| RFlush | 11-30-2008 11:18 PM |
The city of Banaras has been known to be one of the holiest cities in the world. Located in Northern India to the west of the Ganges River, Banaras is a small city where many people travel to seek enlightenment. Although Banaras is an epicenter of religious activity, throughout this essay, I am going to demonstrate that this does not neglect artistic and artisan interest and occupation of its dwellers, which will be the subject of my paper. I will talk about the life and culture of Banaras that is outside the religious aspect. I will go in depth about some of the famous professions such as the boatman, rickshaw drivers, and the merchant, going in more detail about the silk industry. I will then talk about some of the artist aspect such as wrestlers, theatre, the music, and dance in Banaras. I will then conclude on why these are significant to Banaras and how they help to contribute to Banaras’ identity.
Upon entering Banaras, there will be many boatmen waiting to help show the travelers around the city. Although Banaras still has the caste system, the boatmen defy this. They believe that because they are the ones who control access to the Ghats, they are above their level in the system. They are very knowledgeable in the history of Banaras and are willing to chat to the tourist about anything. Recently, the boatmen have had their occupation in troubles. The 7 km part of the Ganges between Raj Ghat and Ramnagar was declared a tortoise sanctuary in December of 1989. In January 16, 2008 the boatmen went on strike because they felt that they were being unfairly taxed. Many of the articles mentioned how bad the pollution is on the Ganges. Now the government is expecting them to register their boats and pay a daily entry into this area. For motor boats, it's 100 rupees; for hand rowed boats 50, rupees. As well, tourists will now also have to pay 30 rupees for the first three days and for foreign tourists they have to pay 350 rupees. This obviously will affect the boatmen because a simple ride is roughly 100rupees so this will hinder their profits.
One thing many travelers notice about Banaras is that the transportation system is not as modernized as many other popular cities. Banaras is more traditional and the main mode of transportation is through rickshaws. Rickshaws are a simple carriage that is attached to either a bicycle, motorbike or even having people carry them around. The rickshaw drivers are often unofficial tour guides for Banaras and help the tourist get familiar with the city. The numerous drivers wait for tourist and are very friendly. One tourist states, “the drivers are also friendly and helpful, with no intentions of thugging you; and simply love playing ‘guide’ to their passengers. One particularly chatty auto-rickshaw driver took us, with great enthusiasm, to a road side tea stall that serviced tea in earthen cups called ‘kulhars’. (And it was by far the best tea I have ever had.) He even gave me a detailed description of the latest Bhojpuri movies and film stars with utmost excitement. It is the small town spirit and warm heartedness that touches you, something that the metropolitans had lost a long time back”.
While staying in Banaras, there are many wonderful shops that can entertain tourists for days. Many of these shops often sell trinkets or silk products. Banaras is globally recognized for silk saris with intricate floral patterns and elaborate zari works, which are golden thread works. One must be careful when buying these wonderful patterns as there are many imitations and fakes. Before the introduction of silk and silk weaving in Banaras, cotton was a staple, not only for everyday use, but for ritual use as well. Cotton wedding saris were patterned with gold and silver threads, muslin shrouds were used in cremation rituals, and Hindu Brahmins worse eight strands of twisted cotton yarn while being initiated. However, well into the 19th century, the expanding silk trade reduced Banaras’ use of cotton.
Due to its quality and unique design, Banaras silk has become legendary. Legend has it that even the Buddha donned silken fabric woven in Banaras at his funeral. Banaras silk is argued to be referenced in the Rig Veda. Pali literature also documents the worth of Banaras’ silk export, which at the time was worth several hundred pieces of silver. The beginning of silk weaving and the varieties of silk used in Banaras is unrecorded and debated among scholars. Some experts tend to believe that the introduction of silk into Banaras began around 1300AD when a devastating fire in the western state of Gujarat forced weavers in that region to seek refuge in Banaras. Other scholars suggest that the height of silk weaving in Banaras began when royal weavers working in Delhi brought their talents to Banaras at the end of the 14th century. The desired silk patterns which were originally etched on mica are now (if done traditionally) drawn on graph paper and then transferred with threads onto the loom so that the pattern can be repeated. This system of weaving predated the invention and use of the ‘Jacquard’ loom in 1801 by Joseph Marie Jacquard. The loom itself was supposedly introduced into India in the 1950’s by Jaffar Ustad. The use of the Jacquard loom not only made weaving silk more efficient, but also allowed for more intricate and delicate patterns.
Silk in Banaras differs from silk in southern India. The silk found in southern India is typically stiff from being processed and polished with wax, while silk from Banaras is not processed with wax (which they call ‘kora’). The silk yarn is boiled, twisted, and processed with a mixture of arrowroot, flour, and ‘reetha’ (commonly called soap nut or soapberry, a seed derived from a tree in the Sapindus genus that is crushed to make a type of soap). The ‘skein’ (a long coil of yarn that will be used for weaving or dyeing) is woven into yardage (which they call ‘katan’). Most of the weavers work out of their homes so in order to see them at work; visitors would have to arrange a visit a local guide.
A famous style of weave from Banaras is a ‘jamdani’ brocade which is delicately woven with gold and silver thread (which they call ‘zari’). Although silk shawls with real ‘zari’ thread can be ordered, thread made out of pure silver and gold is too costly for most consumers so a synthetic ‘zari’ is often used as a cheaper alternative. Therefore the ‘jamdani’ in its traditional form is rarely made of gold. Another famous style of weave is the embossed ‘tanchoi’ brocade. This style of weave is said to have originated from China and was brought through India by traders. Some common motifs used in Banaras silk are: guldasta (a bouquet), jaal (a shrub), ambi (a mango or paisley), latifa (a flower), buta (a large flower), bel-buta (a creeper with flower buds), and badal me phul (flower blossoms in clouds).
Recently, the silk industry in Banaras has been in a bit of a crisis. According to the Varanasi Weavers Trust, silk weaving is the country’s second largest employer with the number of silk artisans numbering around 23 million. In Banaras’ state of Uttar Pradesh, there is an estimated 500,000 handloom weavers (mostly situated in Banaras), although their numbers have decreased significantly in the recent years. As a result of unfair trade practices, poor working conditions, and extreme competition with China, demand for silk made and produced in India has been declining since 1995. Cheaper, more durable silk garments and products are being replicated in Nepal and China, resulting in a smaller market for Banaras weavers. Over half of the raw silk used in Banaras has been imported from Chinese manufacturers. Consequently, weavers are spending more for the raw silk product and earning less for their labour. Another reason for decreased demand is the changing fashion trends and the amount of work associated with the production. Specifically, Bollywood drives the demand for more modern silk fashions. More traditional styles are becoming less common, especially among young adults. On average, it takes 5 people 4-5 days to produce a women’s Bollywood style set. Also, “gaddidars” (the wholesalers) are exploiting workers by post-dated cheques and no payment for their labour. As a result, approximately 60% of handlooms are idle and Banaras weavers often struggle for a living, facing complete poverty, starvation and malnutrition. |
