Unit 3 Baluchari fabric weaving textilebaluchari method history process materials

baluchari method history process materials

1. Baluchari

2. INTRODUCTION Baluchari is  a traditional handwoven silk sari originating from West Bengal, India , renowned for its intricate depictions of mythological, historical, and religious scenes, particularly from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita, on the pallu and borders.  The sari takes its name from the village of Baluchar in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, which means "sandy river bank" due to its location on the banks of the Bhagirathi River.  The craft originated in the 18th century, initially flourishing in Murshidabad under the patronage of the Nawabs of Bengal, but was later relocated to Bishnupur in the Bankura district after natural calamities, particularly flooding of the Bhagirathi River, forced the weavers to move.

3. The production process is labor-intensive, typically taking five to six days to complete one sari, with two weavers working on a shifting basis. The weaving is done on a jacquard loom, a technique that replaced the older jala loom method during a revival in the mid-20th century, significantly reducing the time required compared to the 15-18 weeks needed for the traditional method. The sari is made from silk, with the yarn often processed by boiling in a solution of soda and soap and dyed with acid colors. The design process involves drawing the motif on graph paper, coloring it, and punching it into cards that are then fixed into the jacquard machine. Baluchari saris are categorized based on the threads used in the patterns: Baluchari ( resham ) uses a single color of resham thread, Baluchari ( meenakari ) uses two or more colors with vibrant meenakari work, and Swarnachari features gold or silver-colored threads ( Zari ) often combined with meenakari , making them the most luxurious and opulent. These saris are considered symbols of aristocracy and are traditionally worn at festivals, weddings, and grand functions. The craft experienced a decline during British rule due to financial sanctions and the rise of mill-made textiles, nearly leading to its extinction. However, it was revived in the 20th century by artist Subho Thakur, who helped develop the jacquard weaving technique, and by weavers like Akshay Kumar Das, who worked to restore the craft in Bishnupur with support from local patrons. In recognition of its cultural and regional significance, the Baluchari sari was granted Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Government of India in 2011, specifically for the Bishnupur region of West Bengal. This certification protects the authenticity of the craft and ensures that only saris produced in this region using traditional methods can be labeled as Baluchari . While the original Baluchari saris from the 18th and 19th centuries featured motifs of Nawab life, including European officers of the East India Company, the modern Baluchari sari predominantly showcases scenes from Indian epics and folklore, reflecting a deep connection to Bengali heritage and temple art.

4. Production process The production process of Baluchari  can be divided into several parts: Cultivation of cocoons: Since the discovery so many years ago that the fibre or filament composing the cocoon of the silkworm can be constructed into a beautiful and durable fabric, silkworms have been bred for the sole purpose of producing raw silk. Processing of yarns: To make the yarn soft, it is boiled in a solution of soda and soap and then dyed in acid colour , according to the requirement of the sari. The yarn is stretched from both the sides in opposite directions putting some force with both palms. This process is needed to make the yarn crisper. Motif making: Making of the motifs for ' pallavs ' and other part of Baluchari is in itself an intricate process. The design is drawn on a graph paper, it is coloured and punching is done using cards. After punching, these cards are sewed in order and fixed in the jacquard machine. Weaving: After the jacquard loom has been introduced, the weaving of a Baluchari sari takes five to six days. Two weavers work on a shifting basis. Baluchari thus prepared becomes a sign of aristocracy, the attire of status. Maintenance of quality of Baluchari sari is taken care of precisely. The quality is checked from the stage of dying of the yarn to the packaging of the sari.

5. Motifs: themes and variety Baluchari saree - Mahabharat motif showing the Pandavas marrying Draupadi . Baluchari saris, locally called Baluchori saris, today often have depictions from scenes of Mahabharat and Ramayana. During the Mughal and British eras, they had a square design in the pallu with paisley motifs in them. They depicted scenes from the lives of the Nawab of Bengal featuring women smoking hookahs, nawabs driving horse carriages, and even European officers of the East India Company. It would take two craftsmen working for almost a week to produce one sari. The main material used is silk and the sari is polished after weaving . Baluchari saris illustrate Hindu mythological scenes, nature, folklore, legends, historical events, and abstract designs. They showcase gods, heroes, nature elements, love stories, battles, and contemporary patterns . Baluchari saree - Mahabharat motif showing the Pandavas marrying Draupadi

6. Types of Baluchari While there isn’t a lot of variation in the method of weaving used today, balucharis can be broadly categorized based on the threads used in weaving the patterns: Baluchari ( resham ): The simplest balucharis have resham threads in a single colour to weave the entire pattern Baluchari ( meenakari ): These balucharis have threads in two or more colours with attractive meenakari work that further brightens the patterns Swarnachari ( baluchari in gold): They are the most gorgeous balucharis , woven with gold ( Swarna ) or silver- coloured threads (often with meenakari work in another colour ), which is called Zari . That illuminates the patterns to a much larger extent.

7. The Weaving Technique The original baluchari sarees in Murshidabad in the 18 th  and 19 th  centuries were woven on the traditional  jala looms, where jala refers to the reference design which is first made, and is used as the master design from which many copies can be made repetitively for weaving the sarees . The process was very elaborate, taking between 15-18 weeks to weave a saree and gave rise to a large variety of very intricate patterns. During the revival of baluchari weaving in the 20 th  century by the artist Subho Thakur, jala was replaced by the jacquard technique of weaving. Here , the design is first drawn on a graph paper and then punched into cards accordingly. These cards are then arranged sequentially, sewed together and finally fixed into the jacquard machines. The jacquard technique is simpler and faster, reduces the weaving time to 1 or 2 weeks, but is not as flexible as the jala technique and cannot produce patterns with as much diversity or intricacy. This is the technique that is used in modern times to weave baluchari sarees .

8. Organic Baluchari With the changing times, the Baluchari sari has had a makeover and a touch of eco-friendliness in terms of the used yarns and colours . Cotton Kapas is spun with fibres of banana plants and bamboo shoots and the dyes are extracts of fruits, flowers, leaves, and vegetables such as pomegranate, jamun , neem fruits and leaves, basil leaves, turmeric, marigold flowers, mangoes and others. The organic baluchari cotton sarees were displayed in the sari fair organised by Rang Mahal , a forum of weavers from Nadia district in West Bengal. However, with the GI certification of Baluchari sarees with reference to Bankura district of West Bengal in India, it is now not permitted to use the term Baluchari for any other similar product based on cotton or any other material