Vidarbha: Part 1

 

#traveldiaries

#sareesofvidarbha

Those of you who have followed my posts know that during my recent trip to India I visited Nagpur. I stayed there for one day only. When I planned this stay it was on my mind to go find some karvati Kinar tussar sarees and other local handlooms. 

We had arrived early morning from Mumbai. As soon as we checked into our hotel, which was close to the airport, we set out to explore the city. We took a rickshaw to the heart of the city where we were told we can find saree shops as well as good places to try the famed Nagpur saoji. 

 

Rickshaws in Nagpur I found out are of two kinds. The 3 seaters like we find in Pune are called Autos. In Nagpur what they call rickshaws are shared rides for 6 or more people. Auto drivers in Nagpur proved to be something else. I thought Pune auto drivers are arrogant and rude. After meeting a few in Nagpur, the Pune ones began to seem quite nice 😃. Just my experience, I don’t mean to offend anyone here who is from Nagpur. These drivers don’t charge you by the meter. They would quote any figure that  they fancied at that moment for a short distance. One said 150 rupees to Shukrawari talao, another 120, yet another said 200. I finally pulled out my phone and found a Uber auto ride for 90 rupees. This man seemed like he was from another planet !  Very humble, polite and helpful. He dropped us off to a saoji restaurant and gave us tips for further rides in the city. It was he who told us about the shared rickshaws and correct fares for the common destinations lest anyone try to take advantage of the fact that we were new to the place. If our clothes didn’t give away the fact, it was inevitable as soon as we opened our mouths to ask a question 😃

After a satisfying saoji lunch ,with a caring waiter looking after us during the meal, we set out for saree shopping. This time we took the share ride rickshaw but it was just the two of us ( my husband and me ) as passengers. The roads were unpaved and the ride very bumpy. I feared my brain was being traumatized with each jerk. I was glad to get off at Sitabuldi. 

 Believe me, we must have easily walked 4-5 miles through crowded streets , hopping from a dozen or more stores trying to find local handlooms. Most shops that were recommended carried powerloom sarees or weaves like Gadwals , Paithanis or Benarasis ( non local products). I was getting increasingly frustrated and losing hope. 

Late afternoon/ evening we were just done visiting the temple at Ganesh Tekdi and I decided to give one last try to call the State Handlooms store that carried the karvati tussars. All day I had been calling and no one had answered the number I found on the internet. Suddenly, as if the Vighnaharta had given his blessings, someone answered the phone. They confirmed it was the right place and they carried the sarees I was looking for. It was much on the outskirts of the city on Umred road. We took an auto and hurried there because the place was to close in another hour. After the auto rickshaw dropped us off at the gate we found out it was another kilometer walk inside 🤦🏻‍♀️. And there were no indications from outside that there could be any store selling sarees inside this remote area. Yet hope made me walk. 

It proved worthwhile after all . This place had 2 separate rooms for silk and cotton sarees. I found my first karvati tussar with jala pallu there. And a couple of others in silk varieties. Will share these in upcoming posts.

What I am going to share today is what I found in the cotton section of this place. The Joth (जोट) saree. This is a dwindling weave from Vidarbha. Weaver families for this saree were clustered in towns like Umred and Achalapur near Nagpur. The changing times forced these artisans to give up weaving and their new generations turned to cities to make a living from other jobs. For nearly four decades this saree has been forgotten. More recently there has been an initiative to revive it.

The special feature of this saree is the incorporation of a small band of ikat in its borders. This was one rare instance of ikat being used in Maharashtra. This ikat band flanked by floral motifs gave a lift to an otherwise simple saree. The body would be plain or have fine checks.

I was excited when the salesperson in the cotton section said he had joth sarees. He showed me nearly 5-6 different color combinations, all with plain body and contrast border. I picked one of them. As I went around the room( that was more like a warehouse, damp and dark ) I saw a stack of sarees on one table. These were also joth sarees but with checks on the body. I wanted to get one of these. He said he couldn’t give it because these had just arrived from the weaver and they had not discussed and put the price tag on them. I wouldn’t give up. I told him I’m there only for a day and couldn’t come back. He checked with his supervisor and was told they would be the same price as the other joth sarees. Yay ! So I walked out with 2 joth sarees. 

HOWEVER ! This joth saree has one critical feature missing ! The ikat band ! What is a joth saree without ikat ? Well, it still is a beautiful weave. Very soft , comfortable, colorful and easy on the pocket.  I’m hoping they will start including this in their products soon ! You can find the joth saree with the ikat band from revivalist designers.

Today presenting the joth saree with plain body in yellow and the contrast border in a turquoise green shade. The pallu is simple with bands of purple and silver. 

Stay tuned for other sarees from Vidarbha in upcoming posts.