Applique

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Katab is the word used for Applique in Rajasthan. The work is similar to the patchwork of Kathiawar the ‘Katab’.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION BY

AKSHARA R SEM 4 TEXTILE AND APPAREL DESIGN KSID, KOLLAM, KERALA

KRISHNENDHU A K SEM 4 TEXTILE AND APPAREL DESIGN KSID, KOLLAM, KERALA

“Ram Ram�

For all the known and unknown artisans of Rajasthan

12 RAJASTHAN Location14 Arts and crafts of Rajasthan16 People19

Dress20 Climate22 Food24 Water management26 Electricity27 govenment28

Bikaner30

32 APPLIQUE Applique in India34 Applique in Rajasthan36

38 BHANDHLI Community40 Evolution of the craft42 Jompda44 Religious traditions48 Occupation50 Food50 Water52 Sanitation52

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CONTENTS

102 78 School54 Hospitals56 Market56 Transportation58 Power supply58 Family involvement60

Raw materials and tools Process80 Motifs and Colors86 Types of Applique86 Products92

Trees62

Market98

Fruilts68

Problems99

Birds70

Culture100

animals74

competitions100

NGO GVCS104 URMUL106 Artisans108 Other communities110 Suggestions112 Future112 Challenges112 Conclusion113 Recent advancemt114 refererences115

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Lots of effort has gone into the making of this documentation. We would like to give our sincere thanks to all those who helped in the completion of this craft documentation on applique work.

We take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to our Project coordinator Mr. Girish P T, Executive Director, Kerala State Institute of Design, Kollam for giving us a chance to study about a traditional craft, and to experience the life in Rajasthan.

We also take this opportunity to express our deep sense of gratitude to the Bhandhli village people for providing us information about the craft and for all the help they offered for us.

We are thankful to Mr.Arvind Ojha, Secretary Urmul Trust and Mr. Vikram Singh, Secretary, Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan, Barmer for allowing us to visit their organizations and study about applique work.

We are obliged to the staff members of Urmul Seemant, Bajju and Gramin Vikas Chetna Sansthan, Barmer for giving us valuable information in their respective fields. We are grateful for their cooperation.

Lastly we thank almighty, our family and friends for all their constant encouragements and all the Rajasthani people we met, for all the help they offered during our journey.

Image 1: applique work

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INTRODUCTION

Applique is a craft which reuses the old fabrics. This study has been done with a particular focus on applique work which is doing by the people of Bhandhli village, in Rajasthan. We the students of integrated textile and apparel design, Kerala State Institute of Design, got the opportunity to learn about the culture of the craft and came to know about the reality and present scenario of the craft. During this one month we studied about the craft and experienced the freezing cold of Rajasthan and their life style.

The objective has been realized mainly with the help of primary data collected through interviews, discussions, conversations with the artisans and exposure to their worksite. The secondary data have also been used for realizing the objectives. Before starting the primary data collection and exposure to the work place and the market, we have collected the general understanding of the applique work of all the states of India through internet. We have visited the work place of the craft and stayed along with the artisans and came to know about the real life situations of the craft and their lifestyle. This documentation has been created based on the data we collected from the real life experience.

We perceived that this craft has not been known by most of the people all over India. We hope this study will be a turning point of this craft and there will be more efforts from the artisans and the government as well as to recognize and promote the applique.

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RAJASTHAN

“The land of unique traditions and cultures, The land of arts and crafts, The land of burning heat and freezing cold.”

Rajasthan is the largest state in India and located in the North West part of India. Rajasthan is gifted with its natural beauty, a great history, splendid forts & palaces, colorful festivals, lively culture, varied landscape and thick forests. The north-western portion of Rajasthan is generally sandy and dry. Most of the region is covered by the Thar Desert, which extends into adjoining portions of Pakistan. Summer temperatures can exceed 45°C in the summer months and drop below freezing in the winter.

Rajasthan's economy is primarily agriculture. Wheat, barley, sugarcane, carrot, oilseeds and pulses are commonly cultivated over large areas. Cotton and tobacco are cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second largest producer of oilseeds.

Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India. Rajasthan is the largest producer of handicraft items in India. The art and craft of Rajasthan is known around the world.

Image 2 : view of Rajasthan city from the top of Jaisalmer fort

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LOCATION

Rajasthan is connected by many national highways. Most renowned being the NH 8, which is India's first 4–8 lane highway. Rajasthan also has an inter-city surface transport system both in terms of railways and bus network. All chief cities are connected by air, rail and road.

AIR There are three main airports in Rajasthan- Jaipur International Airport, Jodhpur Airport, Udaipur Airport and recently started Bikaner Airport. These airports connect Rajasthan with the major cities of India such as Delhi and Mumbai. There are two other airports in Jaisalmer, Kota but are not open for commercial or civilian flights yet. One more airport is at Kishangarh, Ajmer.

RAIL Rajasthan is connected with the main cities of India by rail. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Alwar, Abu Road and Udaipur are the principal railway stations in Rajasthan.

Kota City is the only Electrified Section served by three Rajdhani Expresses and trains to all major cities of India.

Image 3: Arts and crafts of Rajasthan

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ARTS AND CRAFTS OF RAJASTHAN

Rajasthan is among the richest states in the country in the field of arts and crafts. The royal Maharajas and the courts produced the finest musicians, architects, sculptures, artisans and writers.

These great skilled men had left behind a legacy of art, craft and antique treasures that are the pride of Rajasthan today. Art flourished in this region as far back as 2nd-1st centuries BC and continued over the centuries. History of Rajasthan reveals that the kings and their nobles were patrons of arts and crafts and they encouraged their craftsmen. And art seems to have been popular among with the inhabitants of this parched landscape. The desire to decorate their surroundings was very strong.

They decorated even animals from the regal elephant to the lowly donkey, the great palaces and also the walls of mud huts. It was not only the women who beautified themselves, the heroic warriors also showed equal attention to their clothing and armor. The horses and elephants that took the warriors to battles were also decorated with ornaments and adornments. They painted the walls of their mud huts with geometric designs, flowers and birds.

When the Rajputs came to dominate this region, it was a period of constant dispute. They were always in battle with their neighboring kingdoms. When a kingdom fell and a new ruler took over, they change the paintings of the old ruler with the paintings depicting the victory of new ruler, scenes from the battle and processions of the victorious march. Other than the paintings, the new rulers also influenced the existing crafts of that area. Despite their love for the battlefield, the Rajputs have been patrons of art and they have very strong influence on the lives and arts of Mughals.

The arts and crafts of Rajasthan is known around the world. Tourists visiting India always desire to take back souvenirs of Rajasthani handicrafts. Many bright colored and patterned crafts of the state are used to adorn interiors of the houses. Whereas there are other crafts that produces utility products of daily use, garments, accessories and miscellaneous items.

Rajasthan produces some striking Textiles in lovely colorful fabrics. Bandhani or Bandhej are two such gorgeous forms that portray the rich culture of Rajasthan. These textiles are made using tie and die technique and create very beautiful dress materials like kurtis, suit pieces, sarees, and so on.

Printed, dyed or embroidered fabrics of Rajasthan are known for their unique hues and tones of color. Block printing, batik, tie and dye have become a full-fledged artwork here. Each region has its own distinct motifs, choice of colors, and the way in which these colors are used. Barmer and Jaisalmer are famous for their batik or reverse printing work. Sikar and Jodhpur are famous for intricate tie-and-dye or Bandhani designs including chunari (dotted), lahariya (diagonal striped waves) and mothra (large dots) prints. Bikaner and Sikar are well known for the mirror work, embroidery and applique work that are used to embellish these fabrics to produce elaborate designs of Rajasthani dresses. .

In case of Carpets & Durries, the woolen carpets of Bikaner, Jaipur and Tonk are worth mentioning. Most of these carpets, which come in stunning designs, are made and knotted by hands. In addition, the cotton durries of Jodhpur and Jaipur are also appealing. Different designs of motifs and pastel shades are used to make these durries. Jaipuri quilts are another attraction of Rajasthan. These Jaipuri quilts or Jaipur rajais are light and soft as well as of high quality.

In Jewellery, meenakari is one of the most attractive and popular forms, which are mostly, enameled gold and silver jewellery. Handmade jewellery pieces are also unique and liked by everyone. The ivory bangles that most Rajasthani women wear are considered auspicious. Ivory is also inlaid and shaped into intricate items of great beauty. Miniature paintings were also executed on ivory. Lac bangles are made in bright colors and sometimes inlaid with glass. Other decorative and functional items are also available.

The different regions of Rajasthan have distinctive style of pottery. Jaipur is famous for its blue glazed pottery that doesn't use simple clay but ground quartz stone, fuller's earth and sodium sulphate. Terra-cotta pottery is also quite popular in Rajasthan. Molela, a village near Udaipur is specialized in making clay images of deities for ceremonial occasions. Alwar is known for its paper thin pottery while Bikaner's painted pottery is tinted with lac colors.

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Carved wooden furniture of different styles and design are made in different parts of the state with motif and fine design. Latticework on wood is the most famous of them. Jodhpur and Kishangarh are the places where you can get carved casket, screens, doors, chairs, tables, shelf, etc. Marble Crafts of Rajasthan produces marble carved wall hangings, sculptures, statues, furniture, flower vases, fireplaces and so on.

Statues on religious themes are carved all over Rajasthan and in several cities there are still entire lanes where the stone carvers can be seen giving final touches to statues or even pillars.

Painted wooden heads, hands made simply by stuffing rags or cotton into the sleeve of the dress, with painted expressions, arched eyebrows, moustache for men and nose ring for women and large expressive eyes on their face, puppets are draped with dresses made from sequined old fabrics.

They are extremely popular as inexpensive mementos among the tourists.

The metal crafts of Rajasthan now adorn tabletops, wall plates, flasks and silver animal figures.

Jaipur, Alwar and Jodhpur are famous for their metal wares such as brassware and enameled, engraved and cutwork on silver.

Leather items like Mojaris or Jutis from Rajasthan are extremely popular across the country as well as around the world. These are beautifully embroidered pieces with varied patterns and designs.

Jodhpur and Jaipur manufactures some very pretty mojaris and jutis.

Miniature paintings, portraits, courtly paintings, murals, paintings on cloth and furniture, henna body art and domestic paintings are various forms of vibrantly colored and intricate Rajasthani paintings. Mostly the paintings depict scenes from Ramayana, Krishna Lila and the Gita and use rich colors that were made using minerals, vegetables, precious stones, conch shells and metals like gold and silver. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Nathdwara and Kishangarh are important centers of such paintings.

Other remarkable styles are phads or scrolls with the tales of the folk-hero Pabuji and the pichwais of Nathdwara near Udaipur that depict scenes from the life of Lord Krishna and are often decorated with precious stones.

Image 4 : a man in traditional dress

Image 5 : men in traditional attire during camel festival

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PEOPLE In Rajasthan all religion dwells in peace and Harmony. The Rajasthan people follow different religions but follows same culture. Even Muslims of Rajasthan follow the Rajasthani culture, which can be seen only in Rajasthan. There are other religions too like Jain, Sikhs etc. There are many different castes and communities, with diversified traditions of their own. Major sub ethnic groups are Jats, Gurjars, Rajputs, Rajputs Mali, Raigar, Meenas, Bhils, Kalvi, Garasia, Kanjar etc.

The Rajasthani peoples are nature loving. They also love their culture very much and also have belief on the Almighty God. There are many sacred temples in Rajasthan which date backs to the medieval period. They believe that the neglect of worship will lead to disease, failure of crop and other calamities.

Rajasthan men are tall and handsome and usually with twirled moustaches and often a beard. The official language of the state is Hindi and is widely practiced.

DRESS Rajasthan is a place where tradition is given more importance than anything. It can be seen from the people wearing Turban of vivid attire and the women folk bejeweled with chunky silver ornaments, necklace, waist bands, and bracelets. Both males and females dress in the customary dresses fully influenced by climate. Traditionally men wear white dhoti and kurta. They wear colorful turbans which are worn in different styles, denoting caste and region. While the Rajasthani women wear long, flowing cotton ‘ghagras’ or skirts made from up to 10 m of cloth in dazzling colors. They keep their faces completely veiled for privacy and also to protect themselves from the scorching sun and sand. They also wear traditional Rajasthani saris. Reflecting the colorful Rajasthani culture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror-work and embroidery. Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colors like blue, yellow and orange. All over Rajasthan bhandhni, tie dye saris and turbans reign supreme. Jutis are commonly worn which is available in great varieties.

Rajasthan is also famous for its amazing ornaments. From ancient times, Rajasthani people have been wearing jewellery of various metals and materials. Both men and women wear ornaments but with the passage of time, men are giving up their use. The ornaments of gold and silver are more prevalent in Rajasthan. The ladies wear ornaments for neck, hand, nose, ear, foot and head.

Image 6: Climate of Rajasthan

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CLIMATE

Rajasthan experiences a tropical desert climate. It remains extremely cold in the months of October to February while it bears the scorching heat of the sun from March to September.

Rainfall in Rajasthan is very limited therefore, it suffers from drought. Women walk miles to carry water for their daily household activities during summers.

The coldest month in Rajasthan is January. Places like Churu, Sikar, Pilani and Bikaner enjoy a minimum temperature of -2°C at night, during winter. The secondary Western winds blowing during winter crosses eastern, western and northern making the sandy land colder.

These winds also bring light rainfall. The weather remains chilled during winter.

Summer in Rajasthan begins from March. The climate remains dry and hot during summer seasons and the temperature gradually rises in the month of April, May and June. Some region of Rajasthan experiences a temperature of 40°C to 45°C. It even rises to a maximum temperature of 49°C during summer. The summer nights in Rajasthan remains cold with 20°C to 29°C temperature.

Image 7: Chapatti and vegetable curry

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FOOD

Each region in India has its own traditional dishes and specialties. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately palaces and kept their recipes a closely guarded secret. Some recipes were passed on to their sons and the rest were lost forever. It became a matter of great prestige to serve unusual dishes to guests and the royal cooks were encouraged to experiment. The tales of how cooks tried to impress their guests by presenting at least one unforgettable item on the menu have now become legends. The food was served in gold and silver utensils and the number of dishes at one meal ran into hundreds.

The major crops of Rajasthan are maize, ragi, rice, wheat, barley, gram, pulses, ground nut, sesame, etc. Millets, lentils, and beans are the most basic ingredients in food.

Rajasthan cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred, more out of necessity than choice. Scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. They use more milk, buttermilk and clarified butter. Gram flour is a major ingredient. Various chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and garlic. Besides spicy flavours, each region is distinguished by its popular sweets like Ladoos from Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Jalebies from most big cities, Rasogullas from Bikaner etc.

The majority of Rajasthan are vegetarian. Eating beef is a taboo. More than 70% of Rajasthan is vegetarian, which makes it the most vegetarian state in India.

Image 8 : Indhira Ghandi canal

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WATER MANAGEMENT The desert environment is with temperatures exceeding 45 degrees in the summers and extreme fluctuations in temperatures during day and night. This leads to extreme variations in the precipitation and rainfall levels. As a result frequent droughts occur, 40 times in these last hundred years. This kind of deviously distributed rainfall and insufficient water cause not only loss of livelihood, but also make the people and livestock prone to health hazards. People use canal water directly for drinking. A study on ‘Water and Health- of the IGNP’ found that 70.6% of the people were impaired with diseases due to bacterial and heavy metal content in the water of the canals.

The area is also considered to be a fluoride ridden water zone with high content of gypsum. Also there are no proper storage facilities for the water in the family as well as in the villages. Awareness drives to keep the water and storage areas clean is regularly facilitated.

INDIRA GANDHI CANAL Most groundwater in Rajasthan cannot be utilized, because it lays deep underground and is often saline. Apart from wells and tanks, canals are the main sources of water in the desert. The Indira Gandhi Canal is the longest canal in India and the largest irrigation project in the world. Indira Gandhi Canal is 649 km long and consists of Rajasthan feeder canal and Rajasthan main canal. It runs through 167 km in Punjab and Haryana and remaining 492 km in Rajasthan. The canal is one of the projects of Green revolution in India and also runs through The Great Thar Desert.

Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal in 1985 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The canal traverses seven districts of Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Sriganganagar.

Besides providing water for agriculture, the canal will supply drinking water to hundreds of people.

ELECTRICITY The history of power development in Rajasthan goes back to the year 1949, when 19 princely states merged to form Rajasthan. At that time, electric power was confined to very few towns and electricity was considered a luxury. The total number of towns and villages electrified at that time did not exceed 42 and the installed generating capacity was only 13.27 MW. However, with the formation of Rajasthan State Electricity Board on 1st July 1957, power sector in Rajasthan received priority and power projects began to mushroom all over State. Under new Power Reforms Undertaken by State Government, RSEB was split into five Government Companies in July 2000.

SOLAR ENERGY Rajasthan shines on the solar map of India with 300-330 clear sunny days comparable to deserts of California, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. Within the state the districts such as Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur are the key regions with best solar radiation. Rajasthan is endowed with two critical resources that are essential to solar power production: high level of solar radiation (6-7 kWh/ m2/ day) and large tracts of relatively flat, undeveloped land. The total installed capacity of 866.60 MW has been established in the State as on December, 2014.

WIND ENERGY Rajasthan is India's leading state in tapping wind energy for power generation. The wind energy potential in the state is estimated to be about 5400 MW. A total of 3065.55 MW wind power capacity has been installed as on December 2014.

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GOVERNMENT There are many schemes for developing the rural crafts of Rajasthan. But these schemes are not reaching all the rural remote villages. As the people of the remote villages are less educated and they are having minimal knowledge about the outside world these schemes are being cast aside.

These people are not getting any government supports. Several non government organizations are coming forward for uplifting the rural area crafts. The organizations are helping these artisans by providing orders and raw materials for particular crafts. As the artisans are not able to find a market for their products these NGO’s help them in finding the correct market. They also conduct training programmes for improving the market values. Artisans are getting wages for their work. Through the intervention of these NGO’s the artisans are getting a decent wages which helps them in improving their livelihood.

Some of the government schemes existing are: • The Ambedkar Hastashilpi Vikas Yojana of the Ministry of Textiles for supporting handicraft artisans including those who do applique work.

• The National Centre for Design and Product Development (NCDPD) for supporting artisans in the area of design and product development and technology all over India.

• The schemes of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprise including the Design Clinic Scheme (DCS) in collaboration with the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad for supporting the appliqué artisans.

• Design Clinic Scheme for Artisans.

Image 9 : Pokaran Fort

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BIKANER

Bikaner is a District in Rajasthan. Bikaner is situated in the middle of the Thar Desert with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures. In summer, temperatures exceed 50 °C and during the winter it dips to freezing point. Annual Rainfall is in the range of 260–440 millimeters. Bikaner is famous for its camel research farm (NRCC), Bikaneri Bhujia, wool production, sweets etc. It is also known for its handicrafts, leather articles, its palaces and for having Asia's biggest camel farm. The Ganga Canal was completed in 1928 and the Indira Gandhi Canal completed in 1987 have allowed the farming of crops such as mustard, cotton, groundnut, wheat and vegetables.

Other industries include wool production and the mining of gypsum, plaster of Paris and bentonite. Bikaner is well connected by road and rail to the rest of the country. Bikaner is served by two railway stations namely Bikaner Junction and Lalgarh Railway Station. These two stations connect Bikaner with other cities and towns in Rajasthan and with the major cities in North India. There is a very good network of city roads also where all modes of vehicular transport operate.

Image 10 : Applique work in sarees

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APPLIQUE

Applique is a sewing technique that involves stitching a small piece of fabric onto a larger one to make a pattern or design. It is an ancient technique of creating beautiful and decorative items with different pieces of cloth. Applique is derived from a French term, ‘appliquer’ which means to apply. Applique entirely differs from other techniques of decorative arts like, printing and painting, wherein the former produces three dimensional effect on the fabric and is unique by itself. It is a family craft where all the family members are been involved in preparing bold and brightly colored surface enrichments which is totally different from the traditional crafts such as embroideries, kalamkari of Andra Pradesh, block or screen printing effects.

Its early use was to strengthen worn areas or serve as a patch over holes. Applique developed into a creative art form used by many cultures over many centuries. The base is prepared first in the square, rectangular, circle or even in oval forms sometimes. This works as the background for that art piece.

The Applique motifs of contrasting colors are then cut into various shapes like that of animals, birds, flowers, leaves, celestial bodies and geometric shapes. These variously shaped motifs are stitched on the base cloths in artistic ways. Giving several folds to these motifs make raised surface of the Applique. The intricate stitches such as back stitch, kantha, hem stitch, chikan and other embroidery techniques are the main delicate part of the Applique artwork. Recently, the use of small and bright mirror pieces has become popular in Rajasthan. The finishing work of the Applique is the stitching of the borders.

The Appliqué was traditionally a means of recycling leftover or unused fabric. Nomadic people used this applique technique to make tends. There is no restriction to the type of fabrics used in the creation of applique items. But traditionally cotton cloths were used. Pieced and appliquéd household items were made by women for dowries. These objects include decorative bags, pillows and sitting mats. This technique has long been used with the recycling of the worn out. The craft seems to have been prevailing all over India.

Image 11 : lady doing applique in sari

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APPLIQUE IN INDIA

In India, applique has been a part of religious traditions for centuries. It also holds historic prominence in countries such as China, Pakistan and Egypt. There are many forms of applique found throughout India, but it is most prominent in the state of Odisha. Within Odisha, Puri city and Pipli town are renowned for the origination, tradition and survival of the art and craft of applique. Today, Pipli is known worldwide to be the centre for many artisans and workshops that still practice long established techniques in the creation of traditional and contemporary applique items.

The art is also prominent in Gujarat among the Rabari community. Applique is one of the oldest and finest crafts of Gujarat. They do it extensively on dowry items and domestic items such as quilts.

They got inspiration from the countryside and vivid multi colored motifs are used. The stitching of the patterns is not hidden; in fact, it is done with flashy shades.

The applique in Bihar is known as khatwa. They use fabrics of different textures. The men cut the patterns and women stitch them. The art is predominantly seen on tents and canopies for religious purposes. And they also use khatwa in garments such as saris, blouses and sashes. Household items such as quilts and cushion covers are also adorned with khatwa. For garments they use motifs which are abstract and stylized. Applique from Bihar is characterized by the use of red, yellow, green and orange motifs. These vibrant colors appear on applique textiles throughout India, reflecting the vibrant lifestyle of everyday India.

Image 12 : Women practicing applique and embroidery in their home

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APPLIQUE IN RAJASTHAN

Applique craft is a traditional craft of Rajasthan. Applique is a French term explaining about the technology of applying patches of colorful fabric pieces on the base. Rajasthan applique work is similar to the patchwork of Kathiawar, the Katab. The main difference between the applique craft and patchwork is that in patchwork small fabric pieces are joined to form a relatively larger piece and in some cases the patch work is done to cover up or repair a damaged fabric. Applique work existed in Egypt, where the men involved in embroidery collect old, bright, and bold colored small cotton fabric pieces. These pieces are cut into definite shape and proportionate size. This is sewed to a new base material. Since a similar workmanship exists in Rajasthan it is believed that there exists Egyptian influence in applique wok of Rajasthan.

The selection of base material is in such a way that, it should have enough strength to hold the light weight applique pieces. In olden days before the rise of cloth mills, the coarse variety of hand-spun, hand woven Khaddar was used as ground fabric, on which thick felt and velvet clothes were appliqued. At present the khaddar, has been replaced by mill made strong and refined quality clothes. Medium weight cotton cloth forms the base and patches of various shades, tints, sizes and shapes are arranged in a pattern. Motifs selected for applique are animals, floral, and human figures. Each art piece depicts an important theme. Earlier the women of Marwari community decorated the household articles by applique work. It was one of the important items of dowry for Marwari girls.

Village: Bhandhli State: Rajasthan District: Bikaner Sub district: Kolayat Total geographical area: 1342 Hectares Total households: 65 Total population: 310 Total male population: 165 Total female population: 145 Nearest town: Bikaner (140 KM) Language: Marwari, Hindi

Image 13 : Bhandhli village

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BHANDHLI

Bhandhli is a small Village in Bikaner District of Rajasthan State, India. It is traditionally famous for making applique work. It comes under Bhandhli Panchayath. It is located 53 KM towards west from District headquarters Bikaner. Rajasthani is the language used in Bikaner. The community of this village is mainly soda Rajputs. Even though the village is Far from the royal cities of the state, the village holds their own distinct charm. Though they usually lack any attraction in form of forts, palaces, gardens and wildlife sanctuaries, yet they are worth visiting for the simple reason that they present the life of Rajasthan at its most basic and also to see the beautiful applique work done by the magical hands of the artisans. The houses of the village are circular, have a circular plan and have thatched roofs. Many families maintain dairies, and carry the milk to urban areas for selling.

Peasants who work on their farms leave for work after a glass of piping hot tea, carrying their lunch with them. It is in the evenings that families tend to get together to dinner.

For the wedding, the cooking is done in a large scale. Whole village dresses up properly to greet the wedding procession and other people of the singing caste lead the party to the house where the wedding is celebrated. Such celebrations are organized for some days and this becomes the social event of the season. Women come out of the villages only during the occasions of fairs and festivals.

These women are always dressed in skirts or ghagras with a blanket on their face and lot of jewellery on their face and forehead. In the same way as women decorate themselves and decorate their houses, the men also wear rings in their ears and slip their feet into embellished shoes; they also create special jewellery for their camels, or cut their coats in elaborative designs. The camel is the beast of burden ideally suited for the desert. Its ability to store enough water in its stomach to last it for a few days makes it ideal for long distance travel along routes where even wells may be a rarity.

Life in the village is in a stage of change but the traditions still remain the same which were not just essential in the earlier times but also gave life its unique merge of flavours.

Image 14 : women of Bhandhli village

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COMMUNITY

SODHA RAJPUT Sodha is a Rajputs clan found in the Tharparkar district of Sindh in Pakistan, Kutch and Gujarat.

The population in Pakistan comprises between 25,000 and 30,000 families. From these, around 700-800 people travel to the Indian state of Rajasthan every year in search of a spouse. The Sodha thakurs had fought long battles against the British for years to maintain their sovereignty over the territory which comprises Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer in India and Tharparkar and Umerkot in what later became Pakistan. According to social customaries among them, Sodha Rajputs cannot marry within their own gotra or sub-caste. So they need to choose spouses for their girls and sons from other gotras like Rathores and Bhai Thakurs.

In the year 1971, after the Indo Pak war Sodha Rajputs tribe started migrating to Kutch region.

They originated from the region of Thar Parkar, it is in east Sindh. People of this tribe which are in Pakistan, have their relatives in Rajasthan, Kutch and Gujarat. This tribe likes to live in a simple manner without having any luxurious facilities. They are not even habitual to drink tea and any other beverages; they only have homemade lunch and dinner. They speak languages such as Hindi, Katchi, and Gujarati, because of the knowledge of languages they mix up with the regional local people. They also have the knowledge of Sodha and Marwari language.

The Sodha tribe feels very proud of their artistic embroidery and applique art. They have a unique style of embroidery and applique art. Sodha tribe follows their traditional wedding customs like brides of Sodha Rajputs tribe cover their faces and visit the sacred places on the next day of marriage. Brides are tied to the groom by a cloth so that she can proceed further with the help of the groom. Bride carries her crafts, embroidery items and applique items to the groom's home.

Sodha tribal people believe in the God Pithora Pir, this temple can be seen in each village of Sodha tribe. They celebrate annual festival of this god and also the God Satya Mataji. This tribe also enjoys the Hindu festivals like Holi, Diwali, and Satam Atam. Artists and farming communities of Sodha tribe worship Lord Krishna, Rama and Goddess Sachiya Mataji.

Image 15 : senior artisan of the village doing Applique

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EVOLUTION OF THE CRAFT

Starting with the ancient Egyptians, the use of applique can be traced back probably much older than 3300 years. In an ancient Egyptian pharaohs tomb, who died in 1323 BC, cite some of the oldest examples of ancient Egypt applique work. Applique art is the art form originally practiced by Arab nomads that used the traditional craft to adorn the interior of their tents. This ancient craft was known as “Khayamiya” where Khaya means “tent” in Arabic. Huge tents were designed with the applique cloth patterns. With the passage of time, the importance of tents started to decline and this traditional craft cannot be utilized the way it was used before. Later this technique was practiced by Marvari, it is believed that applique work of the Marwari community is influenced by the Egyptians.

The Marwari or Marwadi are a South Asian ethnic group that originates from the Rajasthan region in India. Their language, also called Marwari, is closely related to Rajasthani, which is part of the Western Zone of Indo-Aryan languages. Marwari traders have historically been migratory in habit.

Since they are migratory in nature they use to make tents using small bits of cloth, this technique is known as patch work and applique technique is used to cover the holes in the tent. Rajputs who saw advantages in having their skills, encouraged them to settle in their kingdoms. Their abilities were valued by Rajputs rulers because, in the period prior to the penetration of the British to northern India, the Rajputs kingdoms were often warring against each other. They used applique technique for their chariots as decorations. Marwari traders often acted as connecting dots and intermediaries amongst them, often providing them with money and goods. This is how the applique technique has reached to the hands of Rajputs.

Image 16 : Jompda in the villages

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JOMPDA The houses in Bhandhli village consist of huts that are circular in plan and have thatched roofs.

Kheemp a local weed is spun and tied around the roof of the house. The roof is made using bamboo and kheemp is placed on top of it. Kheemp is a weed which is commonly seen in Rajasthan. It is very strong. Small huts are known as jompda and big huts are called jompdi. They have a single door but no windows or ventilators. The people sleep and prepare food inside this mud house since this is where storage and cooking go hand in hand. They create exciting patterns at the entrance and outside the kitchen using colors which is known as Rangoli. These colors are prepared from a combination of sun baked clay bricks which are enclosed with plaster of lime. The floors are constructed from a mixture of lime stones, water and pounded lime. There are also temples which are devoted to God Pithora pir.

Image 17 : Inside view of Jompda

Image 19 : kheemph roof of jompda

Image 18: Cot in front of the jompda

Image 20 : Flooring inside jompda

Image 21 : mustard field

Image 22 : mustard flower with mustard seeds

Image 23 : Mandir in village

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MARRIAGE

Sodha tribe follows their traditional wedding customs. Brides of Sodha Rajputs tribe cover their faces and visit the sacred places on the next day of marriage. Married women wear jewelry which suits their look, like gold earrings in a shape of a leaf. Brides are tied to the groom by a cloth so that she can proceed further with the help of the groom. Bride carries her craft and applique items to the groom's home.

RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS This village has got a large number of Hindu populations and a minority of Muslims. Hindus and Muslims do not communicate with each other and if they see each other they will fight.

Sodha tribal people believe in the God Pithora Pir. Mandir can be seen in the village. Most of the mandir are near to their houses. The mandir is very small and it looks similar to a house and it is build using bricks. It is painted in white. It has got a door in the centre. Flags can be seen on the sides of the mandir. Flag is used as an identification of mandir, which is of saffron in color.

Image 24 : Lady cleaning the vessels using sand

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OCCUPATION

The main occupation of the people in Bhandhli is, men’s look after the cattle’s and some are engaged in farming. Women’s do embroidery and appliqué woks at their homes.

FOOD Their meal contains rotti, sabji, Khichadi, bajra rotti, butter milk etc. Each house has 3-4 cows and goats. They mainly drink goat milk. While preparing the food they use lots of ghee on top of the rotti which is very tasty. They are vegetarians. Generally, the male members eat first, the women next. In winter, people dine in the kitchen itself, sitting in front of the heat. Usually Clay pots are being used for cooking. Nowadays the clay pots are being replaced by steel vessels. Dinner is an important meal of the family. They have only breakfast and dinner. All the family members eat from the same plate.

Image Image 25 : ground tank near jompda

21 : Ground tank

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WATER

The village is getting water from the Indira Gandhi canal. Water comes in every 15 days. The water from the canal is collected in a big tank. The small tanks seen in the villages are connected to these big tanks. Water is collected in those small tanks from the big tank. In this Bhandhli village, people do not have to pay for the water. There is a big tank in the middle of the village which was built by the government. Small tanks are built by the family members for their own use. A part of the Indira Gandhi canal is in Bhandhli. The village does not have any hand pumps. Water plays an important part in deciding the location of villages in Rajasthan. People and animals in Rajasthan can manage without water for a considerable period. The women also manage their chores with a minimum of water. For cleaning vessels, they use fine sand, which is available in plenty. Then, they wash the vessels with very little water. A village well is the hub of activity in the morning. They draw water from the well by themselves.. The villager offers a small pot of water or buttermilk or tea to his guests. A baby is also bathed in a thali or dinner plate with a piece of cloth for a sponge and very little water.

SANITATION

There is no drainage system. Drain water is discharging directly into water bodies. The village is not covered under total sanitation. Some houses have built toilets outside their house. Others are still following the traditional method of going to open grounds with a small pot of water. There is no sanitary production centre or hardware outlet, Community waste disposal system, recycling of waste and the system for garbage on road.

Image 26 : school in the village

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SCHOOL

The villagers are illiterates and they don’t send their children to school because of lack of money. children are not interested in going to school and they do appliquÊ works along with their parents so that they can earn money in their home itself. Mainly girls are not sent to school.

They start their schooling at the age of 7. And the girls only learn till tenth standard. some boys also go to school and some go to college as well. In this village there is a Govt. secondary school and the colleges are located in town. No Government primary school is there in bhandhli. One Private primary school is located in Bhaloori village which is less than 5 KM away from bandhli.

Government senior secondary school and Private middle school is 50 KM away, which is in Bajju. Schools in the villages are easily identifiable by the wall paint. Schools have minimum number of classrooms. Mostly classes are conducted on the grounds. Government arts and science Degree College is in Kolayat. Govt Engineering College, Govt Medical College, Govt Management Institute, Govt Polytechnic College, Govt ITI and Private school for disabled are based in Bikaner.

COMMUNICATION No post office in the village. Nearest post office is more than 10 KM away. No telephone landlines and public call offices. There is mobile phone coverage, but mobile range is very less.

Internet cafes or internet connection is not present.

Image 27 : hospital poster in a bus

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HOSPITALS There is no hospital facility in bhandhli village. People are largely dependent on their traditional healing system for their healthcare. The information about herbal medicine is passed on from generation to generation through the word of mouth. They apply ash in wounded areas so that it gets cured easily. If these treatments do not affect their body then there is a private nurse for all the villages, the nurse gives them primary medicines. Primary health centre with a doctor is in bhaloori village. Three Maternity and child welfare centres are there in bhaloori. TB clinic, Allopathy hospital, Dispensary, mobile health clinic, veterinary hospital, all is more than 10 KM away from Bhandhli. There are no government medical facility and MBBS doctors. Two non government medicine shops are there in bhaloori.

MARKET

Market provides mainly the vegetables. For others like dress, stationary, etc they have to go to Bikaner or Bajju. Nearest regular market is more than 10 KM away. A weekly market is there

.

within 5 KM

Image 28: Camel cart

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TRANSPORTATION It is very difficult to reach the Bhandhli village. Buses are very less in villages and they don’t arrive at the proper timings. Sometimes bus doesn’t come and people need to walk kilometers to reach their destination. In Bhandhli village only two buses are there, one in the morning and other in the evening, so people find difficulty in travelling. There are no bus services in between. There is no auto rickshaw, modified autos or taxi services. Tractors and Carts driven by animals especially camel are the main mode of transportation. Camel carts are very common means of transportation. It is easy to commute in the desert areas through a camel cart. Major district roads are often covered with sand. There is no railway tracks.

POWER SUPPLY In most of the houses there is no power supply and in morning they use to sit outside their homes and do their works. During night they use torch lights for preparing food. Only 2 or 3 houses are having electricity. Since they don’t have refrigerator, fan etc. they only have to pay a minimum amount for electricity. They only use electricity for lights. Power supply for the domestic and agricultural use is provided 8 hours in the summer and 7 hours in the winter. For commercial and all the other uses only 2 hours power supply is provided. Some people are using solar energy.

Solar energy powered lights are common.

Image 29 : Children practicing applique

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FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

While preparing an Applique, the family gets involved. Those who are more experienced in the family do the intricate designs and the younger and less experienced ones do the stitching of the borders and make the base clothes. The most eminent Rajasthan applique work is produced by the Marwari community. Due to the complicated workmanship, done by both men and women, it is believed that Rajasthani applique work of the Marwari community is influenced by the Egyptians.

BANKING

Commercial bank, cooperative bank, or agricultural credit societies and ATM facilities are not available in the village. All these are more than 10 KM away from the village.

SHG

Self help groups are not formed in the village.

Image 30 : Babool tree

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TREES

Since rainfall in this region is quite limited, seasonal vegetation in the form of shrubs, grass species and dwarf trees can only be found. The following are some of the trees found in the Bhandhli village.

BABOOL TREE It is an Ayurvedic herb used in the treatment of skin diseases, bleeding disorders and to treat intestinal worms. Babbula is a small tree growing to a height of up to 8-10 m containing small spikes. This tree is found in the dry regions of whole of India.

KEEMPH It is a weed and it looks like a throne like structure. it is a common weed seen in almost all the places of Rajasthan. Since it is available in all the places, people in villages use to make roofs for their houses with this grass .This grass is placed in layers and they make the roof and then the grass is twisted and tied around the roof. It is also used for brushing teeth and also used to prepare bajji.

The other vegetations seen in this village are carrot, mustard, wheat etc.

Image 31 : kheemph

Image 32 : Rohida

Image 33 : Thumpa

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ROHIDA It is a tree species, locally known as Rohida. It is a medium-sized tree that produces quality timber and is the main source of timber in Rajasthan. The trade name of the tree species is Desert teak or Marwari teak. It is mainly used as a source of timber. Its wood is strong, tough and durable. It takes a fine finish. The wood is excellent for firewood and charcoal. Cattle and goats eat leaves of the tree. Camels, goats and sheep consume flowers and pods. The bark obtained from the stem is used as a remedy for syphilis. It is also used in curing urinary disorders, enlargement of spleen, leucoderma and liver diseases.

THUMPA Thumba is a climber and can be seen in dry regions .Since it does not need much water it is seen in most of the places. It is a round shaped fruit which is yellow in color and looks similar to a small size pumpkin. It is given to goat for eating.

Image 34 : Bher tree

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FRUITS

Bher is the common fruit seen in villages. Ber is also known as bor, chine apple, jujube, Indian plum and masau. It is a delicious fruit – tangy, juicy and a little sour and a little sweet. It’s a seasonal fruit .The ripe fruits are mostly consumed raw. Many people especially children enjoy the candied form which is made by immersing and cooking the fruits in salt and sugar solution. In some places ripe fruits are dried and a powder called borkut is prepared, which is also popular among the children. This ancient fruit also has a great cultural significance. It was depicted in the epic of Ramayana and therefore has been known for many centuries. It is an important minor fruit of Rajasthan. It is often called the poor man’s fruit. The bher tree is a spreading tree; it has vinelike branches, leaves which are dark green on the upper surface and densely felted on the lower surface. It flowers in autumn and bears fruits at the end of winter. it sheds the leaves in hot climate.

Image 35 : Peacock

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BIRDS

Rajasthan is home to 500 species of birds out of which 100 migratory bird species arrive here every year during winter. Some of the star migratory birds that arrive in the state are Siberian cranes, demoiselle cranes, greater flamingo, black winged slit, rosy pelican, common greenshank, gadwall, white wagtail, Asian koel etc. the birds migrate from Siberia, Europe, Africa and Afghanistan. The birds found in the village are as follows;

PEACOCK

Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants typically blue and green known for their iridescent tails.

These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color.

Image 36 : House sparrows

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PARROT

Lots of parrots can be seen in villages. They are light green in color. Parrots have got a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed feet. The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material. A few species sometimes eat animals and carrion, almost all parrots nest in tree hollows and lay white eggs.

HOUSE SPARROWS

The house sparrow is a bird commonly seen in villages. A small bird, it has a typical length of 16 cm. Females and young birds are colored pale brown and grey, and males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects and many other foods. The house Sparrow takes frequent dust baths. It throws soil and dust over its body feathers, just as if it were bathing with water. In doing so, a sparrow may make a small depression in the ground, and sometimes defends this spot against other sparrows. These sparrows enter inside the house (jompda) and make nests.

The villagers hang a pot full of water in the trees next to their houses so that during dry climate the birds can drink water from the pot.

Image 37 : Goat

Image 39 : Hariana (cow)

Image 38 : Hariana(cow)

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ANIMALS

Even though Rajasthan has hostile terrain conditions but has abode of a number of mammal and birds. Rajasthan is also the habitat of tigers and many endangered species. Some of the common species of animals found here are village dogs, camels, cows and goats.

GOAT

Jakhrana is an important dairy breed found in the village. The breed is spread over a limited area and the population size is small. The breed is of medium size, with a predominantly black colored coat with white spots on ears and muzzle.

HARIANA

Hariana breed is a cow, native of Haryana and Rajasthan. The cattle are of medium to large size, and are generally of white to gray shades in color. Horns are short and the face is narrow and long. The cows are fairly good milk yielders, and bulls are good at work.

Image 40 : village puppy

Image 41 : village dog

Image 42 : camel

Image 43 : decorated Camel in camel festival

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CAMELS

Camels are known as ship of the desert. The villagers inside desert area keep camels as domestic animals and earn their livelihood through this animal. Every camel have a mark below its ear representing the village of the owner. Camels are used for transporting goods by using a cart or by loading goods on the camel. In villages camel cart is used for shifting goods. Camels particularly those used for tourist safari are decorated with nice cloths and ornaments.

VILLAGE DOGS

Village dogs are found in all the villages .They roam around the houses of the village and eat the waste food thrown out by the villagers. They are considered neither wild nor feral. Village dogs tend to be smaller and occur more often alone. They have got a hairy skin as a protection against the climate.

Image 44 : Cotton fabric

Image 45 : Gum

Image 46 : Hammer and chisel

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RAW MATERIALS AND TOOLS The basic raw material for appliqué is cloth. Cotton cloth, which was used traditionally and continues to be used today. Voile is also used to give it a more classy and delicate look. Other materials like chanderi, organza is also used. Multi colored threads as well as fabric swatches are required as per the design.

The main raw materials and tools are: Cotton fabric, Gum, Hammer, Chisel, Needle, Thread.

PROCESS Two equal sized pieces of fabrics are taken. One of these will form the base, on which the pattern will be appliquéd. The pattern will be cut out of the other piece of fabric.

Tracing: An actual-sized drawing of the design is transferred on to a large piece of tracing paper.

Tracing paper is placed on top of the design and the design is traced out. Holes are pierced on the tracing paper along the design and water erasable ink is used along the dotted line to transfer the design on to the fabric.

Cutting of shapes / design: Once the fabric is dried and the required design is traced on it, 1/2” space is left between design motifs to allow for the seam when cutting out the shapes. The shapes are cut out leaving 1/8”- 1/4" all around the drawn line for turning under. The designs are cut using chisel and hammer.

Pressing: the base clothes are arranged one above the other to form a layer of fabrics. All the fabrics are properly pressed with hands and folds are avoided. Then the gum is applied from the top layer and chisel cut designed fabrics are pasted on each layers separately. This layering helps to avoid the formation of folds in the base fabrics.

Image 47 : Fabric spreading

Image 48 : Water and cotton cloth for wiping

Image 49 : Tracing the design

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Pasting: The Fabric which is cut is placed on to the background fabric and fastened with gum. A powder which is a mixture of wheat flour and gum is used. The powder is mixed with water to form the gum. Only a minimum quantity of the powder is required for preparing the gum. After applying the gum the fabric is left to dry in the sunlight for 2-3 hours. This process increases the fabric weight.

Folding: After the fabric is dried, the shaped edges are turned over on the drawn line using the needle. Corners are made sharp and edges smoothened. The fabric patch should retain the shape of the template used to cut it.

Stitching: Then using a blind stitch or appliquĂŠ stitch, the cut fabric is sown with matching thread on to the background fabric. The stitching starts with the background piece, working up to foreground pieces.

Washing: Then the fabric is soaked in water for 6-8 hours for removing the gum and it is washed thoroughly to remove the excess gum and dried in the sunlight. After washing the fabric becomes thin.

Finishing: finally extra threads are cut, and edges smoothened. The fabric is properly ironed.

As per the design required, different colors of fabric are used. Sometimes the cuttings are in contrast to the base fabric. Sometimes the same color is used for base and pattern, as in white on white, which is very much in current demand.

Traditionally, waste cloth was used for making the applique. The design was being transferred to the cloth by using ash. Ash mixed with water was applied to the tracing paper having holes. The ash penetrates to the fabric. Scissors was used for cutting the design.

Image 50 : Tracing the design using tracing paper and ink

Image 52 : Ink is transferred to the fabric

Image 51 : Cutting the design using chisel

Image 53 : After cutting

Image 54 : The cut fabric is pasted to another fabric

Image 56 : After drying

Image 55 : Fabric laid for drying after pasting

Image 57 : Ready for sewing

Image 58 : Women engaged in applique

Image 59 : Applique in curtains

Image 60 : Applique designs

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MOTIFS AND COLORS Traditionally the motifs are inspired from the nature. The motifs include what they sees in their daily life. Elephant, horse, trees, camels are the common motifs and today contemporary designs are also included in the craft. Applique work is mainly done on stunning red, purple, yellow, black and white colors.

TYPES OF APPLIQUE REVERESE APPLIQUE: A sewing craft in which an outline is cut from a top layer of fabric and the raw edges are turned under and stitched to expose one or more layers of fabric underneath.

APPLIQUE: Applique is a sewing technique that involves stitching a small piece of fabric onto a larger one to make a pattern or design.

OTHER TYPES: Other types of applique includes combining applique and embroidery, applique on printed fabrics, combining applique and patchwork, combination of applique and kantha.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATCHWORK AND APPLIQUE Patchwork and appliquĂŠ are very ancient techniques and sometimes referred to as one. The only difference between them is that patchwork or piecework is the process of tucking small pieces of fabric into a larger whole, while appliquĂŠ is the process of binding smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger background fabric. It is a technique of forming a single pattern with different pieces of cloth.

Pieces of fabric are applied on top of another for decorative or functional purposes

Image 61 : different motifs and designs in reverse applique

Image 63 : applique technique

Image 62 : Tree of life motif

Image 64 : applique work in ajrakh printed fabric

Image 65 : combination of embroidery and applique

Image 66 : combination of patchwork and applique in bed sheet

Image 68 : combination of patchwork and applique in ajrakh printed fabric

Image 67 : zoomed view of combination of patchwork and applique

Image 69 : combination of kantha and applique in bed sheet

Image 70 : Applique work on saree

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PRODUCTS Bhandli village is famous for making the traditional, unique and colorful applique works. Following are the product details made by the artisans.

PRODUCT

DIMENSION (In inches)

NO: OF DAYS TO FINISH

PRICE (per piece)

Cushion cover

16x16, 12x12, 18x18, 24x24

1

Rs.350 - 450

Pillow cover

18x28

1

Rs.400 - 500

Bed cover

90x108, 94x104, 60x90

10

Rs.3, 909 -Rs.4239

Table cover

Circular 45, 60,72,92 Rectangular 60x90, 60x100, 78x104 Square 36x36, 42x42, 60x100, 72x72, 92x92

Min 2

Rs.889

Curtain

42x84

5

Rs.1, 609.69 2,219.69

Dupatta

2.5 m, width 44

5

Rs.1, 069 - 1350

saree

standard size

15

Rs. 3000 - 5000

Kurta material

38

5

Rs. 850 - 1500

Table 1 : list of products

Image 71 : combination of patchwork and applique with Tree of life motif on bed sheet

Image 72 : Cushion cover with tree of life motif

Image 73: cushion cover, combination of embroidery and applique with peacock motif

Image 74: set of 4 cushion covers with reverse applique

Image 75 : curtains

Image 76 : dupatta

Image 78 : dupatta

Image 77: kurtha

Image 79 : dupatta

Image 80 : carpet

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MARKET

AppliquĂŠ bedspreads, tablecloths, cushion covers, and quilts have become quite popular in the urban market. Demand for appliquĂŠ work has increased over the last decade. Most of the applique products are produced in bulk for the international and domestic markets. For the international market exporters use more contemporary designs usually geometric patterns and delicate colors like white on white, cream on white etc. Similar trends are seen in the domestic market. Designs with trees, birds, and animals motifs are also popular in the domestic market. The main market for the applique products is through online markets. A number of online websites are available with applique products.

People from different parts of the world find it easy to buy these kinds of products from online websites.

Most of the demanding products are sari, kurta materials and dupattas. Since it is time consuming and of high price the customers are mainly high class people. Even though it is time consuming and of high price, there is still great demand for this product. To get a product done directly from the place, one has to order it beforehand in order to calculate the time when it has to be delivered, whereas for urgent purchases people opt for going to shop. AppliquĂŠ does face competition in the market just as other hand printed and handmade fabrics do because of the price and the time involved in producing them in bulk. In recent times, applique has been facing competition from machine-made substitutes for it. However, organizations aim to preserve this tradition and are continuously developing new products that will breathe new life into the age old tradition.

PROBLEMS GOVERNMENT SUPPORT Artisan complaint that they are not getting pension or any support from the government. Since they are illiterates they don’t know about the government schemes for such crafts and they have not taken any serious initiatives to form groups to get government recognition.

EDUCATION Due to lack of education artisans don’t have enough knowledge about marketing. The NGOs are giving them low wages and they are taking more profit. The artisans are satisfied with what they are getting. They don’t send their children to school. Children are also engaged in doing this craft along with their parents. They don’t give much importance for education.

CLIMATE Climate is another big problem they are facing. Due to different climatic changes they find difficulty in doing their works. During cold climate they cannot spend much time for working instead they sit in front of the fire place to get warm

.

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CULTURE People in the villages still follow the old tradition. If girls get married at an early age, then their education gets affected. Further an early marriage affects the strength of the mother and that of her child. After marriage they are not allowed to go outside their house for jobs instead they need to look after their children and do the crafts at their home itself.

COMPETITIONS AppliquĂŠ work does face competition in the market just as other hand printed and handmade fabrics do because of the price and the time involved in producing them in bulk. . In recent times, applique has been facing competition from machine-made substitutes for it. However, organizations aim to preserve this tradition and are continuously developing new products.

ERGONOMICS The artisans are not provided a proper space for doing this craft. Since they need to sit for a long time, uncomfortable positions can create various psychological problems later.

LIGHTING Electricity is not there in villages. Since the artisans involved in this craft are mostly old ladies so they find difficulties in doing this craft.

Image 81 : stack of applique bed covers

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NGO

The women in remote areas of the Thar Desert have remained under developed due to their harsh terrain. Apart from the lack of infrastructure, the main problem in the area is the lack of education and the restrictions. As a result, women of this region rarely step out from the confines of their home. In olden days they were exploited by the traders of the region who paid them less wages for their work. Also, the artisans are denied access to good quality raw materials as well as a market for their products.

The western regions of Rajasthan receive an annual rainfall of less than 50 centimeters.

Temperatures vary between 48-50 degrees in summers and fall below freezing points in winters.

These oscillations in the climate, increased the drought cycle. More than eighty percent of the population resides in rural areas. Infrastructures for delivering essential services like primary health, drinking water, education, extension of banking and livestock related services had not developed in accordance with the increase in the human population as well as livestock.

Communication and infrastructure improved the Livelihood opportunities. This Increased associations with the outside world and this influenced the markets as well as the society. The rural economy of the Thar is still largely agrarian, depending on animal husbandry and localised production of handicrafts. However, their operations and market linkages have improved.

Image 82 : display room of GVCS

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GVCS

GVCS Barmer is a non-governmental social welfare association which was founded for the upliftment of women, Dalits and marginalized communities in the region. It was established on 7th July, 1998 and has been working on the rural development activities since then. The core area of focus has been income generation for the women of the region. GVCS has promoted handicrafts as a viable means of creating a home –based employment that provides them with a steady source of income from their home itself. Other programmes managed by GVCS includes SHG formation, flood relief, fodder for drought affected cattle and education programmes for child & women. GVCS is working on a large scale with embroidery and applique artisans in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan.

They are actively engaged with 11000 women artisans and have been able to generate continuous employment for them by creating a market for their products. GVCS has presently set up a community guidance centre which provides facilities for artisans such as cutting, tracing, dyeing and washing of finished products. A design lab has also been set up with modern stitching machines to improve the quality of the finished products. Registered office is in Nehru Nagar, Barmer and has field offices in Baldev Nagar, Ram Nagar, Chauthan, Dhanau, Sanawada and Leelsar.

Image 83 : urmul trust

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URMUL Over the twenty-eight years, Urmul has innovated, designed and demonstrated various vital and successful models in diverse developmental themes, to name a few- Non-formal education centers, Residential education camps to bridge education for adolescents, long term constructive campaigns for gender equality, Child Rights and Livelihoods. Urmul has trained and supported community health workers, as a response to community needs for basic health services. Starting with direct delivery of services in the remotest regions of the desert to organizing medical camps, Urmul has now consciously moved towards an advocacy based approach. Urmul has been facilitating educational programmes in the region. Over the years more than 20000 girls – have been educated to class 8th or 10th just within the duration of six months by the innovative bridge course programme called Balika Shivir. Urmul has been working towards raising education levels in the village as well as improving the quality of education provided and its accessibility. It works with the children and the communities directly through various interventions in education, health and livelihoods to improve the care provided to children. With an understanding that no other intervention can be successful until the community achieves financial security, Urmul has endeavored towards improving livelihood opportunities in the region.

Many families in the region, depend on various non-farm activities for livelihood – embroidery, weaving etc. It has innovated various programmes in trainings, organizing and creating finance and market linkages for the communities. Urmul began with first organizing the marginalized and exploited community of weavers in the region. It facilitated in training them in latest dyeing and loom techniques to better their products. It motivated them into organizing themselves into a registered society, working together to better their traditional art and also guiding their own development progress. Similarly, through its income generation programme, it has organized the women artisans in the region, trained and honored their traditional art of embroidery and applique, created better designs and market linkages for them. In the recent years, it has facilitated the formation of a marketing company and a producer’s company for these women. Through these, the women and the weavers extend their art to the market and substantiate their household incomes.

Image 84 : artisans in Bhandhli village

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ARTISANS

Artisans involved in doing this craft belong to Sodha Rajputs community. Women are mainly engaged in doing applique work. Earlier men also did it, but due to less wages men are not coming forward to do this craft. Traditionally they were doing it for their home products and with great interest. But later on they started doing it for wages. The artisans are doing this craft in their houses itself. The women get up in the early morning and do all the works in their houses and during their free time they do applique works. In villages, while preparing an Applique, the family gets involved. Those who are more experienced in the family do the intricate designs and the younger and less experience ones do the stitching of the borders and make the base clothes.

GVCS and Urmul are two organizations which help in the upliftment of the craft. They conducted training programs in their villages and have given money for those who attended the trainings. Trainings helps them to improve their knowledge in crafts, about the designs, embroideries, spacing between each designs etc. Small children are also seem attending the training because of stipend. After these training programs some women have gone out of their homes and started working in the organization. The organization provides them taxi. The working time of the organization is from 9am to 5pm. Trainings are also given to other communities so that they also get the knowledge about the craft and can earn money.

Image 85 : women from Megwal community doing Applique

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OTHER COMMUNITIES In Rajasthan mainly women from Rajputs community involve in applique work. But now other than Rajputs community, people from other communities like Meghwal, Prajapat and Suthar also involve in applique work.

MEGHWAL COMMUNITY The Meghwal community people live primarily in northwest India, with a small population in Pakistan. They were considered to be an untouchable community and are now classified as a Scheduled Caste. Their traditional occupation was weaving and embroidery. They mainly do embroidery for their marriage. Nowadays they are given trainings for applique from NGO’s. So some women from this community is now practicing applique for their daily income.

PRAJAPAT COMMUNITY Kumhar or Prajapati is a community belonging to the Hindu religion. The word “Kumhar” literally means “potter” in Indian languages, pottery being the traditional occupation of the Kumhars. The Kumhar caste is mainly found in Pakistan and Punjab. Today women of this community is practicing applique because they don’t have demands for pottery in the markets. So they migrated from Pakistan to Rajasthan and started doing this applique work. Their children are not going to school and are engaged in doing the craft.

SUTHAR COMMUNITY The Suthar is a Hindu caste within the Vishwakarma community of India. Their traditional occupation is carpentry. Men still continue their traditional work and their women are doing applique work in their free times.

Image 86 : women from Prajapat community doing Applique

Image 87 : women from Sudhar community doing Applique

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SUGGESTIONS The current situation of the crafts requires certain measures to be taken up to provide a solution for the existing problems. A designer from a reputed institute with experience who can give inputs on a number of things like Familiarizing them with latest trends. They can show examples of good fabric, variety of fabric and different kinds of color combinations. Some basic inputs on geometry that will help them move away from regular flower and animal motifs. Now a days the artisans are combining embroideries and mirror works in applique technique in order to get a new look. But it creates problem since these embellishments makes the customers uncomfortable while using it.

There is a chance of removal of stitches while washing. So much stronger stitches could be used to overcome this.

FUTURE The present product includes cushion covers , bed sheets ,table cover, dupattas, saris ,pillow cover.

With the help of NGOS this craft is on a developing stage. Through trainings artisans get to know about the current trends, new designs and color combinations. There is hope for new innovative products. In future we will be able to see lots of creative products in the market because the artisans are very much interested in doing this technique. Young generations are also coming forward to do this craft . Through proper marketing this craft has got a bright future. The demand for handmade products are increasing and it will be high in the future. People are ready to spend money for this kinds of works.

CHALLENGES Young generations are coming forward to do this craft and are not going to school. The handmade applique work is very expensive and time consuming. Since the handmade applique is not so durable because the stitch is not so strong. While washing there is a chance of damaging the work.

Today machine stitch is given to the product and is less time consuming and gives a good finish and it is cheaper than handmade applique products.

CONCLUSION This was a one month craft documentation program .This journey was very interesting and we had a very different experience. This study is about leaning the traditional lifestyle of the people their craft culture etc. This helped us to learn about the reality and present scenario of the people and the craft. Traditionally these villagers used to do the applique work but in between they stopped doing this due to lack of wages. Later Urmul and GVCS, two organizations gave the craft a new life. The artisans are very much interested in this craft and the NGOs help them by giving trainings, providing them with wages and helping them with marketing the products.

Young generation is coming forward to do this craft but the sad thing is that children do not go to school. They help their parents in doing this craft because they are more interested in earning money than education due to lack of awareness. The artisans are not getting any government support and the people are not aware of the government schemes. With the help of the NGOs this craft has got a future. The villagers are still following their traditional lifestyle because they don’t have contact with the outsiders and they are satisfied with their life, not knowing what is happening outside the world.

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RECENT ADVANCEMENT PEOPLE Earlier artisans worked in their homes and they do not come out of their homes. But today they started working in organizations. Some men migrated to other places in search of jobs.

RAW MATERIALS Traditionally they used old cloths but later on they started using fabrics purchased from the shop.

Instead of ash they started using water erasable ink for transferring the design to the fabric.

TOOLS In earlier days the technique was done using hand but now due to the advancement in technology the finishing is done using machines. For cutting, scissors is replaced by chisel to get a correct cut.

PRODUCTS Earlier applique technique was used to make tents but later many other products were introduced.

Many other techniques have been included in this craft like embroidery , ajrakh prints, mirror works and they started using applique in leather shoes also.

MARKETS The hand made products are replaced by machine made products in the market. Machine made products are cheaper and less time consuming. There are websites created by the NGOs and these NGOs have shops inside their organizations. The online presence makes it easier for the customers to shop the products.

REFERENCES •http://www.graminsansthan.org •http://www.urmul.org •http://itscropped.blogspot.in/2013/10/different-applique-works-of-india.html •https://strandofsilk.com/journey-map/rajasthan/applique/introduction •http://www.rajasthantextiles.com/embrroidery-all/applique.html •http://www.indianetzone.com/22/applique_rajasthan.html •https://www.itokri.com/collections/2016-142-1-applique-work-door-curtain-from-barmer •http://store.tilonia.com/applique.html •http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wikipedia.org/wiki/Applique

BOOKS REFERRED •Handmade in India: M P Ranjan and Aditi Ranjan •Traditional embroideries of India : Shailaja D Niak •Bikaner :Kishore Singh

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