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
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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 48 20 Finished Items - Daram and khalchi 54 21 FInished Item - Darani 54 22 Gadanos In different sizes and designs 56 23 Pat 56 24 Finished items - Kothali and chunchls 57 25 Kotha/o 57 26 Shingadi (on the two extremes) and tikiya (in the middle) 62 27 Talwarkhol and patta 62 28 Masala kothali 63 29 Gala 63 30 Fan 63 31 Vakhara 63 32 Dhalkholi 64 33 Ghoongato 64 34 Bed spread 64 35 Bhala (spear) with bhalakhol 64 36 Ornaments - Kamarpatta (waist belt), bajuband and gajara 65 37 Kothali and chunchi with modifications es 38 Pieces of cloth embroidered with designs 66 39 Embroidered pieces 66 CHAPTER I HISTORY OF ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRAFT Introduction particular community VIZ Banjaras The ongln and development of thiS craft is inseparably blended A CAREFUL STUDY of the different patterns of the with the history of the BanJara people So let us first dresses the people have evolved in different parts of see who are these Banjaras? How did they come the world would make It clear that these are to be called by this name and what is the historical designed to suit thQ climatic conditions or customs background of the association of thiS craft With the prevailing in different nations or continents One above community? can generally see the difference In patterns of dresses from continent to continent and from nation History of the people to nation In a big na~ion like India, we see that patterns of dresses vary from state to state But the The Banjara people have a great history behind dresses of the people belonging to Banjara them Their onglnal homeland was Rajasthan One community are a unlq~e case It IS identical version about them IS that they were In the ancient throughout the country among the Banjaras days carrying on the Important task of transporting irrespectIVe of the place of their domicile Because military supplies for the Mogul army and of thiS unique feature a Banjara can be easily merchandise to different parts of the country They recognised In any part of the country To maintain fulfilled the Important work of communications also this unique feature the Banjaras have adopted a In those days 1. ''Those who did successful common national pattern of designs With luxuriant transportation of goods on animals and Withstood embroidery work They never give the dress the hazards of long distances were called 'Banjaras' making to the tadors Women at home make their by the society they served, the government they own garments dunng their leisure time exhibiting helped, and the army they fed, the Banjaras also on dexterous craftsmanship USing their needle and their part accepted thiS terms honourably" 2 applYing their natIVe embroidery skill they make their own dresses lending an artistic blend to them The word 'Banjaras' IS conSidered to be derived They use small sea shells (kawadya) , lead from the Original Sanskrit word 'Va nljya' the ornaments and worn-out coins to decorate their meaning of which IS trade The Sansknt word dresses The love of the Banjaras for their 'VanlJya' IS pronounced In Gujaratl as 'Vanajara', in traditional dress IS rarely to be found elsewhere Rajasthanl as 'Banajara', In Urdu as 'Banjare', In among any other community So it is worthwhile to Hindi as 'Banzara' and In Marathi as 'Banjan' The make a detailed study of the Banjara embroidery, a term 'Banjara' does not Indicate any particular caste craft which was Innovated and kept up by the or race It denotes a profeSSion of transporting Banjaras as their legacy food grains FollOWing the practice of naming the people by their profeSSion such as 'Sonar' The practiSing of the Banjara embroidery IS (Goldsmith) and 'Lohar' (Blacksmith), the confined only to the people belonging to a community which took up the profeSSion of 1 Report of All India Banjara Sevak Slblr held on 24th to 26th August, 1966 2 Ranjlt Nalk, Report of AI/India BanJara Study Team, AI BSS, 1968 - pp 8-9 1 4-23 ItO. India/NO/89 2 transporting foodgralns and other supplies from caravan of Vanjarl families camping from place to place to place was called 'Banjaras' Though they place In their coarse tents With bullocks and the were not trading community and their profeSSion dirty clothes they used to wearA The 'Van]ans' was simply to transport merchandise they were deSCribed above and the Banjaras can be one and called as 'Banjaras' by the people as the trading the same community as It is learnt that the Banjaras community alone was generally known to them 1 are referred to by different synonyms in different states. According to information available they are known by synonyms like Vanajara, Banjare, Banjarl, Edgar Thurston In his book 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India' has given a vIvid descnptlon of the Brlnjari, Laman, Lamanl, Lambada, Lambadl, Ladenla, Sugali, Gwar, Gwarla etc5 They have the Banjaras In the follOWing words of Moor nBanjaras 6 associate chiefly together seldom or never mixing follOWing 17 sub-groups als0 with other tribes They seem to have no home, nor 1 Gor character, but that of merchants, In which capacity 2 Mathura or Mathure they travel great distances to whatever parts are 3 Dhadl most In want of merchandise, which IS the greatest 4 Sanar n2 part corn Based on the reference made In the 5 Navi Sanskrit book called 'Dasakumar Chantam' written 6 Dhalla In 11th and 12th centuries AD Shn H M IIlIat has 7 Shingadya desCribed the 'BanJaras' as nothing but the same 8 Maru ancient tribes whtch were In eXistence dUring 4th 9 Bamanla century B C The tribes were reported to be reSiding 10 Sagora In small tents and hiring out their bullocks for 11 Dlgora or Glgora transport of foodgralns 3 12 Charan 13 Badl 14 Osana In the Maharashtra State Gazetteers on Jalgaon 15 Jogi or Bharava district there IS a reference to an unsettled tribe 16 Rohldas named Vanjaris as follows "Vanjaris who once 17 Dhan-kute wandered about with their flocks of oxen have now settled down as agricultural workers and have built In the 'Language Hand Book on Mother Tongues houses in villages Their bUSiness was to bring In Census' published dUring 1971 Census the bullocks from Malva, to load them With wheat and language Banjarl IS explained as "Name of a speech go from place to place to sell It They went down given after the name of a well known nomadiC tribe the ghat even in the Konkan districts but the growth of India the members of which are found spread of transport facilities by rail and road has nearly sporadically all over the country They are also killed their trade and that IS why they have become known by different names, like Lambadl, Lamanl agricultUrists Now one rarely sees a tanda, Ie, and Labhan, Sugali etc Against Lamanl and 1. Ranjlt Nalk, Report of All India Banjara Study Team, AIBSS, 1968·p 8 2 Edgar Thurston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume IV, Cosmo Publications, Deihl, 1909 - pp 210-211 3 Ranjit Nalk, Report of AI/India Banjara Study Team, AIBSS, 1968 4 Government of Maharashlra, Maharashtra State Gazetteers, Jalgaon Dlstnct (ReVised Edition), 1962 - P 154 5 Ran]lt Nalk, Report of AI/India Banjara Study Team, AIBSS, 1968 6 Ibid 3 Lam bad I also very large number of mother tongue sedentary occupations they are even now returns were recorded from the States of Andhra associated chiefly together liVing In their own Pradesh, Mysore and Maharashtra while the returns encampments called tandas, usually situated away against Banjarl were also from the States like from Cities and towns In case of Villages they Mysore, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh generally stay together In small huts, away from the According to LSI (LingUistic Survey of India) main gaothan I e heart of the Village Particularly In information Banjarl IS a dialect of Rajasthanl spoken the state of Maharashtra the Banjaras are spread all over India under various names Of fate, prominently in Khandesh area, Vldarbha area and however, the wandering Banjaras have SWitched Marathwada area and to some extent In Solapur over to more or less a settled life and have beell In district They are not found In coastal Maharashtra course of time heaVily Influenced by the contact except the recent labour migration In Bombay city languages of the areas where they have been and suburbs Though the Banjaras have now reSiding In 1961 Cen~us the returns being very become a sedentary community they have no large against the names Lamanl/Lambadi the regular and profeSSional craft centres figures were indicated separately although for classification purposes Banjan and The arts and crafts of Banjaras Lamanl/Lambadl could be treated as one and the same language BIlingual returns have shown that On the arts, crafts and traditional costumes of the main subSidiary languages of these Banjaras, Rajasthan, which IS their Original home commUnities were Kannada, Marathl and Hindi land, has Influence Further, because of their according to the language areas where the tribes nomadism for centuries and also being travelling have been settled,:1 According to 1961 Census tradesmen their arts and crafts and mode of liVing figures there were 591,654 speakers of Banjan reflect mostly temporary In nature and not of language With largest concentration In Mysore With permanent and monumental In nature and their arts 288,012 and second largest In Maharashtra With and handicrafts are only stressed on their dresses 242,046 and ornaments and the eqUipments reqUired by them for transporting foodgralns and other things of Banjara settlements dally use Beyond this they have no arts and crafts of such nature which the sedentary commUnities of The Banjaras, being nomads for centuries pnor India have As stated earlier their entire arts and to the British advent In Indian sub-continent, crafts are reflected on their dresses and ornaments carrying foodgralns from one corner of India to There IS no mass production and commercial another, the Banjaras have spread throughout the explOitation of these Items Their arts and crafts In country In states and union territories After the the form of intricate embrOidery works are being dawn of British Raj the demand for their profeSSion done and maintained mainly for their own use and of transporting commodities gradually dwmdled to keep up their Identity by wearing these unique due to the introduction of railways and automobiles types of dresses The Banjara women Intensely and the BanJaras had settled In various parts of the love to wear their traditIOnal garments and thiS country engaging In occupations like cultivating Intense love rrchly kept thiS art Intact till very small pieces of lands Today they are small recently though a declining trend In the agrrculturrsts and agrrcultural labourers They are preservation of thiS art IS being noticed now The also working as labourers In road and bUilding nature of their settlement In separate and constructIon and are also engaged In animal Independent encampments known as tandas also husbandry and poultry farming Even though the helped them to keep their art and to maintain their Ban}aras are no more nomadiC and have taken up Identity 1 Registrar General, India, Language Hand Book on Mother Tongues In Census, Census of India, 1971 - P 21 4 . / Plate 1: Reid Investigation in progress \ I , Plate 2: Banjara tanda begins in Ichchhapur village "In case of villages, they (Banjaras) generally stay together in small hUts, away from the main gaothan" Page: 3 5 Present stage of the craft Villages selected for detailed study for tradIng foodgralns as their means of lIVelihood and when Though this craft has Its own onglfl and the chances for their trade dWindled due to the distinction with rich embroidery work done by hand introduction of railways and automobiles they no attempt has been made so far In an organised permanently settled In these places and engaged manner to preserve the craft and for Its commercial themselves In other OCCUpatIonS like agnculture, explortatlon by establishing arts and crafts centres animal husbandry, poultry farming, casual labour as has been done for other sedentary communities etc It may be Interesting In thiS context to quote In India This craft of superb embroidery work IS below an extract from the statement given by a very gradually vanishing due to lack of patronage The old Banjara woman Smt GOPlbal Sangram Jadhav facts that It IS very expensive to do such embrOidery of Chalisgaon taluk to the Development work because of the cost of raw matenals, that It CommisSioner of HandIcrafts dUring the celebration of Cottage Handicrafts Week from 8th to 15th reqUires a lot of time to do manually the elaborate I embroidery work which IS not always pOSSible to Decer:nber 1982 for ISSUing a hand-Qut for publiCity spare In a fast moving society, that the effect of the purpose "I ,have learnt recently that we Banjaras taboo amongst them that their gods and goddesses are GYPsies: and have come to Incila across our would get angry If they change their traditional borders from another country, or could rt be that dress has begun to wean away, that their contact some of our own people wandered across our With people of other commUnities has started ' borders to become Gyps~ there? Whatever It be attracting them to more simple type of dresses like I grew up bellevln~ that we came from our others and that the educated among them have nelghbounng state of Rajasthan and that some started reforming and discouraging them from more of my communrty went even further south wearing the traditional dresses as they, are too carrying loads for the Moghul armies of the past heaVf', unhygieniC and unWieldy In modern times centuries and when the army disbanded they contribute to the gradual vanishing of thiS legendary settled In the Ban}8ra Hills In Hyderabad thus giving craft Though the elder generation IS stili us our name, the Banjara Tnbe It IS a fact that we maintaining their tradition the younger generatIOn were the people who transported goods back and has already started wearing light garments as In the forth In thiS region at a time when there were no case of other population due to SOCial Interaction trains or trucks We used ammal drawn vehICles to ThiS trend spells danger and extinctIOn of thiS craft take the loads across the country from state to along With the elder generation IS certain unless an state Then of course came the raIlways and the organIsed attempt to preserve and develop thIS trucks and fInally the aeroplane Suddenly we had craft as a bread earning vocatIon by creating arts no work at all More Important, our wandenng and crafts centres for mass production and ceased and our way of life changed, and we settled marketlng_ facilities at the government level with the down In what we call tanda There are many such cooperation of Banjaras IS made Villages In Maharashtra We Banjara women love to embrOider our cloths USIng a coarse cotton and some coloured thread, we do a cross stitch mostly Banjaras in the selected villages and a few other stitches and then embellish with shells, bits of mirror or beads and all kinds of metal For the study of thIS rural based handicraft three pieces espeCially COinS of small denomination, Villages In Jalgaon dlstnct VIZ Ichchhapur and which we also make Into ornaments" ThiS woman Ghodegaon In Challsgaon tahSil and Vasantnagar In IS stili alive and a copy of the above hand - out was Parola tahsil were selected The local enqUiries In obtained from her dunng field VISit Among the these Villages also confirmed that the Banjara' lIVIng Banjaras In the selected Villages she IS community originates from Rajasthan State and conSidered to be the doyen of the craft and has they migrated to various places IncludIng the received a certthcate of mant In 1982 In 5-.23 lLG. IDdiaINDJI' 6 '. Plate 3: Smt. Gopibai Sangram Jadhav National Award Plate 5: Two Banjara girls in their usual dress winner for her expertise in Banjara embroidery youngsters, however, consider their traditional work Page: 5 costumes unfashionable and have switched over to modern dresses like saris, skirts and blouses" Page:7 Plate 4: A Banjara family in tront of their house "The elder generation consider their tradition very deal, wear their traditional costumes and engage in the production of their requirement of garments" - The Banjara women engaged in the craft can be seen in the background Page : 7 7 appreciation of her craftsmanship and contribution among the selected 60 households, who are to the development of tribal embroidery (BanJara) practising the BanJara embrOidery work from the All India Handicrafts Board under the About tHe craft MInistry of Commerce, Government of India The BanJara embrOidery work IS not complex In Even In the new settlements the BanJaras are nature It Involves only Simple techniques But living In groups Isolated from other communities In being a manual and hand operated Job uSing the tanda with Tanda Nayak as their chief and needle and thread It Will test the patience of any one FInishing even a Simple piece of work Will be headman It has been the tradition of the BanJara labonous and time consuming However, If one has women to make themselves the articles required by them for their dally use blending these Items with the required enthusia~m and patience, even a child their masterly artistic embroidery work These of 8-10 years can learn and master this craft The Items, apart from their gprments like phetiya and survey reveals that the craft IS now practised only In kachafl, Include lofana (shoulder bag), kothafo (big the rural areas In urban areas, perhaps due to the shopping bag), Kothafl (small bag for keeping Interaction of the Banjaras with others, the BanJaras money), darani (piece of cloth used while making are not dOing this work as It IS, not a means of chapatl-bhakn), gadano (dish-cover), khalchl (bag lIVelihood and the SOCial COndltlqhs In urban areas dissuade the BanJaras there from weanng their to keep bhakn), etc Even today the BanJara home-made traditional costumes and use their women espeCially the elder generation conSider traditional articles of daily use The" fact that the their tradition very dear, wear their traditional cost of production of their articles IS very high when costumes and engage In the production of their compared to the substitutes readily ayallable In reqUIrements of garments and other items market is also a reason to persuade even the themselves The youngsters, however, generally conSider their traditional costumes unfashionable Baljljaras to go In for substitutes To cite an and have SWitched over to the modern dresses like example, a shoulder bag (lofana) With BanJara saris, skirts and blouses They do not also show embrOidery will cost around Rs 75/- whereas a much Interest In the learning of their traditional craft substitute can be purchased from open market at involVing Intngue embroidery work one fourth of this cost, If not at a stili lower rate At present articles With Banjara embrOidery are displayed and sold only In exhibitions organised by Number of persons engaged and the Govt of India and the State Governments and period engaged In the craft these Items are purchased only as show-pieces and antiques by Interested persons who can afford to The Banjara embroidery craft IS not being buy these costly Items There IS not much scope conducted as a regular household Industry by the for expanding this handicraft by finding market In Banjara community and the products do not find the exhibitions as IS being done at present as the ready market The BanJara women do this demand for these Items Will be very limited as It can embrOidery as a part of their routine household be only from among the rich people who are duties to meet their own domestic requirements As Interested In the collection of show-pieces and such this embroidery work IS not even recorded as antiques The general complaint of the a secondary work In the Census IndiVidual Slip as craftspersons IS that this craft IS on the verge of this might not have been returned as secondary extinction due to the lack of patronage and non work by the Informants For the purpose of this availability of ready market for the finished report, however, the details of the persons engaged products In the Banjara embroidery work were collected separately In the selected Villages VII, Ichchhapur, ReVival and rejuvenation of thiS dYing craft Ghodegaon and Vasantnagar In Jalgaon dlstnct Involve complex problems The Banjaras gave birth 8 / Banjara couple with their traditional dress and ornaments "Their dress is peculiar, and their ornaments are .so singularly chesen ..." - E. THURSTON Page: 9 \ Plate 7: A Banjara belle in the traditional dress and ornaments "Their arms are indeed so encased with ivory that it would be no easy matter to clean them" -E. TH URSTON. Page : 9 9 to this handicraft hundreds of years ago when they If necessary Improvements In thiS dress to SUit the were nomads to maintain their tradition In their present reqUirement are made It may be worth costumes and to be self sufficient In the articles mentioning here that the various patterns of latest required for their dally use like shoulder bag blouses are based on Original deSigns of the (zo/ana) , big shopping bag (kotha/o) and the like kachall Fashion shows may be organised and thiS On the dress and ornaments of the Banjaras Edgar dress may be exhibited by models In their modern Thurston quotes the follOWing words of Moor In hiS form With Its unique deSign, eliminating the use of book 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India' "Their a bra, women Will find It more and . I1m8 dress IS peculiar, and their ornaments are so comfortable to wear It and thiS Will throw open evpn Singularly chosen that we have, we are confident, export market for thiS garment earning valLlLlDle seen women who (not to mention a child at their foreign exchange 2 ThiS can be done by 11'10 All backs) have had eight or ten pounds weight In India Handicrafts Board of the MInistry of metal or IVOry round their arms and legs They pay Commerce or py the Directorate of Industry, little attention to cleanliness, their half, once plaited, Maharashtra, which are the main agencies looking IS not combed or opened perhaps for a month, their after the development of handicrafts bodies or clothes are seldom washed, their arms are Indeed so encased With IVOry that it IS would be Training no easy rnattPf to clean them" 1 The All India Handicrafts Board, GOVf'1 t ,rr ,of ThiS gives an Idea about their dress .0, "f'h3 India, New Deihl has recently Inciltdc,j r' ,j;:;ra (skirt) and kachall (blouse With bare b;' ~ I I li",r emoroldery as one amC'l1g the crath I ' drl >8t maKing, hand block U,{,'. artistic t,", Iii" love of the Banjaras for their traditional dres':> I' for the other traditional customs IS r2121y to 1,,0; embrOidery and zan works 'lvtalware, j€/iP!iPty found elsewhere Over the centuries anc nver ,; Ie bangles and beads, conch shell, wood v/ori 1 Edgar Thurston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume IV, Cosmo Publtcatlons, Deihl, 1909 - pp 21- 212 2 Appare/, The Clothier's Digest, Volume 2, No 8, August 1983 (The offiCial journal of the Clothing Manufacturers ASSOCiation of India) 6 -23 LO. India/ND/S9 10 1 Village - Rajdehere One training class of one year duration from 1 7 84 to 30 6 85 has been Tal - Chalisgaon conducted The training was Imparted by Smt Nllabal Harish Jadhav Dlst - Jalgaon 2 Village - Ichchhapur Here three batches have been trained by Smt Bhurlbal Shankar Rathod. Tal - Chalisgaon The duration of training of the first batch was from 2 9 82 to 1 9 83, the Dist - Jalgaon second batch from 1 784 to 30 6 85 and the third batch from 21 4.86 to 20487 3 Village - Ghodegaon Here two batches have been trained by Smt Gopibai Sang ram Jadhav. The Tal - Chalisgaon training for the first batch was from 13 6 83 to 12 6 84 and the second batch Dlst - Jalgaon from 1 11 84 to 31 10 85 4 Village - Vasantnagar Here one batch has been trained by Smt Samalibal Tilmbak Jadhav The Tal - Parola duration of the training was from 9 5- 85 to 8 5 86 ' . Dist - Jalgaon 5 Town - Laxmlnagar Here one batch has been trained The duration of the training was from Tal - Chailsgaon 9585 t085 86 Dist - Jalgaon The strength of each training class was 10 and be answerable to the office of the they were trained under one instructress Development CommiSSioner, Handicrafts till the completion of the course During the entire period of training the trainees are being paid a monthly stipend of Rs 100/- and 4 No trainee should be allowed to leave the the instructress IS paid a monthly remuneration of training In the middle, and in such an event Rs 600/- While submitting proposal for the recovery of stipend paid to those who training the Instructress should certify that the discontinue the training in the middle will be follOWing terms and cond Itlons would be observed made, at the discretion of the head of the during the course of training department. The instructress will be responsible for The government of Maharashtra Is also imparting successful completion of the course and she training in various handicrafts at district and state will ensure that the trainees acquire levels As a part of this, one training class on necessary skill in the craft being taught Banjara embroidery was conducted at Patane Tanda Village in Challsgaon tahsil of Jalgaon 2 The Instructress should maintain proper district The duration of the training was six attendance and acquittance registers and months The instructress was paid a monthly should submit regularly the progress report remuneration of Rs 300/- and the trainees were with quarterly examination results to the paid a monthly stipend of Rs 100/- In this class 5 sponsoring authOrity persons were trained Though training classes are conducted on Banjara embroidery, so far no 3 The instructress Will be responsible for cooperative societies have been formed in the state diSCipline and security of the scheme and will for the promotion of thiS craft CHAPTER /I CRAFTSMEN IN THEIR RURAL SETTING Selection of villages for survey belonging to Banjara community A distrICt map IN MAHARASHTRA STATE considerable showing the location of these Villages IS gIVen as concentration of Banjara people IS in Jalgaon frontispiece of this report The names of these district So naturally the choice of Villages for the Villages and the population there according to 1981 study of Banjara embroidery has to be made from Census are also given In the table below In columns the above district In order to select the villages a 2 and 3 An attempt was also made to estimate the baseline survey was conducted to locate the areas present total population of the above villages and of concentration of Banjara people For this the number of Banjaras among them through field purpose the Challsgaon tahsil headquarters, the investigation with the help of the Tahslldar, social workers of BanJara community and the Chahsgaon tahsil and the social workers of Banjara organizers of the Banjara Vikas Mandai established community The details thus collected, though can in Chalisgaon town were also contacted It could only be a rough estimate, are given in columns 4 be ascertained from them that there are 11 Villages and 5 The percentage of Banjaras to total In Jalgaon district having concentration of people population is available In column 6 Table 1/- 1 Areas of concentration of Banjara people in Jalgaon District Estimated Population as on 1685 SI Name of Population Total Banjara % of No Village (1981 Population Population Banjara Census) Population 1 2 3 4- 5 6 Lonje 2095 5372 2500 465 2 Ichchhapur 1487 2200 2200 1000 3 Plmparkhede 2106 3800 1200 316 4 Sangavi 1333 2600 2239 861 5 Patane 1592 2300 800 348 6 Londhe 1277 2200 1050 477 7 Ghodegaon 1157 2500 1500 600 8 Talonde P 0 1548 1665 680 408 9 Kherde 981 1590 605 381 10 Shmdl 2235 2235 800 358 11 Vasantnagar 1855 2575 2570 998 11 12 When the 1981 Census figures and the estimated Vasantnagar were selected for detailed study In figures as on 1 6 85 are compared there is very these three Villages training classes on BanJara steep Increase In most cases. This IS not possible embroidery sponsored by the Government of India In the normal Circumstances For the estimation of were also conducted the present population figures, no sCientific method was adopted and the figures supplied by the General particulars of the surveyed revenue officials and the SOCial workers of Banjara villages community were totally accepted However, an attempt was made to further Investigate this pOint The Village Ichchhapur falls under Challsgaon through the agenCies who supplied the figures tahSil and hes to the north of Chahsgaon town at a Their contention was that dunng the months of distance of about 4 km from there It IS to the west Janual)' to May every year the members of the of Kharjal Village, to the east of Bhoras kh Village BanJara community would be away from their and to the south of Vadgaon lambe, Village - The tdlldas :'1 search of casual labour as this IS an off exact area of thiS Village liS not readily available as sauson ior cultivation As such, dUring the census thiS IS a newly formed village bifurcating the old count, which was done In the month of February, Kargaon Village The area of the old Kargaon Village these persons might have been counted elsewhere was 1,627 hectares Gh~egaon is also in and not In their own villages and this might be the Chahsgaon tahSil lYing to the south west of reason for the steep Increase III the e:,[lm~:lted Chalisgaon town at a distance of about 16 km from population as on 1 6 85 Though rhlS appears to there It IS Iymg to the west of K~aradl Village, east be a Justifiable reason the Increase :~ 11m uniform In of Plmpalgaon village, to the north of Rajdehere all the villages haVing almost equal conc.entration of Village and to the south of Karajgaon Village The Banjara people So It has to be concluded that area of thiS Village IS 589 hectares Vasantnagar defective estimation of the present population may Village IS In Parola tahsil and hes at a distance of be the main reason for this steep Increase No about 15 km to the west of Parola town It is to the further probe was made on this pOint as It would not west of Bholane Village, to the east of Dhule district be worthwhile to spend time and energy on thl& as boundary, to the north of Jamde Village and to the this has not much relevance to the craft under south of Plmpalkothe Village The exact area of this study Village IS also not readily available as thiS too IS a newly formed Village blfurcatmg Bholane Village Among the above Villages the concentration of The area of old Bholane Village was 1,019 hectares Banjara population was maximum In 4 Villages VIZ Ichchhapur (100%), Vasantnagar (998%), Sangavi Amenities (86 1%) and Ghodegaon (60 0%) DUring field Investigation It was reported that only a very few The amenities available In these Villages are persons among the Banjaras In Sangavi Village given In the followmg table In case any Village were engaged In the traditional embrOidery work does not have a particular amenity the distance of So thiS Village was dropped and the remaining 3 the nearest place where that amenity is available is Villages VIZ Ichchhapur, Ghodegaon and given under the respective column within brackets 13 Table 1/-2 Amenities available In the s~lrveyed villages at the time of field survey In 1986 Name of Educational Medical Drinking Postal Markel Transpor- Approach Nearest Power Railway village water lacllity tallon to village town and supply station lacllity facility distance InKm 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ichchhapur Primary (5Km) Tap Post (5Km) Bus Kachcha Chalisgaon D:lectrlfled Bheras and Well office stand road 4Km 3Km middle schools Ghodegaon Primary (510Km) Tap (510 Km) 15Km) Bus Kachcha Challsgaon Electrified Rohlnl school Tube well stand road 16Km 3Km Well River Vasantnagar Primary (510 Km) Tap (SKm) (5Km) Bus Pakka Parela Elecklfled Amalner school Well stand road 15Km 15Km Tank Source Census of India 1981, District Census Hand Book of Jalgaon District With sUitable modifications on the basIs of the additional amenities seen available at the time offield survey In 1986 Climate Ethnic composition All these 3 villages are surrounded by extensive Among the 3 Villages selected for survey, In open land So there will be nice breeze dunng the Ichchhapur and Vasantnagar the entire population night keeping the villages fairly cool Dunng day belongs to BanJara community with the exception time It will be pretty hot December is the coldest of one family consisting of 5 members belonging to month During thiS period the minimum Nhavi community in Vasantnagar In the other temperature may come down to 12-11 0 C and the Village VIZ Ghodegaon people belonging to other maximum temperature during thiS penod Will be 29- communities are also reSiding Except 4 Muslim 300 C Temperature begins to nse steadily from households In Ghodegaon all others are Hindus In about the beginning of March and dunng May, the Ghodegaon there are 6 families belonging to hottest month of the year, the maximum scheduled castes and 22 families belonging to temperature may go up to 42-430 C and even scheduled tribes also They are liVing along with higher Temperature begins to come down the other households However, their houses are appreciably with the onset of monsoon after the first not Intermixed with the houses of caste Hindus and week of June The monsoon penod is generally Muslims, but are located at the boundary ~f the pleasant With the withdrawal of the monsoon by Village (gao than) Here also the people belonging the end of September, day temperature nses a little to the scheduled caste community are living in October and both day and night temperature together and those belonging to the scheduled tnbe begin to drop rapidly by November community are lIVIng together separately ThiS IS '-23 LO. India/ND/" 14 the case with the caste Hindus and Muslims also SOCial functions In other households and meet with Even among caste Hindus, people belonging to no distinction or discrimination and they enjoy each community VIZ, Maratha, Dhangar, Koh etc equal SOCial status with others Barnng the are also not Intermixed and each community lives In Banjaras and Muslims all others have returned separate clusters However the houses of all these Marathl as their mother tongue with the exception people are contiguous and within the main gaothan of one household belonging to Mall community with Contrary to this the Banjaras In Ghodegaon Village Telugu as mother tongue The mother tongue of live far away from others In tanda, which IS clearly Muslims IS Urdu and the mother tongue of Banjaras Isolated from others, and they live In one cluster In IS Banjan Table shOWing the names of different these Villages no untouchability IS seen practised as commUnities reSiding In each village with their far as the scheduled castes and scheduled tnbes religion, mother tongue, number of households, are concerned The Banjaras In these Villages are population and traditional occupation IS given treated on par with the rest Inspite of their hVlng in below Isolation away from others and they take part In the Table 1/- 3 EthniC distribution of people in the selected villages Name of Religion Mother Number of Total population Traditional caste or tongue households as per survey occupation community conducted dUring June 1986 M F T 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Village Iqhchhapur (I) BanJara Hindu BanJari 342 1111 998 2109 Cultivator Village Ghodegaon (I) Maratha Hindu Marathl 25 70 62 132 Cultivator (II) 5 8 12 20 Agricultural labourer (III) Dhangar 11 41 33 74 Cultivator (IV) 12 29 40 69 Agricultural labourer (v) i 24 15 39 Shepherd (VI) Bhll (ST) 2 7 3 10 Cultivator 15 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (VII) Shll (ST) Hindu Marathl 19 45 46 91 Agricultural labourer (VIII) Koli 4 14 11 25 CultIVator (IX) 9 17 16 33 Agricultural labourer (x) Wan! 2 3 2 5 Cultivator (XI) Thak~r (ST) 3 4 Cultivator (XII) GOsaVI 4 3 7 Cultivator (XIII) 4 12 12 24 Tailor (XIV) 5 5 10 Cattle rearing (xv) Mali Telugu 3 5 8 Cultivator (XVI) Mahar (SC) Marathl 5 12 9 21 Agricultural labourer (XVII) Chambhar (SC) 6 4 10 Cobbler (XVIII) Muslim Muslim Urdu 3 7 7 14 Agricultural labourer (XIX) 2 Cultivator (xx) Banjara Hindu Banjarl 5 4 9 Bnck manufacturer (XXI) 22 • 62 60 122 Agncultural labourer (XXII) 2 2 4 Tailor (XXIII) 193 604 579 1183 Cultivator Village Vasantnagar (I) Banjara Hindu Banjan 244 1067 727 1794 Cultivator 16 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (II) Hindu 130 446 330 776 Agncultural labourer (III) Nhavi Marathl 3 2 5 Barber Concentration of Banjara people in the more than 5 acres of agricultural land as rich, those selected villages haVing 2-5 acres of agricultural land a& middle and those haVing less than 2 acres of agricultural land It may be seen from the table that Banjaras form or haVing no agricultural land at all as poor On the nearly 68% of the total population in Ghodegaon baSIS of thiS classification 20 households in each village and In the other two villages the entire Village were selected :giving representation to the residents except one household are Banjaras In all extent pOSSible to the rich, middle and poor Strict the three villages the Banjaras and others are proportion among these categories In the selection mainly cultivators or agricultural labourers Only a of households could not be adherp.j to due to the few people are engaged In other occupations like non-availability of suffiCient number of households cattle rearing, brick manufacturing, tailoring etc In In one or the other category who cir:e stili practising Ichchhapur Village all the Banjaras are cultivators the craft Similarly, while selecting the households In Ghodegaon village among the total cultivators which are not practising the craft at present, the l the Banjaras form 81 6% and among the agricultural same prinCiple was applied to the extent pOSSible labourers they form 33 0% In Vasantnagar Village 69 8% of the Banjaras are cultivators and 30 2% are About the practising and non-practising agricultural labourers These figures indicate that households the Banjaras In these Villages are economically better placed when compared to others The Banjara embrOidery IS a way of hfe to the Banjaras and not a vocation With any source of There are altogether 933 households of Banjara Income They were dOing thiS embrOidery work as community In all the 3 selected Villages, 342 In part of their household duties, only dUring their Ichchhapur, 217 In Ghodegaon and 374 In ,leisure time to meet mainly their personal Vasantnagar Among these, only 600 households reqUirements of dress and other Items of daily use are stili dOing Banjara embroidery and the It was only qUite recently that a handful of people remaining 333 households are not at present dOing belonging to Banjara community became aware of thiS embroidery work though they were dOing thiS In the fact that thiS embrOidery can be developed Into the past Among the 600 households practising the a full fledged handicraft capable of prodUCing and craft 60 households were selected at the rate of 20 marketing finished embrOidery Items and they are households In each Village and among the making attempts to achieve thiS But the progress remaining 333 non-practising households 15 were made by them so far IS not very substantial and selected at the rate of 5 from each Village for even now most of the Banjaras are not aware that Intensive survey To ensure due representation of their embrOidery has a potential source of Income the households In different economic status In the As mentioned earlier thiS embroidery in the past selected households for detailed study, the was practised by the Banjaras only as part of their households of BanJaras In all these 3 Villages who household duties Among them a number of are practising the craft were first classified as rich, Banjaras. have discontinued to practise thiS middle and poor, conSidering households haVing embrOidery work for the reasons gIVen In Chapter I 17 Others who are stili dOing thiS embroidery also have married, 194 married and 17 widowed No case of not so far given It the status of an occupation dIVorced or separated was reported hinting that divorce or separation is not common among the This being the position the practising ,or Banjaras The minimum age for marriage of otherwise of this embroidery by the Banjaras had females according to the returns is 15-19 and for and stili have no effect to bnng any distinction in the males it is 20-24 According to the data collected 7 demographic profile and social status of these two females In the age-group 15-19 and 20 females In categones and the above aspects are the same the age-group 20-24 have got married ThiS among them leaVing no scope for the analysis of Indicates that early marriage of females IS not very these aspects separately for each category So In common among Baniaras and the marriages of the succeeding paragraphs the mantal status, females are commonly taking place at the age of literacy, migration etc are discussed taking the 20-24 Among the males 9 in the age-group 20-24 practising and non-practising households as a and 161n the age-group 25-29 have got married single unit The inference here is that males generally marry at the age of 25-29 Among the never married there Marital status are 13 males in the age-group 2Q-24, 1 male In the age-group 25-29 and 1 female in the age-group 30- The total population of the 75 households 34 A table shOWing the distnbution of population selected for detailed study is 455 with 248 males classified by age, sex and marital status is given and 207 females Among them 244 are never below Table 1/- 4 Distribution of population of selected households as classified by age, sex and marital status Age-group Never marned Marned Widowed Total Population P M F P M F P M F P M F 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 0-4 64 35 29 64 35 29 5-9 76 45 31 16 45 31 10-14 55 28 27 55 28 27 15-19 34 28 6 7 7 41 28 13 20-24 13 13 29 9 20 42 22 20 25-29 34 16 18 35 17 18 30-34 24 16 8 25 16 9 35-44 43 20 23 3 3 46 20 26 45-54 27 17 10 4 3 31 18 13 8-23 "0. IDdiaIND/8'. 18 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 23 14 9 8 8 31 14 17 70 + 7 4 3 2 9 5 4 AQanot stated Total 244 150 94 194 96 98 17 2 15 455 248 207 N B. There are no cases of 'Divorced or Separated' and 'Unspecified' It can be Inferred from these detaOs that most of illiterates The male Illitera~s form 37 9% and the males and females get married before the age females 79 2%. The' highest educational level is of 29 and late marriage Is not prevalent among the matriculation or higher secondary and there are no Banjara people. graduates or persons having techQlcal diploma or degree Among the females the highest educational level Is up to middle school and there Uteracy are no matricUlates among them Th'e distribution of population classified by age, sex and educational Among the selected households 56 7% are level can be seen from the following table. Table /1- 5 Distribution of population of selected households as classified by age, sex and educational level P-Qe- Total Illiterate Pnmary Middle Matncula- Non-tech- group population or 1Ion or nlcal diploma JUnior higher or certificate basiC secondary not equal to degree p M F M F M F M F M F M F 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 All ages 455 248 207 94 164 80 33 60 10 13 Q-4 64 35 29 35 29 5-9 76 45 31 20 20 25 11 10-14 55 28 27 3 11 16 12 9 4 15-19 41 28 13 3 9 5 15 4 5 19 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20-24 42 22 20 4 17 7 2 8 3 25-34 60 33 27 11 25 8 10 4 35+ 117 57 60 18 53 19 7 18 Age not stated N B. There are no retu~ns agalOst 'wterate Without .educational level', 'Technical diploma or certflcate not equal to degree' and 'Graduate & above' Migration status migrated households are from the same district, 2 from outside the district but within the state and 2 from outside the state All the migrated households Among the 75 households 67 are non-migrants belonged to rural areas and 7 of the households and only 8 households are migrants Among these 8 have been in this vWage for more than 21 years and households, 4-have migrated due to marriage of the 1 household for 6-10 years The details collected head of the household and the remaining 4 seeking during the survey on migration status are given occupation by the head of the household. 4 below, Table /1- 6 Distribution of households In the selected households as classified by migration status and duration of stay in the village with reference to head of the household Migration status With Number of Number of households where duration of stay ref.rence to place of birth households !O the village of head of the household IS Non-migrant 6-10 years 21 + years 2 3 4 5 A. Non-mtgrant (Born In the Village) 67 67 B Migrant 8 7 Born outside the VIllage but 10 the same district 4 4 Rural 4 4 Urban II Born outSide the district but WlthlO the state 2 20 2 3 4 5 DIstrict· 1 Nashlk Rural Urban DIstrict· 2 Ratnaglrl Rural Urban III Born outside the state State· 1 Madhya Pradesh 2 2 Rural 2 2 Urban State·2 Rural Urban Other including unspecified N B There are no returns against the duration of stay for the periods 'less than 1 year', '1-5 years' and '11·20 years' Traditional occupation households, 218 are workers and 237 are non· workers Among the 218 workers the traditional The traditional occupation of maJonty of occupation of the head of the household of 168 households of Banjaras In the three vUlages IS persons is cultivation and the traditional occupation cultivation Among the selected 75 households the of the head of the household of 48" persons IS traditional occupation of 52 households IS agricultural labour Of the remaining, the traditional cultivation Among the remaining, 21 are occupation of the head of the household of 1 IS agricultural labourers, 1 tailor and 1 brick tartonng and 1 brick manufacturing It may be seen manufacturer from the above that there are no households haVing Banjara embroidery as their traditional occupation Workers The distnbutlon of workers claSSified by traditional Of the 455 persons in the 75 selected and present occupation IS as follows 21 c o ~o~ C\I " " a. :;: E a :J "0 '" U U _ C :: c 0 a ~ Q , ' co :;:: [ "'23 A.O. India/NO/S, 22 In the 60 households practising Banjara However the elder generation In their fervour to embroidery, there are 181 workers and amc.:mg keep up their tradition used to wear only their them only 2 females, whose traditional occupation traditional costumes and this compelled them to do is cultivation, have claimed that their present the craft at least to meet their personal needs Now occupation IS Banjara embrOidery and the that tradition IS on the wane With the spread of remaining 179 have returned other occupations as CIVIlization and the regular social contact of the their present occupation These two women are Banjaras With others as they have now permanently teaching Banjara embroidery In the training classes settled In a place organised by the Government of India and the State Government This clearly indicates that even now there IS no Incentive In the Banjara embroidery work Non-workers to persuade persons to leave their traditional occupation and to take up Banjara embroidery as Among the non-workers there IS no one seeking their present occupation This IS a deplorable state employment All the non-workers fall In the of the craft at present Even In the past this craft categories of Infants, full-tlrpe students, houseWives was not done at any stage on a full time baSIS as and dependants The distribution of non-workers there was no market for the Items produced by sex and age IS given In the following table Table" - 8 Distribution of non-workers In the selected households by sex, age and type of activity Number of non-workers by type of activity and sex Age Number of Infant Full- Household Seeking Dependant group non-workers duty employment student p M F M F M F M F M F M F 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 0-14 190 107 83 3 7 53 19 4 51 53 15-19 19 17 2 17 2 20-24 5 2 3 2 3 25-29 3 3 3 30-39 4 4 4 40-49 3 3 3 50-59 2 2 2 60 + 11 3 8 5 3 3 Total 237 129 108 3 7 72 19 26 54 56 23 Present position of the craft programme IS only In a very Infant stage and much Recently, however, there IS an awakening among has to be done by way of moderniSing the craft to some members belonging to Banjara community to attract market and to establish agencies for revive and rejuvenate this craft and to make It a purchasing and promoting the sale of the finished source of livelihood for the Banjaras The Central products. The future of the craft IS now uncertain Government and the State Government also are and time alone will tell whether this will develop and now extending. help to the Banjaras for the survive or will be only In the legends One of the promotion of thiS traditional craft by giVing reasons for selecting thiS craft for study IS to have monetary assistance for conducting training classes some record on thiS rural based handicraft In case It to teach the craft to the younger generation The IS destined to a gnm fate CHAPTER III PROCESS OF LEARNING THE PATIERNS OF the dresses like kachalJ and respectIVe mothers and there were no phetlYa which the Banjara women wear are arrangements till recently to teach thiS art by Identical throughout the country The colour engaging Instructors However, for the last few schemes and designs are also the same years the All India Handicrafts Board IS extending everywhere How IS 'thiS possible among the finanCial assistance to the Banjaras to conduct Banjaras living all over the country to maintain this training classes by engaging paid instructresses Uniformity? The trainees who attend the classes are also paid stipend as an incentive to attract trainees to attend It IS believed that the Banjaras onglnally hail from the class regularly Those who attend the classes Rajasthan and It was from there that they spread all know the craft even before their jOining the training over the country The origin of the Banjara class and thiS tralnrng, If conducted properly, Will embroidery could also be In Rajasthan and It might help them to perfect the art which they already have fully developed before the Banjaras dispersed know from Rajasthan and settled In vanous parts of the country Even while In Rajasthan they might have The Banjara embrOidery IS a very simple art accepted as their cherished tradition to wear the which can be learned Without any difficulty by any typical costumes developed by them to maintain one even at the very young age Needle IS the their separate identity and when they moved out of Implement reqUired and colour threads and chhatya Rajasthan they carned With them the art which they and mangJI cloths are the main raw matenals for developed even In their primitive stages and have thiS work Among the 60 selected households who preserved this ancestral art till today from are stili practising the craft, 9 persons are engaged generation to generation In the craft for less than 5 years, 16 persons for 5-9 years, 22 persons for 10-19 years and 37 persons Source of learning for 20 years or more Among these 84 persons, 5 are the heads of the household, 51 are wives of the As mentioned earlier only the Banjara women are heads of the household, 6 are daughters of the dOing this embrOidery work They are dOing this heads of the household, 13 are the son's wIves of not mainly for commercial purpose They do It With the heads of the household and remaining 9 others an urge to maintain their tradition and as a hobby are either mother, Sister, brother's Wife or maternal and make use of the end products mainly for their uncle's Wife of the heads of the household Again, personal use When the mother IS dOing the among these 84 who are engaged In the craft, 72 embrOidery work the child IS beside her With the persons have learned the craft from their mothers traditional Instinct and cunoslty Thus watching the and 12 through female Instructors Even these 12 mother working on her needle the child also begins knew the craft already and perfected It With the to attempt on the craft even at a very young age assistance of the Instructors The table shOWing and the mother perfects the skill of the child In the the number of persons classified by relationship to craft by giving gUIdance wherever necessary Thus the head, the penod engaged In the craft and the the main source for learning the craft IS their source of training IS given below 25 26 Table 11/- 1 Distribution of persons in the selected households classified by relationship to the head, period engaged In the craft and the source of training Penod No of Others Their relationship to the head of the household and the source of training engaged persons (Mother, In the engaged Sister, Self {Head Wife who Son's wife Daughter BanJara In the brother's of the house received who who embrol- BanJara wife, etc) hold) who training received received dery embrol- who recel- received from training training dery ved traln- training from from 109 from from M M M M M 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Less than 9 2 5 2 5 years 5-9 years 16 5 2 7 10-19 years 22 14 3 2 20 + years 37 4 21 6 5 Total 84 5 40 11 12 6 9 M = Mother I = Instructress All the 5 heads of the household who are However for the last 5 to 6 years training classes are engaged In the craft have learned It from their being conducted In villages where BanJara people mothers, among the 51 wives of the heads of the live The classes are arranged by the local master household, 40 learned the craft from their mothers, craftsperson With the approval of the Handicrafts and 11 from the female Instructors , all the 6 Board under the Development CommisSioner daughters learned It from their mothers, among the (Handicrafts), iVllnlstry of Commerce and Supply 13 son's Wives, 12 from mothers and 1 from female Such classes have already been conducted In Instructor, and the 9 others (mother/brother's Ichchhapur, Ghodegaon, Vasantnagar and wife/sister/maternal uncle's wife) from their RaJdehere Villages The necessary funds for the mothers payment of remuneration to the Instructors and Training classes stipend to the trainees are allotted by the Handicrafts Board and the classes are conducted In the past there were no arrangements for followrng the terms and conditions prescribed by conducting training classes In Banjara embroidery the Handicrafts Board for thiS purpose The terms Plate 8: Training class in progress, The woman in between the two young child~n is the instructress "Even those who attended the training classes have alre~dy learned the craft through their elders .. ," Page: 25 ,I i Plate 9: Two trainees at work ",.. the training classes helped them to perfect their skill in the craft." Page: 2& • \ \ \ 27 28 and conditions of training have already been given OccupatIOn Cultivation and household duties In chapter I of this report There are no regular Address Post Office - Ichchhapur training centre or tralnlng-cum-productlon centre Ta/uk - Challsgaon Even In the training classes arranged seasonally the Dist - Jalgaon Handicrafts Board IS not providing the trainees with Maharashtra State raw matenals nor do they collect the finished products for sales The funds reqUired for paying She was born In Akrale Village In Dhule district the remuneration alone are sanctioned and paid by some 45 years ago She does not exactly the Handicrafts Board remember her date of birth She had no opportunity to reoelve even pnmary education She Craftspersons vis-a-vIs the training was marned to phn Shankar Benlram Rathod of classes Ichchhapur Village at the age of 15 and consequently moved to; Ichahhapur Village The It has been revealed dunng the survey that even main occupatIOn: of her family )Nas cultivation Even those who attended the training classes have after her marriage she has been looking after already learned the craft through their elders and cultIVatIOn Her husband "IS a primary school the training classes helped them to perfect their skill teacher In the Zilla Panshad school State She In the craft They all are of the OpInion that the acqUired knowledge of traditional embrOidery work penod of 1 year tralnlng IS qUite suffiCient and they wh,en she was very young M the age of 7 she require no better training faCIlity In fact what they started learning this embroidery from her mother actually require IS a scheme for making Banjara Her grandmother also gave her training In the embroidery a gainful occupation by prOViding embroidery work before her marriage After arrangements for marketing the finished products marriage her mother-In-law also perfected her skill so that the BanJaras who are hitherto dOing this In the work by explalntng the craft techniques and work due to their zeal to preserve their tradition carr traditional deSigns engage themselves In this craft as a means of livelihood It is understood that so far no plans for In her opInion nowadays this craft IS at a dYing creating marketing facilities for the BanJara stage because the young generatIOn IS not taking embroidery Items have been envisaged by the Interest In thiS craft Traditional dresses are very government Left to themselves the Banjaras are costly and heavy while substitutes are readily helpless In the matter and government alone can do available at a cheaper rate In olden days no dress any thing by populanslng the finished products In other than their traditional dresses was known to India and abroad and creating marketing faCilities the Banjara females But that posItIOn has changed now espeCially In the case of young girls and they Biographical sketches prefer to wear only sans and blouses as In the case of girls belongmg to other communities ThiS has The- biographical sketches of a few crafts persons resulted In the non-practising of thiS embroidery narrating bnefly the story of their life In the work by a number of Banjaras background of the craft are given below which may be of Interest to read However In the recent. years Shn Sanchand Biography 1: Sang ram Jadhav and hiS family are taking Interest to populanse thiS embroidery Due to the Interest Name Smt Bhunbal Shankar Rathod, taken by them training classes on Banjara Ichchhapur embrOidery were conducted In their Village dunng EducatIOn illiterate 1982-83, 1984-85 and 1986-87 The training classes Age 45 years were for a duration of one year and she was the 29 instructress in a" the three classes She also took the specimens of the designs prepared by her part In the handicraft exhibition held In Bombay, mother and her mother-in-law and even now she IS Deihl and Nagpur In the stall opened for Banjara preserving them She has also tramed a lot of embroidery items they could sell articles to the women in this craft She loves their traditional art value of approximately Rs 5000/- very much But thiS is gradually disappeanng due to the Indifferent attitude of the BanJara community Her suggestion IS that regular trainmg centres In general ThiS pained her very much and she was should be opened and government should give anxIOUs to do something to revive this traditional financial assistance CO-liperatlve societies should art So she mvolved her son Sanchand and her also be formed Lack of publiCity is also a daughter-m-Iaw Kalavatl to work for the uplift of thiS drawback for the non-development of this vanishing art and to make It a source of livelihood embroidery work for her community Accordingly they halle approached vanous government departments and by their effort the government has 1I1cluded BanJara Biography No.2 embroidery as a craft and has given financial assistance for conducting training classes In the Name Smt Go'plbal Sangram Jadhav, handicraft exhibitions conducted In various places Ghodegaon separate stalls were allotted for BanJara embroidery Age 73 years Education illiterate Despite her old age she has conducted trainmg OccupatIOn Household duties classes and trained about 30 girls The expenditure Address Post Office - Ghodegaon for the training classes was met by the Development Tafuk - Chalfsgaon CommiSSioner, Handicrafts, Bombay She has also Dist - Jalgaon participated In exhibitions held at Deihl and Maharashtra State Bombay The Central Govt awarded her a certificate of merit In appreciation of her She was born In the same village She IS 73 craftsmanship and contribution to the development years old and Illiterate She was marned at a very of Banjara embroidery in the year 1982 Her people young age to Shn Sangram Rekha Jadhav who IS call her 'mother of craft' and this she conSiders as now 87 years old He also belongs to the same the best award In her life Her anxiety IS that the Village Smt Goplbal belonged to a very poor family craft should not die before her death Now due to and used to work hard from her childhood In her old age she could not do anything for the young age she was mostly engaged In agriculture development of thiS craft However she is confident labour work At about 60 years ago It was that her son Sanchand Will continue hiS efforts to compulsory that the BanJara females should have give this art the status of a full fledged handicraft full knowledge of their embroidery work and they should wear their traditional dress It was the duty of the Banjara women to stitch all dresses at home Biography No.3 With traditional designs in leisure time So naturally from her childhood she learned thiS art from her Name Smt Shamalibai Trimbak Jadhav, mother Because of her shrewdness and hard Vasantnagar working nature she mastered the embroidery work Age 63 years and knew to embroider almost all the traditional Occupation Household duties designs Because of her profiCiency In the Address Post Office - Vasantnagar embroidery work most of the women In their Village Ta/uk • Parola used to come to her to learn the different types of Dist - Jalgaon designs From her childhood she used to collect Maharashtra State 30 She IS now 63 years old Her birth place was occupation as they are not getting any money out Melan village in Madhya Pradesh and she came to of it She is thankful to the Development Vasantnagar due to marriage She IS now a widow Commissioner, Handicrafts, Bombay who gave her She is literate and has passed Standard II She a chance to teach some of her people thiS learnt the basic technique of the traditional Banjara embroidery She was appointed as an Instructress embroidery from her mother and grand-mother, and for a period of two years in training classes at became and expert In the work After her marnage, Vasantnagar village Itself Dunng these two year which was held at a young age, her mother-In-law period she trained 20 persons She had also made made her an expert in this craft In- olden days demonstrations of Banjara articles In the Banjara embroidery articles were produced only for exhibitions The lack of facilities in seiling Banjara the use of family members and to give to the bride articles and lack of public demand are nearly k~hng dunng marnage ceremony It was compulsory this art when she was young that the females, both old and young, should wear only their traditional dress Now that position has changed and young women In her opinion, In the first Jn~tance, the Banjaras now mainly use sans and blouses should take interest in thiS craft' and they should try to find market for finished products themselves DUring her young age she was engaged In Ths government help' to conduct training classes agricultural work In the past and also at present alone Will not serve the purpose of development of this Banjara embroidery work is only a leisure time the art If they wait for the help,.the art will be knled \ work and no one IS doing this as a full-time before the help IS made available CHAPTER IV MANUFACTURING PROCESS Place of work All these heads of the household are engaged In the embroidery work in their respectIVe houses THE BANJARA EME!ROIDERY involves only needle Among the 5 heads of the household two were work on small pieces of cloths which will later be conducting (during the survey) training classes In joined together to make the finished products. As the verandas of their houses Among the- 79 mentioned earlier the Banjara females alone are members of households 73 are practising the craft practising this craft and they attend to this work at in their respective houses and 6 .In the training their leisure time after finishing their household centre The survey also reveals that 2 In the age duties. There are open verandas in front of most of group 0-14, 45 in the age-group 15-34, 33 In the the Banjara houses and these are used for dOing age-group 35-59 and 4 In the age-group 60 and the embroidery work As no tools and equipments above are engaged in the craft To the persons are to be handled except a needle, what IS reqUired engaged in the craft the requirement of space is the space for one person to sit comfortably while poses no problem as the persons practising thiS attending to the embroidery work and for thiS craft require only the space sufficient for them to Sit purpose the veranda is more than sufficient comfortably They have no tools or large quantities of raw matenals to be kept handy Of course thiS point will have relevance when a fully-fledged Number of persons engaged in the craft tralning-cum-production centre on a permanent and adequacy of space basis IS set up as this Will necessitate the stonng of the raw matenals and finished products In bulk The survey of the households engaged In the quantities However, at present there IS no such craft reveals that 84 persons in the 60 households centre The details showing the households selected for survey are engaged in the craft classified by broad age-group, place of work and Among them 5 are the heads of the household duration of work In the handicraft are given on the (femafes) and 79 are members of the households next page 31 32 u. ....co u. It) u. LL. LL. i II 0) c: II) u. -c., g> 0) .,c: LL. u. 33 C\I ~ e E It) (I) III E c: III E ~ !!1 OS !!1 OS c: !!1 :u OS ~ II) III ~ II) OS III ~ II) ell ;>.'" f!! ;>. ;>. 0> :5 «S 0> :5 0> ;>. III ., ~ ~ + (I) + rn + 0> 0 ;>. 0> ~ ~ (I) 0> 0 ob ~ ~ .3 It) ob ~ I- o!! ob ~ + g 34 As all the persons are engaged In the craft in kachal,s With the soaring prices of Silver, their own houses or In the training classes nowadays lead has become the alternative and conducted in the same village there is no question thiS IS used in abundance to lend shine and of providing any conveyance for them to reach their grace to the kachali Brides have a different place of work kachal, made for themselves It IS made much more fancier by attaching mirror pieces on both Items produced the sides of chhat', the upper part The deSigns used for the kachal' meant for bndes are also The Banjara embroidery is the art developed by different from other kachalts Unmarried girls do Banjara women in their garments VIZ kachali and not wear kachal' phetiya and the articles of their daily use like zolana, chunchi, khalchi, darani, gadano and the like No PHETIYA It IS af skirt like garment used by the belief of purity or pollution is associated with thiS BanJara women' It consists of four parts The craft The brief descriptions and the purposes for top portion is called lepo It serves as a cloth which these Items are used are as follows belt attached to the phettya ,to tie It round the waist In the lepo the Baniara women exhibit KACHALI This is a blouse with bare back The their skill in embroidery with different blend of uniqueness of a kachal' IS the pattern of its designs Below the /epo is attached ghero ThiS designs conSisting of multi-coloured pieces of conSists of two pieces In two contrasting bright cloths stitched together to form a pattern The colours generally black and red The portIOn colours of the cloths used are predominantly below thiS IS called sabab (also known as chhlt) bright Generally red and black coloured cloths and for this fine textured pnnted cotton fabriC IS are used for kachali Other colours· are also used The bottom portion of the phettya is called used, albeit sparingly The colour schemes, lawan and thiS also is a masterpiece of deSigns and models used for kachali are almost embroidery the same all over the country and thiS enables anyone to recognise the Banjara women in any ZOLANA ThiS is a shoulder bag with exquisite part of the country A typical kachali If observed embroidery work and a long strap to hang it over closely has many distinguished features as the shoulder On the edges of the bag sea shells compared to other ordinary blouses The front (kawadya) and balls made of woolen yarn of part is the main portion of a kachali and It different colours are attached to add the beauty consists of three parts viz chhati, peti and bahi of the bag The upper part of the kachall I e chhati is used like a bra, as in the olden days there were no CHUNCHI This is a bag containing 3 or 4 bras The back portion is bare except for two pouches to keep pan, supan, tobacco etc sets of strings known as daTI which are used to fasten the kacha/' by the wearer as no buttons KHALCHI This is a square shaped bag used to are provided in it The first set of strings is at the keep bread (bhakan) back top portion of the kachal, to tie them round the neck and the second set Is at the middle DARANI 1 hiS is a small cloth used to keep the portion at the joint of the embroidered and the prepared flour of wheat ready for making plain portions of the khadapa piece to tie them chappat, dUring festive occasions ThiS cloth round the back of the wearer The length of the artistically decorated With embrOidery work is kachah covers the stomach and it is squarish In used as a show-piece shape Small sea shells (also known as kawadya) and old coins are also used In olden GADANO ThiS is a dish cover used to cover days small quantity of sliver was also used In the drinking water in pots and dishes containing 35 eatables This IS generally Us.ed dUring festive Quantity produced occaSions and marriage ceremonies The above items of articles are made by the Ban}aras depending on their personal requirement PA T This is like a chess board and IS used by .and demand, if any, from others Availability of women to play an indoor game spare time is also an Important factor as 11: will take a number of days and even months to finish the work on even a single piece as they are not dOing the work at a stretch on a full time basIs An KOTHALI This is a small bag used for ~eeping attempt was made during the survey to estimate the money, other personal belongings and the raw number of pieces of each of the articles mentioned materials reqUired for the embroidery work and above which were produced by the selected this is used generally by old women households in a year and the details collected are given In the table below It may be noted from-the table that none of the households has made the KOTHALO It is a sack like big bag used while the article kothalo during the year to which the details In Banjaras go for shopping. ths table relate. Table IV - 2 Distribution of households manufacturing Ban)ara embroidery articles by number of items manufactured in a year as related to educational level of the head of the household Educational Name of article No of NO or an:Jcles level manufactured households manufactured In manufacturing a year these articles 2 3 4 illiterate Chunchl 3 B Gadano 1 2 Kachall 19 53 Kothall 5 6 Phetlya 18 54 Pat 3 9 Zolana 8 12 Pnmary or Chunchl 9 JUnior basIc 36 2 3 4 Daran! 7 Gadano 4 Kachali 12 41 Khalchi 3 4 Phetiya 20 66 Pat 3 12 Zolana 8 18 Middle Chunchl 5 10 Daranl 2 11 Gadano 3 Kachali 14 73 Kothah 4 13 Phetiya 16 43 Pat 5 22 Zolana 2 11 Matriculation Kachall 3 or higher Phetlya 3 secondary Seasonal variation Raw materials There IS no seasonal vanatlon In the production The main raw matenals reqUired for the of these articles as the BanJara women do this work embroidery are chhatya cloth, mangJI cloth, woollen only dUring their leisure time However dunng April and cotton threads of different colours, sea shells and May the BanJara women Will have more leisure (kawadya) , hollow frustum shaped zinc pieces time as they Will be free from their agricultural work (pan) etc In the past old cams, glass pieces, Silver, and hence dUring this period they can spend more lead etc were used to decorate the finished time for the embroidery work products But at present these are not commonly 37 Plate 10: Equipments- Sickle and needle I "The only equipments required for'the craft are sickle to cut the cloth into pieces and the needle to make ~he embroidery work." I Page : 40 Plate 11: Raw materials - Thread , wool, chhatya cloth and sea shells (kawadya) Page: 40 38 used The raw matenals are available in the nearby to the embroidery work and hence the consumption villages or towns and no problems are faced In the of raw matenals dunng the above season Will be a procurement of these Items The Banjaras httle higher when compared to other seasons The purchase these raw matenals along with their other details collected from the selected households on requirements when they go to market The average the average monthly consumption of raw matenals consumption of the raw materials depends on the for manufactunng different items classified by quantum of articles produced DUring summer educational level of households are gIVen below In season the Banjara women get free time to attend the following table Table IV - 3 Average monthly consumption of raw materials classified by edl,lcatlonalJevel of head of the household Educa No of handi No of Average monthly consumption of each raw matenal tional craft Items house Chhatya Mangjl Thread Wool ~awadya I Metal Pan level manufactured holds cloth cloth (In (In (in nngs (Nos) of the In a year* manu (In (In kg ) gms ) (gms ) (No~ ) head 01 Name 01 Nos factu metres) metres) house Item ring hold handi craft Items 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 illiterate Kachali 53 19 440 1 10 1100 45 Zolana 12 8 050 050 0250 25 100 4 3 Kothah 6 5 015 015 0040 5 50 Pat 9 3 040 040 0190 20 Chunchl 8 3 040 040 0100 10 Gadano 2 1 010 010 0020 5 20 Phetlya 54 18 950 4000 2600 115 LIterate without educational level Pnmary Kachall 41 12 340 090 0860 35 Zolana 18 8 075 075 0375 35 150 6 4 Chunchl 9 045 045 0115 5 Gadano 4 020 020 0035 10 35 Daranl 7 075 075 0120 15 60 Khalchl 4 3 025 025 0070 5 70 2 Pat 12 3 050 050 0250 25 Phetlya 66 20 1160 4870 3175 140 39 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 2 ------5 6 Middle Kachall 73 14 610 160 1525 60 Phetlya 43 16 760 3180 2075 90 Gadano 3 015 015 0025 6 Kothali 13 4 030 030 0085 10 110 Chunchl 10 5 050 050 0125 10 Zolana 11 2 045 045 0230 20 90 4 3 Pat 22 5 090 090 0475 45 DaraOi 11 2 1 15 1 15 0185 25 90 Matncula- Kachah 3 025 010 0065 4 tlcn/ Phetlya 3 055 230 0150 6 higher secondary *Slnce the number of Items manufactured In a month will be very negligible or 'nil' In respect of most of the Items, the yearly figures are gIVen In col 3 The surveyed data reveal that kachall and kothali have been made by 9 households each and phetwa are the Items mainly prepared and more the. nUlT'ber of pieces made are 27 and 19 households have engaged in the preparation of respectively The other items like gadano, darani these items While 55 households have prepared and khalchl have been made only by 3 households 166 phettya, 46 households have prepared 170 each and the items produced are 9, 18 and 4 kachalls The production of these items is more as respectIVely these are required for regular use by the BanJaras The next major production is zo/ana which IS also required by the households for regular use 18 As mentioned earlier the raw materials mamly households have produced 41 pieces of this Item required for producing these items are chhatya This IS followed by pat, the article required for cloth, different coloured thread and mangji cloth for indoor· game of women, and 11 households have providing Iinln,g In addition to these woollen t~read, made 43 pieces of this Item This indicates ihe sea shells (kawadya) , pari etc are also required tendency of the women folk to Idle their time by The average requirement of raw materials for one plaYing an indoor game like chess C/;wnchl and piece of each item is as follows Table IV - 4 Average requirement of raw material for dIfferent items Name of Raw matenal required for each Item Item Chhatya MangJI Thread Wool Kawadya Metal Pan cloth cloth (Ingms) (10 (10 gms) nngs (Nos) (In (In gms) (Nos) metres) metres) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kachah 100 025 250 10 40 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Phetlya 210 885 575 25 Zolana 050 050 250 25 100 4 3 Chunchl 05() 060 150 10 Khalchl 075 075 200 10 200 6 Daram 125 125 200 25 100 Gadano 060 060 100 25 100 4 Pat 050 050 250 25 Kothah 025 025 75 10 100 Kothalo 150 150 400 10 100 Cost of raw materials craft In Its present stage had developed even before generations and decendants of thiS craft have not Rajasthan is a cradle of ancIent art and craft am;! adopted any new technique to SUIt changing needs the products made by the people of Rajasthan are as IS eVident from the fact that the Banjaras are stili beautiful, functIonal and unrque in that each one IS uSing short Sickle to cut the cloth to pieces Instead hand-crafted with a love and pride There IS also a of replaCIng this by sCissors to their advantage The saying In Rajasthan that the patterns on the only equipments reqUIred for the craft are Sickle to women's skirts change wIth every twelve kos (384 cut the cloth Into pieces and the needle to make the kilometres) one travels In the state So great IS the embroIdery work The needle costs Jess than 50 variety of hand-crafted fabrics available here Folk paIse The cost of the various Items of raw embroIderies have survrved despite very lIttle matenals at the tIme of survey was as follows patronage from princes and Banjara embroIdery IS one among them Most Rajasthanr women love to 1 Chhatya cloth - Rs 5 - 7 per metre decorate theIr surroundings and are clever WIth theIr needles EmbroIderies, often incorporatIng 2 Mangjl cloth - Rs 5 - 8 per metre beads or mIrrors cover door frames, furnIture and garments 1 It IS, therefore, no wonder that the 3 Cotton thread - Rs 50 - 60 per kg Banjaras, whose ancestors hailed from Rajasthan, show remarkable skill In their traditional embroidery 4 Woollen thread - Rs 10 per 100 gms work The process of manufacture of Banjara embroidery IS very simple as the needle alone IS 5 Sea shells (kawadya) - Rs 60 - 70 per kg needed In this craft and what IS Important IS the talent applied In the work which IS traditional The 6 Pan - Rs 9 per dozen 1 'The crafts of RaJasthan', deSIgned and produced for the Department of I ounsm, Government of Ralastnan by India TOUrism Development Corporation and pnnted at Process Private Ltd, Madras, Dec 1984 41 Chhatya cloth IS the main raw matenal required Stages of production of various items and It IS used for making all articles. It is a thick, coarse cotton cloth prepared from 60 count yarn The vanous stages In the production of different The embroidery work is made only on chhatya items of articles are as follows cloth The mangjl cloth is used for lining only. The coloured thread Is used to do the embroidery work I Kacha/, In different types of designs The woollen threads are made ball-shaped and attached at the edges or Stage 1 The first stage In making a kacha/I bottom portion of kachait,phetwa, zo/ana, chunchi Involves the preparation of different sizes of etc to add the beauty of the articles The sea shells chhatya cloth pieces of different colours, mainly are also used to make the Items attractive in black and red Sickle IS used to cut the cloth in appearance the following sizes Chhatl (portion covering the bosom) 25 cm X 20 cm - one piece Peti (portion covering the abdomen) 20 cm X 16 5 Clll - one piece Chlrma (pieces covering a portion of the 72 5 em X 7 5 cm - two pieces nbs on both sides of bosom and abdomen) Khadapa (pieces covering the remaining portion 72 5 cm X 7 5 cm - two pieces of the ribs on both sides of bosom and the abdomen and a portion of the back) Khuppa (pieces joining chhatl and chirma in the bosom portion) 15 cm X 7 5 cm - two pieces Bah; (portion covering the shoulders and arms) 35 cm X 10 cm - two pieces Katta (cloth used for piping to make the edges strong) 1 5 em X 75 em - two pieces The different portions of the Kachali may be seen from the diagram gIVen below 1 Chhatl 2 Pet! string (darl ) 3 Chlrma 4 Khadapa 5 Khuppa 6 Bahl 7 Katta (plpmg) balls A Portion with out KACHALI 2mbroldery 42 Plate 12: Cutting chhatya cloth using sickle " ... decendants of this craft have not adopted any new technique to suit changing needs as is evident from the fact that the Banjaras are ,still using short sickle to cut the cloth to pieces instead of replacing this by scissors to their advantage." Page :40 Plate 13: Banjara woman doing enbroi~ry work on a piece of cloth for kachaJi Page: 44 , 43 PIIIte 14: The chhatl, p«J and bahi of kachall are being joined. The photograph at the bottom shows the reverse side of chhati and peti Witt-, lining cloth (The long piece with design of animals in frOflt of the craftsperson is not a part of k~haIi.1t is a tepo piece required for phetiya) Page: 44 44 Stage 2 Once the pieces of cloth required for the Stage 3 When the pieces of cloth are thus kachali are ready the second stage of operation decorated with embroidery the chhatl, petl and is of making embroidery work on these pieces khuppa are provided with lining using mangJl The embroidery work is being done only with the cloth Then the chhati and petl are Joined help of needle The threads used for stitching together appropriately using needle and are of different bright colours. A different blend coloured tt;lread Then the two pieces of khuppa of designs are used On chhatJ and petl the are attached with chhati, one on each side Then figures of peacock, dog or other birds and the chlfma' and khadapa (2 pairs) are joined animals are generally embroidered along with together and these are attached on both sides of bangad; bharat, hathphool or rumall bhat the piece containing chhati, peti and khuppa designs These deSigns are made adopting 'Before thus joining, the edges of the pieces are cross stitch. Khadapa, chirma, khuppa and bahl folded and stitched to make the edges ~hlck are decorated with bajofl akada, balo" bhat, Then these thick edges will be joined together ghoderkhur and kundalu akada designs In the using black thread Thereafter the two pieces of khadapa pieces the upper portion is left plam bahi are attached appropriately The sketch of a without embroidery hS shown in the dlagt8m Banjara woman joining the embroidered pieces of kachali Is illustrated below. Stage 4 After completion of the third stage of the' kachali to tie these round the back as the piping with black coloured mangji cloth (katta) back portion of the kachall is bare Finally will be provided at the neck portion at the end of woollen balls of different colours are attached to the bahl and at the sides of the khadapa At the the peti and bahl to make the kachal! attractive bottom of the peti also piping will be provided Now the kachafl IS ready using mangjl cloth (katta) and the colour of the II PhetlYa cloth used will be red Then the stnngs (dart) are This is used as skirt by the Banjara females This attached at the neck portion and central portion consists of four parts viz lepo, lawan, ghero and 45 \ Plats 15: A pair of finished kachalis Page: 44 \ \ I I I I I I 46 Plate 16: Doing embroidery work on '~po piece Page: 47 Plate 17: Doing embroidery work on lawan pi ece Page: 47 47 sabab The cloths required for each part of the cloth belt to tie the phet'Ya round the waist - In phetlya are as follows the cloth of size 75 em X 7 5 cm embroidery work IS done lengthWise In the central portion at Lepo - One piece of plain chhatya cloth In red a width of 4 cm leaVing a border of about 2 cm colour of size 75 cm long and 7 5 cm on either side (I e at the top and bottom) The wide - the length may vary depending deSigns used for the embroidery are generally on the waist measurement of the bangadi bharat, sasyardat, masuryafjall etc wearer The deSigns are made USing different coloured thread Lawan - Two pieces of plain chhatya cloth, one In red colour and the other In black colour of size 4 5 metres long and 15 Stage 2 Then the emholdery work on the two cm wide each pieces of lawan, which form the boraer of the !)l1etlYa, IS taKen up As mentioned earlier the Ghero - Two pieces of plain mangJI cloth, one length of each r.uecs IS 4 5 metres, with a Width of In red colour and the other In black 15 cm Here also embroidery work IS done colour of size 4 5 metres long and 20 lengthWise In the central , Plate 18: Joining the Iswan piece with sabab, the printed mangji cloth Page: 49 Plate 19: The finished phetiya in the centre with another lepa and lawan pieces at its top and bottom respectively ____' Page: 50 49 Stage 3 When the Jepo and Jawan are ready, ~he the ghero at the top In such a way that the black two pieces of printed mangfl cloth In red and and red colours from top to bottom come black colours In the size 4 5 metres X 40 cm are alternately Jomed together to make the length of the sabab 9 metres with a Width of 40 cm , and thiS piece IS Stage 5 The total length of thiS piece IS 9 metres then stitched with the lawan, which IS ready In and the loose end of thiS has to be attached to such a way that the black and red colours In the the tepa with a length of only 75 cm or a little fawan and sabab come diagonally That IS the less or more depending on the waist size of the black portion of the sabab WIll be above the red wearer In order to achieve thiS the 9 metres portion of the Jawan and vice versa ThiS IS long loose end of the ghera IS reduced first to 75 being done to add the beauty of the phetwa by cm or a little less or more by making closely contrast of colours Since the lawan and sabab arranged pleats of convenient size To keep are of the same length of 9 metres there will be these pl~ats Intact a stitching IS made about an no difficulty In JOining them Care IS taken at thiS Inch below the- top loose end of the ghero ThiS stage that the sabab IS JOined with the border IS an ornamentpl smocking stitch called cheen provided In the lawan above the embroidered ThiS Will be clearly vIsible even after the ghera portion In It and the entire embroidered portion In and tepa are JOined When the pleats are made the lawan shows up The loose end of the JOint In the ghera and, ,these are kept Intact by of the lawan and sabab Will come on the reverse providing the smocking stitch, thiS piece IS JOined Side of the embroidered portion In the lawan and with the tepa In such a way that the loose ends of the printed portion In the sabab To make the the JOint come inside l"hereafter the Inner Side JOint strong and the lawan thicker, lining IS of the tepa IS provided with lining covering the provided to the Jawan covering the loose enps of folded top border of the tepa and the loose ends the JOint and for this purpose mangjl cloth IS of the JOint of the tepa and ghero Thick used used At the bottom of the Jawan piping IS cloth IS used for providing thiS lining While provided uSing black mangJl cloth Throughout providing the lining, care IS taken to see that the the entire JOint of the lawan and sabab a border entire embrOidered portion of the Jepo shows up IS provided on the outer Side uSing black piece of cloth ThiS IS being done to make a contrast Stage 6 After JOining the fepo, ghera, sabab and between the lawan and sabab Running stitch IS lawan one below the other the entire piece IS made to provide thiS border JOined Sideways In the shape of a skirt While doing so, the top portion measuring about 7 5 cm IS kept open to facilitate easy weanng of the Stage 4 The next stage of operation IS the phetlya by slipping It over the head At the loose JOining of ghera with the JOined piece of lawan ends of the Jepo two loops are made with thread and sabab For that the two pieces of ghera In and In these loops tapes are att slightly depending on the height of the wearer to wear singularly chosen metal or IVOry Another pOint deserves mention IS that the ornaments weighing eight to ten pounds round phetlya, when worn, will not cover the ankles and their arms and legs has already been mentioned It will be left exposed to exhibit the ornaments In Chapter I A sketch of phettya IS given below worn there The fondness of the BanJara women for easy Identification of various parts In It CHEEN (Smocking stitch) 1 Lepo 2 Ghero 3 Sabab (chhtt) 4 Lowan :\ 1 SKotto 6 Borders 7 PIPI ng PHETIYA III Zo/ana travelling or while going to the market The different parts of the zo/ana and the size of chhatya cloth It IS a shoulder bag commonly used while reqUired for each part are as follows lo/anar sabab Red chhatya cloth of size 22 5 cm X 22 5 cm (one piece) Za/an (border pieces) Black chhatya cloth of size 22 5 cm X 5 cm (four pieces) Takadi (corner pieces) Red chhatya cloth of size 5 em X 5 em (four pieces) Patta (strap) Red chhatya cloth of size 67 5 cm X 75 cm (one piece) 51 Stage 1: First the chhatya cloth is cut according make the thing clear. However, an attempt is to the above sizes. Then embroidery work is made below to explain this process. The piece done on each piece of cloth. While doing the of embroidered cloth is first folded in the shape embroidery work masur; design is made in the of a postal. envelope (position 2). zolanar sabab and takadi pieces and bajori POSITION--2 design is made in zalari pieces. In the patta different designs like kattajali, masuri, valyanarphoo/, sasyardat etc. are made. Stage 2: When the embroidery work is finished the four pieces of zalar; are attached to the four sides of zofanar sabab and the takadi on the corners as shown in the figure below (position 1). POSITION--1 , I If this is held by all the corners together'it will be in the shape or a pouch (po~tion 3). I . POSITJON--3 \ / I .. I This will have 4 open edges. Half the portion of these 4 edges will be stitched half the length of 1 Zolanar sabab the open portion from the bottom (Le. about 8 cm.) (position 4). 2 ZalaIi POSITION--4 3 Takadi This will form one square piece of size 32.5 cm. This piece is then provided with lining using mangj; cloth. It needs no mention that the lining will be on the reverse of the embroidered side. Stage 3: After providing the lining, the piece is I folded in a peculiar way and some edges ,i stitched to give it the shape of a pouch. It is Stage 4: The cloth thus folded and stitched will rather difficult to explain the way in which this is h~ve four triangular shaped edges at the top done and the actual demonstration alone will with a pouch below. On the four loose corner 52 edges at the top, metal rings are attached. The bharat, chandar vaja/o and designs of animals ends of the patta (shoulder strap) will be 'V' and birds like elephant, horse, dog, peacock etc. shaped, and these are attached to the metal Thereafter lining with mangji cloth is provided on rings in such a way that two adjacent metal rings all the pieces. are attached to the same "V" shaped ends, one at each end. Then hollow frustum shaped zinc Stage 2: Once the above work is over, the pieces pieces (pan) are attached at the bottom and are arranged in such a way that the largest piece sides of the bag with the help of coloured (10 em. X 30 cm.) comes at ,the bottom and the threads passing through the inside of the bag. piece of size 10 cm. X 20 cm . comes just above ..The borders of the patta are provided with piping 'that and so on. These pieces are so arranged using black coloured cloth and these are that the three outer sides of all the pieces come decorated with woollen balls of different colours ~ in a line one above the other. These sides are A sketch of finished zo/ana is given below. then stitched together and piping is provided on the edgeslJsing black coloured cloth. The top of the bigger piece is then cut into triangular shape and the edges stitched. -Then a piece of string is 1 attached at the top end of the bag so that this ZOLANA \ . I \ can be tied when it is rolled. The three edges of \ I. this bag are also decorated with woollen thread .. balls of various colours. A sketch of chunchi is given below. CHUNCH! \ IV. Chunchi V. Khalchi Stage 1: This is a small folded bag to keep pan, Stage 1: It is a cloth bag used to keep bread. supari etc. The full size of the bag is generally 10 For making this bag chhatya cloth of size 45 em cm.X 30 cm. having three or four pouches. If a X 45 em., another used cloth of the same size bag with 3 pouches is required then chhatya and mangji cloth also of the same size are cloth is cut in the sizes 10 cm. X 30 cm., 10 cm X required. On the chhatya cloth, the used cloth 20 cm ., 10 cm X 10 cm., and 10 cm. X 5 cm. and the mangji cloth are placed and these are Then embroidery work is done on these pieces in attached to one another by making running such a way that the embroidery covers only stitches on these cloths using thick white thread. those portions of these pieces Which show up in Rows of stitches are made in the cloth from the finished product. The designs generally used inside in such a way that only white dots of th~se for embroidery in chunchi are hathphoo/,bangadi stitches alone appear on the outer side of the 53 chhatya cloth These stitches will make rows of shape of open postal cover White dOing so the dots on the outer side of the chhatya cloth and edges of the folds Just touch each other and do these dots will so appear that the dots Ih not overlap so that the piping of all the sides are alternate lines wlJf be symmetrical and the dots of the two adjacent hnes will be alternate The 0 0 0 foHowing sketches will make the position clear ~0 c 0 0 0:) 0 0 0 0 0 C> 0 0 0 0 c c 0 c:=:::JC:======OUTER SIDE Flgun~ 2 ======r vlslbfe even after folding the sides Three sides INNER SIDE of these folds are then ~itched leaVing one Side Figure open to be used as folcJer. The joints of the sides are then decorated with sea shells The finished Stage 2 Based on these whtte dots appearing on bag will be square in shape , and wAI resemble the chhatya cloth embrOIdery designs are made postal cover The tip of the folder IS provided uSing dlfferent coloured threads by JOining these with a smng and woollen balls are attached at dots In a zig-zag manner and this method of the end of the string The comets and the centre making design IS called hernng-bone (vegarane) portion of the side of the bag opposite to the side where the folded edges are stitched are Stage 3 The embroidered square piece of cloth decorated with floral deSigns USing small sea is then ornamented With black piping of 1 5 cm shells A sketch of a finished khalchl is given width on four sides Then thiS is folded In the below KHALCHI -. ".:- . '.:. - . 54 J. .' \ . PIa1e 20: ~ished items - DalJlni (left) and khalchi (right) "In daran/ sea shells are attached on the four corners and in the centre:" Page: 55 / " Plate 21: Finished item Daran; This was prepared more than 50 years ago Page: 55 55 VI Daram pollpat (Pot/pat IS a wooden plank circular In shape to spread chappatJ) The different parts of This IS a piece of cloth used to keep raw atta, the the daran! and the chhatya cloth required for mrxed atta ready for making chappatl and the each part are as follows Sabab (middle portion) Red chhatya cloth of size 40 em X 40 cm (one piece) Border pieces Black chhatya cloth of SIZe 40 em X 10 em. (four piece&) Comer pieces Red chhatya cloth of size 10 em X to em (four pieces) Stage 1 First the ehhatya cloth is cut according drfferent sizes viz 30 em X 30 em I 375 em X to the above sizes Then the border pieces and 375 em, 45 cm X 45 em etc according to comer pieces are attached with sabab as shown requirement The I process of making thiS item IS in the sketch below to make one Single piece of Similar to that of ctaranf In datanI sea shells are sIZe 60 cm X 60 cm attached on the four CC>rne1s and in the centre DARANI whereas In gadano sea ,heUs and woollen balls - are used on the Jour t1ders pnty A sketcti of ®J- gadano IS gIVen b>elow 1 5abob (mlddk! portion) 2 Border p lecQC; black 3 COrf'llH piQces red .!!iM~ ~ L, pIping I Sobllb (midlllllpDrlion) Stage 2 ThiS piece is prOVIded with lining uSing 2. Blllck eardey P MIce, 3 Red CO'll\Hpil!cl!~ one piece of used cloth and one piece of mangJl 4 Sea. - she lis cloth to make the daram suffiCiently thick These 5 Woolen balls three pieces are stitched together adopting the, VIII Pat same type of strtches used In khalchl The embrOidery wor1< Is also the same Thereafter ThiS IS used for playing an Indoor game For the edges are ornamented wrth piping uSing red making pat red chhatya cloth IS used and for lining coloured cloth for boruer portion and btaek mangjl doth IS used coloured cloth for corner portion to rnake the effect of contrast of colour To make the daranl Stage 1 First 4 pieces of chhatya cloth In the look attractive sea shells are attached to the four sizes 15 cm X 30 em and one piece of s~e 15' corners and in the centre em X 15 cm are cut Then 24 squares in each piece of size 15 em X 30 cm are designed in VII Gadano thre€ rows wrth 8 squares In each raw using cploured threads to move coins used as pawn in ThiS IS a square cloth generally used to cover this game These squares are then filled with dnnkmg water pots plates wrth eatables etc embroidery wor1< and the design used for this during festIVe occasions ThiS IS made In embrOidery is valyanarphool Same designs are Plate 22: Gadanos in different sizes and designs shells and woollen balls are used, on the four borders only," "Sea Page: 58 I I prate 23: Pat which IS used 10r playing an 'indoor game "Page: 58 -t 57 '- Plate 24: Finished items • Kotha/i in the centre with two different sized chunchis on its either side Page: 58' , \ \ Plate 25: KothaJo • an old piece prepared more than 50 years ago Page: 58 58 provided In all the four pieces of size 15 cm X 30 keeping money and other small personal em In the square piece the design hathphoo/ls belongmgs Red chhatya cloth IS used for making embroidered this bag A piece of chhatya cloth of 40 cm X 15 Stage 2 After completing the embroidery work em IS taken and It IS provided wIth lining using these are provided with lining Then the four mangJi cloth Thereafter embroidery IS made pieces of size 15 cm X 30 cm are JOined with the applying the same method adopted In khalchl square piece of 15 cm X 15 cm one on each Then the cloth of 40 em X 15 cm IS folded Side Then the borders are hemmed with black Sideways and the two Sides are stitched and coloured thread A pouch IS also made In the hemmed keeping the top portion open The top central piece to keep the dice and pawns when border IS also hemmed At one corner of the open the game IS over A sketch of pat IS given below end a loop IS made with thread and a cloth string is P~T attached to It, After keeping money and other Items. the mouth of the bag IS tied tightly using this string Big bags of sI1e 60 em X 52 5 em are also made, though rarelY, and I these bags are called kothalo, which serves the purpose of a sack to bring articles from weekl~ market The lining and embroidery In thiS bag IS made In the same way as in kotha/, But in between chhatya and mangJi 'cloths thick used cloth IS provided to make the bag strong enough to carry heavy things Woollen balls are also attached in the four corners to make the This IS a small bag of size 20 cm X 15 cm for bag look attractIVe FOLDED KOTHALl KOTHALI 59 Items not in vogue now 11 Bangadl Bharat In addition to the articles mentioned above a few 12 Rumalt Bhat other items like shmgadi, tikwa, talwarkho/, masala kothall, gala, fan, vakhara, dhalkholJ, ghoongato, 13 KattaJalt bedspread etc were also produced In the very long past But these Items are not produced now 14 Sasyardat and the present generation has no clear Idea as to how these Items are to be made However, 15 Valyanarphool specimens of these Items are available With Shn S S Jadhav The photographs of these Items 16 Chandar Vafalo Indicating the purposes for which these articles are used are Included in this report 17 Sapan Designs used for embroidery 18 Banyan The follOWing are the deSigns used for 19 Ba}phoo/ embroidery 20 Figures of birds, animals, trees, sky, swastlk 1 Kundalu Akada etc 2 BaJort Akada 3 Balori Bhat It IS very difficult to explain how these designs are embrOidered and a few of these deSigns are not 4 Masuryafjalt being used now To enable the readers to have an Idea about the popular and commonly used 5 Ekdant Bajori deSigns the sketches of a few deSigns are given below 6 Zundalt Balon 7 Masuri 8 Balori 9 Hathphool 10 Ghoderkhur RUNNING STITCH RUMALJ BHAT 60 RUNNING STITCH ZHUNDALI /BA~ORI SMOCKING STITCH EKOANI BAJORI CROSS STITCH M~thod for making wooten balls KUNOALU AKAOA 62 BANGAOI SHARAT / I I Plafe26: Shingadi (on the two extreme) and tik~ ,.,,27: (aheath for digger) and patta fin the middle) - These were used to deck Wom by bridegroom. during the horns and forehead of the bullocks ,J marriage ceremony Page: 59 I Page: 59 , + Plate 28: Massla kothaJi - Bag with pouches to keep spices I P'_ 29: Gala - Head-wear used by Banjar. brides In I Page: 59 olden days Page: 59 / \ Plate 30: Fan - A device waved in the hand to create Plate 31: Vakhara - A sheet used to spread on the a current of air floor for persona to sit during festive occasions Page: 59 Pagr. 59 64 Ghoongato . Head cover \ use'd by brides - Plate 32: Dhalkholi~ . Used to cover the shield (a piece Platel33: during marriage ceremony Page: 59 of armour carried on the arm to protect the body against attack by others) Page: 59 / Plate 34: Bedspread Page: 59 BhaJa (spear) with bhalakhol tip) ,J I 65 I I I Plate 37: Kothali and chunchi with modifications to use these as small purse, shoulder bag and a bag to keep letter • ... What is needed is minor alterations in the style and pattern of the finished products to suit the modern requirement:' Page: 81 I , I \ \ Pieces of cloth embroidered with designs - Sapari, chandar valyal1arphoo', and birds, animals and flowers Page: 59 , , Plate 39: Embroidered pieces bajori akada Page: 59 67 These are all traditional designs used for the BanJaras might have taken their clue from their generations and no new designs have been added surroundings, the colours of the setting desert sun, to these at any later stage There IS also no myth the forms In nature and even the patterns In the and legend associated with the designs except that wind-blown sands and translated thrse mto this art belongs to Rajasthan and the forefathers of exqUisite designs CHAPTERV MARKETING MARKETING SHOULD INVOLVE seiling of the finished e~pert' My son Sanchandra, who had learned the products by the producers to the consumers direct embrOidery too, is now a grown up man and he or with the help of any outside agencies like began to venture to the cities to exhibit and sell In brokers, commissioned sales-agents or middlemen 1980 my work got recognition and an award at the In the past the finished products of Baniara State Handicrafts Week Exhibition In Bombay In embroidery were not in the market at all except the 1981 I was called to Deihl by the All India purchase of tne finished products by the BanJara Handicrafts Board and asked to demonstrate my people themselves on rare occasions from others In craft on a televIsion programme and the final their own tanda when they were In urgent need and crowning of all my efforts was to receive the had no time to make these Items themselves National Award In 1982 My son and hiS Wife According to the old BanJara custom, dunng Kalavatlbal have both been given state awards and marriage, the parents of bndes should give along pnzes already, but more together we have got with one set of kachali and phetiya other items like together and formed a co-operative organisation gadano, darani, khalchl, kothafl, kothafo etc and a The Banjara Vlkas where we all work together and bullock to the bride-grooms and it was on these sell together and share our profits occasions that the needy families generally used to purchase their reqUirements from others In their So In the last years of my life I am at least free of own tanda on paying the cost or to get these Items anxiety of how to feed my family I am confident prepared by others for them by supplying the raw that my children Will continue to keep our BcanJara matenals and paying the labour charges Thus, In traditions too, and follow our steps and earn laurels the past, the Banjara embrOidery products never for the family and our tribe" crossed through sales the boundaries of the respective tanda, where these were produced It The enqUines made dunng the field VISit reveal was only when an elderly Banjara woman named that there IS no exaggeration In the statement Smt Goplbal Sangram Jadhav of Chalisgaon tahSil except that the formation of the co-operative came In the scene of BanJara embrOidery, a little organisation IS stili only In paper It IS only because more than a decade ago, that the finished products of the tremendous and arduous work done by Shn of Banjara embroidery attained the status of Sanchandra Jadhav, son of Smt GOplbal Sangram marketable Items though no noticeable headway In Jadhav, and hiS Wife Smt Kalavatlbal that the the boost of sale of these Items could be achieved products of thiS craft, which were earlier confined even now An extract of the statement given by her only to the BanJara people, could be brought out to the Development CommiSSioner of Handicrafts and reach even other countries dUring the celebration of cottage handicraft week from 8-15 December, 1982, which has relevance In The promotion of the sale of the BanJara thiS context, IS given below "Just as I had learnt at embrOidery products was Initiated by the above my mother's feet, I undertook to teach embroidery, Jadhav family and even now they alone are Involved espeCially to children As I made every effort to In thiS, as could be ascertained from the local learn anything new from every one of my enqUiry, and no other person IS procunng and generation I think people began to refer me as an seiling these Items The entire credit for 69 70 populanslng the Banjara embroidery products goes Maharashtra with the financial assistance of the All to the Jadhav family and Shn Sanchandra Jadhav IS India Handicrafts Board These exhibitions were the kingpin In the matter It was at his Instance and conducted for the selected handicraft Items like efforts that stalls were opened In the handicraft Banjara embroidery, metal work, madhubanl exhibitions conducted In India and abroad to painting, patta painting, kalamkan and terracotta populanse the Banjara embroidery Items and he The exhibitions In Sydney and Melbourne were for a claims that there are customers even In foreign duration of 21 days and 6 days respectively It countries for these items Anyway, the demand IS requires no speCial mention that the Banjara not to that extent to persuade the Banjaras to take embroidery stalls In all these occasions were up this craft on commerCial baSIS and even now the opened and managed by Shn Jadhav He claims BanJara women engage themselves In this craft only that after the exhibition in Australia he IS receiving as a pastime when they get leisure after attending enqUiries from ot~er countries regarding the to household and other works and there IS no availability of Banjara embroidery Items At present awakemng among the Banjaras that thiS IS a Viable Banjara embrOidery Items 1re available for regular craft haVing marketing potential sale In the Central Cottag~ Industry, Bombay and Tnmurty Emponum, Bombay and Deihl and the Exhibitions of banjara products finished Items for these regul~r sales are being supplied by Shn Jadhav himself and no one else IS As per the details collected dUring field VISit It IS Invulved In thiS understood that the Banjara embroidery Items were first exhibited In the handicraft exhibition held In Marketing of the finished products Bandra, Bombay In 1979 under the auspices of the Directorate of Industnes, Maharashtra In that As mentioned supra the BanJara people at large, exhlbl1:1on the Items were only displayed and no except the Jadhav family, are even today Ignorant sale counter was opened Orders for the supply of that their craft has already made strides towards vanous Items were said to have been received as a marketing and the above family alone IS taking result of thiS exhibition Interest In the propagation process They have their own limitation and large scale progress can be The next occaSion when the Banjara embrOidery achieved only With the enthUSiastic mass Items were exhibited was In the handicraft Involvement Now the sale of finished products IS exhibition conducted dunng 1980 In Kumaraswamy transacted only through Shn Jadhav He also Hall, Bombay by the Handicrafts Board The supplies raw matenals to the BanJaras and gets hiS duration of the exhibition was for 5 days and It IS requirements prepared by them on payment of claimed that articles to the value of about labour charges As 10,000/- were sold Apar:t from these, stalls for the Banjara embroidery Items were said to have This being the position the exercise In collecting been opened In vanous places In India like Deihl, data from the Banjara households regarding the Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Goa, Bangalore, marketing of the finished products can only be futile Madras, Coch,", Tnvandrum and other cities and due to the Ignorance of the Informants about thiS towns In the exhibition of handicraft Items matter The quantum of finished products brought organised by the Development Commissioner to market IS also very negligIble However, an (Handicrafts), Government of India and Vlshwa attempt was made In thiS direction The details Karaglr Panshad, Maharashtra OutSide India, the collected on the number of households producing Banlara embroidery products were displayed In the handicraft Items claSSified by quality produced and exhibitions conducted In Sydney and Melbourne In purpose for which produced are furnished In the Australia by the Vlshwa Karaglr Panshad, tables below 71 Table V - 1 Number of households produCing handicraft Items and the purpose for which produced Purpose for which produced Name of Number Item of For self use For sale house- Regular For Less than 10-25 holds domestic cere- 10 pieces pieces produ- use mOnlal- per annum per clng occa- annum this slon Item For Thro- For Thro cash ugh cash ugh mld- mid- dle- dle- men men 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Phetlya 55 48 8 18 2 Kachah 46 37 4 16 3 Zolana 18 14 7 14 4 Pat 11 9 4 5 5 Kothah g 8 2 6 Chunchl g 7 5 7 7 Khalchl 3 3 8 Daranl 3 3 9 Gadano 3 3 72 Table V -2 Number of households producing handicraft items, quantities of each Item produced in a year and the purpose for which produced Name of No 01 Total Purpose for which produced ______Item house quan For sell use For sale holds tity Regular For For Through produ prod domes cere cash mlddle- cing uced tiC use mOnial men the ma qcca Item year $Ion 2 3 4 5 6 7 55 166 90 14 3 59 2 Kachall 46 170 99 17 52 3 Zolana 1S 41 16 8 17 4 Pat 11 43 9 7 4 23 5 Kothah 9 19 10 9 6 Chunchl 9 27 9 6 12 7 Khalchl 3 4 4 8 Daram 3 18 18 9 Gadano 3 9 9 Total 497 264 52 9 172 It may be seen from table V 1 that 19 households demand In the market mainly for the Items phetJya, have made phetiya at the rate of less than 10 pieces kacha/I and lo/ana, and even among these, kachall per annum for sale, while 17 households have made has more demand It has already been mentioned kachal/ at the rate of less than 10 pieces per annum In Chapter I of thiS report that with the present trend and one famdy at the rate of 10-25 pieces per of fashion the kacha/I of the BanJaras Will become annum for sale Zo/ana has been made by 14 one of the hottest seiling Items If necessary households at the rate of less than 10 pieces per Improvements In the dress to SUIt the present annum for sale These figures indicate that there IS requirement are made and thiS IS substantiated by 73 the above marketing pOSition though much has yet pOint to be noted is that the only source of market IS to be done to boost the market of Banlara through middlemen and direct sale to the embroidery items Barring the above items pat, customers by the producers is negligible The kothall and chunchi have also market, though in a direct sale of phetiya, kachali and pat (column 5) IS very reduced scale, while other Items like kha/chl, to other BanJaras In the same Village and there IS no darani, gadano etc have no market at all and the (lirect sale of these articles in other Villages, towns production of these Items IS only to meet the and cities as is eVident from the following details personal requirement of the producers Another collected through field investigation Table V - 3 Number of households producing items classified by place of sale of articles Name of Number of Number of households reported article households haVing sold these Items prodUCing Inside Other Towns Cities these village vill- (Name) (Name) Items ages (Na'lle) 2 3 4 5 6 1 Phetlya 55 19 2 Kachali 46 18 3 Zolana 18 14 4 Pat 11 6 5 Kothah 9 2 6 Chunchl 9 7 7 Khalchl 3 8 Oaram 3 9 Gadano 3 Except one household which has produced raise this craft to the status of a profitable kacllall at the rate of 10-25 per annum all the other occupation The Banjaras who are engaged In the households have produced vanous Items only at craft have at present no idea about the margin of the rate of less then 10 per annum ThiS IS a very profit they are getting in their work In fact there is poor state of affair and much has to be done to no element of any margin of profit to them. Shri 74 Jadhav is the only middleman in the sale of the charges alone, if the raw materials are supplied by finished products. He collects orders and him according to requirement he gets the work Labour charge and price of each item executed through the craftspersons by paying them The labour charge for each item and the price of the cost of raw materials and the labour charges, If each finished item as per the data collected dUring they supply the finished products, or the labour the survey are as follows Name of Item Labour charge Price of the finished Item 1. Kachali As 50/- to As 75/- for a As 100/- to As 150/- finished item 2. Phetiya As.145/-to As 175/ As 250/- to As 400/- depending on the nature of deSigns to be embroidered (a) Lepo piece alone As 5/- per piece (b) Lawan piece alone As 3/- to Rs 4/- per foot depending upon the natute of the design embroidered 3 Zolana As 40/- to As 50/- for a As 75/- to As 125/- finished item 4 Chunchi As 25/- to As 30/- for a As 50/- to As 75/- finished item 5 Khalchi As 70/- to As 100/ As 150/- to Rs 200/- for a finished Item 6. Dara", As.75/- to Rs 100/- for a As 200 to As 250/- finished Item 7 Gadano As 30/- to As 40/- for a As 75/- to As 100/- finished item 8 Pat As.150/- for a As 300/-to As 350/- finished item 9 Kothali As 10/-to As 15/- for a As 25/- to Rs 40/- finished item 10 Kothaio Rs 200/- for a As 300/-to As 350/- finished Item 75 The man-days required to make each item cannot Banjaras to adopt their embroidery work as a full be estimated because this work is not done on a full time occupation has not so far been created and time basis and is being done only during the leisure there Is a long way to go to achieve this time as stated ear1ler The environment to lure the CHAPTER VI CRAFT AND EMPLOYMENT Origin of the craft oral tradition When the BanJaras began to settle in fixed places and engaged themselves in other IN MAHARASHTRA STATE Gazetteers on Jalgaon occupations like cultivation, agricultural labour etc District, while describing the unsettled tribe the women also began to extend helping hand to 'Vanjans', it is stated as follows "Their petticoats the men in these occupations and this curtailed are seldom washed and look like a well-worn quilt considerably their leisure time to attend to the The women's tight-fitting bodies and the full embroidery work, which is really very labOUriOUS, petticoats, their silver ornaments, plaited Into their tiresome and time consuming With no returns and hair and falling over the cheeks, their huge sliver thiS has pushed thiS traditIOnal handicraft to wane anklets with gingaling bells and the tiers of IVOry leaVing at present the SUrvival of thiS craft in the bracelets lend them a strangely picturesque hands of a very few persons belongmg to BanJara appearance" 1 This reference raises a doubt as to community whether the embroidery work In the dress of the Banjaras was so prominent and attractive to catch The Banjara embroidery had been an the eye of others, as othelWlse, there would have Inseparable part of Banjara culture for generatIOns normally been a reference of this In the gazetteer and In the olden days thiS embroidery work alone Perhaps this may be an omiSSion also The was the source to prOVide dress to the BanJara circumstance created by nomadism compelled the women and other articles of daily use as mentioned Banjaras to make their own dresses and this work In the earlier chapters As nomads moving from was done exclUSIVely by the females While doing place to place the Banjaras carried thiS craft With so they applied the artistic skill by making them and when they settled in different parts of the embroidery work In the dresses to spend their country they continued the practiSing of thiS craft leisure time, which they had In abundance, as the from the time of their settlement there Shn AJIt female members of the Banjaras, when they were Mookerjee In hiS book 'Folk Art of India' makes a nomads, had no work other than household duties, reference to the BanJara embroidery In Andhra while the men folk alone were engaged In their Pradesh as follows "Andhra Pradesh IS also famous traditional trade of transportation of merchandise for its silk brocades or amrus and Its mixed silk and The idea of embroidery work might have struck cotton brocades or hlmrus Apart from these and accidentally, influenced by the environment In other woven fabriCS of exquIsite deSigns, the Rajasthan, and this might have been developed and embrOidenes of the State are equally attractive improved In the long run by tnal and error method Among these the pnde of place goes to the work of Thereafter, a stage might have come when they the Banjara tribes Their embroidery IS very similar developed this handicraft to a considerable extent In pattern to that of Kutch and Kathlawad areas and might have absorbed it in their tradition as a The common stitches used are the ordinary satin or symbol of identity of their community in any part of the herring-bone Mirrors are often used for the land Even now the craft IS being taught decoration" 2 It may be seen from the above that through perceptor disciple relationship promoting the pattern of Banjara embroidery is the same 1. Government of Maharashtra, Maharasthra State Gazetteers, Jalgaon Dlstnct (Revised Edition), 1962 - P 156 2 AJIt MookerJee, Folk Art of India published by Clan on Books associated with Hind Pocket Books, New Deihl, 1986 - P 46 77 78 everywhere It also substantiates the claim of the non-workers fall jn the categories of infants, full-time people in the surveyed area that this crafts which Is students, housewives and other dependants The practised In different parts of the country, has a inference is that they have opportunity to engage common ongln In the surveyed villages the craft is themselves in cultivation or agnculture labour or claimed to have been practised by the Banjaras other items of work They can be attracted to take ever since they settled there up this craft as a profession only If thiS IS made lucrative when compared to other occupations in The Banjaras had never considered their which they are now engaged embroidery work as an employment oriented craft For centuries their females have been aOlng this As already d,scusseQ in the prevIous chapters work during 'their leisure time to meet mainly their only one Banjara family, IS striving to propagate thiS personal reqUirement, since in the past, the social craft But they lack the co-operation and custom demanded them to wear their traditional Involvement of others and this, prevents this family from achlevang noteworthy,' success In the costumes which they could not purchase from I outside and hence they had to make these items development of thiS craft and to make it themselves It was their custom to make the employment oriented So far their" arduous efforts articles which they required for daily use like bags, could achieve only the exhibition a'nd sale of the money purses, pot-covers etc However, this finished products in India and abroad and in position has changed considerably and at present organising training classes in Banjara lembroidery only the elderly Banjara women are generally ThiS is no where near the desired goal and much wearing the traditional costumes and most of the has yet to be done to make Banjara embroidery a youngsters have switched over to skirts, saris and handicraft worth the name The potential for mass blouses production of Banjara embrOidery items IS already there and what is required IS to prOVide financial In the data collected during 1981 Census the assistance to the craftspersons and to find out Banjara embroidery has not been recorded as the regular market for the finished products If these primary occupation or secondary occupation are done the Involvement of more and more people indicating that even those Banjara women, who are in this craft will be automatic At present the craft is attending to their embroidery work, have not given not employment oriented to any extent and none this the status of an occupation and they consider it except 2 females has returned thiS craft as her only as a part of their household duties In the field present occupation The above 2 females might Investigation also It was found that the number of have returned Banjara embroidery as their present persons who have claimed Banjara embroidery as occupation as they were working at the time of the their occupation is qUite insignificant and it could be survey as instructresses in the training classes for understood that the Banjaras are even now Banjara embroidery organised in their villages unaware that their craft has employment potential These training classes were not of a regular nature They are also not bothered about this, as IS eVident and their engagement as instructresses was also from the data collected Among the non-workers In only for a specified penod So they might also have the selected households there is not even a single engaged In some other occupatIOn when the case where one is seeking employment All the training classes were over CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS present a vivid picture of commendable. But they could not so far succeed the origin, development and the present position of in putting the craft in the road of steady progress the craft After what have been stated earlier, this and prosperity They are stili optimistiC and chapter, even in the hands of an optimist, if ends in confident But time alone will tell whether thiS craft a note of high hope, it will be credulous and self can survive the still Impending danger of Its deceit One has to face the stark reality and, extinction by overcoming Its inherent drawbacks in therefore, one Is willY-nilly forced to write the the finished products manufactured following the epilogue of tragedy, a dirge on the extinction of this age-old methods Without making any Improvements craft in the years to come unless some concerted and perfections in the deSigns and patterns and effort is made unitedly by the Banjara people to their high cost when compared to the substitutes save their traditional craft available in the market at a much cheaper rate and in a more attractIVe style and pattern So far no The households surveyeq altogether present a attempt has been made to bring any perfection in look of unconcern about matters that may Improve the products which are now very crude in the craft They do not know what is to be done to appearance and It is understood that no such plan rejuvenate the craft They do not evoke any interest IS in the offing in the suggestions for the improvement of the craft, perhaps out of abysmal ignorance and stolid apathy The ray of hope for the resurrection lies This craft SUrvived for centuries only due to the only in the interest shown by the Jadhav family for Intense love of the Banjara people in their tradition the development of this craft They are fighting a and due to the linkmg of the products of this craft lonely' battle for more than a decade ThiS was with the social custom of the Banjaras Economic initiated by Smt Goplbai Sangram Jadhav about a aspect never played any role In its SUrviVal But decade ago with the assistance of her son Shri S S time has changed and now we are in the era when Jadhav and her daughter-in-law Smt Kalavatl everywhere the social customs and traditions Jadhav In appreciation of the craftsmanship and cherished dearly for several centuries are subjected contribution of Smt GOPlbal Sangram Jadhav for to drastic changes due to the alround mama for Banjara embroidery, she received In 1982 a modernization In everything and the Banjara people certificate of merit and cash award of As 1000/ are no exception to this The traditional fervour from the All India Handicrafts Board under the among them has almost waned and such a stage Ministry of Commerce, Govt of India For his has now come that they will practise their craft any outstanding skill in Banjara embroidery Shri S S more only If it IS made lucrative This can be Jadhav twice received trophies and cash awards of achieved by organised efforts to create marketing As 1000/- during 1984 and 1986 from the faCIlities for the finished products If this can be Maharashtra State Handicrafts Board During 1986 achieved the Involvement of more and more Smt Kalavati Jadhav won the first prize and a cash persons In the work and the mass production of award of As 300 / - for her outstanding skill in matenals will automatically follow as there are even handicraft in the state level handicraft competition now suffiCient number of craftspersons conducted by the Maharashtra State Handicrafts Commensurate with the demand more and more Board Their personal achievements in the field are persons will be attracted towards this craft lured by 79 80 money and will acquire expertise in the craft But certificates to the experts in the craft in handicraft this seems to be an uphill task competitions and exhibitions as an incentive What is actually lacking is the involvement of sufficient Though the persons In the surveyed area number of persons to exploit fully the facilities that altogether present a look of unconcern about the are being provided by the government and to matters that may Improve the craft as mentioned create an enVIronment to involve the government earlier, there are atleast a couple of them who take more and more in the development of this craft real interest and have their own suggestions to Even the training classes at present, it is felt, are not improve the present position Their suggestions are properly utilised and the trainees, it seems, are as follows mainly interested in the monthly stipend they get and the spirit to perfect their skill utilising the facility 1 There should be more training classes provided is found, lacking This position should almost of a regular nature with one year change and a spirit should be inculcated in the duration and in this one year the teaching minds of the Banjaras tq develop their traditional part of the training should be restricted to craft to make it an: additional source of income As the first hpJf The second half should be far as market IS concerned a break through has utilised for the production of the finished already been made by exhlpiting the hitherto items and the raw matenals required'should unknown Banlara embrOidery products in various be supplied by the organisers of the places in India and abroad Even there are training per"¥lnent sales emporia In certaih cities like Deihl and Bombay Through the concerted efforts of the 2 Co-operatIVe societies should be formed Banjaras they can form co-operative societies ,and and these SOCieties should supply raw push up the finished products to the market The matenals to the workers and collect the government on their part can extend a helping hand finished products on paying remuneratIVe to them wherever necessary and the demand for labour charges to them thiS also should emanate from the concerned people At present on the part of the government it 3 Government shOUld open show rooms in will be worth thinking whether the Banjara malor towns and cities exclusively for embroidery products can be made available in the Banlara embrOidery products and should Khadl Gramodyog Bhavans throughout the country prOVide facilities for marketing these Items as thiS will go a long way to find market for these In foreign countries Items Once a steady market is established the rest is easy and will be almost automatic To achieve 4 Those who are engaged in the craft should thiS goal the prime reqUirement IS the concerted be given loans to purchase raw materials efforts of some dedicated workers in each Banjara tanda to promote and develop this craft by creating 5 Keeping the Banlara designs Intact the an awareness among their own people to keep alIVe traditional articles now produced should be and develop their traditional craft and to convert it replaced by other Items like frocks, tops, Into a source of income for their betterment Unless curtains, bed sheets, pillow-covers etc thiS IS achieved the assistance and patronage prOVided by the government will not be of much The traditional Banlara embroidery has already use The suggestion to replace the traditional been recognised by the Government and as a result products by other Items, keeping Intact only the the All India Handicrafts Board and the Maharashtra embr~ldery part of the craft, seems to be SUICidal State Handicrafts Board are encouraging the for the simple reason that once the traditional items BanJaras by assisting them to conduct training like phetlYa,kachali, lo/ana etc are replaced by classes and by giVing cash awards, trophies and frocks, tops, curtains and bed sheets these can no 81 more be called the Banjara embroidery products reqUirement Use of fine textured cloth as raw Even in the traditional craft the finished products materials can also be considered have as much importance as the embroidery part, if not more, and if anyone of this is lost then every In short the rejuvenation of the craft lies entirely thing IS lost Further the embroidery part alone in the hands of those among the Banjaras who are cannot compete with the handicrafts like lace work, capable of organising thomselves and inculcating kalamkari, kasuti, SOZnI jamawar embroidery, the required spirit in the minds of their folk to chlkankari and the like and hence this attempt Will achieve this goal It is their choice alone which may spell doom to this traditional craft So what is give it renewed lease of life or may declare the needed IS minor alterations in the style and pattern verdict of death for the craft One will pray them to of the finished products to suit the modem come as a Messiah in the present critical juncture BIBLIOGRAPHY SI Name of author, publication, publisher, year of publication etc No 1 2 1. Report of AI/India Banjara Sevak Sib" held on 24th to 26th August 1966 2 Ran/it Naik, Report of All IndIa Banjara Study Team, AIBSS, 1968 3 Edgar Thurston, Castes and Tflbes of Southern India, volume IV, Cosmo publications, Deihl, 1909 4. Government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra State Gazetteers, Jalgaon District (Revised Edition) 1962 5 RegIstrar General, IndIa; Language Hand'Book on Mother Tongues m Census, Census of India, 1971 6 Apparel, The ClothIer's Digest, volume 2, NO.8 August, 1983 (The official journal of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India) 7 Government of Rajasthan, 'The Crafts of Rajasthan' designed and produced for the Department of Tourism, India Tourism Development Corporation and printed at Process Pnvate Ltd , Madras, Dec 1984 8 Ajlt Mookhefjee, 'Fork Art of rndla' published by Clanon Books, associated with Hind Pocket Books, New Deihl, 1986 B3