CENSUS OF INDIA 1981 Field of InvestigatIOn & First Draft S S Dandekar, Investigator & U P Gangurde, Statistical Asstt PART X D SERIES 12 MAHARASHTRA GUIdance Edltmg & Fmallsatlon K V Ramaswaml, Deputy DIrector HANDICRAFT SURVEY REPORT ON BANJARA EMBROIDERY Directorate of Census Operations Maharashtra A map Included In this publication on frontispiece IS based upon Survey of India map with the permission of the Surveyor General of India 2 (C) Government of India CopYright, 1988 PRINTED BY THE. GENERAL MANAGER GOV[ ,'1MENT OF INDIA PRESS NASHIK r- z ~, I 9 z ;;, I ....«- 0 . I ,_a:>- « ii I ~ z~ I i I ~ w:::> '" I uo.. '"c r- zo ;; 00.. :il ~ u " g w« . lil u g CIa: g ~ «« ~ C d -, CD ] .. " .... '" . ;: '; zz " " .., [ o 0- C .c g_ ~~ '" a: ... ..,'" ~ .. a WLL u E gg I f) 0..0 00 ~ I ;; 2 I l ~ & ~ ;;, ~! 6 ~ .c ~ '0'0 > .f § C J > o c I ~ ~ " 0 ~ 0=v • <Y ~ & ti .3 !:: .{ S / 0 E " ;" _'_ ~ -' (. " 0 Sl \-1 <1. ,- r"_J (I) "-, <1. 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'\ o s R FOREWORD THE INDIAN HAND!CRAFTS are known the world over for their rich variety, grace, elegance and skilled craftsmanship Nevertheless, a number of handicrafts, because of their stiff competition with factory made products, non-availability of raw matenals, exhorbitant increase In the manufacturing cost, lack of proper marketing facilities for finished products or due to a variety of other reasons, have either become extinct or have reached the moribund stage After Independence, however, a number of schemes were introduced by different government agencies for their growth and development but still this sudden Impetus have helped only a few crafts to flourish and thereby become spinners of foreign exchange for the country, Despite the unique position being enjoyed by the handicrafts especially In the realm of national economy, the general awareness among the people In the country about our crafts and craftsmen had been deplorably poor Nothing was practically known about the commodities produced, techniques employed for the manufacture of different objects, raw matenals used, their availability, methods adopted for the sale of finished products etc An attempt was,therefore ,made In connection With the 1961 Census to study about 150 crafts from different parts of the country With a view to prOVide basIc Information on those crafts which were selected for the study At the 1971 Census, the study on handicrafts was not taken up but thiS was again revived In connection With the 1981 Census There has been, however, some difference between the studies taken up In connection With the Censuses of 1961 and 1981 While the 1961 studies have covered both rural and urban crafts, the 1981 studies have focussed their attention only on traditional rural based crafts That apart, the 1981 studies, beSides touching upon those aspects which were covered under the 1961 series, have laid emphaSIS on matters that are Vital tor the revival of rural crafts and thereby for the rejuvenation of the economy of the region particularly the villages This IS In consonance with the policy of the government to give due Importance to the rural sector With focus on employment Intensive strategy of development In which next to agnculture, the small scale Industries and handicrafts play a significant role (III) (IV) The formats reqUired for undertaking the study were formulated by Dr. K P Ittaman under the able guidance of Dr. N.G. Nag, the then Deputy Registrar General, Social Studies Division Dr Ittaman who succeeded Dr. Nag as Deputy Registrar General, Social Studies Division co-ordinated the study undertaken In different States/Union Terrltones by the Directorates of Census Operations. The reports received from the Directorates were examined by Shn M.K. Jain, Senior Research Officer with the herp of Smt Suman Prashar, ASSistant Director of Census Operations. I am grateful to all of them for organising this study. The present report is the outcome of a study undertaken on Banjara EmbroIdery by the DIrectorate of Census Operations, Maharashtra. I have Immense pleasure In acknowledging the services rendered by S/Shri AS Dange and K. V. Ramaswami, Deputy Directors and their colteagues in the Census Directorate tor bringing out this publication. New Deihl V. S. VERMA The 1st June, REGISTRAR GENERAL, INDIA 1988 PREFACE IN THE HISTORY of Indian Census the handicraft surveys were taken for the first time dunng the 1961 Census as mentioned by the then Registrar General, India, Dr Asok Mitra, "The Idea was to make a beginning wiil empincal, analytical studies based on a structured questionnaire which would replace general descnptlve accounts that had obtained so far The primary aim was to obtain a picture as much of the artisan himself as of his craft, to abtain a perspective of the artisan and his craft in his social and economic setting, the extent to which tradition bound him and the winds of change ruffled him, the extent of his mobility and Immobility, the conditions of market, credit, new contacts and designs In which he operated, the frame of new as well as traditional producer - customer relationships, in which he still worked, and ~ow far he was ready to pierce his own caste-tribe socio-economlc cocoon and make a break through the new opportunities promised by the Five - Year Plans The aim was to hold up the mirror to hereditary skills struggling with the dialectics of tradition and change", Dunng the 1961 Census, the Census Directorate, Maharashtra brought out the following seven reports out of eight on handicrafts In Maharashtra State' - 1 Hlmroo Weaving at Aurangabad, dlstnct Aurangabad 2 Clay Images of Ganapatl and Images of Plaster of Pans at Pen, district Kolaba 3 Wooden Toys at Savantvadl, district Ratnagin 4 Coir Ropes at Achare, district Ratnaglrl 5 Glass Bangles at Tarapur, district Thana 6 Silver Ornaments at Huparl, district Kolhapur 7 Kosa Silk at Ganeshpur, district Bhandara At the 1971 Census, the study on handicrafts was not taken up but this was reVived again as a part of the 1981 Census (v) (VI) The Registrar General, India, In his masterly 'Foreword' outlined the main objects of the traditional rural based handicraft studies as a part of the 1981 Census programme related to social studies The Directorate of Maharashtra had selected two craft studies VIZ i) BanJara Embroidery and II) Die-making In consultation with the office of the Registrar General, India, New Deihl The present report IS based on BanJara Embroidery and has been brought out first The field work and data collection of the survey were done during June '86 to December '86 The compilation, tabulation of survey data and writing of report were extended over a penod of one year. S/Shn S S Dandekar, Investigator and U P Gangurde, Statistical Assistant completed the field work The prellmlrary draft was prepared by S/Shn Dandekar and Gangurde under the gUidance of Shri K V. Ramaswaml, Dy. Director of Census Operations The views expressed In this report and the conclusions drawn' are those of the Author and do not In any way reflect the views of tre Government. We are grateful to Shn V S Verma, Registrar General, India, Dr K P Ittaman, Dy Registrar General (SS) and Shn M.K Jain, Senior Research Officer for their gUidance and advice dunng all the stages of the preparation of this report The maps, sketches and line drawings were prepared In map section under the gUidance of Shn K.S Thakur, Research Officer The cover page was prepared by Shrl A -L Randlve, Artist The photographs found In this volume were taken by SIShn V S Nagle and S G Gavall of this directorate Our special thanks are due to Shn S S. Jadhav, Secretary, Banjara Vlkas Mandai, Challsgaon and Shn RanJlt Nalk, Social worker, Bombay for extending full cooperation at all stages for bringing out this report Smt A Sam, Jr Steno typed the entire manuscript and the tables meticulously My thanks are also due to all unnamed assistants In various grades who attended to the work of scrutiny, compilation, tabulation, checking etc. Bombay A.S. Dange Raksha Bandhan, 27th August 1988, Deputy Director (Narah Pournlma) CONTENTS PAGE FOREWORD PREFACE CHAPTER I 1·10 History of Origin and development of the craft CHAPTER II 11·23 Craftsmen in their rural setting CHAPTER //I 25·30 Process of learning CHAPTER IV 31·67 Manufacturing process CHAPTERV 69·75 Marketing CHAPTER VI 77·78 Craft and employment CHAPTER VII 79-81 Conclusion BIBLIOGRAPHY 83 (vir) LIST OF MAP AND PLATES Description Between pages Map of Jalgaon district showing the villages having concentration of Banjara population Frontispiece Plates Plate No 1 Field investigation in progress 4 2 Banjara tanda begins in Ichchhapur Village 4 3 Smt Gopibai Sangram Jadhav, National Award Winner In Banlara embroidery 6 4 A Banlara family In front of their house 6 5 Two Banjara girls In their usual dress 6 6 A Banjara couple WIth their traditional dress and ornaments 8 7. A Banjara belle In the traditional dress and ornaments 8 8 Training class in progress 27 9 Two trainees at work 27 10 Equipments - Sickle and needle 37 11 Raw materials 37 12. Cutting chhatya cloth using Sickle 42 13 Banjara woman dOing embroidery work on a piece of cloth for kachaIJ 42 14 The chhatl, peti and bahl for kachall are being JOined 43 15 A pair of finished kachalls 45 16 Doing embroidery work on lepo piece 46 17 Doing embroidery work on lawan piece 46 (IX) (x) 18 Joining the lawan piece with sabab, the printed mangjl cloth 48 19 The finished phetwa with lepo and lawan pieces