, Bishnupur was ruled by the Vaishnavite Malla rulers, who built the famous terracotta temples during the 17th and 18th century, some of which are easily the best specimen of the classical style of Bengal architecture. Royal patronage of the Malla kings also gave rise to Bishnupur Gharana of Hindustani classical music in late 18th-century and the Bishnupur school of painting which are prevalent even today. Bishnupur’s major reason for popularity though can be attributed to the exquisite Baluchari sarees that are woven in this place, which has been granted the status of Geographical Indication in India recently. Bishnupur’s tussar silk sarees are also well known for its quality. Other crafts include terracotta artefacts, pottery & jewellery; bellmetalware; commonly known as dokra and conch shell crafts. There are designated ‘Taantipara’; a area within Bishnupur which homes most of its weavers and ‘Sankharipara’; an area for the conch craft artists. All the above factors have made Bishnupur one of the tourist hotspots of Bengal attracting both national and international tourists and the West Bengal Tourism Board is also doing quite a lot to promote this place like hosting the Bishnupur Fair, promoting the architecture and the Baluchari sarees, maintaining etc. The Achariya Jogesh Chandra Museum also plays its part in preserving several priceless artefacts which plays an integral part in understanding Bishnupur’s rich history.

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Left: Terracotta horses and elephants being worshipped, Bishnupur Previous Page: Terracotta work from the Jor Bangla Temple


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The Journey

For my visit to the craft site, I first travelled to Kolkata, West Bengal from Gandhinagar, Gujarat (where I was currently residing). My parents decided to accompany me as they too wanted to visit the historical sites and see how the beautiful Balucharis are created. We travelled to Bishnupur in the month of November, 2014 from Kolkata, and stayed there for two weeks. We took the 6 a.m. train to Bishnupur from the Shalimar railway station on


the outskirts of Kolkata. The day was clear, the weather, beautiful, and the journey, hassle free. The view of the rustic yet lush green rural Bengal from my train window was breathtaking. In Bishnupur we resided at the Kangshabati Project Guest house which was a 10 minute auto ride from the train station. Right (opposite page): The Big Gate of Bishnupur and the ex-weaver driven auto rickshaw which showed us around the entire Bishnupur; Above: Bishnupur railway station 35


Methodology

searched for publications, e-books & documentaries available on this subject. I found the books ‘Saris Tradition and Beyond’ by Rita Kapur Chishti & Martand Singh, ‘Fabric Art: Heritage of India’ by Sukla Das, ‘A Monograph on the Silk Fabrics of Bengal’ by N.G. Mukerji, and ‘Pageant Of India Culture Volume 1’ by A. K. Bhattacharya, quite helpful to understand the history & origins of the textile, it’s socio -economic aspect etc. Also the documentary ‘Weaving Tales on Cloth: Baluchari Saree of West Bengal’ and the journal ‘Geographical Indications Journal No. 41, Government of India’ was really helpful. All of the above helped me build a literature review for this project for my future use. Next I planned out my site visits at Bishnupur as part of my primary research. I visited Bishnupur from Kolkata for 2 days and studied the location. I met with the treasurey officer there who gave me informations of the local store owners who deal with local Baluchari production & sales. I visited one of these stores, a local artisan’s house, the local museum & the local library to get a better feel and understanding of the place, culture, craft etc. Then I came back to Kolkata and visited the Indian museum to see their ancient Baluchari collection and get a better understanding. This gave me a comparison parameter between the original Balucharis and the contemporary ones, and an understanding of how the craft has evolved in respect to weaving techniques, motifs, colors, materials, cultural context etc. Next I prepared my journey, arranged my accomodation and planned my day wise activity. The first two days I visited all the historical monuments, revisited the museum and studied all the

A shop attendant explaining the motifs of a Baluchari at the store ‘Kanishka’, Bishnupur

Carrying out this project, as does any project, required a lot of planning. Once I had selected the craft I wanted to work on, I began with my initial secondary research by reading up material available on Bishnupur and Bishnupuri Baluchari online. Also I 36


The Bishnupur Achariya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum

ancient & traditional textiles of Bishnupur with immense guidance of the curator, and also visited other places of significance in the town. Next I dedicated my time solely on observing different steps involved in Baluchari weaving, in both the semi-urban and rural sectors. I prepared questionairres for interviewing the people involved but I realised the questions really had to be improvised as per the craftsman’s area of expertise, their knowledge of history etc. Some craftsmen explained me the workings of the loom in the easiest way possible while some told me the rich his-

tory of the craft & how it has ed on in the family for generations. I documented all of the same, through notes, photographs, video recording, sketches etc. I also spent a lot of time sitting in the workshops & homes of the weavers observing them weave. When I came back from the field visit, I also recorded the draping techniques of the Baluchari on the urban women of Kolkata, as they are the patrons of the craft. The pictures were then sorted and a rough draft of text was compiled before starting with this document. 37


Right: Tourism map of the Temple town, Bishnupur Image courtsey: South Eastern Railway

Below: The Lalbandh Lake of Bishnupur

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History of Bishnupur


Bishnupur was ruled under the Gupta period by local Hindu kings who paid tribute to Samudra Gupta. Following a long period of obscurity, where the land oscillated between being a minor independent principality and a vassal state. The land is also called Mallabhum after the Malla rulers of this place. It was much later in 994 AD that the place was named Bishnupur. Legend has it that during the 7th century AD a disposed king often believed to be of Jaipur was making a pilgrimage to South India. During their journey through Laugram, the present day Bishnupur area, the Queen, delivered a male baby in the house of a village brahamin, but did not survive to see her own baby. Abandoning the child the disposed king went on with his pilgrimage. The child started growing up in the poor brahamin’s house. One day the boy had fallen asleep tending the cows in the field and a huge snake with his hood have guarded the sunlight, which was falling on the boys face. Seeing this miracle the poor brahamin provided the boy with best education along with

along with physical and warfare training. The boy not only excelled in education but also turned out to be an outstanding wrestler. Soon on the request of the local elders he ascended the throne of the local kingdom, which was renamed as the Malla Kingdom (Malla meaning wrestling) and he known as Adi Malla. He ruled for about sixteen years. Thereafter Jay Malla became the king in 710 A.D. and he brought his uncle and he settled in a village near present day Bishnupur, which was named Jaypur. After Jay Malla several kings including Benu, Indra Kanu, Dhamalla, Suramalla, Kanak, Kandarpa and Sanatan Malla sat on the throne. The next king Kharagmalla conquered a considerable area of land in the district of Midnapur in 841 A.D. The town of Kharagpur carries his name & his memory even today. He was followed by Durjan Malla, Jadav, Jagannath, Birat, Madhab, Durgadas Malla, and in 994 A.D. the nineteenth king Jagat Malla ascended the throne. His name is memorable in history since he was the founder of the Bishnupur town and he also established the Mrinmoyee Devi temple which was the renowned deity of the Malla dynasty and is worshipped even today.

Below: Small Stone Gateway built during the reign of king Bir Singhadev

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indigo, wax, honey, utensils made of brass and art objects made of conch and horn were exported and in return imported spices and salt. There are records that show that merchants of this place made use of commercial ships to do business in distant Gujarat. In 1185 A.D. Ram Malla ascended the throne of Bishnupur. He was a contemporary of Muhammad Ghori & Prithviraj Chauhan. He contributed to the improvement of forts, providing better facilities to soldiers and establishment of new armories. He was followed by Gobinda, Bhim, Katar, Prithy, Tapa, Dinabandhu, Kanu II & Suramalla II. Prithy Malla founded two Shiva temples Saraswar & Saileswar and the Baruni fair accompanied by Lord Shiva’s gajan is still held every year with much pomp and pleasure. The fourty-second king Shiva Singha Malla who was a contemporary of Firoz Shah and Muhammad bin Tughluq, was an expert in music, and under his rule Bishnupur reached a very high place in cultivation and in music and was often called ‘the second Delhi in music’. Dhari Malla became the ruler of Bishnupur in 1539 A.D. and was a contemporary to Humayun and Akbar and it was during his rule that Bishnupur was taken under the Mughal empire and had to start paying taxes to them. One of the most ed & influential rulers of Bishnupur Hambir Malla popularly known as Maharaja Bir Hambir ascended the throne around 1565 A.D. He was a man of multiple qualities such as heroism, strength, devotion, love and generosity. He is famous for defeating the Pathan invader Dayud Khan. Besides fortifying Bishnupur, he also took steps for strengtening his military power. He got the famous Dalmadal canon & several other smaller canons built and set them up in several trenches

The famous Dalmadal Canon seen at Bishnupur

It is said that he got orders from Goddess Mrinmoyee herself to transfer his capital from Pradyumnyapur to this place in Bishnupur inside a dense forest. The king established several guest houses, auditoriums, broad roads, temples, schools, granaries, pastures, armories, army barracks, horse & elephant sheds, and well stuffed shops. He turned Bishnupur into a prosperous city by inviting many artists, businessmen & intellectuals from all over the country and during his reign Bishnupur prospered as a city known for its bravery and heroism, trade and business, and also its art and culture. After his demise he was succeeded by Ananta Malla, Rup, Sundar, Kumad, Krishna II & Rup Malla II respectively. In 1097 A.D. the twenty-sixth king Prakash Malla founded Prakashgram by the side of river Darakeshwar which in course of time became quite an important business center of Bengal. The products of this place such as jaggery, cotton, rice,. 40


and moats, turning Bishnupur into an impenetrable and undefeatable place. He was also responsible for digging Jamunabandh, Kalindibandh, Shyambandh, Radhakundu, Kalidaha etc. at a huge cost. Birhambir was a devotee of the wise man Srinibas and under his influence gave up Shakta religion and embraced Vaishnava faith. From that time onwards the entire Mallabhuma inclined towards the Vaishnava religion. He was known for his tremendous strength and riding skills. Raghunath Malladev came to power in 1626 A.D. During his rule, Shahjahan’s son Suja became the Governor of Bengal. It is said that Suja was so impressed with Raghunath’s display of strength that he freed him from all taxes acknowledging him as a friend. He built for the famous Shyamrai, Jor Bungalow and Kalachand temples. After the demise of Raghunath Singhadev, Bir Singhadev became the king of Bishnupur in 1656 A.D. He was a contemporary of Aurangzeb. He was notorious for his cruelty yet known for his constructions. It was during his reign that the famous big and small fortress doors, Radhalaljue temple, the foundation of Dengo Ramkrishnajue temple, Brindaban Chandrajue temple, Murli Mohan temple etc were built. Maharaja Durjan Singha Dev, was crowned in 1682 A.D. and he established the famous temple of Modon Mohan Dev. After his demise, his son Raghunath Singhadev the second, was crowned in 1702 A.D. He was a contemporary of Bahadur Shah of Delhi. He introduced music on a large scale in Bishnupur. After spending a lot of money he succeeded in bringing Bahadur Sen from Delhi, who was a successor of the legendary Tan Sen. He was also able to organize over one lakh soldiers under his reign. He conquered Chetua Barda, a kingdom

of Shova Singh, and brough in princess Chandra Prava who became his queen, along with a lot of treasures, cannons, guns, and many idols of deities. Because of his growing association to a muslim singer, Begum Lalbai; his wife Chandra Prava, unable to bear this, arranged her husband to be murdered and sacrificed her self on the same pyre of her husband. After the death of issueless Raghunath Singhadev, Gopal Singhadev sat on the throne. He was a great devotee of lord Madan Mohan (incarnation of Lord Krishna) and a brilliant devotional singer. During his rule the notorious Maratha Bargee attacks happened in the kingdom, the stories of which are sung even today in children’s lullabys. Legend has it that Lord Madan Mohan himself fired the famous Dalmadal canon to save the kingdom. King Gopal

A terracotta from the Jor Bangla Temple depicting wars and hunting scenes of the Malla rulers 41


Singha then ordered the construction of Jor Mandir and Radhagodindajue in Lord Madan Mohan’s honor. After the demise of king Gopal Singhadev, his grandson Chaitanya Singhadev, sat on the throne in 1748 A.D. He diverted all his attention towards the development of kingdom left by his Grandfather. He was a contemporary of Alamgir II. But his life saw no end of troubles when Damudar Singha, the son of his unclecomplained repeatedly before Nawab Sirazudllya, Mirzafar Khan and the East India Company about his ney deprival of his due ownership of a half of the Bishnupur kingdom. Chaitanya Singhadev had to spend large amounts of money to fight these complaints in Law suits. Ultimately he became almost bankrupt fighting these cases and was forced to mortgage everything including the Madan Mohan idol. His eldest son Modanmohan Singhadev died one year before his death. So he placed his grandson Madhab Singhadev on the throne in 1801 A.D., who in attempt to raise money tried looting the Bankura Head Treasury, and was taken a prisoner and he died in Calcutta Jail in 1809. After him Gopal Singhadev II & Ram Krishna Singhadev sat on the throne. Ram Krishna died childless in 1885. Thus Maharani Dhawjamanidevi ruled Bishnupur with the help of her employees for three years, afterwhich she adopted Nilmoni Singhadev and made him sit on the throne. After his death his only son Ram Chandra Singhadev sat on the throne but he also died in 1918 leading to the kingdom being leased outside the family for twelve years. Thereafter Kalipada Singha Thakur, grandson of Ramkishore Singhadev, sat on the throne of Bishnupur in 1930. He was born in 1904 and he died on 29th December 1983. He was the last king of Bishnupur.

A scene from a central of a early 20th century baluchari saree from Bishnupur depicting Lord madan Mohan firing the Dalmadal canon (discussed in detail on pg. 146) 42

Topography


Above: A lake and vegetation area in Bishnupur

Bishnupur lies in Bankura district of West Bengal. Although a plain land, the terrain is rough and dry which is caused due to scanty rainfall in this area. Bishnupur lies beside the Joypur forest and a few miles south of the river Dhalkishor. 440 meters high, the Sushunia hill stand 13 kilometers from Bankura. It is even older than the Himalayas. There are various small and large rocks on the peak of this hill and it is called Popins peak. The river Gandheshwari river flows in the foot of the hill. The river Dwarakeshwar also flows in Bankura. But during the reign of Malla kings seven lakes were dug for the public of Bishnupur to prevent the scarcity of water. Even today these lakes serve their purpose. Lalbandh, Krishnabandh, Jamunabandh, Kalindibandh, Shyambandh, Pokabandh, Choukhanbandh are noteworthy. Bishnipur is plain land surrounded by forest. The soil of Bishnupur is a mix of alluvial and laterite soil. 43

Climate and Geography


CLIMATE GRAPH

Bishnupur is located at 23°05’N 87°19’E. It has an average elevation of 59 metres (194 feet). Bishnupur features a tropical dry subhumid type of climate. It is hot in summers and moderately cool in the winters. There is much less rainfall in Bishnupur in winter than in summer. This location is classified as Aw by Köppen and Geiger. The temperature here averages 26.3 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is 1552 mm. Precipitation is the lowest in December, with an average of 4 mm. With an average of 333 mm, the most precipitation falls in July. Between the driest and wettest months, the difference in precipitation is 329 mm. During the year, the average temperatures vary by 10.6 °C. The variations in the number of rainy days and soil moisture limitations are common resulting to severe droughts periods lasting for weeks. Summers of Bishnupur are extremely hot and exhausting. The temperature ranges from 32°C to 42°C in the months of April to July. May is the hottest month of the year. August marks the beginning of Monsoon season in Bishnupur and lasts till early October. The place looks beautifully fresh having been washed by the rains. Winters approach Bishnupur in November and lasts till February. The climate is pleasantly cool and the temperature ranges from 12°C to 23°C. January has the lowest average temperature of the year. The average daily wind speed is around 3 km/h, that’s the equivalent to about 2 mph, or 2 knots. In recent years the maximum sustained wind speed has reached 48 km/h, that’s the equivalent of around 30 mph, or 26 knots.

TEMPERATURE GRAPH

CLIMATE TABLE

Table & graphs courtsey: http://en.climate-data.org/location/173816/ 44

Flora and Fauna


Above: Bishnupur is a snake infested area, here a snake charmer is seen handling a snake Image courtsey: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/221169031674943577/

A very old Banyan tree in the compound of Mrinmoyee Devi temple, some devotees of the goddess offer their prayers to this tree too, its shade also serves as a sitting area

West Bengal is a green state, known for its lush paddy fields, mangrove forests and tea gardens. However Bishnupur is quite the contrary in view of a poor annual rainfall which results in it being a draught prone area. Vegetation consists of deciduous trees such as Banyan, peepal, mango, jackfruit, palash etc.

Bishnupur is a snake infested area. Besides that different types of small birds are also found here. Domestic animals and birds such as goats, cows, ducks, hen etc. are found in abundance. At times wild elephants from nearby forest areas come in the town and wreck havock in search of food. 45

People,Culture andOccupation


many practice the Bishnupur gharana of music. They are God fearing and religious and the maximum amount of people here practice Hinduism and celebrate several festivals some of which are religious and some which are cultural. These include Raas Utsav, Durga Puja, Gajan, Charak, Jhapan, Rath yatra, Dol (holi), Bishnupur mela, Kali Puja etc. During winter, the above mentioned Bishnupur mela is organized by the West Bengal tourism board to attract more tourists. Also a book fair and quite a few other events take place here in winter. People here are also very fond of ‘jatras’ and ‘nataks’ (open air and closed theatre plays respectively). Their cuisine is essentially rice, fish, vegetables and ‘posto’ and they also love consuming Bengali sweets. Bishnupur is a very small town, a part of which is rural, which is why a majority of the people here are financially backward. The lack of rainfall and irrigation facilities lead to water scarcity in the area due to which single crops are raised by the Bishnupuri people in the short lived rainy season. In the remaining months most people turn to working in the craft sector as artisans to earn their livelihood. They often involve their families including their children in these crafts. The remaining population work as weavers, artisans and craftsman all year round and their crafts are their only source of income. In the town area people are either engaged in running small businesses such as running hotels, lodges, restaurants, sweet shops, handloom and handicraft stores etc. or employed in government offices, schools, colleges, banks and the likes. As it is a tourist spot some people have also taken up transport business chauffering tourists from one point to another in auto and cycle rickshaws, buses etc. Also areas near

Above: A newly wed woman with a puja offering basket outside a temple in Bishnupur

Bishnupur has been carrying the glorious legends of the Mallabhum dynasty and its people are quintessentially Bengali in their behaviour, language, attire, cuisine and culture. They uphold the rich cultural heritage of Bishnupur and are fully aware and proud of their rich history. They are hard working, friendly, humble, polite, and well known for their hospitality. This effectively has hellped Bishnupur become one of the most popular tourist spots in Bengal. Several of them are music lovers and 46


the popular temples generate business with people working as tour guides or running souvenir shops, tea stalls etc. Bishnupur is losing more and more craftsmen every year as most of the younger generation is shifting towards working in some other field or shifting to cities because of the little revenues these crafts

generate. In Tantipara the poor weavers can be seen working in their small workshops situated either side of the narrow road. Most of the buildings are made of bricks and mortar but in the interior village there are buildings made of mud and straw. There is also a Sankharipara where artisans are engaged in conch craft.

Above: Local men engaging in after work socialising over games of cards, this image also gives us an idea of the variety in menswear in Bishnupur 47


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Religion and Festivals


As discussed earlier, the town of Bishnupur had been named after Lord Vishnu by the Malla rulers and quite a large number of temples built during the Malla Dynasty reside all over Bishnupur. Temples such as the Madanmohan Temple, Shyamrai Temple, Radhalaljiu Temples etc. are not just a portrayal of the immense faith of the people of this town towards the higher power, but also speaks volumes about Bishnupur’s glorious history. Many still fondly narrate the folklores of Lord Madanmohan firing the cannon to save the kingdom from the Maratha invaders. Even today devotees visit regularly to the temples of Chinnamasta (a very unique headless deity), Madan Mohan, Mrinmoyee Devi, Malleshwar etc. to offer their prayers. Several smaller temples of Kali, Shiva, Manasha are seen throught Bishnupur. The people of Bishnupur are mostly Hindu and are quite religious. People practicing other faiths are very few in number here. They also have pictures or small idols of deities and tulsi manchas at their homes to worship. The quitessential Bengali festivals such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja etc. are also celebrated here with much grandeur. A lot of festivals in Bishnupur are also accompanied by big fairs. Many tourist flock Bishnupur to attend the fairs during the Raas Utsav, Bishnupur Mela, Gajan and Jhapan celebrations. The people of Bishnupur too participate in these fairs with full enthusiasm. The Bishnupur fair has now been declared as a national Fair. The festivals and fairs of Bishnupur have been covered in greater details in the following pages. Right: The idol of Madan Mohan of the Madan Mohan temple Left (facing page): Godess Kali being worshipped at a temple in Bishnupur

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BISHNUPUR MELA

Left: The entrance of the Bishnupur fair made to ressemble the Jor Bangla Temple Image courtsey: http://flickrhivemind.net//sanjoy.bauri/Recent

A new attraction of Bishnupur is the Poush Mela also known as the Bishnupur Mela which is recognized as a national fair and is organized by the West Bengal Government. It is held every year around the last week of December, near the Madanmohan Temple. This fair stretches over four days and people from all the nearby villages and cities come together to celebrate the end of the agricultural season. It’s a cultural culmination of art, literature, music, crafts etc. A recent addition is the Bishnupur Utsav, held immediately following the Mela. It is a classical music and dance festival in recognition of the ‘Bishnupur Gharana’ in music. 50


JHAPAN MELA

Right: A snake charmer showing off his skills during Jhapan in Bishnupur Image courtsey: http://www.gettyimages.fr/detail/ photo-d’actualit%C3%A9/indian-snake-charmers-show-their-skills-during-a-photo-dactualit%C3%A9/150422610

During the reign of Malla dynesty, Jhapan festival was a very gorgeous & immensely popular event. Surprisingly this festival is a huge event even in today’s date in Bishnupur. It is celebrated in mid August, on the last day of the Bengali month of Shravan. In this fair, several snake charmers and their groups visit with their baskets full of poisonous snakes and entertain people with their fearless abilities. Several competitions are held between them. This fair is accompanied by the worship of Ma Manasha, the Goddess of snakes. 51


RAAS UTSAV

Left: Dancers performing in front of the Raas Mancha at Raas Utsav Image courtsey: http://www.holidayiq.com/destinations/bishnupur/bishnupur-utsav-2012-photos-p94058.html

In the month of October/November, i.e. the Bengali month of Karthik, during the Raas Purnima, which is a full moon, a hundred and eight deities of Lord Krishna and Radha are presented in front of public and are worshipped. This festival is known as the Raas Utsav or the dance festival of Krishna and Radha. During the Malla rule idols were brought into the Raas Mancha temple for the occasion. At present this festival occurs in the Krishnaganj and Madhabganj region and performances take place in front of the Raasmancha at evenings during this time. The Raasmancha is also nicely lit up for the occassion. 52


GAJAN

Right: People dressed up as ‘Shangs’ for Gajan Image courtsey: https://amitabhagupta.wordpress. com/2014/04/11/folk-festival-of-bengal-gajancharak-and-neel-puja/

In Bishnupur, and in all of Bankura, the fair of Gajan to celebrate and worship lord Shiva, is a very popular one. They also worship Lord Shareswar, or the lord of oxes, who is considered to be the vahan of Lord Shiva. It’s celebrated on the last day of the Bengali month of Chaitra, which falls sometime in April. Also it is different places of Bishnupur at different times throughout the month of Baishakh, the first month in the Bengali calander. Gajan witnesses devotees dres as shongs (jesters), piercing one’s tongue with sharp needles, hanging oneself from sharp hooks or wooden structures, Charak festival etc. 53


RATH YATRA

Left: A rath which is to compete in the local charriot competition in Bishnupur

In the month of June/July, i.e. the Bengali month of Ashar, Ratha Yatra is celebrated in Bishnupur, which is the festival of Lord Jagannath. It’s a fun filled and popular festival in Bishnupur. On this occasion the various localities compete with each other as they engage in mock fight over their Jagannath’s charriot. The festival is accompanied by a fair. The “Ulta Rath” journey is also celebrated. 54


DURGA PUJA

Right: Idol of the godess Mrinmoyee in Bishnupur Image courtsey: http://wikimapia.org/16675865/ MRINMOYEE-MANDIR#/photo/1417710

Durga Puja is celebrated with much pomp in the month of October in Bishnupur as it is in the rest of Bengal. But in Bishnupur in addition to this the goddess Mrinmoyee Devi (a version of Goddess Durga herself) is worshipped during Durga Puja, and it is a big event. Her temple is a very old one built during the times of the Malla kings and is rich in heritage. The Durga Puja which is observed every year in this temple is over 1000 years old. It is the oldest Durga Puja in Bengal and it still beholds its rich culture, in an undiluted way. 55


Local Attire

The attire for men in the villages mostly comprise of either lungi in ckeck patterns or dhoti (called dhuti) worn in the style of lungi for bottomwear. They wear either a knit vest (called gengi) or a thin kurta (called fotua) on top. Sometimes they even work bare backed due to the heat and carry a piece of cloth (mostly the red checkered version called gamcha) to wipe off sweat. Some men even wear a combination of a dhoti or lungi with a shirt, or a fotua with a tro, or simply a shirt and a tro. Old people mostly wear either dhotis or pyajamas. Men in the town area mostly wear tros and shirts. They wear pyajamas or lungis at home. Both in the urban and rural areas of Bishnupur, women wear saris. These are mostly cotton and poly cotton saris and are often printed (chapa sari) or simple handloom saris. They wear white ground red bordered (lal paar) saris for pujas. Older women wear light coloured or white saris. Married women wear red and white bangles (sankha and pola) and also wear iron bangles regularly. The families who weave the beautiful Bishnupuri silks and Balucharis here sadly can hardly afford one, however a few women in the town areas may own one or two of these in their wardrobes to wear at festivals, weddings etc. Young boys wear denim jeans, shorts, tshirts and shirts. Very young girls wear frock style dresses. Girls even have saris as school uniforms. Nowadays however girls and young women have started wearing salwar-kameez with dupattas. For footwear they wear plastic or rubber sandals. Men in urban areas wear shoes and women wear leather/faux leather sandals.

Above: Weavers seen wearing lungis and shirts, another man can be seen is tros and an old lady is seen wearing a white saree, a scene from Jamunapara 56


Above: Young girls of Bishnupur dressed for school in quintessential Bengali red bordered (lal paar) saris & long sleeved blouses 57


Music

Bishnupur is not only known for its fine architecture and exquisite handlooms, it also boasts of having its own gharana of classical music. Historians suggest that ‘Mallabhum’ i.e. Bishnupur had once been the cultural centre of Eastern India. The Bishnupur Gharana follows the Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani music, one of the two forms of Indian classical music. Bishnupur Gharana was established in 1370 A.D. by the court musicians under the patronage of the Malla Kings. It also has the distinction of being the only Gharana in West Bengal.

that anyone having a melodious voice and an interest in music could learn from Bahadur Khan without any fees and he also bore the financial liability for the poor students. In time, a good number of students became the disciples of Bahadur Khan. Among the disciples of Bahadur Khan, the name of Gadadhar Chakravorty is noteworthy. Bahadur Khan was not only a vocalist but could also efficiently play on such instruments as the veena, the rabaab, the surashringaar. Gadadhar Chakravorty learnt both vocal and instrumental music from the Ustad. Among his worthy disciples were such talents as Ram Shankar Bhattacharya and Jadu Bhatta, whose name spread throughout India. Most of the exponents of Bishnupur learnt Dhrupad song and instrumental music simultaneously. Bishnupur was at that time the cultural capital of India. Shree Anantalal Banerjee of Bishnupur was an illustrious musician who had his tranining from Shri Ramshankar

HISTORY In the later part of the eighteenth century and towards the early and mid-nineteenth century, when music of different Gharanas were gradually having their assimilation in the centre of Calcutta, the Dhrupad style flourished among the musicians of Bishnupur. The Seni Gharana was then in full bloom. Its reputation spread throghtout India. Its influence on the music of Bishnupur was enormous. The Maharaja of Bishnupur was a contemporary of Emperor Aurangzeb, and during his reign Islamic fanaticism was at its peak in the Mughal empire, and thus many musicians moved to the court of the Maharaja of Bishnupur who was a known patron of the arts. The famous Dhrupad Singer Bahadur Khan of the Senia Gharana, descendant of Tansen, fled to Bishnupur and made his Gharana popular and sought refuge in the court. Maharaja Raghunath Singh Deo II, steered his attention towards popularising Bahadur Khan. The Ustad settled down in Bishnupur permanently and the Maharaja made all arrangements to honour him as his court singer. The Maharaja also announced

Above: A contemporary singer of the Gharana enthralling the audience at the Bishnupur Utsav Image courtsey: Pushpak Banerjee, https://pushpakbanerjee.wordpress.com/into-bishnupur-the-roots-of-terracotta-art-and-malla-rajas/ 58


Bhattacharya in both vocal and instumental music.Anantalal’s sons, Sri Ramprasanna Banerjee, Sri Gopeswar Banerjee, Sri Surendranath Banerjee were prodigies of this gharana. Sri Radhika Prasad Goswami, disciple of Anantalal Banerjee, earned great fame as a Dhrupad singer. Among the students of Sri Radhika Prased were Sri Girijashankar Chakraborty, Jogendra Nath Banerjee and Bhirendra Nath Bhattacharya who won their acclamation in the early conferences of Calcutta. Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty, Jamini GanguIi, Salien Banerjee and many others learned from Girijashankar Chakravorty. The great poet, Rabindra Nath Tagore had his tranings in the Dhrupad style from Radhika Prasad Goswami and Jadu Bhatta of Bishnupur and its influence can be found in many compositions by Tagore. Sri Gopeswar Banerjee, a great pioneer of the music of Bishnupur, was the court musician of the Maharaja of Burdwan Narajoi and Mayurbhanj. He wrote a number of books on musicology such as Sangeet Chandrika, Geet Darpn, Geetpraveshika Sangeet Lahari and others. Sri K. C. Dey, the uncle of Manna Dey, a popular singer of Bengal, also learned Dhrupad from Sri Gopeswar Banerjee. Kshetramohan Goswami, another maestro in this area, was a disciple of Ramshankar Bhattacharya and is known for inventing the Dandamatrik System of notation in Bengal. Even a few years ago the name of the Late Satyakinkar Banerjee, a contemporary singer in this gharana, was well known among the music lovers of Calcutta. Besides vocal music, he was adept in surbahar and sitar. Sri Amiya Ranjan Banerjee, ex-professor of Rabindra Bharati University, Sri Nihar Ranjan Banerjee Professor of Rabindra Bharati University and Sri Manoranjan Banerjee

Above: Manilal Nag bears a legacy of Bengali music that cuts across six generations of musicians practicing Bishnupur Gharana Image Courtsey: http://india.tilos.hu/english_gh_vishnupur.html

and Pandit Mani Lal Nag are now representing the Bishnupur Gharana, almost in its twilight days, bearing just a few glimpses from its age-old tradition. STYLE OF SINGING In this style, the artist excels in unfolding the beauty of the Raga through the alap. It is simple, devoid of heavy, cumbersome ornamentation. It is free from intricate play with the rhythm. Layakari is however allowed in Dhamar, another form of vocalisation. The Khayal of the Bishnupur School is noted for its sweet, lilting melody. It is adorned with the usual ornaments, which add variety to the melodic presentation of the Raga. Its origins and the development of this style have led to a great openness in the teaching and evolution within this gharana. 59


60

Architecture


Stone has always been in short supply in the vast flood plains of Bengal. Hence the architects had to restore to other substitute. As clay was easily available the burnt clay bricks soon became a good substitute of stone. This gave rise to a new form of temple architecture and lead to the construction of elaborately decorated terracotta temples. Terracotta literally means baked earth in Italian but West Bengal has the distinction of housing some of the finest terracotta art in the world. The terracotta art reached its pinnacle under the patronage of the Malla Kings of Bishnupur during the seventeenth century housing some of the best examples of the classical style of Bengal architecture. The temples are still there turning Bishnupur, in Bankura District, into one of the most favored tourist spot in not only in West Bengal but in the whole of India. These Hindu temples of Bishnupur are divided into three groups namely the northern group, the middle group and the southern group of temples. Although known for its terracotta temples Bishnupur contains an interesting mix of terracotta and stone temples. Apart from temples it also contains several other interesting religious and social structures. The architecture of the temples speaks volumes of the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans of the region. Among the northern group of temples the Murali Mohan temple has a small, shikhara type tower called Eka Ratna which is quite different from other temples, as walls surround the first floor and it has a pillared corridor on all four sides. This type of open pathway is rare in Bengali temples. The Madan Mohan temple is dedicated to the patron God of the Malla dynasty, Madan Mohan or Krishna. The walls of the brick temple are decorated with 61

Left: The Shyamrai Temple


62


Above: Raasmancha, Left (previous page): A pillared corridor from the Raasmancha

terracotta sculptures which are mostly legends of Lord Krishna. The parapet on the roof and the arches reflect an architectural influence of Islam. This single pinnacled temple has some of the finest terracotta in the whole of Bishnupur. Built in 1694 by

Malla King Durjan Singh the star attraction of Madan Mohan is its intricate terracotta. The temple is dedicated to Lord Madan Mohan (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and is still an active temple. The temple complex also contains a do – chala (double 63


sloped roofed) structure. The Raasmancha temple belongs to the middle group of temples in Bishnupur. Consisting of arched entrances separated by pillars, a cubic shrine, and corridors on three sides, the Raasmancha stands on a raised laterite stone platform and is crowned with a stepped pyramidal structure surrounded by smaller typical Bengal styled sloped roofed structures. It is architecturally unique and one of its kind in the whole of Bengal and shows the signs of Islamic and Egyptian architectural influence. Apart from a few floral lotus motifs the Raasmancha does not contain any terracotta art work. It is not a temple and hence does not house any idol but during the festival of Ras all the idols from different temples of Bishnupur are brought at the Raasmancha for public display. Built by Mallaraja Raghunath Singha in 1643, the Shyamrai Temple, popularly known as the Pachchura temple because of its five pinnacles, is terracotta at its best. Approached by triple arched entrance on all the four sides the Shyamrai Temple contains terracotta on all its four sides including the inner walls and the pinnacles. The Ras Chakra and love making scenes of Radha – Krishna are the most sort after terracotta s of the Shyamrai Temple. A short distance away from the Shyamrai Temple is the Kestorai temple. It follows the jora Bangla style of architecture and hence is popularly known as the Jor-Bangla Temple. Jora Bangla type of temple consisted of two Bengal styled thatched roof like structure ed together, in the case of Kestorai Temple the ed structures are crowned with a turret. The 1655 built temple is considered as one of the finest example of Bengal terracotta art. 64


There are numerous s covering a wide range of topics. s of ships, boats, and war, scenes depecting Ramayana and Mahabharata etc. A depicting Bishma is sarasajya (bed of arrows) stands out among all. The Radhashyam temple was constructed in the later period of the Malla dynasty. This Ek – ratna (Single Pinnacled) temple is built of laterite stone and contains lime stone stucco decoration. The temple is enclosed with high walls and is entrance consists of a triple domed Islamic style gateway. The temple dating back to 1758 was constructed by the Malla King Chaitanya Singha. A little away is the Radha Laljiu Temple, built 100 years earlier than the Radhashyam Temple the temple follows a similar single pinnacled structure. Built by the Malla King Bir Singha in 1658 it is considered as the finest laterite stone temple in Bishnupur. Just opposite the Radhashyam Temple is the Mrinmoyee Temple, the oldest temple of Bishnupur. Sadly the old structure no longer exists and the idol of Mrinmoyee is housed in a newly constructed structure. Short distances away from the Mrinmoyee Temple are the two stone gateways. The larger of the two gateways is known as the Pathar Darwaja (Stone Door) as it is built of laterite stone. This gate once served as the northern entrance of the Royal residence and was built in the second half of the 17th century by Maharaja Bir Singha. The double storied gate accommodated troops and narrow slits allowed the archers and the gunmen to fire their shots. A few yards away is a small stone gateway, which was built in the same period. Although much smaller in magnitude it is quite

Above: The laterite stone chariot; Left (opposite page): A piller from one of the terracotta temples

sturdy yet elegant. A short distance from the two stone gateways is a small but intri 65


66


cately carved stone chariot. Built in the 17th century the laterite chariot is built in the lines of the ek-ratna temples of Bishnupur. The Chinnamasta Temple is an ancient temple modified into a modern structure and in the process losing its beauty and grace. Just ahead of the Chinamasta Temple are seven scattered laterite stone ek – ratna temples decorated with beautiful lime stone stucco art. Sadly the lime stone art have not survived the test of time and only traces of it can be seen to this day. On the southern outskirts are seven temples made of laterite and not brick which includes the Nandalal Temple. The most popular ek-ratna temples of Bishnupur are all made of laterite. The Jor Mandir is a group of three temples in the front and another temple at the back. All four temples have the same facade, on all four sides. These temples were built by Malla King Krishna Singh in 1726. Tales from the Ramayana are sculpted on the laterite walls of these temples. The Kalachand temple is an Eka Ratna temple of a very early period. The eaves of the lower tier clearly show that wood has been used for its construction. Built in 1656 by the Malla King Raghunath Singh, the temple was once covered with stucco decoration. Only traces of it remains to this day. The Radha Govinda temple, built by Krishna Singh in 1729, has stone wheels that have been attached to the low platform. The architectural style of the building is done in such a way that it resembles the chariot in which Krishna took Arjuna to war in Right above: The Jor-Bangla Temple; Right below: The five pinnacled Shyamrai temple; Left (opposite page): The Ras Chakra depicting Krishna and Radha from the Shyamrai temple 67


The Radhashyam Temple is an example of single pinnacled laterite temple

the Mahabharata. A short distance away is the 1737 built Radhamadhav Temple. The ek – ratna temple is accompanied by a do – chala (double

sloped roofed) structure. The temple was built by Churamony Devi, wife of Krishna Singh. The temple still contains some interesting stucco work featuring animals. 68

Cuisine

Bishnupur is a small town and it’s cuisine is Bengali cuisine which is predominantly non-vegeterian. Rice, fish, and posto (a dish made out of poppy seed paste) are the staples and are included in almost every meal. Other items may include yellow dal (lentils), alu bhaja (fried potatoes), or other fried vegetables like eggplant, pumpkin etc. Vegetables like potatoes, cauliflowers, pumpkin, parwals, eggplants, bottle gourds, bitter gourds, etc are often part of curries. People here are really fond of posto and often indulge in several delicacies like postor-bora, alu-posto etc. People occasionaly also eat chicken curry, mutton curry, prawn curry etc prepared in the Bengali way. Different varieties of fish are consumed here like rui, katla, ilish etc all prepared in different ways (eg. maacher jhol, jhal, kalia etc). Food is mostly prepared in mustard oil using various spices. There are some shops selling luchi and potato curry for breakfast. Several small eateries can be found nearby the temples as well as the bus stands for the locals as well as tourists. Fast food like egg rolls, chicken rolls, chicken/ potato/ mix vegetable chops, onion pakodas, chowmein etc are very popular among the youth in the town areas as well as the tourists. Muri (puffed rice) is also eaten by many during snack times. There are quite a lot of tea stalls throughout the place. There are some sweet shops as well selling Bengali delicacies such as various types of sondesh, rashagollas etc. and a few shops sell sweets prepared using pure Ghee. Other desserts include payesh and chutney which are prepared on special occasions.

1.

2.

3.

1. Bengali fish curry (Image courtsey: http://www.westbengalonline.in/About/Profile/ Culture/index.html); 2. Postor bora (Image courtsey: http://wikitravel.org/en/Bishnupur_(West_Bengal)); 3. A thali served at the Government Tourist Lodge 69



70

Crafts of Bishnupur


Terracota elephants being sold in a souvenir shop near the Mrinmoyee temple; Left (facing page): A Goddess Manasha’s Jhapan terracotta sculpture, Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum

Terracotta is characteristic of Bishnupur. Apart from the temples, terracotta pottery, jewellery, and the famous terracotta horses, elephants, Ganesha & Nataraj figurines, miniature Dalmadal canons, masks etc have made this very traditional craft very famous. Dokra metalcraft is also famous in Bishnupur. Bishnupur is also known for its tussar silk, particularly the Baluchari Sarees.

Conch shell carving, bellmetalware figurines, dashavatar taash, bamboo and cane works, lantern making, etc are some of the crafts which are practiced here. Visits to the museum at Bishnupur museum threw light on how these crafts have evolved over the centuries in technique, motifs, purpose etc and how in some cases the finesse has been lost with time. 71


DOKHRA

Left: Dokhra figurines of gods, goddesses, villagers, animals etc. seen at a souveniers shop at Bishnupur

The craft of Dokhra is named after its tribe Dokra Damar who are the traditional metal smiths of West Bengal. Dokra system of metal casting is one of the oldest form of metal casting and is known as lost wax process. A replica of the desired product is made with wax on a clay core with all its finer details of designs and decorations. A few coats of finely prepared clay paste is applied over the model and dried in the shade. The technique of casting revolves round replacement of wax with molten metal by the traditional hollow casting method. Brass scrap in generally used as raw material. Their major items of Dokhra manufactured in Bishnupur usually include of home beautification accessories like lamp holders, lamps, chains, and a variety of symbols of ethnic folklore and religion, and beautiful tribal jewellery of tribal Indian designs and patterns. Handcrafted goods of Dokra are in immense command in domestic and foreign marketplace because of it primeval plainness and enthralling folk motifs. 72


TERRACOTTA

Right: Terracotta figures of horses, elephants, musicians and village belles, seen at a souveniers shop at Bishnupur

Stone not being available in abundance in Bengal, most of its ancient architechture was made of terracotta. Terracotta (Italian: “baked earth”, from the Latin terra cotta), is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic, where the fired body is porous. Bishnupur, and in fact the whole of Bankura is known for its terracotta works. Nowadays this artform is seen in the place Panchmura Uliwara villages near Bishnupur and is mostly used for making home decor pieces, utensils, wind chimes and other souvenirs. The special statues of the Bankura horse, the elephant, Mansha goddess etc are often sold as home decor items and souvenirs in Bishnupur and throughout all of Bengal. Terracotta, has also found inroads into mainstream lifestyle of the rural Bengal with many household using the suraii, a clay pitcher used to keep water cool. Most rural households use terracotta feeding bins for cattle, tea mugs, clay pots for cooking rice, plates, tumblers, yoghurt pots etc. 73


LANTERN MAKING

Left: Lanterns from Bishnupur Image courtsey: https://cocktailsandconversations.files. wordpress.com/2014/03/lantern_making_2.jpg

Lantern making in Bishnupur is yet another interesting cottage industry. In the past in 1907, lantern making in Bishnupur was initiated by Raycharan Gorai of Dhaladwar. These lanterns are made of tin sheets and are quite economic and consumes very little fuel. These lanterns of Bishnupur were previously used as an household item and thus are famous for its cultural significance, style and quality. However, at present these lanterns are sold for decorative purposes and the prospect of such industry is dwindling. 74


DASHAVATAR TAASH

Right: Dashavatar Cards set as seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum

The ten avatars or incarnations of Lord Vishnu are meticulously painted on a set of cards which were previously used as playing cards by the Malla kings of Bishnupur. Contrary to the usual fifty two cards, the ‘Dash Avatar’ required a hundred and twenty cards in the deck. In Bishnupur Mela, the demonstration of the playing ‘Dash Avatar Tash’ is made to popularize the traditional game. Only one living family, a ‘Faujdar’ family is involved in this craft now and these decks are often exported as souvenirs and have a demand in the foreign market. These cards are multicolored, round in shape, and are now sold as a deck of ten cards. 75


CONCH CARVING

Left: An engraved conch as seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum

Many families of Bishnupur are engaged in the art of conch carving. Traditional artisans, mostly of Sankha Banik caste partake conch shell curving at Sankhari Bazar, Malleswar and Kadakuli. Besides, making wedding bangles, the artisans beautifully carve various mythological character of Hindu pantheons on conch shell. Sri Gopal Nandi, one of the eminent artisan and President Medal Awardee still displays beautiful and intricate fine art of conch shell carving. Generally, it requires more than a month’s hard labor to design and style a conch shell and is thus a costly item. These engraved conch shells, bangles, rings, penstands and other artefacts are sold in Bishnupur as souvenirs. Also with changing times, a few small machineries are also being involved in the craft for polishing and other purposes. 76


HANDLOOMS

Right: An artisan weaving a striped silk stole using a handloom machine in one of the workshops at Tantipara, Bishnupur

The handlooms of Bishnupur are the most acclaimed amongst all the other crafts in this area. Silk sarees of Bishnupur were famous even when the town hadn’t started weaving it’s Balucharis. They are known for the softness of the material, a great hand feel, availability in several colors and motifs. Also yardages of tussar and other silk types are woven here. The Baluchari saree however remains the most well known handloom product of Bishnupur. It is a production of exclusive design and fabulous weaving technique. Other products include handwoven stoles, dress materials, kurti s and several other products. Also a few units have provisions of block printing as well. 77


78


Baluchari Sarees of Bishnupur 79


History and Origin

An Indian sari has countless historic significance attached to it than any other attire; therefore sari has been positioned as the most traditional attire of the country. A nine yard sari fabric is beautified with different thread work, embellishments and conventional zari work that enhances the beauty of the attire. Different states in India specialize in a variety of sari fabric design. Starting from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat to West Bengal, each state offers something unique in form of textiles and handicrafts. This has made Indian textile extremely popular on the international fashion and textile circuit. When I decided to do my craft documentation research on Balucharis of Bishnupur, little did I know that Balucharis did not even originate in Bishnupur. While doing my secondary research I read in several books that its actual place of origin was Baluchar, Murshidabad and when I spoke to the weavers they confirmed this fact. The fabrics derive its name from the same. I soon realized that the Baluchari history of Bishnupur was impossible to cover without covering the original ones from Murshidabad in details. Although some facts in different books contradict each other I have tried to assimilate the history of the fabric to the best of my understanding. The term Bishnupuri (of Bishnupur) Baluchari and Murshidabadi (of Murshidabad) Baluchari is how they are often addressed. The Murshidabadi Balucharis are also known as Baluchar Butidar. In 1704 A.D. when the nawab of Bengal Murshid Quli Khan shifted his office from Dacca (present day Dhaka) to Mukhsudabad (present day Murshidabad, named after Murshid Quli him-

Above: Murshid Quli Khan, the earliest patron of Baluchari; Image Courtsey: https:// .wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Murshid_Quli_Jafar_Khan.jpg

self) the textile sector of the area received glorious patronage as the nawab was a great connoisseur of the same. Among the wide range of Murshidabad’s beautiful textiles, the most artistic was the Baluchari. It has been eulogized as the “loveliest and most charming of all silks in India”. Apart from nawabs like Murshid Quli, Aliwardi, Sirajuddulah, Mir Jafar, family of Jagat Seth, this weave embroidery also initially received the patronage from the British employees of the Kashimbazar Kuthi. It soon flourished all over Murshidabad, Azimganj, Kasimbazar, Mahimpur and Baranagar. 80


Baluchari and its name originates from a peripheral area of the town of Jiaganj in Murshidabad known as Baluchar, 23 kms. north of Baharanpur on the river Bhagirathi. The term ‘balu’ means sand/soil and ‘char’ means a delta created due to silt deposit from a river. The village of Baluchar was created due to silt deposits from the Bhagirathi. This distinctive art named after the epicentre extended to the neighbouring villages of Amaipara, Ramanapara, Ramdhar, Baligram, Bagdhar, Beliapukur, Amdahar, Ransagar and Bahadurpur and by the end of the 19th century there were practically no weavers in Baluchar proper. These adjacent areas came to be known as the Baluchar circle that pursued this unique art. The main distinction of Baluchari sarees lied in its attractive and highly prized achal or the end piece which bore heavily brocaded human figured motifs of the contemporary era eg. nawabs, Europeans etc. The most prominant name in Baluchari weaving is that of master weaver Sri Dubraj Das of Bahadurpur. He was a legend in the traditional gharana (mode) of Baluchari art. The two monographs on 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) and he actually began his life as a leather drum maker. But as we would later see Dubraj was an immensely gifted man and he soon left leather work and ed a group of Kaviyals (impromptu singers). His life took a sudden turn when he chose to apprentice under a weaver-artist of Baluchar. From him Dubraj acquired the technique of setting looms for turning out exquisite patterns and ultimately he became the most interesting figure in the sericultural history of the dis-

Above: A late 19th century Baluchar butidar from Bahadurpur, Murshidabad District; woven by the famous Baluchari artist Dubraj Das with his signature woven at the edge of the saree, Dimensions: 15 feet × 47 1/2 inches (457.2 × 120.7 cm), Gifted to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Stella Kramrisch Image courtsey: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/57852.html 81


ornamentals and plain elegants, comparable only to the best products of Kashmir and Varanasi looms, but unlike the others the Baluchar products could withstand any amounts of washing. Apart from sarees he was known for weaving rumals (big handkerchiefs), shawls with ornamental borders and corners, table covers, scarves and sashes woven to order for the nobility. There were six looms in Bahadurpur and Dubraj owned all of them thus monopolizing the craft. From my understanding there were several weavers working on his old designs and assisting him but only he knew how to set the loom. The figured Balucharis which once dominated the Indian textile scene began to see a downward trend towards the last quarter of the 19th century. In 1888, it was recorded that these fabrics “have now very nearly been ousted from the market”. Some of the best pieces of Dubraj were devoid of figures in the achal and the craftsmanship was confined to the kalka , intricate borders and floral ornamentation. Some were devoid of butis. This marked the beginning of decline of the traditional Baluchar style. The first and foremost reason for this was the change of taste of the patrons due to the of Europeans. The modern elites were attracted to European elegance and considered these figured fabrics clumsy. Dubraj attempted to cater to the altered taste buds but there were none to keep the flame alight after his death. Moreover, competition with European mill made products as well as the active hostility of the English towards the Indian textile Industry contributed greatly to this decline. The English wanted raw silk rather than finished goods. Further gold brocaqded Banarasi sarees set new trends in taste as they proved to

Above: The name and location of Dubraj Das as woven on the edge of a saree by him Image Courtsey: from a collection at a French museum

trict. His expansive artistic vision enabled him to keep pace with changes in contemporary taste and style. He is said to be the only weaver of his time who “can set the loom to any pattern he sees” and he kept experimenting with new patterns according to demands and trends of the time. Although it is said that he was illiterate, several sarees have been found with his signature woven on it along with his location. The aspect of g his name is probably one of the rare instances of an Indian craftsman branding his product. He has also woven religious texts on fabric in place of ornamentation. In spite of his extraordinary mastery over the craft, Dubraj was poor and he thus did not part with his exclusive knowledge and trade secret to protect his source of livelihood. In fact, during his time, his sarees were the best pieces of fabrics, both heavy 82


be more attractive and comparitively cheaper. Tales of massive floods at Baluchar forcing weavers to migrate is also often heard. Dubraj Das ed away in 1903 and took with him the knowledge and skill to create these magnificient art pieces. Since he was not from a weaver family the craft was not carried on by his heirs. His son did attempt to weave a fabric in a loom set and left by him but did not succeed to achive the fineness of his father’s patterns. Mrityunjay Sarkar, who was the finest plain silk weaver of Murshidabad was asked to set his looms for weaving ornamental fabrics like Dubraj. After much effort and by special arrangement of his loom he accidently succeeded in reproducing the ornamental borders of Dubraj’s patterns on saris, shwals and table covers as he was familiar with the Naksha looms of Baluchar. But the whole process was so complicated that he failed to grasp the technique of readjustment of his loom and to reproduce those patterns. In subsequent times, the name of Hem Bhattachariya was also famous. He was active probably during the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th century A.D. With the death of these few people, along with the previously mentioned causes, the craft completely died out. The weaving of a Baluchari fabric was an elaborate and complicated process involving as many as a dozen weavers manipulating the loom. For richer patterns, even fourteen Nakshas were employed at a time and the whole process to complete a saree took as long as six months or more. So once the loom was set, the weavver turned out 5-10 or sometimes even 30 pieces of saree before resetting the loom which demanded high level of technical skills.

Above: A 18th-19th century Baluchari saree devoid of butis, unlike contemporary Balucharis the top row motifs are upside-down, Dimensions: 14 feet 5 1/2 inches × 43 1/2 inches (440.7 × 110.5 cm), Gifted to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Stella Kramrisch Image courtsey: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/57852.html 83


From it’s birth period itself Baluchari was the adornment of the elite class. During the period of Delhi-Bengal political intimacy, it was the product of high demand in Mughal court and other royal families of the country. In the middle of the 19th century, elite Bengali housewives were known to wear Balucharis. In one of his writings, Abanindranath Tagore (Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s brother) mentions that his mother (wife of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore) wore a Baluchari saree on the occassion of ‘Maghotsava’. Post independence, the Government of India’s Design Centre tried to revive the Baluchari weaving art with the help of weavers in Bengal and in South India but did not achive any success in this initiative. Then around 1956 AD, Sri Akshay Kumar Das, a native of Bishnupur and a designer at Government of India Textile Design Centre, retired from his post and went back to Bishnupur. There he met Sri Hanuman Das Sarda, the cheif organizer of Silk Khadi Seva Mandal, who having aquired a piece of a Baluchari saree from Subho Tagore (nephew of Rabindranath Tagore), was toying with the idea of reviving the craft. Subho Tagore, himself being a famous artist, felt the need of recultivating this rich tradition as well. He invited Sri Akshay Kumar Das to learn the technique of jacquard weaving. Sri Das then went back to Bishnupur and along with the financial assistance of Hanuman Das Sarda started working on the same. It is said that the organization spent Rs. 5,000/- initially and the cost of initial deg and raw material was provided as a subsidy by the Design Centre of the Government of India. Thus with hard work and planning the first piece of Bishnupuri Baluchari

Left: Sri Akshay Kumar Das’s photograph as seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum

Left: Sri Subho Tagore Image Courtsey: http:// antiquarianofcalcutta.blogspot.sg/2005/12/kumar-wasvery-close-to-subho-tagore. html 84


was produced in 1957 A.D. after a lapse of several years. It was woven by Gora Chand and Khudu Bala, a weaver couple from Bishnupur following Akshay Kumar’s design. Since then, Silk Khadi Seva Mandal continued its effort to fully revive the Baluchari art of weaving. (This organization is still functioning in today’s date in but has lost its glory). Following suit another voluntary organization Abhay Ashram started production centres for Balucharis at Bishnupur and Sonamukhi. Since the ancient drawboy jala loom system of weaving was extremely time consuming and labour intensive and automatically hiked the price of the saree, these organizations were finding it rather difficult to market the same. During this time jacquard looms with punched designs were introduced to Bengal, which ensured higer productivity and a lower cost of production. But with this the quality began to deteriorate with the loom’s constraints and fast production. The motifs became far less intricate and more spaced out. The designs were not reversible and the extra wefts form floats at the back. The Silk Khadi Seva Mandal had to several ups and downs to sustain the organization. One of them was the dirth of customer base and good marketing. But this problem was overtaken with the assistance of Khadi & Village Industries Commision and publicity by the Ananda Bazar Group of newspapers and periodicals. Another problem was that the organization did not have their own design center due to financial constraints which led to a high price being paid for the design development. The third crisis happened when the weavers working for the organization were lured away by various traders. These traders aimed

for faster production and more profits and seldom cared about quality and intricacy of motifs. This lead to a rise of a cheaper, substandard quality of Baluchari, which flooded the market. Having seen both the old and contemporary Balucharis of Bishnupur, I realised the intricacy and craftsmanship have truely declined over the ages. People often write off the Bishnupuri Balucharis in comparison to their Murshidabadi, but in my study I felt that the old Bishnupuri Balucharis were quite as exquisite in their design and craftsmanship as those of Murshidabad. Also the Silk Khadi Seva Mandal face problems due to fund constraints. The market too is quite seasonal where fabrics of such high costs are usually bought either during festive seasons or marriage seasons which causes uneven cash flow. The motifs seen on the Balucharis were also vastly changed with the Bishnupur variety. Stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Lord Madan Mohan, kings and courtesans etc. became popular subjects for motifs. Neither the ones from Baluchar nor the early ones from Bishnupur involved any zari/metallic thread for weaving motifs. It is a present day variation created due to preference. Presently there are several traders involved in Baluchari manufaction in Bishnupur. Not only are they store owners, they have their own production units as well. Although the current Balucharis are not as densely brocaded and intricate as those from the past, they are still one of the finest and most exquisite textiles being produced in India today. As it is a rare textile art with mythological stories woven all over it, some authors have referred to it as an epic sonnet. 85

Balucharis and Swarnacharis of Bishnupur


BALUCHARIS

on the walls of the terracotta temples that the Malla rulers had built in Bishnupur. Some popular themes of today are scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, stories of Lord Krishna’s childhood, Shakuntala, wedding scenes, flower bouquets, animals, court scenes of an earlier era, boats, charriots etc. If the motifs are bi-coloured with one colour being the predominant and the other being a highlight it’s called MEENA BALUCHARI as it gives the effect of meenakari work on the saree. The production process of Baluchari or Baluchuri can be divided into several parts including cultivation of cocoons and silk extraction, processing and dyeing of yarns, motif making on a graph paper which are later punched on cards to be used on the jacquard loom, weaving of the saree, cleaning, drying, quality checking and packaging. The Baluchari sari has won the Presidential award on two occasions for its weaving style and has been prominently displayed in international trade fairs. The Baluchari Sari has also been granted the status of Geographical indication in India. Baluchari sarees are preferred for their soft and luxurious hand feel, the richness of the silks used, their fine weave and stylish looks. The Baluchari saree is apt for a variety of occasions; be it wedding ceremonies, parties, grand functions, social gatherings etc.

A pride of Bengal, the Baluchari saree is known for its silk brocade designs, attractive motifs and colour harmony. A Baluchari saree once worn only by women from the upper class during festive occasions and weddings is today widely worn in all strata of society. It is said that once a Bengali wedding would be incomplete without a gift of Baluchari. Baluchari sarees are presently woven in Bishnupur district of Bankura, West Bengal. Unlike the ancient Balucharis from Murshidabad which were woven on jala looms, these sarees are woven using jacquard looms which use punch cards. The weavers reside in clusters in the villagers and town areas of Bishnupur and the craft is ed on within the family. These sarees are made from silk. The appeal of the Baluchari lies in its colour harmony and not contrast, of the colour of the body fabric and that of the motifs, the figured motifs and the pictorial narratives that are woven on these sarees. These motifs adorn on the border, the pallav as well as the butis (small equidistant motifs that are placed all over the body of the cloth) that adorn the ground of the saree. Preferred colours are various shades of red, maroon, green, yellow, blue, black, pink and cream. It is appreciated for its magnificent weave, attractive motifs, brilliant colours and thematic pallus. One of the major themes that adorn the pallav or pallu of the Baluchari Sarees from Bishnupur are mythological stories from Hindu mythological epics and also scenes depicted

SWARNACHARIS Swarnachari is a highly popular variation of the Bishnupuri Balu86


Right: A contemporary Bishnupuri Swarnachari saree being sold in a premier online shopping portal Image courtsey: http://daily. indianroots.com/crafts-of-india-the-baluchari-saree/ 87


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chari. ‘Swarna’ in Bengali means gold and thus Swarnacharis are Balucharis where instead of resham silk yarns used for the motifs, gold zari yarns are used to develop all the ornamentational artworks. The ground is silk same as regular Balucharis only the extra weft used for the design building are metallic. Sometimes a resham thread can also be used along with a metallic thread to achive bi-coloured motifs. For some sarees copper or silver zaris are used in liu of the golden ones. It is woven in the exact same fashion as regular Balucharis using jacquard punch card looms. These most often have dark ground colours on which the gold looks more vibrant, although some light ground Swarnacharis are also available and they are beautiful in their own rights. Some common colours found in Swarnacharis are navy, red, black, dark green etc. These are also often woven bearing striped ground. Swarnacharis are relatively new, there is no trace of their existance during the early 19th century. They have been popular over the last decade. Many believe they were brought in to compete with the immense popularity of the zari woven Benarasi sarees among the Bengali crowd. Swarnacharis actually became very popular specially among the younger saree wearing crowds and several brides now choose to get married in Swarnacharis instead of Banarasi sarees which seems to be staples for Bengali weddings. Many people choose to wear these sarees for festivals, poojas, parties and other ceremonies as well. They however diminish the low contrast subtleness that Balucharis were initially known for. The Swarnacharis too have a pan Indian as well as international appeal. left: Three contemporary Balucharis from the Baluchari store ‘Anubhav’ at Bishnupur. The black and the navy sarees are Swarnacharis, the red is a Meena Baluchari 89


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Taantipara and itsWeavers


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Visit to Taantipara


Above: The Bishnupur Taantheen Taantshramik Shamabay Shamiti Limited i.e. a cooperative society for the Bishnupur’s weavers who don’t own looms

Visiting Taantipara was a truely enriching experience. Fortunately our auto driver Sri Baneswar Das was a weaver himself and he took charge of my visits to Tantipara. Entering the busy lanes of Taantipara, the rhythymic sound of the looms in motion coming from all directions filled me with joy. I experienced how the looms here create beautiful Baluchari saris depicting stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. I also saw how women processed silk yarns. In Taantipara I met Sri Harisadhan De, Sri Dilip Kit and Sri Paresh Dutta. They explained the present scenario of Baluchari industry. Sri Harisadhan De invited me to his house in Jamunapara where I saw his son working on an old loom from Manchester. The next morning I again visited Tantipara and Jamunapara to see the dyeing and warping process. I also visited the Bishnupur Taantheen Taantshramik Shamabay Shamiti Limited cooperative society which helps poor weavers who can’t afford their own looms, to earn a livelihood.

Above: A busy lane in Taantipara Left (previous page): Weavers’ homes in Jamunapara 93

Visit to the Store Set-ups


Above: The window displays at ‘Anubhav’ (left) and ‘Kanishka’ (right) both featuring striped Baluchari sarees which seemes to be a latest trend in the market 94


On my visit to Bishnupur, I was suggested by many to visit the store set-ups of the Baluchari shops there, especially ‘Anubhav’ and ‘Kanishka’. These two stores had their own workshops within their premises and allow their visitors and customers to take a look at the weaving process of the sarees. The owner of ‘Anubhav’, Mr. Tarun Chandra, was extremely corteous and helpful. He allowed me to visit the store and workshop several times and let me talk to and interview many of his staff . He introduced me to Mr. Dilip Kumar Dalal who came from a long line of weavers and explained to me a lot of things regarding Baluchari weaving, origin of Baluchari, design development, motifs, colours and several other factors. I got to talk to several other of his workforce explaining me various aspects of weaving, preparation of yarn, design development, folding process etc. and also the aspects of market, latest trends and sales of the products. I was also allowed to take photographs of all the processes. At the workshop I observed the jacquard punch card development, weaving process, winding of spools for shuttles etc. There were 6 looms at the workshop so I could observe different stages of weaving simultaneously. I also visited the store ‘Kanishka’ and they too had a wide range of Balucharis and Swarnacharis. Some of the motifs were quite different from what I had seen at ‘Anubhav’, and when told about my project the owner gladly let me document them. I visited ‘Kanishka’s’ workshop as well to observe the weaving process. The visit at these stores gave me a clear idea of price points, designs, motifs, colours etc. that are in the market currently.

Above: The workshop at ‘Kanishka’ 95

Interviews of the Weavers


DILIP KUMAR DALAL Mr. Dilip Kumar Dalal of Bishnupur comes from generations of weavers. His grandfather Nagendra Nath Dalal and his father Gobardhan Dalal were both Baluchari saree weavers. Once a weaver of Baluchari sarees, now he is working in collaboration with the owner of the Baluchari store ‘Anubhav’ to create Baluchari brocade dress materials. He owns his own jacquard loom for Baluchari weaving had has worked for the silk khadi commision. When requested to elucidate on the history of Baluchari saree he said that Baluchari sarees originated in the village of Baluchar in Murshidabad during pre-independence times. He believes circumstances such as heavy floods etc. made weavers to migrate to Bishnupur but the craft was lost. Quite sometime later Akshay Das of Bishnupur along with the financial of Hanuman Das of Khadi Bhandar of Bishnupur tried to recreate the magic of the Baluchari sarees. He worked tirelessly to work out the calculations and finally succeeded is figuring out how to weave the figured motifs using jacquard looms. These looms used to weave these sarees were brought in from Manchester, England during the British rule. There are a few families in Bishnupur that still use these jacquard looms from Manchester. The bigger the machine the more prominent and larger is the design. These machines are now manufactured in Baranagar, Kolkata and S. Mandal & K.C. Mandal are known to be some renowned manufacturers. He himself purchased his loom from Annapurna Engineering Works, Baranagar, 10 years back for just Rs. 4000/-. At that time people did not anticipate that this craft would sustain for such a long period of time.

Above: Dilip Kumar Dalal; Master weaver, Bishnupur

While in Tantipara and also while visiting Anubhav and Kanishka, I had the pleasure to meet quite a few weavers, loom owners, punch card makers and people involved in other areas of this craft. Interviewing them made me understand the aspects of weaving, dyeing, motifs, market, current scenario etc. in greater details. I have tried to cover two of the most informative interviews in detail here. 96


Previously in Baluchar the designs were woven using jala looms; the mechanism of which were entirely manual. Two very skilled artisans were required to operate the looms simultaneously, one doing the lifting from the top of the loom and one doing the weaving. With the advent of jacquard looms only one person at a time is required to operate the loom. The jacquard looms utilizes punch card system. When asked about motifs and colours he said motifs have changed a lot in comparison to the sarees woven in jala looms. It was the time of Nawab rule and motifs surrounding their lives were often woven on the sarees. Compared to earlier times a much wider range of motifs are woven now. The motifs reflect Bengal style of art. Current motifs include scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata e.g. ‘Jatayu vadh’ (The slaying of Jatayu), Sitaharan (Abduction of Sita) etc. and are called ‘Story sarees’. Scenes from the Nawab periods are still woven on Balucharis, e.g. Nawab smoking hukkahs, Biwis, courtroom dancers etc. Another popular story for motifs is that of Dushmanta & Shakuntala. When asked whether the motifs of the temples of Bishnupur are recreated on the sarees like I had read about, he said that motifs like Jor Bangla temple, Raasmancha, Dalmadal cannon were previously woven on sarees but because of their diminished demand, now they are seldom woven, that too mostly on stoles. Also, he stated that although there are weavers of Baluchari from the Muslim communities as well, there are hardly any customers from their community as their religion prohibits adorning figured motifs. These sarees are essentially bought by Hindu women. Regarding colours of the saree, he said that since colour mixing

Above: A graph bearing the artwork for the neckline and sleeve for the dress materials

has become computerized a wide variety of colours are now being used in making Baluchari, which was not the case in case of earlier times when only a few basic dark colours like maroon, red, black etc. were used. Also the dyes used now are chemical in nature and are much more permanent. Also the recipes are maintained perfectly now that the mixing is computerized. These dyes are provided by suppliers and the bleaching and dyeing of 97


ri sarees have brocade work done with zari. However this zari is much more finer compared to the zari used in Benarasis. It also has more hooks and punch cards involved in weaving compared to Benarasis as the work is more intricate with several different motifs. Also he says that although a Benarasi saree (the wedding saree for every Bengali bride) is more glamorous a Baluchari has a much higher longivity. A Baluchari or a Swarnacharee saree forms a part of a Bengali bride’s wedding trousseau and is also preffered for parties and festivals. A Baluchari takes 7-10 days to be woven when worked on for at least 8 hours a day. Because of the physical strain and extreme concentration required to weave Balucharis, two weavers now work on one saree in shift basis, breaking the process into 2 hours shifts. When asked about his work he said he currently weaves dress material for kurtas with Baluchari brocaded necklines. Since more and more women have started wearing salwar suits instead of saree, he thinks this product diversification is quite necessary. Also not many can do this weaving. He was happy to share that his family has won quite a few state level awards for weaving.

Above: Sri Harisadhan Dey; Master weaver, Bishnupur

yarns are done at the weaver’s home with the help of his entire family including the women and kids. The silk yarns come mostly from Murshidabad and Maldah. Processing and preparing of the yarns for weaving is in itself a very elaborate process. This silk is called ‘resham’ and it is extremely soft and lusturous. Regarding Swarnacharis he said that it’s a new concept and is being woven for the last 5-6 years. Like Benarasi sarees Swarnacha-

HARISADHAN DEY I met Sri Harisadhan Dey at one of the workshops at Tantipara. He is 67 years old now and has been weaving since he was 15. He resides in Jamunapara, a nearby village comprising of craftspeople. He owns two looms one of which is a very old one manufactured in Manchester. He himself weaves Baluchari sarees but nowadays most of the weaving is done by his son 33 years 98


old son, Paresh Nath Dey. He too ed this trade at the age of 15 like his father did. Sri Harisadhan Dey and his collegue Mr. Dilip Kit (a mechanic of the jacquard looms) made me aware that in a Baluchari saree, generally Bangalore silk is used for the tana (warp) is and in the bhanna/poren (weft) Maldah silk is used. He also explained that they purchase their dyes from Kolkata and dyeing of the yarns take place at their homes. He was kind enough to invite me to his home in Jamunapara where he showed us the loom from Manchester, and I also had the privilage of observing his son weave and talking to him as well. I went back to his house a few times to sit with them and observe the weaving process and see a saree in its different stages of weaving. Both father and son patiently explained me the procedure of weaving in the jacquard looms. They explained to me the function of the jhaap, baw, jaalipata, nawraj, punch cards etc.

When asked about motifs he said scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and the story of Shakuntala are the most common. Other than that motifs of kings are also common. The most popular motifs include Dushmanta & Shakuntala, Ram & Lakshman, Ram’s marriage to Sita, his Vanvaas (stay in forest), Sitaharan (Sita’s abduction) etc. Some other motifs explained by him included Santhali tribes dancing and playing ‘madal’ (a drum like musical instrument), horse pulled charriots, Krishna-sarathi (Krishna driving Arjuna’s charriot), King Dasaratha hunting, women blowing on conches, apsaras etc. He too said motifs of Jor Bangla temple, Raasmancha and other terracotta motifs of Bishnupur’s temples were previously woven on Balucharis but they are now quite out of vogue. I also had the privilage to talk to Mr. Arun Dey at Jamunapara who helped me understand the present day scenario and government interventions which I have covered in later chapters.

Sri Harisadhan Dey explaining me parts of the loom

Paresh Nath Dey weaving a Baluchari saree using their family loom 99


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Baluchari Weaving: Tools and Technique 101


Silk Used

The principal industry of Murshidabad has always been sericulture and the silk textile industry. There was a time when Bengal silk drove out almost all competition from the European market. The Bengal silk is soft and lustrous and has a great hand-feel. The Murshidabadi Balucharis employed Bengal silk yarns in both warp and weft. The yarns used were non-twisted leading to a soft and heavy texture. These also lead the motifs to have a releif like effect on the body of the saree. Also Murshidabad silk was outstanding for its purity as there was not even a single percent of cotton or jute mixed with it. This lead to a sort of sanctity being attached to it and thus was used by a lot of Hindus for all their religious and auspicious occassions. In the present day Balucharis, the warp yarns used are generally Mysore or Bangalore silk because it has better strength compared to Bengal silk. Nowadays some weavers even use silk procured from China because of its superior strength to Indian silks. This avoids warp breakage and reduces delay caused due to the same. For the weft, silk from Maldah in West Bengal is used. Maldah silk has less strength but better lustre. The yarns used in present day Balucharis are twisted. In case of Mysore silk two yarns are twisted to produce one and in case of Maldah 3 yarns are twisted to produce one. In case tussar is being used for weaving, first the cucoons are softened by boiling them in plain water. Then 8 to 10 filaments are taken out and twisted to form one final yarn as tussar yarn is very fine in nature. Left: An elderly woman sitting outside a house cleaning out cucoons, as seen on the streets of Taantipara

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Loom Used

Baluchari weaving in Murshidabad in the 19th century was done using draw looms which were called Jala or Naksha looms in Bengal. Apart from the weaver this loom required a draw-boy to sit at the top of the loom and operate the lifting of warps manually. This was an extremely time taking and labour intensive process. Also not many could set the looms to weave Balucharis. When Baluchari weaving was reintroduced in Bishnupur, Jacquard looms had already been introduced in India, and the weavers re-created the magic of Balucharis using the same. The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801, which simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with such complex patterns as brocade, damask and matelasse. The loom is controlled by a ‘chain of cards’, a number of punched cards, laced together into a continuous sequence. Multiple rows of holes were punched on each card, with one complete card corresponding to one row of the design. Chains allow sequences of any length to be constructed, not limited by the size of a card. Each position in the card corresponds to a ‘Bolus’ hook, which can either be raised or stopped dependent on whether the hole is punched out of the card or the card is solid. The hook raises or lowers the harness, which carries and guides the warp thread so that the weft will either lie above or below it. The sequence of raised and lowered threads is what creates the pattern. Each hook can be connected to a number of threads, allowing more Right: A jacquard loom on display seen at the Bishnupur Taantheen Taantshramik Shamabay Shamiti Limited

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than one repeat of a pattern. A loom with a 400 hook head might have four threads connected to each hook, resulting in a fabric that is 1600 warp ends wide with four repeats of the weave going across. A Baluchari brocade generally employ 150 to 400 hooks. The looms used in Balucharis were initially brought in from Manchester. These machines had around 200 hooks. The current machines are local made and consists of 300 hooks. Both types of machines are being used in Bishnupur today. Machines with 400 hooks or more are very difficult for the weavers to handle and are hence seldom used. 20,000 to 30,000 punched cards are required to created a Baluchari saree. Previously when the designs were more intricate, even more number of cards were used. The ‘Jacquard head’ adapts to a great many dobby looms that allow the weaving machine to then create the intricate patterns often seen in Jacquard weaving. Jacquard looms are capable of producing many different weaves from one warp. Modern jacquard looms are controlled by computers in place of the original punched cards, and can have thousands of hooks. But for Baluchari weaving still the manual versions are being used. Work has also been going on to recreate Balucharis using draw looms again; as well as using computerised jacquard looms. The threading of a Jacquard loom is extremely labor-intensive and is not done too often. The process of re-threading takes days. At a go, warp of 10 to 30 sarees are loaded to the loom for weaving.

Above: The chain of punched cards attached to the overhead jacquard head 104

Yarn Processing

Right top: An old lady is seen twisting yarns Right bottom: The soaked undyed silk hanks and the soap solution can be seen here

The silk yarns need to be soaked, dyed and hanked before they can go for warp and weft preparation. In the following pages I have discussed the steps involved in the initial processing of the yarns. 1. DEGUMMING The processing starts with the winding of the yarns (also known as re-hanking). The hanks are then dipped in an alkaline solution of soda and soap for about an hour for degumming and softening and are thereafter washed, dried and rewinded. 2. DYEING Baluchari sarees are yarn dyed. Previously only natural colours were used to dye the yarns and the colour palette was thus limited. Now the yarns are dyed in acid colours, according to the requirement of the saree and the colour possibilities are endless. Colour mixing is often computerised, although the weavers often mix different 105



dyes on their own to try out new colours. The weavers of Bishnupur dye the silk yarns at their own residences. Family including children often help in the process. The dyeing is done manually using hank dyeing method. The dye solution is brought to a boil in a large vessel using wood fire outside the weaver’s house. The weaver then dips the hanks and keep moving them around in the dye bath. The hanks are then taken out and re-dippid so that the dyeing is uniform. After dyeing is over two sticks are used to squeeze out the extra dye. The yarn is then stretched from both the sides in opposite direction putting equal force with both palms. This process is needed to make the yarn crisper as well as squeeze out the extra dye from the hanks. Then the yarn is dried in the sunlight for few hours. After boiling and dyeing one kg of yarn shrinks and reduces to around 700 grams. 3. PLYING Dried yarns are then fixed on a wooden roller called fandali and one yarn is made by plying two yarns. In case of Mysore silk yarn is made twisting two yarns because the quality is better. But for the Maldah silk 3 yarns are twisted to make a single yarn. The final twisted yarns are rolled on wooden frames called latai. Above: Dyeing of silk yarns 106


Above: Drying the dyed yarns

Above: Stretching and rehanking of yarns 107

Preparation of Warp and Weft


Above: The process of ‘purni kata’

The wooden frame (latai) goes to a person, who fixes up all these frames on a bigger frame, which can consist of atleast 30 to 35 smaller frames. Then he transfers these yarns from latais to another frame according to length of the saree. Simultaneously he can roll yarns for minimum 30 sarees. The whole process is called purni kata. After this process the yarns are rolled on a wooden rod in a round shape.

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Above: Transfering the yarp yarns to the warp beam or dhal (here the fuschia warps are for a Baluchari while the whites are for a dhoti)

These round shaped yarn balls come to another worker, who transfers these yarn balls on a wooden beam. These wooden warp beams are called dhal. Now these beams are ready to be fixed in the loom for weaving. This followed by the prepatory process of warping such as denting, drafting etc. Separately prin winding is done for the weft yarns to be used in the shuttle. This is done using a charkha.

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Graph and Punched-card Making


The making of the motifs for the aanchal, butis and the border of a Baluchari saree itself is an intricate process. Each motif woven in the body are often called stories as the pictorial figured motifs of Balucharis often tell stories from the epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata, wedding scenes, Santhal lifestyles etc. First a person, the motif artist, draws the design on a large graph paper based on calculations related to jacquard and frame of the loom. Then he colours it based on the number of colours in the motif. Then these graphs are handed over to a person who punches the cards (also often called boards by the artisans) according to the design. He puts a piece board card (6.2 X33 cm) inside the punching box. He then uses a hammer like tool called tobna, a mallet and 2 punches to punch holes on the card corresponding to the graph paper. He punches the white squares and leave the coloured squares flat. There is a metal matrix on a wooden base of the punching box, on which the card is placed with a second matrix fitting over the top. After these cards are punched and numbered, they are arranged in order according to the design and then hand stitched together. They are then fixed to the jacquard machine; each hole in a card represents a lift of a shaft matching a marked square on the weave draft. “The number of boards required to create a design is dependent on the size and the intricacy of the motif. The finer the grid of the graph paper the more intricate is the design. In case of multiple colours on a motif each color will have a separate set of cards. So if a single coloured buti needs one set of boards, a three coloured buti will require thrice the number of boards” says Sadananda Garai who has been working as a design punch

card maker for Baluchari sarees for the past 16 years. He is currently exercising his skills at Anubhav’s workshop turning images drawn by the motif artists into workable punched cards for the jacquard system so that the designs drawn out on the graph sheets can be replicated exactly on the saree. He explained that a single coloured 1” figured buti may require 100-150 boards while a 1” bi-coloured buti will require around 300 boards. Also the motis drawn on the graph paper are highly blown out versions of the actual motifs. So a motif drawn in the size of a full scape sheet might just be the graph for a 1” buti. A paar or border will require 300-600 boards as it is a single ‘story’ of a small design length of about 2-2.5” which goes on in repeats throughout the length of the saree. A pallu however has several stories woven on it and are of a much greater length. The pallus are woven at one go, some do have repeats whereas a few don’t. This is why the number of boards required for the pallu may start from 7000 and go upto 12000. He also stated that this is a much smaller number compared to the number of cards required in earlier times during the beginning of his career when the designs used to be much more intricate. About 20,000 to 30,000 cards are used for an entire saree and takes 5-6 months to create. A card set is then used to weave several numbers of sarees from it.

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Above: Sadananda Garai working on punch card making using the tobna, the punch box and a punch rod, in the workshop of the store ‘Anubhav’. The motif to be created is drawn out on the graph paper in front of him. This design will actualize into a 1” bi-coloured buti, Left (previous page): Tools required for making punched cards 111


Weaving Process

Above: A weaver working on a jacquard loom weaving a Baluchari as seen in ‘Anubhav’s’ workshop

LOOM PREPARATION: A month before it is put in the loom, the yarns are prepared according to the number of Baluchari sarees to be woven in that design and the number of times the motifs will be used all over the saree. Selecting of coloured thread is done according to design and these threads are set up on the loom.

WEAVING: Pit looms with jacquard heads are used for weaving Balucharis. The warp is called tana and the weft is called a bhanna or poren by the local artisans. Weaving is done using metallic shuttles as weft carriers. A saree is woven by using 2 or more shuttles depending on the intricacy of the motifs. After jacquard loom has 112


Above: Diagram of a jacquard harness Image courtsey: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gNmCNGVHffg/U2DrTMsXGUI/ AAAAAAAAAts/A7_qO5QyYWQ/s1600/Jacquard-harness.jpg

been introduced, a Baluchari takes five to six days to complete. Two weavers work on it, in shift basis, a total of four people are required including helpers who weave the butis. The motifs are woven using supplimentary wefts in a jacquard punched card setting. The major components of the loom are the jacquard head, warp beam, heddles, harnesses or shafts, shuttle, reed and takeup roll. The weft yarn is wound onto a quill, which is mounted in the shuttle which in turn moves across the loom creating the fabric.

Above: A modern day jacquard handloom for Balucharis as seen at ‘Anubhav’ 113


Top Left: Yarns wound around structures called latais; Top Right: Weft yarns wound around wooden pipe-like quills called lolis or kharis; Bottom Left: Streamlined metallic shuttles called makus which are used to carry the weft yarns across the body of the cloth; Bottom Right: An oval tin sheet called sipi which is used for polishing the saree

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Above: The katani

Above: The Jak

To tighten the saree from both the sides while weaving a metal and weaving clip is attached. The weavers call this clip a katani.

Jak are weights consisting of sand, yarn rolls etc. which are hung to keep the yarn tight from the other side of the loom. 115


Above: Maku being ed through the warp shed

Above: A weaver working the reed

A weft filling yarn is ed through the warp shed with the help of a metallic shuttle which the weavers call maku.

A weaver uses the reed which they call sana to press (or batten) each filling yarn against the fell. 116


Above: A weaver polishing the saree

Above: A weaver rolling down the saree on the take-up beam

After some area is woven, water is sprinkled on the woven part and polishing is done with a oval shaped tin sheet called sipi.

A metal handle called kheel is fixed on one end of the take-up beam called loraj where the finished saree rolls down. 117


The harnesses that raise the heddles or healds, which in turn raise the warp yarns to cause the shedding is called jhaanp, and the individual heddles are called khachan which are made of nylon strings. Left: Here the khachans can be seen ing through the jaalipata

In a pit loom the lifting of the harnesses is done using pedals located inside a pit dug out on the floor, the weaver sits with his legs inside the pit controlling the pedals. Right: The pedals inside the pit can be seen here

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The warp beam or the let-off beam is called dhal and for the border on both sides yarns through separate framed nets also called jaalipata. Left: The warp beam and the border warps ing through their separate jaalipatas can be seen here

The warp yarns through eye holes of heddles, a single rupture of which causes fabric defects. Right: Here a weaver is seen fixing a torn warp yarn

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Weave Structure

The body of the fabric is constructed using plain weave structure. The brocading is done using supplimentary weft yarn. Earlier when the Jala looms were used, the warps were controlled manually and the brocading was reversible. Now with the usage of jacquard loom for the weaving of the designs, the designs are no longer reversible. We can see the supplimentary weft yarns forming floats at the back. The supplimentary weft yarns may or may not be continious i.e. stretching from selvage to selvage in case of the aanchal. The butis are done using discontinious technique where the supplimentary weft is added only in selected areas. An extra person is needed to insert the suppliments while weaving the butis. The brocades are woven in such a way that a diagonal patterning often forms on the motifs.

Above: A zooomed in view of the weave of the saree, the different coloured yarns used here for the warp and weft is clearly visible in this picture

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Above: On the right we can see the face side of a Baluchari saree, the left shows the reverse side with the continious and discontinious supplimentary weft floats being visible

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Drying, Folding and Packing


A finished saree rollead up on a beam is left out in the sunlight for drying as water is used while polishing and the finished sarees are damp 122

Unlike the design development and the weaving process, the drying, folding and packing process of a Baluchari saree are quite simple. While the saree is woven it is continiously rolled up on a cylindrical beam at the weavers’ end. Once the weaving process of a saree is complete the beam is taken out of the loom and brought to a open, clean, space with ample sunlight and left for drying. Since water is put on the saree for polishing while weaving this step is essential to prevent any moisture or dampness in the saree before it’s packing. After it’s made sure that the saree is completely dry, it is taken out of the beam and folded. Two men are involved in the folding process. Unlike other garments a saree is not ironed before packing. The two men start folding the saree while stretching it from both the sides tightly. A thin metal rod is often used while folding. It is kept on each fold temporarily to give it a precise fold. A thin, starched, white or brown paper is then put inside the fold to give it a proper shape. This saree is then put into a thick transparent polythene bag before sending it out to different stores. The stores maintain this fold pattern of the Baluchari saree.


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Above: Two of the staff of the store ‘Anubhav’ demonstrated the process of folding a Baluchari saree on request; the above are the steps followed in folding a Baluchari saree after which it is packed inside a transparent polythene packet 123


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Visual Language and Aesthetics 125

Size,Weight and Layout


The length of the Baluchari saree varies beetween 5 meters to 6.5 meters. The width varies from 116 cms to 122 cms. The weight of the saree depends upon the quantity of silk yarns used, along with the extent of zari work done (in case of Swarnacharis). The minimum weight of a saree will be not less than 400 grams. No upper limit can be fixed, as the same is a variable component which vries in accordance with the quantity of the raw materials used and the nature of the design work done. The layout of a Baluchari saree consists of three parts, namely the body of the saree, the border, and the endpiece. The body or the ground of the saree (known as jomi) has tiny 1 - 3 inch sized motifs placed at certin intervals. These are called butis. These butis may be placed at gaps of 1 inch or even 6-7 inches depending on the design. It maybe the same motif repeated all over or it maybe combination of 2 or 3 motifs in a certain layout. The butis are denser towards the endpiece and disappear towards the other end of the saree. The density of these butis along with the intricacy of the endpiece often determine the expensiveness of the saree. The border of the Baluchari is decorated by extra warp i.e. either mina (coloured thread) or zari or both simultaneously. It is called paar. And the motif form is small and rectangular, taken from one of the motifs of anchal. Sometimes the buti of the ground is rectangular also. In Mina Baluchari saree, the extra warp used for decorating border or paar is sized with khai to withstand tension during weaving. The most striking featue of the Baluchari saree is its aanchal. In the middle of the aanchal the main motif is woven in large

rectangles and is repeated 3 to 4 times or even more. The other motifs are woven around the main motif in small rectangular box like forms. This system of motif placement is called talas and the different scenes woven come together in this layout to create a homogenous whole. This use of talas or levels/rows in placing the motifs is not only seen in Balucharis but also in a few other brocade sarees of India. Another important character of the Baluchari motifs is that the motifs are presented sidewise i.e. in a side profile view and not a front view. And all the motifs do not change their vertical allignment and all motifs in a particular row face the same direction. Also the figurative motifs face inwards from either of the borders, integrating the layout and building up a certain pictorial canvas on the endpiece. The specifications of different contemporary Balucharis are as follows: CHOTO AANCHAL (SMALL PALLU) BALUCHARI SAREE: • Length: 5.50 mtrs + 90 cms blouse piece • Width: 116 to 122 cms (including border not less than 8 cms) • Warp: 18/ 20 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn • Weft: 15/ 16 D, 3 ply filature silk yarn • Reed count: 100s • Picks per inch: 72 - 80 ppi • Jacquard capacity: Not less than 150 hooks • Size of aanchal: Not less than 36 inches (90 cms) • Weight of the saree: 410 - 415 gms

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BALUCHARI SAREES OF BENGAL | NID Border: 10 - 11 cms

Endpiece/ aanchal: 1 - 1.2 mtrs

SWARNACHARI SAREE (ZARI BALUCHARI): • Length: 5.50 mtrs + 90 cms blouse piece • Width: 116 to 122 cms (including border not less than 10 cms) • Warp: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn • Weft: 22/ 22 D, 2 ply filature silk yarn • Extra warp: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn + zari threads • Extra weft: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn + zari threads • Reed count: 100s • Picks per inch: 72 - 80 ppi • Jacquard capacity: 150-400 hooks • Size of aanchal: Not less than 48 inches (122 cms) • Weight of the saree: 575 - 600 gms The layout of a Baluchari saree is illustrated on the right.

Total length: 5- 5.50 mtrs

MEENA BALUCHARI SAREE: • Length: 5.50 mtrs + 90 cms blouse piece • Width: 116 to 122 cms (including border not less than 10 cms) • Warp: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn • Weft: 22/ 24 D, 3 ply filature silk yarn • Extra warp: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn • Extra weft: 20/ 22 D, 2 ply twisted silk yarn • Reed count: 100s • Picks per inch: 72 - 80 ppi • Jacquard capacity: 150-400 hooks • Size of aanchal: Not less than 36 inches (90 cms) • Weight of the saree: 425 - 450 gms

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Width: 116- 122 cms


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Baluchari sarees from the 19th century Baluchar, seen at Indian Museum, Kolkata. The variety of layouts, different lengths of aanchals and various buti densities implimented on these sarees can be well observed here


It can be noted that the saree 1st from left (facing page) have a narrow aanchal design and no human motif, the saree 5th from left (above) has no separate aanchal at all and bear dense diagonal stripes and butis

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• Common layout of the 19th century Baluchari (Baluchar Butidaar) sarees from Baluchar, Murshidabad • It can be noted here that the buti arrangement is very dense in these saree • Also the central motif is that of “the tree of life” and the border is floral • The lenght of the saree is slightly shorter than the contemporary counterparts whereas the width is almost the same • • The brocade work is more intricate • The average height of the endpiece is generally less than the contemporary ones • The variations in motifs are less

Left: A 19th century Baluchari seen at the Indian Museum, Kolkata 130


• Common layout of the contemporary Baluchari sarees from Bishnupur, Bankura • The butis are quite spread out and is a combination layout of 2 different motifs • The central of the endpiece and the border both bear human figured motifs • The lenght of the saree is longer than those from Murshidabad • • The brocade work is comparatively less intricate • • The average heigh of the endpiece is larger than the Murshidabad ones • • A lot of motif variations can be seen

Right: A 19th century Baluchari seen at the Indian Museum, Kolkata Image courtsey: http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/ search/details.php?a=2008.22.0023a 131


Colours: then and now

(meaning parrot-necked, red warp and green weft), mayurkanthi (meaning peacock-necked, red warp and green weft), dhup-chaya (meaning light and shade achived using red warp and blue weft, this connotation is often used in present day to address any fabric with warp and weft of different colours) and asmani (meaning sky coloured, blue warp and red weft). These pieces are especially beautiful as the warp or weft colour gets accentuated depending on its fold and fall and light falling on it. Baluchari sarees with white and off white grounds were also common. White was a preferred colour among the Brahmins and was also a much worn colour at pujas and rituals. It was not worn at weddings though as it is also considered a colour for mourning among East India Hindus. There is no knowledge of black dye being used in the traditional Balucharis most probably because of the non availability of the same among vegetable dyes during those times. Also black was considered inauspicious in the Bengali Hindu community. Instead of black, either deep indigo or deep chocolate was used. Most sarees had dark base with pictorial designs woven with lighter coloured silk threads like cream which had an antique gold like sheen, white, yellow, light green, and mauve giving an enamel effect. There were some exceptions like yellow ground with motifs woven in red or green etc. “Modulation of colour was achived by dexterous mingling of different shades of the same colour with accents of different tints. So the colour harmony used to be rather soft, subtle and reposeful with sensitive touches of gaiety and glamour.” - Sukla Das. Today’s Balucharis are however quite different. Colour schemes

COLOURS Balucharis are known for their extra judicious colour harmony. Several colors and sometimes zaris are woven together to create a perfect balance of colours devoid of strong contrast. The choice of colours also denote that the Baluchari craftsmen were not just master weavers but highly skilled artists with a strong sense of aesthetics. Earlier, weavers usually did their own dyeing although sometimes professional bleachers and dyers were employed. Nowadays of the family are generally involved in the dyeing of the silk hanks. This is done mostly by male while the kids provide help in the process. During the times of Murshidabi Balucharis and the earlier Bishnupuri Balucharis, the color palette was limited to the ones popular in Bengal and achivable through natural dyes. Some of the popular ground colours included red (which is considered one of the most auspicious colours by the people of Bengal because it is symbolic to several emotional, sexual, fertility related qualities and thus the most preferred colour amongst brides), light red, maroon, pink, mauve, mustard, yellow, orange, green, purple, chocolate, pomegranate and grey. Blue was initially a colour relegated to the lower castes as the fermentation process of indigo dye was considered impure. But by the last phase of nineteenth century indigo and other shades of blue came in vogue and were widely used in balucharis. Sometimes they used different coloured warp and weft to create a beautiful dual-tone shaded effect, some of the examples being pitambari (red warp and orange weft), sonali (a golden look achived using red warp and green weft), hiramankanthi

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roon, ink blue, sky blue, navy blue, purple, turquoise etc. Also unlike earlier times black Balucharis are quite common. Some sarees with different coloured yarns in warp and weft were also seen. Some of the contemporary Balucharis are not quite subtle unlike their previous counterparts and are high in contrast with bright ground colours. Also a major change in the look of the saree is brought about by the widespread use of zari (metallic) threads in gold, silver or copper colours used instead of or along with light coloured silk threads. These sarees are developed in such a way so that they can compete with the Benarasi brocades in the market. Because of this although the colour combinations are harmonious sometimes they are quite loud and contrasting unlike the original ones. DYES During the earlier times natural dyes were used to colour the silk yarns before weaving. Several colours were obtained using lac, turmeric, safflower (Kusum-carthamus tinctorius), eakam

(Coesalpinia sappam), palash (Butea frondosa latean), ramala (Malloi-nus philippinwaia) and indigo. The colours of these traditional pieces is said to have grown richer and mellower with the age of time. The present day dyes which are used are chemical in nature. Acid dyes are used to apply colour to the silk hanks. Due to advancement in computerized dye mixing manufacturers can provide the artisans with any shade or tint they desire. The weaver families thus purchase ready powdered dyes and use them as per requirement.

Above: Dyed yarns to be used for Baluchari weaving, seen at Tantipara

are not limited to few colours anymore as any colour is possible to achive now using chemical dyes and the colours used are dictated by market trends. Some of the colours I observed in the stores and at the weavers’ places included red, pink, magenta, peach, cream, dark green, golden, chrome yellow, mustard, ma133


Motifs: then and now

A remarkable feature of the Baluchari saris is the introduction of human figures in their contemporary costumes and modes. These motifs are placed in the body/ground, the border/ paar and the endpiece/ aanchal. The aanchals are the most striking aspect of a Baluchari’s beauty. Below and in the subsequent pages, the motifs placed in different parts of both ancient and modern Balucharis are discussed.

AANCHAL MOTIFS OF MURSHIDABADI BALUCHAR BUTIDAAR 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 retain a 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. India has a past tradition of floral and animal motifs including hamsha (swan), mayur (peacocks either single or in pair), singha (lion), deer, falcons, horses, elephants etc. are some of the motifs that can be seen. Floral motifs, flowering shrubs, mango-motif or kalka, the tree of life, or meandering creeper remind of traditional decorative designs of India and breathe a Hindu spirit. Right: An aanchal of a 19th century Baluchari from Murshidabad with a very large endpiece, it can be noted how the figured motifs are placed upside- down in this, as seen at the Indian museum, Kolkata 134


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 an oblong intricately decorated 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 we in architectural frameworks and resembled portraits and each motif had its own frame. This layout is maintained even today. Pictorial representation of subjects included a seated lady holding a flower, a lady riding on horseback (which proved the strong imagination of the weavers as such customs were unheard of in those days), a lady smoking a traditional hookah, a pair of ladies with birds in hands or in conversation. 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 an elephant with a mahut holding a flag, a lion or tiger hunter and cannoners in s. The scrutiny of these s reveal a marked projection of Muslim environment in respect of their dress, hair style, posture and decor. Some authorities feel that these were so because the weavers wanted to please their Muslim patrons or they had been commissioned by the contemporary Muslim nobility. However, it may be noted that the transfer of capital to Murshidabad brought about profound changes in socio-cultural pattern. The weavers did not fail to respond to the change and utilized their talent to depict their experiences in exquisite perfection. However, it needs to be noted that the fact that principal cus-

tomers of these sarees were the Hindu ladies, suggests that the motifs represented the artist’s attempt to project contemporary trends rather than being the product of commissioned labour. Subsequent changes in motifs where European faces made their appearance in their conventional lifestyle along with Indian figures are illuminating. European men and women holding flowers or wine glasses, in their circular hats and bonnets with tight fitting dresses and prominent side-burns are indicative of the artists’ sensitivity to the current political changes. The first locomotive that was introduced in India in the mid nineteenth century did not escape the weavers’ notice and quite a few pieces of Baluchari have been found with motifs of locomotives carrying Europeans, sometimes with both European and Indian engers and attendants, double decker steam launches with engers and crew inside, European ladies and gentlemen riding coaches drawn by horses, Europeans being driven in chariots, are some of the motifs found in works of later period, that point to the dynamic changes replacing the stasis and decay of the early era and speak volumes on the sensitive perceptivility of the artisans who work these fabrics. Equally interesting is the motif of a double decker carriage with a dog in the lower section which indicates the induction of dog as a domestic pet by the Europeans. The European figures however appear quaintly stiff and stylized. It may be that the European carried themselves in a stiff air of superiority or that the average people were mortally scared of the Europeans and artists’ being no exception to it gave expression to this feeling in his own way. Against this lavishly ornamented aanchal or end piece, 135


the rest of the groung of a saree was designed with traditional butis or motifs of floral sprays, both large and small judiciously distributed to emphasize the contrast. Some art critics feel that the figured fabrics of Bengal (both Jamdani and Baluchari) were ‘Persian in feeling and conception’ while others believe that it is not tenable because India had a long tradition of figured fabrics. The designs appear to be indigenous and more akin to kantha which is essentially an East Bengal folk art and had probably indirectly influenced pictorial Jamdanis of Dhaka. The art was prevalent in Murshidabad zone and some indirect link between kantha and Baluchari may not be unlikely. Unlike today these Balucharis were more relaxed with the subject matter and the layouts and some of the best works by master weaver Dubraj Das were devoid of human or animal figures and craftsmanship was confined to kalka , intricate borders and floral ornamentation. The butis too never bore human figures and some sarees have been found with no butis at all. Information source: Fabric Art: Heritage of India by Sukla Das, Abhinav Publications, published: 1992 & The Indian Museum, Kolkata

Above: A Baluchar Butidaar bearing motifs of Nawabs smoking hukkah and riding elephants with the mahuts Image Courtsey: https://s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/scrollstorage/1418057301-1201_3A.jpg

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19TH CENTURY MURSHIDABADI BALUCHARIS

Above: A person sitting on a chair holding a flower in one hand and a hand fan in another; the detailings on the attire, shoes and headgear are quite interesting

Above: The introduction of trains and trams by the British inspired weavers to develop this unique motif of Europeans dressed in their coats, tros and dresses, wearing hats, bonnets and shoes travelling in double decker coaches of a train holding flowers, while another Britisher chauffeurs the train, a half man half lion like motif sits on top of the engine

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Above: An European lady with a child on her lap and gents seated across a table, holding flowers and eating Image courtsey: http://www.hali.com/news/baluchar-silks-bengal-mumbai/

Above: An European couple enjoying a train or a tram journey; they are seen smelling flowers; a lamp can be seen hanging from the ceiling

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Above: The kalka or the mango motif is one of the most featured central motif of the Balucharis from Murshidabad; it is a blend of a paisley and the tree of life motif with elegant floral decorations in it; Image courtsey: from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collectionhttp://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/58468.html?mulR=1634057362|8#

Above: A motif similar to the tree of life motif which is popular in many cultures, it is said to indicate a connection between the spiritual and the material worlds; it also represents life and fertility; this motif is erect and bilaterally symmetrical

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Above: A couple holding birds and flowers in a romantic boat journey, the boat is being rowed by an oarsman Image courtsey: from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection, http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/58468.html?mulR=1634057362|8#

Above: Motif with hookah-smoking Nawab and canonneers Image courtsey: Tapi Collection, http://scroll.in/article/693894/remarkable-19th-century-saris-depict-europeans-on-trains-hookah-smoking-women

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Above: A motif bearing traditional bird and animal motifs in a scene which seems like a lion is hunting a deer in a jungle Image Courtsey: Fabric Art: Heritage of India by Sukla Das, published in 1992 by Abhinav Publications

Above: Europeans in double decker steam launches holding flowers, wine glasss and birds, some people are seen on the deck, one of them is holding binoculars

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Top Left: A nawab smoking hukkah; Top Right: Horse drawn carriages (Image courtsey: http://textilesocietyofamerica.org/5095/sahib-review/); Bottom Left: A noble man riding a horse; Bottom Right: Dancing peacocks motif (Image courtsey for top left and both pictures at bottom: from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection, http://www.philamuseum. org/collections/permanent/58468.html?mulR=1634057362|8#)

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Top Left: Sahibs and mahouts on elephant backs (Image courtsey: Tapi collection, http://scroll.in/article/693894/remarkable-19th-century-saris-depict-europeans-on-trains-hookah-smoking-women); Top Right: A rider on horseback (Image courtsey: Fabric Art: Heritage of India by Sukla Das, published in 1992 by Abhinav Publications); Bottom Left:: Europeans in a carriage holding flowers, an Indian attendant can also be seen (Image courtsey: Tapi collection, http://scroll.in/article/693894/remarkable-19th-century-saris-depict-europeans-on-trains-hookah-smoking-women); Bottom Right: A bibi or a courtesan smoking hookah (Image courtsey: http://www.hali.com/news/baluchar-silks-bengal-mumbai/)

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motif could be just 1 in number or even go upto 14-15 repeats. But although a few specimens of contemporary Baluchari sarees still bear kalkas on the center , it mostly bears 3-4 repeats of human figured motifs. The figures now, though still stylized, are much more realistic and proportionate than those of earlier times. Also a lot of finesse and detailing is achieved in the clothing, hair and jewellery of the figures. The faces look softer and rounder now and the eyes are drawn out the way we identify with some Bengali style paintings. Also though the faces are still done in profile view, I did get to see a few exceptions in the contemporary ones where front view of faces are woven. The Bishnupuri Balucharis of yesteryears although done in jacquard were almost as detailed and intricate as those from Murshidabad. However with age of time, to make the weaving process faster and more cost efficient, the motifs are now less intricate, bigger, and more spaced out from each other. Also the 3 or 4 colours use which were seen on the pallus of many Murshidabadi Balucharis are not found in the Bishnupuri counterparts. It is limited to 1 or sometimes 2 colours. Also the distinctive outlines with contrast colours that are often seen around the figures of the earlier era are not present anymore avoiding the useage of another colour. Instead outlines are achived by leaving gaps for the ground colours to be seen through. Most of the contemporary designs used in Baluchari now are stories from Hindu mythological epics. Sadly, although there are a huge variety of motifs being used today, they are mostly repetative and there is not much innovation in this field. The aanchals do not reflect scenes from current society like they used to in the sarees from Murshidabad. The Battle of Kurukshetra,

Above: A motif of Shakuntala with peacocks on a contemporary Bishnupuri Baluchari; Image courtsey: https://in.pinterest.com/kshamad/motifs/

AANCHAL MOTIFS OF BISHNUPURI BALUCHARIS Like the 19th century Balucharis, the pallav/ aanchal is the most important part of the contemporary Baluchari saree as well. Just like their older counterparts, the motifs of these Baluchari aanchals are arranged in 1 or 2 rows and columns of small rectangles or squares. These squares go around what is called the central which previously always bore kalka or tree of life motifs. These 144


Above: Idols of Goddess Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi draped in contemporary Baluchari sarees; the entire mandap bore different motifs seen on Balucharis, the stories woven on Goddess Durga’s saree are of Lord Krishna and Radha; (Durga Puja by Behala Club, 2008) Image courtsey: www.durgaonline.com/2008/behalaclub

Draupadi’s cheerharan, Krishna and Arjuna on chariot etc. are some of the common motifs from Mahabharata, whereas Ram’s vanvaas, Sitaharan etc. are the popular ones from Ramayana. The life of a young or adloscent Lord Krishna and stories of Radha and Krishna and stories of Shakuntala and Dushmanta are also the subjects of immensely popular motifs. Stories of Meerabai, dancing apsaras (fairies/dancers), kings and courtesans, Santhal tribes etc. also appear at times on Balucharis. Sarees depicting Hindu wedding scenes and rituals are also very common with Malabadal or the exchange of garlands between the bride and

groom being the central motif of the aanchal and scenes such as palenquin bearers, paanigrahan ritual, lajanjali ritual, wedding musicians etc. form the motifs on the peripheral s. Also motifs bearing figures inspired by Ajanta cave paintings and motifs bearing ressemblance to Persian art can be seen at times on Balucharis. Motifs such as that of Lord Madan Mohan firing the dalmadal cannon, the Raasmancha temple, the Jor-Bangla temple, motifs from the terracotta murals on the temple walls, etc. though once very popular are out of vogue now in the pan-Indian market. Following pages bear some contemporary aanchal motifs. 145


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EARLY 20TH CENTURY BISHNUPURI BALUCHARIS

Left: Aanchal of an early 20th century Baluchari, from Pata Para, Bishnupur, Bankura; design: Shankar Ansh, weaver: Mantu Khan. The center square shows Lord Madan Mohan (Lord Krishna) firing the Dalmadal canon against the Maratha Borgi invaders (soldiers, seen on the outer square), the Big Gateway to the Bishnupur fort can been seen behind him. The strip above & below the Borgis illustrate the famous Jor Bangla Temple from Bishnupur. The border of the saree has a villager feeding Madan Mohan from a pitcher. Seen at the Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum. Above: Another aanchal of an early 20th century Baluchari. The center shows the fight between Jatayu & Ravana after his abduction of Sita, followed by a floral border, the two kalkas on either side illustrate Ram’s Vanvaas, & the scene with Ravana in disguise begging to Sita for Bhiksham (alms); the outer square shows Lord Ram breaking the curse of Ahalya. The border of the saree shows Bharat with Ram, Lakshman & Sita. Seen at the Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum. 147



Left: B/W photograph of an aanchal of an early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari by eminent master weaver Akshay Chandra Das from Patranga. The center square bears six kalkas (paisley like mango motifs) which is similar to the Murshidabad Baluchari layout, surrounded by a square of floral motifs, the outer box illustrates a a man riding a horse, the border of the saree again is floral. Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum.

Left: B/W photograph of an aanchal of an early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari by eminent master weaver Akshay Chandra Das from Patranga. The center square bears eight kalkas surrounded by a square of peacock motifs the outer box illustrates a Nawab sitting on a chair enjoying a drink near a chandelier. The border of the saree bears floral motifs and the butis too are floral. Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum.

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Right: B/W photograph of an aanchal of an early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari by eminent master weaver Akshay Chandra Das from Patranga. Here we see the Bishnupuri style of figured center taking over, the center box illustrates a Nawab riding a decorated elephant chaperoned by a mahut, followed by a royal guard on foot, the outer boxes bears peacocks in their full glory, the border of the saree as usual is floral. Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum.

Right: B/W photograph of an aanchal of an early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari by eminent master weaver Akshay Chandra Das from Patranga. The center square bears a king or a deity mounted on an elephant accompanied by a mahut, several women can been in the central and also in the box outside, dancing and playing various musical instruments, the border is floral and the butis are leaf like. Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum.

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Above: Aanchal of an early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari. The center bears Kalkas like the Murshidabadi Balucharis, the outer boxes illustrate peacocks & parrots, the box outside that show men & women sitting on chairs holding flowers and musical instruments. Seen at Bishnupur Acharjya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhawan Museum. Right (facing page): A modern day replica of the above saree as seen at the Baluchari store ‘Kanishka’, it can be noted how the aanchal now takes up a larger area of the saree with more rows of the same motif repeated, also one can see that the border of the saree bears human figures instead of the floral motifs seen in the original saree. Also the color combination of the saree is as per today’s trends. 150


PRESENT DAY BALUCHARIS

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Above: Center motif from an aanchal of a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari illustrating Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman in the forest; a scene from the Hindu mythological epic Ramayana

Above: Center motif from an aanchal of a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari illustrating a Bengali Hindu wedding scene of malabadal or the exchange of garlands encased within a kalka - like conch motif

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Above: A bi-colour center motif from an aanchal of a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari illustrating a young Lord Krishna with Yashoda inspired from Hindu Mythologies; Krishna’s face is a rare example of non profile view of the face

Above: Center motif from an aanchal of a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari illustrating Shakuntala offering a drink of water to king Dushyanta from the Adi Parva of the Hindu mythological epic Mahabharata

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Above: Center motif from an aanchal of a Bishnupuri Baluchari from the early 1980s bearing intricate kalkas (paisley like mango motifs), the motifs are woven using brown silk thread which ressemble an antique gold finish

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Above: A part of the aanchal of a modern day Bishnupuri Baluchari, the theme of the artwork represents some kind of auspicious occasion or celebration with some women blowing conches and horns while others dance holding flowers, some winged apsaras or fairies can also be seen in the central

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Four scenes from the Hindu mythological epic Mahabharata illustrated in a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari saree: Top Left: Center of the aanchal illustrating Lord Krishna saving Draupadi from Cheerharan (derobing); Top Right: Arjuna’s Lakshyabhed to win Draupadi’s hand in marriage; Bottom Left: A gada (club) fight between Bheem and Duryodhana; Bottom Right: Arjuna kneeling in front of Lord Krishna

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Top Left: A scene from Ramayana where Ravana in the guise of a hermit is begging for alms from Sita; Top Right: The Bengali Hindu marriage ritual of Laajanjali; Bottom Left: Shakuntala and king Dushyanta embrace while her sakhis (friends) Priyambada and Anusua dance in celebration; Bottom Right: A scene from Mahabharata where Arjuna is attacking Karna while he struggles to free his charriot’s wheel in the battle of Kurukshetra (Image courtsey: http://www.polutexni.com/?p=525)

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Top Left: A scene inspired from Ajanta cave paintings; Top Right: A mother holding her child in her arms, Bottom Left: Courtroom singers and musicians (image courtsey: http:// www.craftsvilla.com/pure-silk-baluchari-saree.html); Bottom Right: A king riding a horse brandishing his sword (Image courtsey: http://inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/2012/12/ the-baluchari-brouhaha.html)

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Above: Scenes on an aanchal of a present day Bishnupuri Baluchari illustrating the romance of Dushmanta and Shakuntala, and her sakhis (friends) Anushua and Priyambada dancing in the forest

Above: Scenes from Mahabharata where Krishna is fighting the Kauravas using his Sudarshan Chakra (a mythological wepon), Image courtsey: http://www.dollsofindia. com/product/sarees-in-cotton-and-silk/wine-red-baluachari-silk-saree-HP16.html 159



Above: Krishna and Radha are shown playing holi, on a swing, near a river etc, a present day Baluchari’s pallav as seen in the saree store ‘Anubhav’ in Bishnupur 160



Bishnupur’s Baluchari sarees have time and again drawn inspirations from the Malla architecture and terracotta work of Bishnupur. I witnessed a few examples myself. Top Left: A terracotta relief work on the walls of the Jor Bangla temple of Bishnupur illustrating Krishna defeating Bokasura; Top Right: The scene replicated on a saree border; Bottom Left: The Jor Bangla temple; Bottom Right: The Jor Bangla temple woven as a motif on a modern day Swarnachari

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BORDER/ PAAR : The border or the paar is one of the most important parts of the saree. It not only secures the selvages (edges) of the delicate saree cloth it adds weight to the edges which results in the saree to have a good fall. It also adds to the aesthetics of the saree. The Baluchari sarees have rich and compact brocaded borders of about 2”-3” width. The motifs are woven sideways on the cloth so that when worn the motifs are erect. The boder, like the aanchal, has dense jacquard work done unlike the body. It has a motif or ‘story’ woven in repeats on both edges, throughout the length of the saree. The Baluchari sarees of Murshidabad always had floral motifs on the border. They usually had big stylized flowers running throughtout with comparatively smaller leaves, flowers or geometric shapes filling in the spaces between these bigger flowers. The Bishnupuri Balucharis in spite of having floral borders initially, quickly started using figured motifs on the border. These motifs often had stories of Lord Madan Mohan, and scenes from other mythologies from Bishnupur along with occassional stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Nowadays the motifs mostly depict scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna Leela, Shakuntala, Santhal dancers, wedding scenes, Apsaras etc. In case of Murshidabadi or the early Bishnupuri Balucharis the borders were woven using 2 or more colours apart from the ground colour, now they mostly use 1 colour or sometimes 2 colours in case of a Meena Baluchari. The edge of the border can be a smooth straight line or can be topped with tiny geometrical shapes, leaves, paisleys etc.

BUTI: Butis are tiny motifs which are placed at certain distances from each other, in some form of repeat all over the body of saree. They are often denser towards the aanchal, spaced out in the middle and are generally not present on the other end of the saree. The motifs varies from 1/2”-3” in width and length. Although they are a mandatory part of the Baluchari sarees of Bishnupur, it was not the case for the 19th century Murshidabadi Baluchari sarees. These Balucharis were more relaxed in their layout and sometimes did not bear any butis on the ground. There are also some with no distinguished aanchal and just diagonal lines and butis all over the body. Both the early Bishnupuri and Murshidabadi Balucharis had quite densely packed butis with motifs like florals, birds, kalkas, conches, leaves etc. Nowadys however the butis are much more spaced out bearing either figured motifs like women playing instruments, dancing etc, mythological characters, wedding scenes, or motifs like florals, conches, peacocks etc. Sometimes the ground can have an arrangement of 2 or more motifs. The early Balucharis often had 4 or more colours used on the butis. The contemporary ones have 1-2 coloured butis. In case of the morder day Swarnacharis, both the paar and butis are woven using zari threads instead of silk for the extra weft but the motifs are same as other Balucharis. Left (opposite page): A contemporary Baluchari saree with different coloured warp and weft (dhup-chao effect) which results in the beautiful dual colour of the cloth. The body has butis in the form of a woman playing a musical instrument, spaced out all over the ground, the border has Arjuna and Lord Krishna on a charriot. 163


BALUCHARIS FROM MURSHIDABAD


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BORDERS: Whether the motifs of the aanchal were figured or floral, the Balucharis of Murshidabad always bore floral motifs on its borders. Bishnupur too started with the tradition but soon introduced figured motifs on the borders. 1., 2., 3., 4. and 5. illustrates borders of Murshidabadi Balucharis which were essentially floral in nature, with combinations of leaves, kalkas and other motifs 6. A floral border similar to the Murshidabadi ones seen on an early Bishnupuri Baluchari 7. The introduction of figured motifs on the border can be seen here; Bharat is seen in the forest along with lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman (a scene from Ramayana) 8. Again a figured border depicting a scene from Bishnupur’s history, where a villager can be seen feeding lord Madan Mohan (Krishna) from a pitcher

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BORDERS: Unlike the earlier times, borders of today’s Balucharis almost always bear human figured motifs, the scenes depicted being mythological in nature. The ones shown in this page are a few examples of such borders of modern Balucharis. 9. Shakuntala in the forest playing with deer and peacocks 10. A wedding procession, with the couple being carried by palenquin bearers 11. Lord Rama with Sita in the forest (scene from Ramayana) 12. A young lord Krishna defeating Bokasura 13. Lord Krishna driving the charriot of Arjuna 14. Anusua and Priyambada playing musical instruments and dancing 15. Shakuntala rowing a Mayurpankhi (like a peacock) boat along a river 16. Lord Krishna giving advice to Arjuna (scene from Mahabharata)

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EARLY 20TH CENTURY BISHNUPURI BALUCHARI

BUTIS: 1., 2. and 3. Three Murshidabadi Balucharis from the 19th century displaying three different types of buti arrangements; 4. A B/W image of a early 20th century Bishnupuri Baluchari where we can see the buti arrangements; 5. A pair of peacocks buti, 6., 9., 11., Floral butis; 7. A mix of peacock, kalka and floral motifs; 10. A kalka buti; (images 5-7 & 9-11 are all motifs from Murshidabadi Baluchari); 8. A peacock buti; 12. B/W image of a conch like motif (8 & 12 are from Bishnupuri Balucharis) 5.

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BUTIS: 13., 14. and 15. Three contemporary Bishnupuri Balucharis displaying three different types of buti arrangements; 16. A floral buti, 17. A queen holding a sceptre, 18. Palenquin bearers carrying the bride and the groom; 19. A peacock buti; 20. A swan carrying a flower; 21. A women going to fetch water (image courtsey: http://www.kiransawhney.com/2012_09_01_archive.html); 22. A young Krishna eating sweets; 23. A woman blowing into a conch 16.

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Balucharis then and now: A comparative study

Based on my observations, interviews, and research, I tried to draw up a comparative study between the original Balucharis from Murshidabad and the contemporary ones from Bishnupur. BALUCHARIS FROM MURSHIDABAD

BALUCHARIS FROM BISHNUPUR

1. These sarees originated in Baluchar, Murshidabad and were quite prominent for some time before this craft completely erased out of there.

1. These originated in the first half of 20th century when Subho Thakur reintroduced the craft in Bishnupur, Bankura and is still in practice.

2. These sarees were woven using the traditional draw - looms (Jala/Naksha looms).

2. These sarees are woven using jacquard looms with punched-cards system.

3. Motifs were a reflection of the society, lifestyle, rulers etc. and often featured Nawabs, Bibis, princes, Mughals and the Britishers doing several activities. Motifs such as flowers, kalkas, tree of life, animals and birds featured quite often too.

3. Motifs are mostly mythological in nature; depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, stories of Shakuntala, young Lord Krishna, dancing girls, weddings etc. Motifs are also sometimes inspired by the Malla temples of Bishnupur.

4. Although many bore human figured motifs, some of them were devoid of them, having only floral or animal motifs. The border was almost always floral and the central box on the pallav bore a kalka or a tree of life motif.

4. All the mordern balucharis have human figured motifs. The center box on the endpiece, and the border too always bears human figured motifs. The butis vary from figures to stylized flowers, birds etc.

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5. The aanchals varied a lot in size from some taking up almost half the saree to some sarees which did not have separate aanchals at all.

5. The pallus are always broad; and in general are broader than the old Balucharis.

6. Quite a few sarees were without butis while most had very dense buti layouts.

6. All variants have spaced - out butis.

7. Dimension is 457.2 × 120.7 cm (approx).

7. Dimension is 550 × 122 cm (approx).

8. Natural dyes were used to dye the silk yarns. The motifs used up 3-4 colours. Zari was never used.

8. Chemical dyes are used to dye the silk yarns. Motifs nowadays vary from 1-2 colours. Zari is used in the Swarnacharis.

9. Colours were limited to the ones achievable through natural dyes and were often chosen based on their auspicious symbolisms. Black was never used.

9. All colours are possible and are dictated by current trends. Black is also a popular colour in the modern day Balucharis.

10. Brocading was reversible and had a raised up releif like effect because of untwisted thread usage.

10. The brocade motifs are only wisible on the face side and the back side has floats, the motifs are also flat on the ground of the saree.

11. It took a weaver 5 to 6 months to weave a saree in the draw loom technique.

11. It takes 14-15 days to weave a Bishnupuri Baluchari.

12. Table cloths, shawls /chadars, wall hangings, gamchas etc were woven in large scale along with the sarees.

12. Sarees are the pedominant product, although some bags, stoles, cushion covers etc. are now being produced as well. 169


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s and Draping Styles

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In the era of global fashion, Baluchari sarees are adorned as a sign of aristocracy, a symbol of status, a taste of aesthetic fashion and of course as a legend of Bengal handloom. Since its inception Baluchari has always been a product for the elite. Having Nawabs, Zamindaars and British employees of Bengal as patrons the saree found its way into the wardrobes of the wealthiest in Bengal. It had also been used as a gift among the nobility and had found its way to several parts of India and abroad. The women have adorned it for celebrations and festivities including marriage ceremonies, pujas, rituals and other special occasions. In present day Bengal too Baluchari is a coveted commodity which can be afforded only by women belonging to the upper and the upper middle class. Its quality, longivity and timelessness has made it a popular heirloom in Bengali households. It also forms a part of the wedding trousseau for Bengali brides. With its pan Indian sales, now it is slowly finding a place among other Indian communities as well. Also the introduction of Swarnacharis have helped tap into the market of the Benarasi and Kanjivaram lovers. However the trend of quick fashion, the lack of variety in the current designs of Baluchari, and the competition from other Indian brocades have resulted in a fall of demand. Also the price range of the saree makes it have a limited market. So to reach out to a wider range of customers, weavers now are also producing cheaper Balucharis with less brocade work and simpler motifs. Cotton Balucharis are also being woven in Shantipur, West Bengal which can be afforded by women belonging to the middle class.


Above: A Bengali woman wearing a Baluchari in traditional style Image courtsey: http://blog.cbazaar.com/festive-regalia/ Left (facing page): Baluchari sarees (center sea-green one being a cotton Baluchari) Page 171: A woman wearing a Baluchari Image courtsey: https://www.pinterest.com/asiaweaves/asia-weaves/

Also since most of the customer base for Baluchari are middle aged women, diversification of Baluchari brocading into kurtis, dupattas, stoles etc. is being done to find new takers among younger women. 173

Draping Styles: old and new


sarees required wearing petticoats underneath. Upper class Bengali women started wearing petticoats on regular basis. Baluchari was a luxury item for the upper class and was always worn with expensive silk blouses and petticoats. In today’s date the sarees come with matching blouse pieces and some of the popular styles currently are round necked, v-necked, boat necked, haltered, with short sleeves. People have also started wearing blouses in colours contrasting to the sarees. Since these sarees are worn as occassion-wear by women of upper to upper-middle classes, they are almost always accompanied by heavy to light jewellery depending on the occassion. Many women wear their hair in buns while wearing the saree and some may adorn it with flowers while attending weddings or other festivities. Most women wear tip (bindis) on their forehead to complete the look and married women apply vermillion (sindoor) at their hair parting in addition to that.

Right: The most traditional way of draping a saree in Bengal (mannequin draped in an antique Baluchari, displayed at the Indian Museum, Kolkata) Image courtsey: http:// www.indianmuseumkolkata.org/Decorative%20 Art%20and%20Textile%20Gallery%20info. php

During the pre-independence era women in Bengal wore sarees without blouses or petticoats. With the advent of the British, more and more women picked up wearing blouses. These blouses copied the western style. They were much longer in length compared to present day blouses, which covered the stomach and waist. They also had higher necklines and minimum back neck drop. Many blouses came with laces and ruffles, some were in jacket style and some high collared. Many had long sleeves. Sarees were pf fine count and before the advent of hot iron non-transparency was achived by starching, pleating and twisting them in a knotted position and storing them in such fashion. With the growing popularity of hot iron the flat transparent

Above: A mordern day blouse to be worn with contemporary Balucharis 174


DRAPING STYLE 1: This was the draping style of a saree in central Bengal during the pre independence era. This draping style was followed by the upper class. The steps are as follows: 1. The inner end piece is brought around the waist clockwise and a knot is tied at the right waist. 2. The free end-piece is brought to the left waist and tucked in. 3. The free end-piece is then brought to the right waist and tucked in. 4. The free end of the saree is thrown over the left shoulder. 5. The free end-piece is then adjusted over the head like a veil and brought to front waist under the right arm. 6. It is then thrown over left shoulder again. Image courtsey and steps from: Saris Tradition and Beyond by Rita Kapur Chishti & Martand Singh, Roli Books, published: 2010 175

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The steps 1-10 display the draping of Baluchari in the old traditional Bengali style. This is a pleatless style of wearing the saree with the pallu falling on the front of the body. It is similar to drapinng style 1 except this is worn over a petticoat and the veil is no longer popular.


DRAPING STYLE 2:

This is the age old classical Bengali style of draping, still worn by a few old and middle aged ladies. The beauty of the aanchal is very prominent in this style as it is draped at the front. This style bears ressemblance to the Gujarati style of draping. It is accompanied by traditional Bengali gold jewellery.

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DRAPING STYLE 3:

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This is the style most identified nowadays as the ‘Bengali style’ of draping the saree. It is similar to style 2 in the sense it too doesn’t have pleats. This style is popular among young and old as an occassion-wear draping style, especially for festivals and as a wedding saree draping style for young brides.


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The steps 1-10 display the draping of Baluchari in the famous Bengali style of draping. This too is a pleatless version of wearing the saree with the pallu thrown over one shoulder, forming a cowl at the back, and then brought in front again and thrown over the other shoulder. Quite often a bunch of keys or an ornament is tied to the end corner to give the saree some weight so that it stays over the shoulder (as shown in steps 8 and 9).

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The steps 1-11 display the draping of Baluchari in the contemporary style. In this style around 5-6 pleats (called kuchis) are made and tucked into the petticoat below the naval falling straight and even to the ground. The pallu/ aanchal is thrown over the shoulder which can be worn in a pleated or open fashion.


DRAPING STYLE 4:

This is the most popular way of draping any saree today, not only in Bengal but all over India. It is said to have been influenced by the Parsi style of draping a saree. In this picture (right) a lady is seen wearing a Baluchari draped in contemporary fashion teamed with a blouse having matching brocade work and contemporary gold jewellery.

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Accompanying Jewellery


Since Baluchari is an expensive occassion-wear saree, it is almost always worn in accompaniment of traditional precious and semi precious jewellery. Gold, precious stones, silver, brass and zinc alloys are the main metals used in the making of jewellery in West Bengal. Swarankars, the caste involved in jewellery making, make jewellery for the affluent higher class as well as the traditional tribal ornament typical of the State of West Bengal. Rose water sprinkler, pendans, brooches, armlets, hair pins etc. are some of the examples of good and unique craftmenship of Bengal. Gold is considered auspicious by the people of Bengal. Earlier very heavy gold ornaments were worn. But the trend these days is for light gold ornaments and small gold and diamond ornaments with intricate work, which demands a lot skill from the craftsmen. Tribal designs are still preferred as they still retain the essentials of traditional jewellery. Tikli, a traditional Bengali forehead ornament worn by Bengali brides on the central parting of her hair, are laced with a string of pearls or are studded with a precious stone or beautiful gold or silver design incorporated with excellent craftsmanship. Tairaa is anoter such head ornament. Kaan which is a traditional ornament worn on the ear is made up of thin sheets of gold or silver that cover the entire ear. It is embedded with precious stones and is worn on special occasions. Kaanbala, Kaanpasha, Jhumko etc. are some other examples of traditional earrings. Chik is a gold choker, almost an inch wide and studded with diamonds or precious stones and is worn around the neck during traditional gatherings and social occasions. A necklace having

five to seven strands of precious stones or beads is known as a Pancha or Sapta lahiri. Other neckpieces include Biche Haar, Paati Haar, Pushpa Haar, Sita Haar, Matar Mala etc. Hansuli, traditionally worn by Muslim women, is being worn by several women of West Bengal now. It is made in finely crafted silver and is worn snugly around the neck. Bajubandh, tabiz or tagaa are the traditional ornaments worn around the arm which are delicate hollow bangles expertly crafted in gold or silver. Choories and balas are bangles; the ornaments worn around the wrists are of many designs and are mainly crafted in gold or silver. Married Bengali women wear bangles made of conch shell called sakhas followed by red bangles made of coral called pola, which is then followed by iron ones symbolizing married status which is followed by a kankan or a thick gold or silver bangle which has filigreed decorations. Kankan is considered auspicious because of the makara pair or the mythical crocodile heads at the ending point of the circle. Chur is heavy, broad, bangle like ornament which is in pure gold and often worn at weddings and other celebrations. Mantasha is an elegant Bengali bangle embedded with precious stones and pure pearls. Ratanchur is made of gold and silver and has its origin from the Mughal culture. It begins from five fingers followed in each hand and thumb and ratanchur has five chains attached to each ring. Another such ornament is the Haath-Padda. A Komor bandh or a Komor Biche is sometimes worn on the waist. Ladies are also seen wearing toe rings accompanied by plain or designed chains on their ankles having small bells hanging which are called nupurs. Nolok is worn in the nose piercing.

182


Haath-Padda

Bajubandh

Pathar Bala Meena Bala

Plain Bala

Sita Haar Nolok

Sakha Plain Bala

Mayur-mukh Bala Jhumko Thorbuja Bala

Chitra Bala

Komor Bandh

Ruli

Chik

Tikli

Komor Chaabi Pola

Some basic styles of jewellery of West Bengal Image Courtsey: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/83387030577947217/ 183

Sakha


184


185

Present Day Scenario

Revival of Jala Looms


The last known weaver of Baluchari sarees using Jala technique was Sri Dubraj Das who died in early 1900s. It is usually said that with him this brilliant technique of weaving also perished. The tradition of using Jala looms to weave the Baluchari was revived in the bed of Jalas- Benaras and it was Sri Ali Hasan alias Kalloo Hafiz, a famed naqshaband of Benaras who attempted this revival and was successful in recreating the Murshidabadi Baluchari, weaving it the traditional way. Today this proud tradition is being carried on by his great grandson Naseem Ahmad of Benaras. A skilled naqshabandi he successfully learnt the craft of tying and making the Jalas from his grandfather Jafar Ali, and today weaves Baluchari s and sarees with much elan. A National Awardee, he was awarded the Sutrakar Samman by the Delhi Crafts Council for 2011. The lady Prabha Shah and Pupul Jayakar are known to play a big role in encouraging Sri Naseem Ahmad to recreate the design technique in Jala loom. In the Jala system one can use more colours and designs. Jala once made lasts almost a hundred years. The Jala patterning can be tweaked around with and has a greater degree of flexibility of design compared to jacquard looms. The making of Jala for a Baluchari and translating the pattern takes about four months if worked continuously. The weaving takes upto one and a half months. One requires one weaver, one helper and two draw boys working on it. The silk used for warp and weft is Bangalore mulberry and Maldah for extra weft. The weaving to recreate the magic of Baluchari sarees of yore has been well received in the market. But it is very difficult to find weavers to work on old Jala looms these days.

Above: Designer Pranavi Kapur’s heritage collection features an odhni (long stole) with Baluchari brocading done using Jala looms by India’s award winning Jala maker - Late Jafar Ali from Benaras, son of Late Kalloo Hafiz; it bears ‘kalka’ and ‘tambaku seban’ motifs, the body of the odhni features hand done Bandhani (tie-dye) work by award winning master craftsman Ali Mohammed Isha Image courtsey: http://www.indianroots.in/pranavi-kapur-heritage 186

Market and Distribution Bengal is the biggest market for Baluchari sarees. Producers of Baluchari have fixed markets in Kolkata and some other big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore etc. Weavers are always busy meeting this demand. The Mahajans of Bishnupur are the middlemen between the customers/retailers and the weavers, who control the market for Balucharis. They supply raw materials to weavers and get the weaving done by paying minimal wages, and themselves earn major profits. Mahajans directly supply to retailers and at times occassional customers who come from nearby cities like Durgapur, Kolkata, Burdwan, to buy sarees directly form the Mahajans at a cheaper price. Weavers also participate in different fairs and exhibitions through organizations like West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation, Crafts Council of West Bengal, Karu Udyan etc. State government organizes yearly handicrafts fair (Hastashilpa Mela) at the state capital, where the craftsmen meet the buyers directly. The sarees are supplied to West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation and are sold at the Government emporium Manjusha, and the Government Handloom emporium Tantuja nd Tantushree. Nowadays the sarees are being picked up by a few prestigious panIndian retailers for example ‘Nalli’ and several e-tailers who sell these sarees through online portals such as Flipkart, Amazon, Holy Weaves, Gaatha etc. which are exposing the products to a much bigger market.

Right: A beautiful Bishnupuri Swarnachari being sold at Holy Weaves Image Courtsey: http:// www.holyweaves.com/collections/baluchari

187


Product Diversification


During the 19th century, the term ‘Baluchar butidaar’ was not just synonymous to Baluchari sarees. A lot of products were being woven in those days having the Baluchari brocade motifs, such as shwals, gamchas, table cloths etc. It is believed that during the Nawab rule in Bengal, the sarees woven were not worn but displayed as tapestries in their houses. However when the Baluchari was recreated in Bishnupur, the product range got restricted mainly to sarees and to a very small extent, shawls and stoles. But now with more and more women, specially the younger age groups, trading sarees for hassle free and cheaper options available in the market such as salwar suits, kurtas, westernwear etc., the saree markets not only in Bengal, but all over India, are slowly but gradually diminishing. The Baluchari weavers and the store owners too have realized this and are trying to find opportunity areas to diversify their product ranges. At ‘Anubhav’ I saw both cotton and silk stoles and dupattas with Baluchari brocade work, kurtas and short kurtis, salwar suit pieces with Baluchari brocaded necklines. I found several other products such as men’s kurtas, cushion covers, table runners, clutch bags, draw-stringed potli bags etc. being sold online. The work on these products may or may not be as intricate as those of the sarees, and in some instances do not bear the trademark human motifs, but the designs nevertheless resonate the art style that is essentially Baluchari. Some motifs seen other than the figured ones were inspired by the terracotta horses and elephants from Bankura, birds and swans, floral arrangements, paisleys etc. Such products are currently being produced in very small quantities to test markets but hopefully will gain popularity as well.

Above: Baluchari bordered kurti from ‘Anubhav’, Bishnupur Below: A Baluchari bordered table runner Image courtsey: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/342273640401696387/

188


Right: Baluchari silk cushion covers being sold at an online store Image courtsey: https://www. jaypore.com/shop-collection/ silken-lore-by-miharu-baluchari-silk-cushion-covers-andmore-from-bengal-1423 189


1.

2.

3.

4.

1 & 2: Baluchari bordered cotton kurtas, 3: Baluchari silk cushion cover, 4: A Baluchari woven potli bag Image courtsey: 1 & 2: http://www.dollsofindia.com/product/mens-kurta-pyjamas/light-blue-half-sleeve-short-kurta-with-baluchari-weave-design-cotton-EI65.html; 3: https://www. pinterest.com/pin/342273640401807320/; 4: https://www.jaypore.com/multi-color-handloom-silk-potli-105in-x-7in-p62604 190


5.

6.

7.

8. 5 & 6: Baluchari bordered dupatta & stole; 7 & 8: Baluchari woven clutch bags Image courtsey: 5 & 6: https://www.jaypore.com/pink-green-silk-zari-handwoven-baluchari-dupatta-p44719; 7 & 8: https://in.pinterest.com/MiharuCrafts/miharu/ 191

Designer Take on Baluchari


Design is known to reinvent itself. Patterns, textures, colours, forms, the overall look and feel – whether fabric or interior, at some time or other goes through a revisit process, where contemporizing becomes imminent. Balucharis are no exception. A few designers have started taking up the challange to do something new and creative using this age old craft while preserving its beauty and originality at the same time. This is being done by giving new colour palettes, trying out new motifs, new layouts, etc. for the traditional saree. Designer Nandita Palchoudhuri who works directly with craftsmen of Bengal have been known to showcase some of such sarees in the Kolkata Fashion Weeks. Kolkata based designer Jaya Misra too has tried to rekindle the heritage of Bengal. Through her collections, she works on reviving old weaves like Baluchari, Dhonekhali, Nilamabari, Shantipuri, jute silks and cotton weaves. Committed to the cause of reviving old weaves of Bengal her work illustrates the vibrancy and splendour of the traditional handlooms of the state. Another Kolkata based designer Agnimitra Paul’s name comes up the most when we talk about reinventing the craft. She not only experimented with the saree, adding extra borders, embroideries etc., she also experimented with the silhouettes and created dresses, evening gowns and anarkali suits out of Baluchari fabric which were targetted as occassion wear for a wide range of market. Also the Baluchari weaves got a fresh lease of life when it was picked up for the Vogue India’s Project Renaissance, 2012, and was given a modern take by designer Donna Karan for DKNY which was then showcased at an international level platform.

192


‘The graphic red is so DKNY—vibrant, energised,

colourful. It’s exciting to take something traditional and do something completely unexpected with it’ — Donna Karan, chief creative director for DKNY

Left (previous page): A mehendi green gown made of Baluchari fabric by Kolkata based fashion designer Agnimitra Paul Image courtsey: http://www.365oranges.com/fashion/mehendi-green-baluchari-gown/365-fsn-000070; Right: A dress by DKNY using Baluchari brocade from Bishnupur for the Vogue India‘s Project Renaissance, 2012 Image courtsey: http://www.raktalk. com/2013_02_01_archive.html 193


Problems Faced

The biggest problem faced by the weavers of Bishnupur is their economic backwardness. They are often exploited by the mahajans and the middlemen. Two artisans are required to work on shift basis on a loom to weave a Baluchari, and it takes approximately 5 to 6 days to complete 1 saree. They then earn Rs. 600/- to Rs. 650/- per saree which s to a meager amount of Rs. 300/- to Rs.325/- for 6 days of labour. There are often young boys involved as apprentices who help the weaver in making the butis among other things, but they are hardly ever paid. Also the family i.e. the wives, kids, elderly, who help out in yarn twisting, dyeing etc. do not get paid separately. Weavers who own their own looms earn slightly higher, about Rs. 1,000/-1,250/- per saree. These sarees are then sold at a range of Rs. 5,000/- to 20,000/-. As a result many weavers are slowly giving up their family businesses and taking up other trades and jobs and leading their future generations too to do the same. Low payment also leads to low capital investment. Also the raw materials used are not locally available. The silk comes from Malda, Bangalore, China etc. and weavers are thus dependent on them. Same goes for the dyes. The weavers also face quite a few health issues practicing the craft for a prolonged period of time. The rooms they work in are not properly lit and they work with very strong bulbs dangling just above the looms which hurt their eyes. Also their work requires a lot of precision. Because of these facts many of them need to get spectacles after ing this work. The workshops lack space and they have to continiously sit in one spot and weave. They have to lift the very heavy jacquard paddle and while they weave the

roll down beam strikes their stomach causing abdominal pain. On top of this due to their poverty they do not receive proper nutrition. Women who are involved in the process of rolling tussar thread, do the rolling process on their bare thighs. As a result the skin gets tender and the yarn sometimes cuts through the skin. Very little research goes on into studying market and colour trends. Barring a few, most of the colour combinations used in Baluchari sarees have been going on for generations. The same can be said about the motifs as many of these motifs are being used for decades now and very little is being done to experiment with newer artwork for motifs. Also there is very little product diversification. Designers and brands often use the skills of these artisans without giving them the much required recognition for the same. In additionto this, in today’s date, many women wear sarees only as an occassion wear and do not purchase too many of them. Also unlike other Indian brocades like the Banarasis and Kanjeevarams, Baluchari sarees face a lack of promotion and advertising. The State and Central Government, NGOs and co-operatives have recently started helping these craftsmen to market their products; but because of the lack of awareness, artisans often fail to avail these schemes. In addition to these the artisans face problems like lack of official staffs for management of business transactions, lack of readily available transports, lack of funds to purchase looms and lack of funds to start a separate dying section in the village.

194

Government Interventions


Italian women in Baluchari sarees from Bishnupur in Naples Image Courtsey: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140825/jsp/calcutta/story_18722946.jsp#.VZ1DeV-qqko

To encourage the craft of Baluchari making, the West Bengal government gives subsidy to the weavers. But only a few weavers are fortunate enough to receive this subsidy. The Baluchuri saree was one of the award winners for the main weaving styles for the years 2009 & 2010 present by the President of India. It is also showcased at the India International Trade Fair organised at New Delhi. The pavilion of West Bengal has prominently displayed those products of handicrafts and handloom sector which have been recognised for their unique nature keeping the theme “Skilling India” in view. Also in collaboration with the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, the National Institute of Fashion Technology has provided Baluchari artisans necessary training of basic pattern making, sewing and computer aided design (CAD) with the intention of helping aid product diversification. However according to the weavers this project wasn’t very

helpful to them. West Bengal Government is arranging Biswa Banga Sammelan every year now; where it promotes the crafts of West Bengal. Baluchari sarees have been given special attention in this and delegates all over the world are invited to attend this. The current Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also taken this initiative forward by the state’s tie with Naples to promote this craft. According to The Telegraph in 2014, “Around 400 people attended the programme and Italian women turned up in Balucharis. Fashion designers at the function said the ancient art of weaving (Baluchari) could be used in western wear,” said Somnath Pyne of ‘Freed’, which has been helping artisans in the Bishnupur belt. Other than this the Government of West Bengal organizes different handicraft fairs such as Sabala Mela, Saras Mela etc. to sell handicraft products including Balucharis. The Baluchari of West Bengal has also received it’s Geographical Identification. 195


196

Conclusion

It is said that “An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision” (a popular quote by James McNeill Whistler). Balucharis during the times of the visionary Dubraj Das and even Akshay Kumar Das were amongst the most coveted and indespensible items in an Indian womens’ wardrobe. It is probably because no other Indian textile had captured the socio - political scenario of India in such a rich and poetic manner. The brocades were refreshingly original and breathtakingly beautiful. That is why these Balucharis of yore are exhibited all over India and in international museums worldwide even today and are adored by art historians and curators. Once I was aware of this, I have to it that it saddened me a bit that this revolutionary artform which was once one of the finest example of my state’s handlooms, coming just after the Dacca muslin in popularity, has been reduced to ‘just another saree’ for the Indian women. I asked many Bengali women why they don’t prefer Balucharis anymore and was told that they think that the designs looks dated and the motifs are repetative and thus they don’t care to own more than 1 or 2 such pieces. The craft once known for reinventing itself with every social, cultural and political nuance seems to have hit a stagnation point. Many of the same motifs from the early 20th century are still being used and the intricacy has definitely faultered. The designs and colour combos are also often dictated by businessmen and shop owners rather than the weavers, and they try to play very safe and keeps recreating what has been selling for years and are afraid to take risks in an already small market. Also the market


now hosts a lot of cheap versions of the same; which reduces the appeal of Balucharis as a whole. The vision for which Balucharis were so celebrated now seems dwindling if not lost. The craft seems to have become just a mere occupation to earn livelihoods for the weavers. Although ionate about it themselves, the age old weaver families of Bengal are not encouraging their heirs to continue this craft as it fails to earn them a decent income. It shocked me to meet Baluchari weavers who have now taken up jobs as chauffers or tour guides in Bishnupur as these occupations seem to earn them a better living than weaving. I had started this project without any prior knowledge of the origin of Baluchari; just in awe of the contemporary ones that I had seen in the wardrobes of the women in my family. But once I saw what it was like back in the times at Murshidabad or early Bishnupur I realised it was, and could be, so much more. Having said that I would like to state that the skill level of these craftsmen is brilliant, and I wholeheartedly believe that given the right push and incentive, planned design interventions, and smart advertising and marketing, the Baluchari can be as glorious as it used to be in its haydays. It is with such measures and financial security that maybe the craftsmen will once more be able to weave for the sake of art and creation and not just as a source of income, and the Balucharis will again regain its regal appeal.

197


References

BOOKS & E-BOOKS: 1. Saris Tradition and Beyond by Rita Kapur Chishti & Martand Singh, Roli Books, published: 2010 2. Fabric Art: Heritage of India by Sukla Das, Abhinav Publications, published: 1992 3. A Monograph on the Silk Fabrics of Bengal by N.G. Mukerji, The Bengal Secretariat Press, published: 1903 4. A Pageant Of India Culture Volume 1 by A. K. Bhattacharya, Abhinav Publications, published: 1994 5. Baluchari Journey by Dhananjoy Das, for National Institute of Design, published: 2008 6. Mallabhum In the Light of Bishnupur by Hari Sadhan Mahapatra, Mira Printers 7. Indian Textiles: Past and Present by G. K. Ghosh & Shukla Ghosh, APH Publishing Corporation, published: 1995 8. The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, By Karine Schomer & W. H. McLeod, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, published: 1987

1. http://scroll.in/article/693894/remarkable-19th-century-saris-depict-europeans-on-trains-hookah-smoking-women (2nd June 2015, 10:30 a.m.) 2. http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-invoking-the-magicof-a-lost-weave-a-baluchari-sari-exhibition-in-mumbai-2039502 (5th June 2015, 5:21 p.m.) 3. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150524/jsp/opinion/story_21749.jsp (5th June 2015, 7:43 p.m.) 4. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/recreating-the-ageold-baluchari-magic/article2802630. ece (21st October 2014, 6:11 p.m.) 5. http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-reviving-bengali-heritage-dhonekhali-nilamabari-shantipuri-baluchari-1894072 (1st November 2014, 11:13 a.m.) 6. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Reviving-Bengals-textile-heritage/articleshow/22203791.cms (14th June 2015, 9:02 p.m.) OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES: 1. http://www.westbengalonline.in/About/Profile/Culture/index. html (27th May 2015, 7:25 p.m.) 2. http://www.utsavpedia.com/textiles/garad-silk-sarees/ (3rd July 2015, 8:54 p.m.) 3. http://www.britannica.com/place/West-Bengal (16th November 2014, 12:24 p.m.) 4. http://en.climate-data.org/location/173816/ (25th June 2015, 6:58 p.m.) 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishnupur_Gharana (2nd No-

DOCUMENTARY FILMS: Weaving Tales on Cloth: Baluchari Saree of West Bengal, by Center of Cultural Resources and Training JOURNALS: 1. Geographical Indications Journal No. 41, Government of India, August 11, 2011 NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ON INTERNET: 198


vember 2014, 9:47 a.m.) 6. http://www.nadsadhna.com/pages/IndianMusic/SitarGharana. asp?About=Bishnupur (2nd November 2014, 10:05 a.m.) 7. http://www.indianetzone.com/43/architecture_bishnupur.htm (26th October 2014, 10:55 a.m.) 8. https://rangandatta.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/bishnupur-temple-town/ (26th October 2014, 11:19 a.m.) 9. http://bankura.gov.in/Tourism/Brochure.pdf (27th October 2014, 3:53 p.m.) 10. http://www.hand-craft.co.in/2015/01/arts-and-crafts-of-bishnupur.html (30th May 2015, 11:30 a.m.) 11. http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/handicrafts (31st May 2015, 4:41 p.m.) 12. http://madanneha.hubpages.com/hub/Magic-of-Baluchari-Sari (12th June 2015, 1:19 a.m.) 13. http://www.silkmarkindia.com/blog/?p=95 (12th June 2015, 2:10 a.m.) 14. http://gaatha.com/baluchari-saree-bangal/ (13th June 2015, 9:12 p.m.) 15. http://www.craftrevival.org/CraftArtDetails.asp?CountryCode=INDIA&CraftCode=003356 (8th October 2014, 6:04 p.m.) 16. http://www.unnatisilks.com/sarees-online/by-work-sarees/ baluchari-sarees.html (12th October 2014, 12:31 a.m.) 17. http://www.parinita.co.in/pages/baluchari (15th June 2015, 7:39 p.m.) 18. http://www.craftandartisans.com/jewellery-of-west-bengal. html (1st July 2015, 10:54 p.m.) 19. http://www.wiseshe.com/2014/05/10-traditional-gold-benga-

li-jewellery.html# (1st July 2015, 10:59 p.m.) 20. http://www.indianroots.in/pranavi-kapur-heritage (2nd July 2015, 5:14 p.m.) 21. http://www.raktalk.com/2013_02_01_archive.html (5th July 2015, 9:23 p.m.) 22. http://www.bangalinet.com/durga_temples_mrinmoyee. html (23rd June 2015, 11:44 p.m.) 23. http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/India/Bishnupur/ climate-profile.aspx (24th June 2015, 10:36 p.m.) 25. https://textontextiles.wordpress.com/tag/brocade/ (12th July 2015, 12:02 a.m.) 26. http://www.handmadesea.com/supplementary-weave-techniques/ (25th July 2015, 11:01 a.m.) 27. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom (26th July 2015, 12:45 p.m.) 28. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_weaving (26th July 2015, 12: 53 p.m.) 29. http://theswatchbook.offsetwarehouse.com/2014/10/14/whatare-looms/ (26th July 2015, 12:59 p.m.) 30. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loom (28th July 2015, 10:30 a.m.) 31. http://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/what-is-apit-loom/social-science/3373103 (28th July 2015, 8:41 p.m.)

199


Glossary

Saree - A South Asian non - stitched draped garment of five to

Gamcha - A piece of cloth often used as a towel or a wipe and is

Tala - Storey or level

Kurta/ Kurti - Indian tunic styles with slitted sides

Buti - Small, mostly circular designs

Salwaar kameez/ Salwaar suit - An Indian attire comprising of a

nine yards of length used as a attire by South Asian women

sometimes worn over the shoulder

kurta, pyajama and a stote/dupatta

Jomi - Ground of the saree, also referres to the quality and ma-

Potli - Potlis mean small sacks, potli bags are bags that ressembles the shape of potlis

terial used in it

Thali - Literal meaning: Plate, here it means a meal made up of selection of various dishes

Dhoti - A white drape worn by men as a bottomwear

Sidur/ Sindoor - Vermillion (red powered lead) applied on fore-

Puja - Offering prayer to deities (often involves several customs)

head or hair parting by married Hindu women

Baul - Mystic folk singers of Bengal

Mahabharata - A Sanskrit mythological epic about the 9th century B.C., principally concerning the dynastic struggle and civil war between the families of two brothers, containing the text of Bhagavad Gita (the holy book of the Hindus)

Sarathi - A chauffeur for charriots

Ramayana - A Sanskrit mythological epic about the banishment

Bibi - Wife of a nobleman

Sahib - Nobleman

Rama, an heir to the throne of Ayodha, and the abduction of his wife Sita by Ravana

Nawab - A Muslim ruler or noble

Tambaku Seban - Smoking tobacco, in this case using a hukkah Mahouts - A person in charge of riding an elephant 200

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