OONTH ki sanjad
Camel Decoration Jaisalmer
Ankita Sharma Nazuk Keshan
Digital publication of student document for private circulation only PGDPD Lifestyle Accessory Design National Institute of Design, India This craft documentation has been written, edited, illustrated, designed and photographed by student researchers Ankita Sharma & Nazuk Keshan. All rights reserved under international copyright convention. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo- copy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Publication 2013 Processed at National Institute of Design
Oonth ki Sanjad Jaisalmer NID 2013
OONTH KI SANJAD Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Authors Ankita Sharma Nazuk Keshan Guided by Shimul Mehta Vyas Shilpa Das
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PREFACE The National Institute of Design, or NID as popularly addressed, has been centre for design education, practice and research since its inception in 1961. It was started at the time when design education in India was nonexistent. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. NID is recognised by the Dept. of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation.) NID has been greatly involved with Crafts as a major focus, for study research and development. And Craft Documentation is a way to research, study, experience a craft and the region for students, and also document it as a source of knowledge and reference for other students, designers and researchers.
Academic building,National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar Photo Credit- Pranshu Dubey
We chose to go to Jaisalmer, Rajasthan for our Craft Documentation. We searched in the resource centre about the crafts being covered from the region.‘Camel Trappings’ craft interested the both of us, and seeing that it was covered more than two decades ago, gave us the opportunity to take it up as our subject. We searched and contacted people, who could help us with our research.
Pushkar mela being the cue, we got in touch with a camel decorator in Pushkar who directed us to few addresses in Jaisalmer. We packed our bags and notes for the journey, prepared ourselves. After reaching Jaisalmer and meeting people it became clear that the ‘Camel Trappings’ craft was not continued in the region. We met Craftsman Ishwar Singh’s family which was covered in the earlier document, and learnt that he was no more, and due to lack of time and money earned from this craft it was not practiced by his brother or son, and their primary occupation was farming. By them it was suggested to look at Camel Decorations as our craft, and shared information on finding craftpersons for the same. This is how we met our craftsperson Mire Khan,indulging in Camel decoration. This craft has not been documented before by NID. This document has our experiences and observations, information on Rajasthan, Jaisalmer, the various crafts practised and sold here. It has a detailed account on the craftsperson, his daughter, the material, tools and process of making Oonth ki Sanjad. Photographs taken on this journey ,the future we see for the craft. Experience of this project was gratifying and we are thankful to everyone who made it possible. iii
acknowledgements It was an immensely pleasurable experience to be able to explore and understand the craft of Oonth ki Sanjad or Camel decoration of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. We are thankful to a lot of people for the same. Mrs Shilpa Das, for answering all our queries in advance, for equipping and making us ready for the field research. Mrs Shimul Mehta Vyas, for guiding us through the transcription and content building process. We thank her for her continued support without which this document would not have been possible. Mr Gunjan Singh Alawat, for coming in and inspiring us to work on layouts and presentation of the information, right from choosing the font to tastefully arranging everything. Mr.Mire Khan, Dhapu and his family for being so welcoming and letting us inside their craft and homes, for showing us how they work very patiently, being open to our queries. We would also like to extend our gratitude towards Mr N.K.Sharma, Mr Shekhar Chandra and Mr Ashok Tak for sharing valuable information about the craft and the region. Lastly, we are grateful to NID for providing us with the opportunity to cover this craft and experience what we have, along with our classmates who were always there for feedback and motivation while writing this document.
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CONTENTS Introduction
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Rajasthan: Land of Colours Jaisalmer
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Mire Khan Dhapu Making of Sanjad
About the place Transport Topography History Industry Places to visit Crafts of Jaisalmer
People Profiling
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Materials Tools Products Process 21
Leather Craft Yellow Sandstone Carving Puppet Making Miniature Painting Embroidery Saddle
Tang (Camel Girth)
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Steps of Decorating Camel
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Innovations or Changes
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How the Craft Reaches People
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Challenges & Opportunities
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Camel Decoration Sanjad
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Glossary
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Meeting the Craftspersons
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Bibliography
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rajasthan land of colours Rajasthan is a place that is acknowledged for its tradition, rich cultural heritage. A place surrounded by sand reflecting its enchanting beauty through years. Instances that come to our mind when we talk about Rajasthan are its colourful festivals and fairs, bright coloured attire, women adorned with jewellery, men with colourful turbans. The moment we enter the streets we can see Rajasthan’s culture depicted by handcrafted artefacts. The distinctiveness of all these articles is the effort and patience involved in bringing up a product.
Cultural mores of Rajasthan
‘Kathputlis’ displayed near Gadisisar lake, Jaisalmer
Apart from land of colours, Rajasthan is also known as ‘Land of Kings: symbol of bravery and royalty’. Even today most of the population is comprised of Rajputs. Rajasthan has a few number of tribal groups: Bhils, Meenas, Gaduliya Lohars, Damors, Sahariyas and Sidhis.
Starting from the typical brocade work on the Ghagras and Cholis of Royal family, it ranges to the colourful tied and dyed outfit of the locales of Rajasthan.
Crafts of Rajasthan Rajasthan is one of the richest states of India in the field of art and crafts. There are a number of crafts practised in Rajasthan such as Bandhini, Leheriya, Batik, Leather work, Beads work, Lac work, Blue pottery, Meenakari, Puppet art, Miniature painting, Gesso work, Hand work dhurries, and Stone work etc. Stone work is the appropriate example in architecture to witness the intricate work done by the professionals.
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Cuisines of Rajasthan Mainly the food of Rajasthan is a bit spicy. Most of the dishes are prepared in pure ghee. Daal baati churma is the famous dish of Rajasthan where Daal is prepared out of pulses, Baati is made up of wheat flour and Churma is the mixture of wheat flour, sugar and ghee. Gatte ki sabzi, Moong daal ka halwa, Jodhpuri Mawa Kachori etc are the other renowned dishes from other regions of Rajasthan.
Fairs and Festivals Fairs and festivals comprise of an integral part of Rajasthan. One can explore beauty of Rajasthan through celebrations, music and dance where we can see a number of traditional and folk dances like Kalbelia, Ghoomar, Chari dance, Terathali, Dhol dance, and Puppet dance. Every individual dance has its own charm and a story behind. People of Rajasthan need no reason to be happy and alive if we look at their culture. They celebrate every season of change, season of harvest. Gangaur and Teej are the two most important festivals for the married women. Cattle fair, Camel fair, Desert fair are the major attraction for the tourists.
Camel puppets displayed in‘Desert Cultural Centre & Meuseum’ in Jaisalmer
JAISALMER
View of Jaisalmer Fort from inside, captured around late afternoon
As the rays of a rising or parting sun fall on the Yellow sandstone covered city, it truly glows to its given name of Golden City, Jaisalmer. Around 600 kms west of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, lies within the border region with Pakistan. This is where we went for our craft documentation, as the city held its unique charm giving us breath-taking views and experiences on our journey. The city sports a lot of forts and havelis, from medieval times. The Jaisalmer fort gives away the reign of Rajputs and a rich heritage. It’s become the first attraction for tourists when visiting Jaisalmer, offering an interesting mix of heritage and things in present. One can enjoy varied international cuisines offered by cafes and restaurants which have opened up there and looking at the finely sculpted fort, and visit Jain temples which are a must visit for their architectural style and carvings. The fort also offers a pallete of souvenir shops displaying
brilliantly hand crafted items from Jaisalmer and from around Rajasthan to quench the thirst for shopping of tourists. A lot of people still reside inside the fort and enjoy the royal ambience. The city can very easily be covered by foot, and two days in the place and you start getting around by yourself enjoying the walks through narrow and colourful streets. The city is in the centre of Thar Desert, from where you just have to travel for an hour to bask in the sun lying on the sand dunes enjoying the company of camels and spectacular sunset and sunrise on the golden stretch. We covered the beautiful and ornate camel decorations as a craft, and enjoyed the opportunity to learn and observe the place, people and practices while having a spectacular city as our home for those days.
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About the place
Topography
Geographical Location: Jaisalmer is a town in Thar Desert in Western region of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is situated in near the IndoPak border and is approximately 850kms form the capital city of India, Delhi. District Jaisalmer is the largest in Rajasthan. The district is enclosed with Pakistan on the west, Bikaner on the north, Jodhpur on the East and the district of Barmer in south. The geographical coordinates of the city are 26.01 degrees to 28.02 degrees north latitude and 69.3 degrees to 72.2 degrees east longitude.
Jaisalmer is in the midst of Thar Desert and thus falls in the desert climatic zone. It experiences longer summers from March to August and short winters from November to February. It gets negligible rainfall per year. Summers are hot and humid, while the winters are cold and dry. The maximum temperature in summers usually reaches around 42 deg C, and during the winters 24 deg C. The reason as to why winters is the best time to visit and experience Jaisalmer for visitors and researchers. Its share of rainfall per year is very scanty. The general aspect of the area is of sand hills, of varying height and size. Jaisalmer has very sparse vegetation. Camel, goat, sheep, deer mainly chinkara and jackals are the part of the Fauna. These animals have to constantly on the move to fulfil their basic need for fodder and water.
Transport By Air: the nearest airport is in Jodhpur around 300kms away, from where cabs, trains or buses can be taken. By Train: Jaisalmer is connected through railways to major cities in India. There are direct trains to Delhi and Jodhpur. It is connected through ‘broad and meter gauge’ tracks both. Also the ‘Palace on Wheels’ has a stop scheduled for Jaisalmer. By Road: Deluxe and ordinary buses by private companies and Rajasthan Roadways connect the city to the rest of the State and major cities very well. The advantage is that if you do not plan too much in advance buses are the best way to get by. The roadways bus stand is near the railway station, and the private buses can be boarded from Air force circle. Local: Auto rickshaws and cabs are available at sight. Though walking through the city is also a good option for short distance.
Camels along with their dwellers available for desert safari at Sam dunes near Jaisalmer
History The major dwellers of Jaisalmer are from the Bhatti Rajput Clan, who have borrowed their name from Bhatti, a warrior when the tribe was still in Punjab before migrating to Indian Desert and calling it their home. Rawal Jaisal in the year 1156 is said to have founded Jaisalmer city and fort, which made it home for its ruling party. Jaisalmer was a pit stop in the traditional trade route for Asian and Indian Camel caravans bringing in spices, silks and dry fruits which linked India to Central Asia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the west. Jaisalmer was not directly acquired by Muslim emperors when India was being invaded by the Mughals the reason being its strategic position in the desert area. The first siege of Jaisalmer can be traced to the reign of Allaud-din-Khilji which was in answer to provocation by the Bhatti’s raid on treasure carrying caravan. Mughal Emperor Akbar was married to a princess from
Jaisalmer to maintain cordial relations and to earn support. Jaisalmer was among last few states to sign a treaty with British, under which the ruler of the state had to behave with subordination of British Government. The city of Jaisalmer is currently under Governance of India; still the present descendant ‘Brijraj Singh’ and his family do a lot of welfare work. And the people of the state respect the royal family immensely even now. Earlier the main income source was the levies on Caravans, however with the emergence of Bombay Port and also sea trade overshadowed the old land routes. It also became serviceable as a supply depot for army because of it being on the India Pakistan Border. Then it was connected to rest of Rajasthan through a network of rail and roadways.
Camels adorned with saddle and cushions, resting after being ridden by tourists.
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Industry
Places to visit
Tourism is the main industry for Jaisalmer currently. People are engaged in hospitality, numerous hotels of all styles and budgets are available. There are complete tourist packages taking them for desert safaris, for visiting all the attractions, food and dining also forms another part of it. And the local craft items which are sold along with cultural performances of folk songs and dances.
Jaisalmer is a popular tourist destination from people all over the world, people come to take in the beauty and magnificence of the numerous forts and havelis and old houses, carefully crafted with sandstone.
The other major industries are stone Cutting & Carving, Khadi and mineral based industry. As animal husbandry is also one of the main occupations in this district, woollen Khadi items are also of importance. It has over a period of time come up as an important cottage industry. Jaisalmer also boasts deposits of various precious minerals. Hence, the scopes of Cement plants and Mineral based industries are high to grow and develop at a fast pace.
Camel safaris and visit to the sand dunes make the experience worthwhile. Vibrant festivals and beautiful handicrafts are also major tourist attractions. Jaisalmer Fort cannot be missed and forms the centre of attraction of the city. It gleams in the centre and can be sighted from far away standing on Trikuta hill. It is popularly known as the ‘Sonar Quila’, and gleams with historical pride of fighting many battles against invaders. This medieval period monument made of sandstone reflects yellowish brown colour during day and shifts to reflecting honey gold hues when sunset approaches.
A portion of Jaisalmer Fort visible from outside, Jaisalmer
Namely Patwon-ki –Haveli, Salim-singh-ki –haveli and Nathmaljiki –Haveli are the three popular mansions to visit.They are known for the intricate cutwork, and yellow and red stone treatment. The various Jharokas and overlooking windows are sure to take onlookers breath away at the sight. One can enjoy these by walking around in the narrow colourful streets of the city. A lot of pigeons come and sit on the windows of these havelis making the view more spectacular. Gadisisar Lake, near the Desert Culture centre & Folklore museum which houses lot of artefacts and also hosts puppet shows in the evenings is also a good spot to visit. It attracts migratory birds in the tourist season which falls in the winters. There is also Bara Bagh which is a green garden, and provides relief in the middle of a desert. You can also enjoy a Camel Chariot ride from outside the lake. This is where we met our craftsman, he engages in this occupation during the tourist season. Nathmalji-ki-haveli, Jaisalmer
Tazia Tower can be reached by taking an auto-rickshaw and the best time to go visit would be from early morning to about 5pm. It is near the Amar Sagar Gate in ‘Badal Palace’ complex. It’s a five storeyed tower, having balcony on each floor. It was built by Muslim craftsmen, a refreshing break from the Rajputana architectures in the city. Sam sand dunes around 42 kms from Jaisalmer are a must visit, it has a splendid stretch of dunes without any vegetation. Camel Safaris are the best way to enjoy them, later halting to experience the sunset in dunes and enjoying a bonfire with fellow tourists while dancing to the tunes of rustic Rajasthani music along with Kalbelia dancers.
Gadisisar Lake, near Desert culture centre & folklore museum, jaisalmer
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crafts of jaisalmer Leather Craft In Jaisalmer, there are a number of shops that sell leather products. We can find these shops in various parts like local markets, shops near fort, lake. In leather craft, they have a variety of products like leather bags, wallets, belts, Mojdis, pencil pouch, coin pouches, and bottle covers called Kopi, caps. They use camel hide in manufacturing process of all these products. All the leather shops have identical stuff. When someone visits their shop, they spend a lot of time to show products for customer’s satisfaction. Because the leather is of lighter shade, they make it darker by applying mustard oil over it in some pieces, so that if a person wants to keep it same for sometime, they can and later they can change its shade by using mustard oil. We can also see the colourful geometric patterns on the pieces, done by embroidery. Leather bags made from camel hide and embroidered, display of a shop near the Fort
Because of the softness of the stone, the designs are more complex, which clearly states the effort that has been put into by the stone carvers. Stone carving is done in Jaisalmer and the villages in Jaisalmer district.
Leather footwear inside a shop, Jaisalmer
Embroidered leather bottle covers outside a souvnier shop, Jaisalmer
Yellow Sandstone Carving This is the first thing that we noticed as we stepped into the city of Jaisalmer. It is because of the spectacular beauty, it is given the name as Golden City. Every single house is constructed in sandstone; atleast front elevation of all the houses are in sandstone; income level playing the role. Nathmal ki Haveli, Patwon ki Haveli, Jaisalmer fort are the appropriate examples of best work done in this medium. If we look at each of them, even the houses, we can see very intricate and fine work is done. Motives like flowers, leaves, geometric patterns can be seen. Apart from architecture, another domain is products like bowls, Hindu deities, Lord Buddha, pen stand, Chakla, ash tray and other decorative items. One interesting use of this stone that we have noticed was, they use this stone to make curd out of milk by immersing inside it.
Pigeons sitting on window sills or Jharokas around evening time , Patwon-ki-haveli, Jaisalmer
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Puppet Making Another well-known craft existing in Jaisalmer is Puppet Making. It is also termed as Kathputli. Puppet Making is one of the sources of entertainment for residents as well as for the tourists. The sound of Dholak, Sarangi, whistles makes the ambience so divine, that it compels the spectator to indulge himself completely and be a part of Rajasthani culture. Puppet show is done by the community of agricultural labourers residing in the Marwar region. The show is started by preparing the stage, than the puppeteer holds the puppet with help of string which he moves to show actions and expressions.
kathputlis or Puppets displayed for selling near Gadisisar lake, Jaisalmer
Craftsmen making puppets inside Desert cutural centre & mueseum, jaisalmer
In Jaisalmer, there are two musems: Jaisalmer Folklore Museum and Desert Cultural Centre and Museum, where the puppet show happens daily. The way, the puppeteers make puppets is so beautiful, how they dress them, how they do the make-up. If he’s a king, he will be on camel; another is the couple “Bind-Bindani�. In one of the dances, they have a puppet in which there are both male and female made on a single log of wood on both ends. So they can switch to one another in the show. The puppet crew meanders from village to village at the time of tourist season.
Miniature Painting Miniature Painting is another important aspect of Jaisalmer crafts. People are still practising it in few parts of Jaisalmer. In earlier times during the reign of Maharajas, who were the patron of art and architecture, there was liveliness in the subjects, they used to depict, mainly scenes from Ragmala series, Nayak-Nayika, Court Scenes etc. Now they are deviated from these topics, instead make paintings of animals (Horse, Camel, elephant in different body postures) , Hindu Deities, Lord Buddha with flowers and golden leaves in the border. But the only feature which is same is the elegancy, delicacy and the efforts that are put in to achieve the same result as before.
Miniature Painting, Elephant, On display, Patwon-ki-haveli,Jaisalmer
Working space of a miniature painting artist inside patwon-ki-haveli,Jaisalmer
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Embroidery Work Embroidery work has come to Jaisalmer after the partition. The liveliness, vitality shows the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan. This craft is actually termed as mirror work because majorly mirrors are used in all of the pieces. Small pieces, beautifully embroidered and mirrors are fixed but so perfectly stitched that they can easily withstand mirrors. We can find a range of embroidered articles marvellously made with traditional Rajasthani designs, motives like peacock, Hindu God and Goddesses on them: wall hangings, bed-cover, bags, Kurtas, GhagraCholi. Embroidery can also be seen on leather products. The vibrancy of the colours makes the piece more appealing and attractive. Apart from local main market of Jaisalmer, the shopkeepers have shops in fort where they hang the pieces on the walls of the fort near entrance to attract the customers. Few have them learnt languages like German, French, Italian and English to converse with the tourists. Embroidered bedcover dicplayed in one of the shops inside Jaisalmer Fort
Saddle Saddle forms the most important part of camel decoration, because it is the place where the camel rider sits. The saddle which is made up of wood is termed as Kathi, in this, wood is covered with brass sheet on which we can see the engravings and it is connected to cushion made up of leather called Thara. The round saddle bow serves as handle, which is held by the rider who sits in front. Saddle is fixed on top with the help of tang, which is also termed as girth. The controller Moari is held by rider to give command to camel. When the person sits on camel, he is warned to be watchful when the camel stands up and sits.
Detail of brass covering a prtion of wooden saddle, owned by craftsperson Mire Khan
Full view,Saddle, used by craftssperson Mire Khan
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CAMEL DECORATION SANJAD About the craft Sanjad collectively refers to all the articles used to decorate a camel from its head to toe. It usually has around 18-20 different items, Including the metal ornaments or jewellery along with handcrafted and quilted textiles for the body. A camel dressed in colourful Sanjad is a brilliant spectacle to look at, and is refreshing to the eyes against the palette of yellow and browns of the Thar Desert.The techniques commonly used for making these items are embroidery, Camel ‘Patang’ adorned with decorations or Sanjad,Jaisalmer
quilting, beadwork, making tassels, attaching and embellishing with mirrors and cowries, knotting, split-ply braiding, stitching using hand needle. A camel in this part of the country, Western Rajasthan has always been of prime importance. Camels are used to transport goods, farming, herding, they also feature in marriages when the bride is taken to the grooms place. They are ridden and driven both. People domesticate camels and treat them well with love and care. Camel wool (hair) is used for making carpets, strings and other everyday life objects which also bring these camel dwellers some money. 27
The camel skin is used for making bottles for keeping Ghee/Oil, making jars, musical instruments along with items like shoes and bags. Nowadays camels can be spotted in the desert areas often used for desert safaris for tourists. The saddle is strapped on the camel so it can be ridden; it requires a textile belt fastening, which is known as ‘Tang’ or camel girth. Earlier, the belt was made using goat hair; black and white both. Camel owners used to make these for their personal use and used to gift their friends. This narrow and sturdy belt is used in pairs to fasten the saddle. They usually have tassels or fringes at one of the ends, and a metal buckle for adjusting and tightening. The technique used for these belts is split-ply braiding, and a lot of scenes and objects from daily life are braided as motifs in these belts. This is also another craft in itself. From what we gathered, now a lot of people are not engaged in this as making a belt consumes a lot of time, which everyone is lacking in the present scenario. And also the intricacy, with which it was made earlier, is lost now, and the designs have moved on to more geometric and impersonal. Although trip to the Desert Cultural museum, an old collector in the fort and also to Sam sand dunes do promise to at least sneak peek of a few old
Tang or camel girth , represented in an illustration
belts which still have the authentic flavour. The decorated camel was a status symbol, a decorated camel’s presence was considered almost ceremonial, and without the presence of a camel no function was considered complete. And camel owners fondly used to craft these decorations for their beloved camel in the lazy months when they were not engaged in their primary occupation of farming.
Articles in a Sanjad Firstly a quilted sheet is placed over the back of the camel covering the hump. It is usually made by patchwork and quilting of old fabrics. Over it is draped the Malda, which covers a camel’s rumps and withers, and has a slit/ hole in the centre, so the hump can comfortably peep out of it. It is rectangular in shape, with four elongated corners, so when draped they fall over its four legs showing off the beautiful textile. Earlier this was also hand quilted all over with decorative border and corners. Now a thick printed fabric like velvet, along with a lining and decorated border and fringes and beadwork tassels are popular because it takes less time consumption. It also has four slits, which facilitate insertion and tying of the tang to the saddle which will be placed over the hump.
On top of the malda pair of Gaddis (cushions) is placed on the hump, to provide cushioning to when it is being ridden, to fix saddle and to cause less inconvenience.
The saddle or the Palan plays an important role when being ridden. Usually Kair wood which is available in Rajasthan is used for this, nails, brackets, rings and other fixtures are made of metal such as copper, brass or iron. Also designs are engraved on it, on the metal sheet which covers it from certain area. It also has leather cushions, forming seat for the rider. The fitting of the palan is of prime importance, or the rider can be left feeling dizzy after the ride. The raised part of the front of the saddle or the round pommel provides for the handle, and the saddle is secured on the camel using a pair of straps of braided ‘Tangs’ , looping through the Malda, taking them under the belly and then securing it with the buckle on one end of the Tang.
Ralli which is a rectangular piece, with little bit of beadwork for fringes, is draped over the saddle to add colour and pattern. The rider sits over it. Rallis are cutwork quilts, using old cloths dyed in desired colours. These are made by women, using hand quilting technique by laying the quilt on the floor without using frames. But nowadays, Ralli which is put over the saddle for camel decoration is a printed version; the designs available in authentic quilts are printed for a similar effect. This is mainly due to time and money required.
The Sringar or the decoration starts form the nose of the camel, where the craftsmen have pierced the skin of the camel a little above both the nostrils and have adorned it
with silver pegs with a leather band of the metal. These pegs act as permanent hooks.
This gives way to craft the first article in Sanjad which is a Binni, to be worn just above the nose, bringing out the features. The centre top usually has a protruding pom pom structure in bright colours. It has two holes on either sides through which the Moari or the controller which is used to give direction to the camel while riding and walking it is also passed and affixed to the pegs . It is a plied rope which has two ends which are fixed on the pegs leaving a loop. It is decorated from the open end to centre, leaving more than half of the rope for the camel rider to grip.
‘Ralli’ , printed version of handquilt from sindh, Pakistan
Mire Khan working on ‘moari’ or the controller
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The Moarkha or the bridle framing the mouth of the camel is similar to those used on horses. Though here it is purely decorative, very seldom the controller is attached to the bridle itself like in horses, using a moari attached to pegs is better as the camel regurgitates food and then chews it and the rope controller or moari does not interfere with this action. The framework is made using cords and using knotting. The crownpiece (the portion which fits behind the ears), holds the entire Moarkha in place, getting help from the cord under the throat. A cord goes parallel to the cheeks of the camel and gets attached to an eye band and a nose band, enclosing eyes in the middle. It enhances the facial features of a camel, making it look all the more adorable. Kaporadi, a narrow length of textile which is folded after its one third lengths from one side and doubled up and stitched, is fixed along with Moarkha, making it slid under the crownpiece, eye & nose band to hold it in the place in centre. The Folded protrusion stands up crowning the face of the camel. After this comes the Gorbandh, which is necklace put around the neck of camel. It has loop created on the top, so it can be easily draped in place by fixing it to the wooden handle at the front of the palan. It then drapes over the camels shoulders and neck accentuating the features. It has a wide slit in the middle so it perfectly sits on the camel. The ends of the Gorbandh fall till under the neck of the camel, and extensively worked on beadwork conical Lumbis dangle along as the camel walks. The
rich and powerful used to invest in extremely artistic work done on Gorbandh, so their camels could be adorned with it when the bridegroom would be going to his in-laws place to get his bride . A lot of romantic stories are also associated with it as there is a lot of history. It is the main item of decoration on the camel and is the most outstanding in the whole get up. In earlier times, housewives in camel owning community ‘Raikas’ used their skills to make this intricate and highly decorated Gorbandh. It is made using beads, conch shells, buttons along with mirrors for embellishment & colourful yarns used for embroidery & braiding. Naklesh is another article which is made rectangular
decorated belt, represented in an illustration
in shape to cover the exposed neck between the Moarkha and the Gorbandh. It has loose strings on two sides of it, after wrapping it on the neck, the strings are tied together to envelop the neck from top, leaving the beadwork border to hang loose. On one end it is tied to the Moarkha and on the other to the Gorbandh to keep it in place. Also, sometimes, little bit of neck is left exposed, on both the sides.
decorated camel, represented in an illustration
‘I prepared the Gorbandh while taking cows for grazing, I wove the beads while taking the buffaloes for grazing, My gorbandh is a romantic one. I prepared the Gorbandh with the help of my younger and elder sister-in-laws, My Gorbandh is romantic’
- sung by a newly wedded woman fasted for nine days in the hope of presenting her husband Gorbandh made by her when he would return home after a long separation. She made the Gorbandh for her lover’s beloved camel. But before she could present it, it was stolen.
Song taken from ‘Catalogue’ by N.K. Sharma, founder of Desert Cultural Meuseum, jaisalmer
Gaani is a small single string necklace which wraps the neck. It is put on the neck under the moarkha, they often are made of pom pom making technique, using multiple numbers, or also using beads or braiding techniques in bright colours. If the camel is being decorated lightly, Naklesh is omitted and multiple gaanis are used.
These are the main articles that form Oonth Ki Sanjad, bringing forth the skills and creativity of Jaisalmer in front of admirers. Although there are other smaller articles also, which are further used to enhance the appearance and outlook.
Then comes the turn of legs, they are adorned with Godiya, tying these articles above the knees and ankles. There are variations in these; they are made with both fabric and leather as the base. The fabric ones have strings attached so they can be tied around the leg. The leather godiyas also sometimes sport ghungroos which are attached, to make sound when the camel moves. Godiya have to be made in pairs, as only the fore legs are decorated. Along with Godiya, Kadi or metal anklets are also used to decorate the camel. These have metals balls inside a casing, and make another kind of delightful sound on movement.
A lot of Lumbis are made with beadwork, they are conical in structure, starting from a loop and ending in to a fringed circumference. They are hung from the chin of the camel, using moarkha for fixing it. Then comes Lumb, which is constructed on a small rectangular frame, it is sited below the Gorbandh. It also sports a similar beadwork, as the frame is a little bigger; the craftsmanship takes around thrice the time taken to make a lumbi.
Poonch Bandhini another interesting item, arising out of creativity of the craftsperson. This article is used to tie the camels tail to the saddle. The tail hair are inserted inside a loop at one end of the Poonch Bandhini and pulled. The tail instead of falling straight, now forms an arc and flops on the side of the camel. The poonch bandhini is made by exploring interesting variations of braiding and embellishing with tassels, buttons or pom poms.
Kanthmal is another item, it is made on a textile strip using as the starting point, and this piece is more elaborate and is adorned under the neck of the camel, beautiful kaleidoscope of colourful peeping along with bright yarn tassels.
Mod is a rectangular net of beadwork with strings attached on sides, these are crafted
Illustration of ‘ Foonda’ or tassel with drawstring used for fastening Godiya
so that wherever it seems that there is more scope of decorating these pieces are used, and because of the shape and size they can easily be used on several parts of the camel’s body.
yarns have replaced the got hair which was dyed. All the articles are multicolour, using a number of colours. The usage of colours is very bold, all are bright colours having the same intensity, the craft persons are very confident in their usage, are not scared to put them together, and the brilliantly bring out the design. The pieces have a particular style of embroidery, and do not include direct motifs, but resemble blooming flowers, bringing relief in this dry arid region.
Color and Design Language The Sanjad making which we witnessed on our journey and roaming in and around Jaisalmer has given us a fair idea on the colour and design language followed in this craft. The sanjad which is currently made use a pallete of bright and bold colours. This sensibility seems to have seeped from Sind of Pakistan, from where a lot of craft persons had migrated. Another possible reason could be to make a striking and noticeable contrast between the earthy backdrop of desert and the camel skin to eye catching colours. The usage of yellow, Blue, Red, Green, purple, pink, green, orange and blue is very common. These are all primary and secondary colours. Also the availability of materials in these colours gets some credit, as they are readily available, cutting on the time required to prepare materials in the earlier times. Now the acrylic 33
Meeting the craftsperson Day 1 We had met Mire Khan outside the lake in Jaisalmer when looking for craftsmen working on camel decorations. We visited the Desert Culture centre & Folklore Museum at Gadisisar Circle, Station Road on our first day in the city of Jaisalmer. It was small museum which had collections with beautiful display depicting rich and diversified desert communities and their lifestyle. There we met Shri N.K.Sharma a national award winner, teacher , poet and a historian. He was very generous with answering our queries and told us a lot about Jaisalmer and also directed us to Mr. Shekhar Chandra which in turn led us to meet Mire Khan, the craftsman.
Puppet stage at the Desert Cutural centre & meuseum, Jaisalmer
Mr. N.K.Sharma
Camel Chariot used to give rides to tourists, Gadisisar lake, Jaisalmer
At the entrance of Gadisisar lake were stationed two camel baggis, a leather accessories mobile shop and a few tourist touts. Mr. Shekhar Chandra had set time to meet us there in the afternoon when the tourist flow was likely to be less and Mire Khan would be comparatively free to talk to us.
Mire Khan and his brother-in-law both gave camel Baggi rides to the tourists. And were resting on a yellow stone bench in the afternoon when we approached them. They readily shared information with us, and we fixed a time to meet Mire Khan later so he could show his creations , posessions and skills to us.
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Day 1 We reached Mire Khan’s Amar Sagar house in an auto rickshaw from Jaisalmer, it took us around 20-25 minutes one way. At the entry of the village there is a primary school which his children attend. At the front of his house, we sighted ‘Patang’ his camel tied loosely to a tree, next to it was a fodder chamber made of clay. And close by the detached baggi. Then there was a big shed constructed of wooden logs, had a low roof, which was covered which thatch and secured. Mire Khan did not get electricity in his house, and this shed was built only so that when it was unbearably hot in the summers, the family can rest inside the shed during the day time when the sun is out. The entrance of the house was elevated to around 3 feet above the ground, and there was water tank, after which the entrance to his room was there. One fascinating thing which we came about was that, the water tank was locked, and key hidden away in a safe place. This showed how precious water was in this part of the country. The entrance door of the house and several other doors and windows of the house sported few motifs. They were spray painted; they depicted mosques, peacocks, star and moon, symbolic of his religion and faith. We later observed that the back of his ‘baggi’ had similar motifs sprayed onto them.
‘Pateng’ , Mire Khan’s camel tied loosely to a tree outside his house, Amar Sagar
Chariot dettached from camel, Amar Sagar
Entrane of Mire Khan’s house, Amar Sagar
A woman from the neighbouring house whom we sighted, wore Kanchi (long blouse)- embroidered and bead worked, Lehnga (skirt). The skirt was tied tightly around the waist and had a flaring width at its base. Dupatta; fabric piece for covering head and let loose on the back was printed and worn over the head. Accessories included bulky silver jewellery including ornaments for the neck, ears, and arms and for the dress as well. She was also wearing glass bangles to depict her marital status. The house was serenely clean, shelves neatly stacked.His honours and awards displayed on the entrance shelf. He worked from the entrance room itself which was his bedroom.Along with a bed, large pile of mattresses and blankets, there were two more charpayis in the room, which had handmade mattresses laid on them.They were stored in a vertical position and whenever required were laid on their four feet. He was dressed in Pagdi/Potia (turban) on the head; khamiz (long shirt) for the torso, Chadar (sheet-unstitched fabric) was draped over to cover the legs. Leather sandals were worn in feet.He was dressed in all white, and was his attire all year round, in all seasons.
Mire Khan’s neighbour, wearing traditional attrire
He offered us water and went inside his house, we waited eagerly to sample camel decorations made by him and his father which we had till now seen only through photographs in Hotel Paradise and his bedroom shelf. We heard opening of a lock, and a trunk, and he appeared with big luggage bags full of ‘oonth ki sanjad’. He carefully cleared one of the beds and one by one took out the items. We were awed by the colourful presence of these pieces
Mire Khan, wearing Khamiz and Pagdi
in the room and they looked just spectacular. He was very helpful and patient with all our queries. One sanjad consisted of around 18-20 different articles covering the camel from head to toe, to show off its features. We quickly went on with taking notes, pictures, asking him questions, observing the environment and activities. 37
The first day we and Mire Khan and his family all were new to this new relationship and were taking our time to get comfortable. When it was afternoon and probably the time to eat, our stomachs were making noises. We arrived thinking we will probably get lunch somewhere outside, but this village apart from having a handful of houses had nothing else in the walking vicinity and all the supplies came from Jaisalmer. Also Mire Khan was in the same fix as he was uncertain and had not called for food, we all made peace with water. Our day ended on a happy note as we were too excited to see how these beautiful creations looked on the camel and they were crafted in the days to come.
Photograph showing Mire Khan as a particpant with a decorated camel in the desert festival
Profile
mire khan
Mire Khan has learnt the craft of
making cameldecorations from his father Mr Sandhal khan.The camels they owned that time were prized possessions for his father. They were the chief mode of transport in the desert areas and also marked the status symbol for the owner. They were almost like family members and treated very well. To show their love and care Sandhal Khan used to make ‘Sanjad’ (Camel decorations) for them by hand. Mire khan’s family is originally from Sindh, and they settle in Indian subcontinent during partition time. The Language they converse in is Sindhi mixed with a little bit Hindi and Marwari of Jaisalmer region. He lives with his wife, has five daughters and two sons. Mire Khan, Craftsperson
As he is a practising Muslim, during the festivals of Eid and also other occasions
for celebrations like ‘marriage’ his father used to decorate their camel very fondly. Many people in the community did not own camels, and usually they used to lend their camels, clad with decoration and ornaments to friends and fellow villagers to use ceremoniously on the occasions and festivals. According to Mire khan around 1 out 100 people used to decorate their camels. Sandhal khan saw these techniques and beautifully decorated camel’s back in Pakistan when he was growing up. He also learnt this craft from his father and improvised. Till about 10 years back, when he was alive he used to bring the materials from Pakistan border and nearby areas as he had always seen and was inspired by the aesthetics of the Pakistani decorated camels. He keenly observed the camels in the processions and wanted to make craft decorations for his favourite camel which were visually ecstatic and something which would wow the onlookers. Only his father was involved in the craft, no women from the family worked on this. Making items for his camel was his favourite pastime, the primary occupation 39
was farming, as they had acquired little patch of land near their village, ‘Kuchdi’, which is about 30Kms from the city of Jaisalmer.
Mire Khan playing with his two sons
Now, Mire Khan also has a house in the village ‘Amar Sagar’, near Jain mandir which is 5 kms form the city of jaiselmer. He and his family reside in Kuchdi when it is the farming season, rest of the year they make the village of Amar Sagar their home, where their children also attend primary school. At this time the main occupation for Mire Khan is Riding Camel Chariot for tourists visiting ‘Gadisisar Lake’ In Jaisalmer, which is a popular tourist spot. And his busy season is October to March. Mire Khan used to work for Hotel paradise where he worked with Mr.Shekhar Chandra, he used to take tourists and foreigners for desert safari on his camel. This was his occupation in the tourist season for about 17-18 years apart from his primary occupation as farming. Around 9 years back he saw Border Security Force,BSF Camels participating in the camel decoration competitions and races in the desert festival in Jaisalmer. That inspired him, and he thought of preparing decorations for his camel and running in the competition. Preparing elaborate decorations and ensemble for a camel required more resources and money than he could afford. He then approached Mr.Chandra who readily agreed and encouraged him to participate in the competition. He supported mire khan financially and also, motivated him. They together participated in many camel decorating competitions in Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Barmer regions and won. Mire Khan and his accomplishments now proudly find their place in Hotel Paradise, In the Fort, Jaisalmer and his house. Mire khan has three brothers, but only he practices the craft, others are primarily farmers. Mire khan now practices this craft for 4 months a year , after the festival of Holi, which comes in march, it also marks the end of the tourist season. He works dedicatedly in that period , and is able to complete one set of Sanjad for his camel. Every year he makes a new Sanjad for his camel to showcase in the upcoming desert festivals. Each new one is
more elaborate than the previous one. Rest of the year as he is entertaining the tourists and tending to his family needs, in his past time he works on the craft.
Photograph showing Mr.Shekhar Chandra & Mire Khan reciving an award for camel decoration
dhapu Dhapu is Mire Khan’s 12 year old
daughter who is learning the craft from him along with his brother in law. We were fortunate enough to be able to meet and see his daughter at work, as her school was off for a few days. Unfortunately one of her legs is polio stricken and has left her handicapped for life. Though on meeting her she comes across as a very positive and a lively person,she seemed a little shy in our presence. But she had a smile fixed to her face, and her every response was a nod along with a bright smile. She came to the ‘Amar Sagar’ home to help her father on making the decorations. Dhapu is learning beadwork with which she makes ‘Lumbi’ (tassles), and uses the technique to make different patterns on various items of the Sanjad. We could tell by her posture and willingness to work that she thoroughly enjoyed the craft.
Dhapu, daughter of Mire Khan, practices the craft
She was dressed in velvet Salwar kamiz, and a Dupatta. And on one end of the drawstrings of the Salwar, dangled a beautiful handcrafted beadwork tassel, on
which she had worked upon herself. She kept adjusting the dupatta above her head whenever it slipped while working. Her glass bangles made clanking sounds as she worked with her hands. She also helped her father several times during the day, sometimes threading the needle, as Mire Khan had to really strain his eyes and often missed the eye of the needle while attempting to thread it. She also helped around when it was time to feed the camel and prepare tea for all of us. She was up and ready at every beck and call of her father. Two of Mire Khan’s sons and Dhapu’s brothers were also present in the house. They also had school off, and were simply spending their time at home playing around. They were dressed in shirts and denims. According to their father they were too young for the traditional dress; and also that it was more convenient to dress them in western clothes owing to availability and access. When they grow up, will it become clear with the changing time what outfit would they wear. They 41
were shy with us at first, with little passing of time and seeing us every day coming to visit them they loosened up. They just played around with found objects, the younger one kept wanting his father’s attention every few minutes, and asked him to make him drink water from a refilled 2ltr cola bottle. The elder one was a little naughty and restless. He roamed around the house, sometimes went and played on the baggi which was parked outside. Mire Khan every now and then stopped and cuddled and hugged his kids and joked around with them. These were very touching moments, and made us realise how happy and content can people be.
Mire Khan’s house filled with people , excited to see us on our arrival at his Amar Sagar residence
Mire Khan cuddling and playing with his son, while Dhapu passes him a threaded needle
Making of
sanjad
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materials The raw material used for making Sanjad is from the local market in Jaisalmer. And the material which is not available, is sourced from Barmer, Bikaner and the places nearby. In the camel decoration, mainly 12 -15 items are being used.
1 Kaanch (Mirrors) Their size varies from 2-3 inches. The mirrors are used in making motives for products like gorbandh and moarakha. When they place mirrors, first they make holes at the periphery i.e. one- one hole opposite to each other and then the mirrors are tied to the belt using thread. The ones readily available already come ina casing ready for application.
The two different sizes of mirrors which are used in decorating articles
2 Cowry They make holes in the shells and later break the upper portion using plyer to make it flat, so that it becomes easy to fix it on the belt. Earlier Conch were also used, nowadays cowries are easily available and are inexpensive, the reason leading to its usage. They are sold by the dozen in the Jaisalmer local market.
3 Buttons The buttons which are used have certain symbols on them that resembles to the buttons which are there in BSF uniforms. Usually they buy used buttons from the army shop.These are new additions to the craft owing to changing times and the presence of BSF personnels and army shops.
4 Googda /Ghungroo Mainly Googda is used in Moari, which is used to control camel, so whenever the camel rider tires to give command to camel, the sound of ghungroo helps him to identify direction. It is also used in lumb/lumbi at the end of each tassel as decoration. The sound which multiple units produce is musical and soothing.
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5 Nivaad/ Patta (Belt) The belt they get from the army shops. Basically, they are belts which are used in making Chaarpaai . The one which are used are second hand. Width of the belts varies from 1-2.5 inches.
6 Dhaga/Soot Dhaga is the thread that is threaded in the needle and used for stitching. The thicker one is used in joining and tying the pieces and the thinner is used in making units like Lumbi, in which beads are inserted to make pattern, as it is little more stiff and strong.
7 Rassi (Rope) Rope is made up of cotton threads that are tied together. Some ropes are of cotton thread and some are of synthetic. The cotton rope is feeble than synthetic so they tie wool Soot over to strengthen it. Like in Moari, they use synthetic rope and in Moarakha, they use cotton rope enclosed with coloured wool.
8 Soot (Wool) Soot is a local term given to the wool which is thinner. It is being used in making small units like multicoloured pom pom (Fundak), to enclose the cotton rope and adding colour to it. Instead of wool now the inexpensive alternative is acrylic yarn available in bright colours in the form of spools.
9 Sitara Are referred to embellishments similar to sequins, usually drop shaped sitara is used in making sanjad. They are made of plastic sheets, cut using a die having a hole at one corner so it can be stitched or stranded. Metallic colours like golden, silver, shiny red, blue are quite common.
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10 Maniya/Moti The beads come in the form of festoon. Then they break it and use them in a form of single piece. In beads, the size also varies: the bigger ones are called Moti and the smaller ones are called Maniya. We can see different colors like yellow, blue, red, green, golden, silver etc. Some are spherical, oval in shape, some are leaf like.
tools 1 Plas (Plier) Plier is a hand tool which is mainly used to hold objects tightly. But here it serves a different purpose, it is used to make cavity in the cowry. It is available at any hardware or tools shop in the area.
2 Katar (Scissors) Scissors are the most frequently used tool. It is used in the jobs like cutting nivaad, thread, soot etc. The scissors which are used is not the normal one; but the ones used by a barber in salons to trim hair.
3 Aar A tool which is used to make holes in mirrors and cowry. It is an iron rod, which is flat and leaf like from top with a longer eye and has a lobe at the bottom.
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4 Wooden Block This tool is not particularly sourced, but is a found object. A block of wood lying around big enough to use as a base when making holes into the mirror is used. This rectangular block is stored carelfully along with the aar.
5 Sui (Needle) Mainly two types of needles are being used: one with a sharper tip and a smaller eye and the other one with ballpoint and longer eye. The previous one is used in putting bead in a string and the latter one for stitching or for the purpose of doing embroidery.
6 Lakkad (Wooden Sticks) Wooden twigs/ sticks are collected which are fallen from a tree, broken into pieces of 10�-12� approximately. These are used when cord needs to plied for moarkha.These are usually prepared everytime required.
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1 Malda Malda with tassel of bead work, mirrors and pom-pom along with lumbi on the corners is common these days. Malda is 60 inches by 96 inches. Four holes are provided near to corner, and one in the centre. The four holes are for Camel belt Tang to pass through, which is used to fix the saddle and the centre one is for the hump
2 Gaddi Gaddi is above Malda and below Saddle. It is square shaped measures 30 inches by 30 inches approximately with 1 inch border. There are two separate Gaddis, in between them; they fill cotton to make it downy and comfortable so that it will not hurt camel while walking. The design on the gaddi states that its origin belongs to Sindh in Pakistan.
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3 Ralli The size of ralli is around 50 inches by 70 inches. It is over saddle to sit on it and its edges are adorned with 6 inches bead work.
4 Binni Binni is placed over the muzzle of camel. Usually the size of it is 5�-11�, principally they take measurement using hands like 6 fingers for the whole breadth. Earlier, bini was fabricated with bead work. Now we can see the variation in motives and techniques used. A beautiful tassel at the border made of beads accompanied by colourful pom-pom on a leather piece giving it a very striking effect. On the leather belt two holes are provided which can be fixed on the nose of the camel. Even the approach of making Binni also varies like sometimes they make Moari (controller) and Binni attached together.
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5 Moari Moari is the cord that helps to control and give direction to camel while walking. It is about 250 inches in length. There are 6 cotton yarns measuring 18 metres each are taken and plied together to make this cord. Initially instead of cotton, goat hair were used and the yarn was of single colour either black or white but it decays with time. It takes three days for the cord making process and atleast require four persons. In moari, the portion from camel’s nose till the hands of the camel rider is beautifully adorned with multicolour pom-pom, colourful beads and ghungroo. Two lobes are provided in the end on both the sides to fix it on the hooks that are fixed on camel’s nose.
6 Kadi They buy Kadi from market. It is made up of bronze. Kadi is semi-circular in shape with lobes at the end of arc in which they put rope to tie.
7 Moarakha Moarakha is for casing camel’s face. The process of making it is complicated because it is followed by cord making. The whole structure is made using knots. They cover the knot with coloured soot, then place cowry, pom-pom and other decorating pieces over it, with tassel on the edge. Every knot is covered with bigger mirrors accompanied by lumbi (structure made of beads). There are total six strands of cord provided with lobe at one end to tie it onto the camel’s face. Earlier instead of cowries people used conch shells which they obtain from Pakistan but later they started used cowries because they were available in local markets of Jaisalmer. It takes approximately 10 days to complete one Moarakha. 57
8 Kaporadi Kaporadi is attached to binni. It is about 3�-35� and is folded from one side.
9 Gorbandh Gorbandh is positioned on the saddle of camel which is placed on the hump and draped over its shoulders. The shape of Gorbandh is in such a way that it easily fits on the camel’s body. The work done in all of the pieces is very intricate and beautiful. On the bottom, each belt is magnificently finished with lumbi of about 8 inches in length. Besides the belts on other side, the middle one is wider and has different motive on it. Similar to Naklesh, Gorbandh is also followed by making belts at first, then joining them by bead work. The size of Gorbandh is about 50 inches by 60 inches. The gap which is giving in between the two symmetric part of it is 8 inches, so that it becomes easy to put it on camel. It takes about one month to finish Gorbandh, depending on the look to be achieved. 59
10 Naklesh Naklesh is placed over the neck of camel covering it completely. It is about 35”-45”. In Naklesh, firstly they make separate pieces, then assemble and stitched them together by bead work. To make it noticeable, they use mirrors at some places. There is a tassel on both the sides of about 6” made of beads, sitara and pom-pom. Some belts are of 3” and some are of 2”. The variation in the width of the belts gives a lively feel to it. Principally 10 days are needed to complete one piece of Naklesh. Strings are provided on the edge of naklesh so that they can tie it to Moarakha on one side and Gorbandh on the other.
11 & 12 Godiya Godiya is worn at two places, above the knees and the ankle. It is about 3 inches by 14 inches. The design elements on Godiya are similar to that of Gorbandh and Naklesh because it is made up of single belt with multicolour pom-pom on the edge. On both the sides, the belt is folded to insert rope, which is use to tie the Godiya on Camel’s leg. There are mainly three types of Godiya.
Single belt with pom-pom
This is about 2 inches in width and 20 inches in length and quite different from the two because instead of fabric, leather is used. They buy pieces of leather from the local market, then sew them to make a belt, on which they fix ghungroo. The ghungroo which are used have drop like shape. On the top of ghungroo, they stitch multicolour pom-pom.
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In one of the Godiya, they use half portion of cap, an arc, than they decorate it with cowry, pom-pom and tassel on the edge. In this, lobes are made on side and rope on the other side, to tie it on the leg, by inserting the rope in the lobes around leg.
13 Poonch Bandhini Poonch Bandhani is used to decorate camel’s tail. They tie one end of Poonch Bandhani to one corner of the saddle and another end to the tip of the camel’s tail. In this, they make the cord and cover it with coloured soot, initially only cord was used. After that, they decorate it from both sides: front and back. The length of Poonch Bandhani is about 26 inches.
14 Lumbi Lumbi is attached to Moarakha. On the top is attached a circular ring on which the whole structure is being made. It is done in bead work. Initially only cotton threads were used to make the Lumbi. The height of lumbi is about 8 inches with the diameter of about 3-4 inches.
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15 Mod Mod is made by using Gota and colourful beads. It is rectangular in shape, approximately 8 inches by 18 inches. Along the length, on one side beads are connected to gota and on the other, finely finished with colourful pom-pom and ghungroos. Ropes are fixed on the corner to tie it. The position of Mod is not fixed; it is placed wherever space is there.
16 Lumb Lumb is sited below Gorbandh. It is similar to Mod, the only difference is instead of being flat, it is being made constructed around a rounded rectangular iron frame. The size of lumb is 7 inches by 9 inches approx. It is also done in bead work with pom-pom at equal distance along the width. In lumb, rope is fixed in the frame to tie it to camel’s neck.
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17 Kanthmaal Kanthmaal is a variation of lumb. In place of iron frame, belt of about 2.5 inches is used, on which the entire structure is made. Ropes are provided on the corner and the edge to fix it. The size of Kanthmaal is 9 inches by 36 inches. Because of the colours which are used, it looks vibrant and spectacular.
18 Tang Tang is used to fix saddle appropriately on camel. During earlier times, camel belts were a famous craft among people but with times it is vanished. Tang is made up of goat hair but now they have started making them in cotton yarns. It is very difficult to find this craft because people have already stopped practising it as it consumes a lot of time and the money which they get in exchange is very less in comparison to the skill and devotion needed. They are using the older ones by decorating them further with mirrors, cowries etc. The standard size of Tang is 60 inches to 96 inches.
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process MATERIAL PREPARATION The craftsperson first needs to prepare the materials ready for use. By doing this they cut on time spent by taking out and arranging all the things within reach, so that whenever anything is required they do not have to break the flow of work. In this comes setting up of apparatus and also pre preparing some of the materials which require little bit of work in terms of form which they are available in, cannot be used directly.
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1 Making hanks of yarn Hanks of yarn are required for all the articles of Sanjad, yarn is available in a spool form, hence before starting a lot of hanks or Atthis are prepared of a variety of colours.
1 Spool of yarn is unwound and wrapped from a toe to one hand, deciding on the no. of yarns according to the fundaks to be made. 2 Yarns are twisted in one direction before taking out from the toe. 3 Knotted on one side to keep them in place. 4 Lightly wound and a hank pallete is ready.
2 Making holes in mirror This depends on the availability; usually the big mirrors come with a frame and the craftsperson makes holes in it beforehand to keep them handy. 1 Mirror is rested on a wooden block, held with one hand, and Aar is used to make marks for holes and force is applied. 2 Mirror lifted up and pressure is applied to get the Aar through the mirror. 3 Four hole mirror ready for application. 1
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3 Preparing cowries Cowries or shells are spherical from the side they are to sewn on the bottom side, and hence required to be made flat so they stay in place.
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1 Holes are punched on the convex side of the cowry using an aar and a hammer. 2 Then aar is used to make the hole bigger. 3 A plier is then picked to carefully chip the bulge. 4 Cowry ready to be stitched with chipped side on the bottom.
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4 Taking out beads
5 Threading the needle 1 Thread is wetted and stiffened with saliva . 2 Pulled through the needle’s eye 3 Ready for sewing
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1 Strings are cut and the beads taken out from the thread. 2 Bowls are used as containers to display and store the beads. 3 Separation of beads comes in handy when are to be used. 3 3
MAKING TASSELS Tassels are used in Binni, Gorbandh, Kaporadhi, Moarkha, Godiya, Naklesh, Tang, malda, ralli, poonch bandhini, mod, lumb, lumbi, and kanthmal.
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Materials used- Soot and thread. Tools used- Scissors, needle.
1 A loop of black thread is made, and fixed to the thumb of foot of the craftsman to his hand. It is stretched tightly. To make a single colour tassel, atthi of any one colour is picked up and is folded on the thread. 2 To make a multi-coloured foonda, when making the atthi a bunch of 6-7 colours are taken together and used. 3 The Fold is made according to the required length of the tassel/foonda required. And the atthi is pulled from where it is doubled up to bring the yarns together. 4 A threaded needle is inserted from middle of the thickness of the foonda from where it is folded and hanging from the black loop fixed on the thumb. 5 Then the needle is then taken around the head to wrap some thread around the foonda and a knot is made on the wrapped head of the foonda. Craftsman used his right hand to work with scissors and cut the extra length of the black thread. 6 Length of the foonda is decided and the loose hanging end of the atthi is cut. 7 As the foonda is ready, this one is slid forward on the loop. The loop facilitates making many foondas . 8 Similarly many colours and atthis can be used to make multiple numbers of foondas, as they are required in embellishing in almost every article of sanjad. 9 Multi-coloured foondas were started to reduce waste, when a few yarns of single colours were left, which were not enough for making atthi of that colour, they were collected together and used. These foondas are made in multiple numbers and kept, so that at the time of beadwork making fringes these come handy.
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MAKING BELT
1 Inserting threaded needle to make loop 2 Pulling needle to secure hank tightly 3 Placing hank inside the loop 4 Sewing Cowry after the loop 5 Second color Hank being inserted 6 Filling belt with same pattern in parallel lines, hank being cut & trimmed 7 One unit of design with fundak and cowry 8 Mirror being sewn as embellishment
This technique is used in making Gorbandh, Naklesh and also Godiya. Materials used- Used 1 1/2� Nivaad, Soot, Cowry, thread, and Mirrors. Tools used- Scissors, needle, plier.
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CENTRAL DESIGN This is variation of the embroidery, only design is getting widened as the Patti width is increasing. Here a new pattern is generated using the same technique .This is used in making Gorbandh, Naklesh & Tang Materials used- 2 1/2� Nivaad, Soot, Cowry, Thread, and Mirrors Tools used- Scissors, needle, plier.
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1 Folding nivaad to make it stiff, and inserting needle. 2 After stitching colorful fundak in place, a cowry is sewn at a right angle . 3 Loop is made along the width of the nivaad for the next foondak. The embroidery is done without worrying about the chaos of threads going on at the back of the patti. 4 Here one unit of pattern is in a grid of nine. The 4 corners and centre filled with different coloured foondaks, and the rest 4 blocks in the grid filled with 4 cowries. 5 hanging ends of hanks are trimmed to reveal the pattern. 6 start another pattern.Patterns or designs are decided on the spot by the craftsperson. 7 Big mirrors are sewn to give definition to the pattern after completion of a unit. 8 Few corners which were left blank are filled with sewing in small mirrors. 9 This design uses a pallete of bright and striking colours. There is no particular order in which these colours are used, but solely on the mood of the craftsperson do they depend. They are not afraid to use so many colours in one patch, are very confident.
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DESIGN ON KAPORADHI Materials used- Used 2 1/2� Nivaad, Soot, Cowry, Thread, and Buttons. Tools used- Scissors, needle, plier.
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1 Inserting a threaded needle inside the loop behind the button. Buttons are sewn instead of mirrors for Kaporadhi. 2 The metal button has one loop with which it is stitched onto nivaad. 3 Permutation combination of buttons, cowries and foondaks are used to make different and vibrant patterns for such articles.
JOINING BELTS This technique is used in Gorbandh, Naklesh and Moarkha. It is a joining technique of units using beadwork. Materials used- Thread, Golden and orange Moti (bead). Tools used- Scissors, needle.
1 Joining belts is important for giving form to articles. In this case the craftsperson is joining belts for ‘Gorbandh’. 2 Belt 1 is held in his left hand, turning it sideways. The threaded needle is inserted and taken out from top on a point through the thickness of the belt on the edge. 3 Golden big beads and orange small beads are used here for decorating the joints when making sanjad. In one go multiple number of beads are inserted. 4 The distance between two belts is decided by the number of beads. Here 2 golden beads on top, followed by 10 Orange beads, then again 2 golden beads at the end of a strand are used. 5 Once the last two golden beads are inserted, the needle is passed upwards through these 2 beads after joining with the second belt, as these two beads are common for the next strand in beadwork. 6 After this again 10 orange beads followed by 2 golden beads are inserted to grow the design. The design grows in a diagonal manner, zig zag, measured by beads put in. Belts can be added on both sides, making the piece grow in dimension. 7 Particularly in Gorbandh, there is a belt fixed on a right angle to a web of vertical belts which forms the top if the article from which there is loop also to be attached in the centre so it can be placed on the saddle. 8 The distance between two vertical belts starting at the top, increases from outside of the Gorbandh to the inside. As the Gorbandh is arc shaped from the top. The numbers of beads are adjusted to maintain the gap.
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ATTACHING TASSELS Tassels are attached in almost all the items in sanjad like Binni, Gorbandh, Kaporadhi, Moarkha, Godiya, Naklesh, Tang, malda, ralli,poonch bandhini, mod, lumb, lumbi, and kanthmal. Materials used- Soot and thread. Tools used- Scissors, needle.
1 Soot tassels which have been made in lots of colours, are used now. When the base articles are ready, a line of zigzag beadwork along with foonda hanging at the ends is done to finish these products. It is a similar process like joining belts. 2 Here the craftsperson starts with stringing 2 white beads followed by ten smaller orange beads again followed by 2 white beads in the threaded needle which is taken from starting edge of any article. 3 Tassel or foonda earlier made is strung and the needle is taken back up into two white beads. Then following the same pattern of ten orange beads and finishing a V-Shape at the edge of the belt. 4 The same process is repeated for the edge of the article. 5 The craftsperson decides which colour foonda to put on the spot. These colours are generally very bright and all used in one article.
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MAKING DRAWSTRINGS FOR GODIYA
1 The craftsperson takes multiple strands of soot, loops around a toe and twists to ply the yarn. 2 Halving it and looping the plied yarn on the toe. 3 Opening a ply to insert a hank on the loose end. 4 to keep the hank in place. 5 Stitching to make a tassel. 6 Repeating the same thing on the other end. 7 Drawstring ready to insert in the Godiya for a fastening mechanism.
Godiya uses technique of making belts and attaching tassels. There are 2 pairs of Godiya, the one around the knees are rectangular, and the on around the ankles are arc shaped. Drawstrings are used to fasten them around the legs. Materials used- Soot and thread. Tools used- needle, scissors.
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GODIYA
Illustration for Godiya to be adorned on the ankle of a camel
Illustration for Godiya to be adorned around the knees of a camel
LUMBI BEADWORK This technique is used for making lumbis. Variations of these are made and are used on articles such as Gorbandh, Mod, Kanthmal, Lumb, Malda and Moarkha. Materials used- Thread, Soot, beads. Tools used- needle, scissors.
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1 The Process starts from counting the number of threads, in this case 8 strands. 2 Then soot is tied in the middle, making the strand count now 16. 3 The soot is knotted and ‘naagi’ or loop is created to attach or hang the lumbi later. 4 The craftsperson loops an extra thread with the naagi to be able to work at an arms distance from the foot. 5 According to the pattern, two beads are inserted together on 2 strands. 6 Beads shifted till the end, and threads separated to take next to strands. 7 Ten green beads are inserted in each of the strand. 8 All the beads shifted till the end, checking if count of beads is correct. 9 Taking 2 strands together, adding a in each, then again 1 together in both. 10 Red is next colour in counts of 10 in each strand.
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11 Following the orange beads ‘+’ pattern after red ones. 12 Next diamond is of clear beads. 13 The growth of the piece is quite slow as each bead has to be threaded one after the other. 14 After orange beads, Green hank of soot is inserted between two adjacent strands. 15 Hank sewn in place to make tassel. 16 Same is repeated 8 times to complete a level of design. 17 Next layer of beads pattern starts with stringing yellow beads in each of the strands.
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Variation of a Lumbi represented through illustration
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18 Craftsperson resting and admiring the lumbi. 19 Another layer of 8 yellow tassels are sewn at the end of orange beads to mark a level. 20 Beads and ghungroos are added after each tassel for embellishment.
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Illustrative representation for Kaporadhi
KAPORADHI
GORBANDH The wider nivaad embroidery is used in the central belt design of the Gorbandh. From where there is a slit and the two panels fall on the camels shoulders. The pattern is hereafter repeated for the length of the belt required. No measurements are taken; the cowries and the mirrors only serve as guiding points to repeat a pattern. Illustrative representation for Gorbandh
NAKLESH
Illustrative representation for Naklesh
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BINNI- CONTINOUS DESIGN
1 The loops made with thread are continuous, leaving no space between two foondaks on the edge of the base. 2 The base Binni is rested on the foot of the craftsperson while working on it to get support. One hand grips the article while the other does the embroidery. The loops for inserting atthis are made in the same orientation along the edge. 3 After all the colours of atthis are inserted; hanging ends are cut using scissors.Here the piece is held by holding on to the atthis in one hand and cut using the other. 4 The foondaks are closely touching each other, hiding the base. As all the colours are used once in the embroidery. 5 The fundaks look like small burst of bright hues, and puts life into the piece. There is no particular order of using colours and as many as 7-8 colours are used.
This technique is used in Binni. The trial is shown using nivaad as the base. Materials used- Leather for base, Soot and thread. Tools used- Needle, scissors.
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BINNI FOUNTAIN & BEADWORK
1 A fountain is made in the centre of the Binni.First a doubled thread is pulled on the top, and around 24 orange beads are calculated for the height of the tower which is inserted on the top. 2 After the beads, the thread is bifurcated, and a single coloured hank is inserted to make a foonda. A knot keeps the hank in place;tight enough so the yarns do not slip out. 3 After knotting, black thread is wrapped around the head of the foonda, and the thread then cut. 4 The process is repeated three more times, making 4 strands for the tower.The points, if joined will form a square. 5 Now on 8th bead (or 1/3rd height of the tower) the needle is inserted at a right angle. 8 beads form the connection between 2 strands.
This technique is used for making Binni. It is done on a leather base with continuous fundak embroidery all around the edge of the Binni. Here the trial is shown using nivaad as the base. Materials used-Thread, Soot, Golden and orange beads Tools used- needle, scissors.
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6 This process is repeated three times until all the 4 strands are connected and form squares. 7 After one level is ready of the tower, for the second level, thread is knotted on a right angle from the 16th bead of the first strand. 8 This time 6 orange beads are strung into the thread, making it narrow from the top. This process is done 4 times on the 16th beads of all strands forming the second level. 9 Now all the 4 foondas form the centre top of the tower, they are further made closer by attaching two beads between each foonda. 10 Multi-coloured foonda stands on the bead tower, and is trimmed to form a spherical form,lightly puffed with the fingers so it becomes fuller.
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Illustrative representation for Binni
KNOT FOR MOARKHA
The craftsperson does not require taking any measurement for the article but basing everything on approximation and experience. The craftsperson starts with calculating the length of cotton cord required, does the measurement with hands and visually. A series of 3 square knots and 4 square knots are required to make the moarkha. The craftsperson takes support of his fingers, feet or knees to measure, stretch and guide him through the process.
For making Moarkha, a base with cotton cords is first made ready on which other embellishments are done. Materials used- Cotton cord
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MOARKHA
1 The framework which is made for moarkha using knotting techniques is used as a base. The cord is usually double up to add more thickness. To add colour 10-12 strands are wound. 2 The soot is wound such that the cord underneath does not show at all. It is stretched and wound tightly. 3 To add drama, 2 color soots are plied together. 4 The colourful strand is now wrapped around another part 5 Two sections of moarkha with base ready. 6 Embellishing with cowries and fundaks. 7 Trimming to reveal the design. 8 Two sections ready for joining.
Materials used- Cord, Soot, Googda, cowry, beads. Tools used- needle, scissors.
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9 Joining with beads in a zig zag pattern, the gap size is decided by the number of beads. 10 Hanging multi-coloured tassels to the portion of moarkha which defines the face of camel. 11 A portion of moarkha ready. The loops are left for fastening the article when adorned.
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Illustrative representation for Moarkha
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MOARI- CORD MAKING
1 Taking a spool of cotton cord. 2 Looping and tying Both the ends of the spool to a wooden stick each 3 Here the cord will be 3 plied, hence measuring 1/3rd and 2/3rd length of the cord. 4 Inserting another stick to 1/3rd length of the cord and twisting. 5 Twisting action is only is one direction, and the other two ends maintain tension.
First step in making moari is preparing the base of thick plied cotton cord. Materials used- Cord Tools used- Scissors & Sticks
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6 Once, 2/3rd of the length is twisted, you get one cord with 2 ply and one cord with single ply, twisting in one direction to ply these together. 7 Removing stick to reveal loop. 8 Creating a gap between plied cords. 9 Pulling the loop and knotting to make a loop for fastening moari. 10 Moari base.
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MOARI- CORD MAKING
1 According to the length of moari, it is broken into units.The portions which are decorated are wrapped with nivaad to add thickness. 2 The nivaad is sewn into place. 3 Knot is covered with multiple strands of yellow soot to create base. 4 Extra thread cut. 5 Different coloured soot inserted across the length of the nivaad. 6 Mixing two colours at a time. 7 Extra yarn cut to reveal the pom pom. 8 The portion which is to be used to hold the moari is covered with another color of soot. 9 And again more soot is wrapped to form base for another pom pom. 10 Cut and trimmed before doing beadwork.
Materials used- Cord, Nivaad, Soot, thread. Tools used- Needle & Stissors
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MOARI- BEADWORK
1 Beadwork starts from the edge of pom pom ending on the nivaad. 2 Two strings of orange beads are sewn on the edge, defining the pattern about to form. 3 Taking multiple beads on a needle, pattern involves counting. 4 The pattern grows level by level, and the space available decides the pattern. 5 Calculation is made according to the space, colours and number of beads, here a diamond pattern of beadwork emerges. 6 The craftsperson decides the colours and keeps experimenting during the process. 7 After a pattern is completed, strings of orange beads are used to end it. 8 Further beads and ghungroos are attached to the bottom edge of one pom pom.
Materials used- Cord, Nivaad, Soot, thread, Ghunghroo. Tools used- Needles & Scissors
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9 Tassel is attached to the other pom pom. 10 Another pom pom is now made, as the diamond pattern by the beadwork decides its position. 11 A portion of moari, the portion covered with red soot is from where it will be held.
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Illustrative representation for Moari
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POONCH BANDHINI
1 Multiple numbers of plied yarns of a single colour are taken together. 2 A Naagi is made in the middle, doubling up the thickness of the soot. 3 2 bright coloured yarns are taken and looped into each other. 4 It is held by the naagi, yarns separated and bright coloured yarns introduced in the article. 5 Alternatively the bright colours orange and pink are braided with the base of single colour. 6 The braiding moves in a circular pattern, going in concentric. 7 The pressure applied gives way to the form, it is called ‘harid’. 8 After 3/4th of the sphere, waste cutting of yarn is filled in it.
Materials used- Soot , thread, beads, Ghungroos, buttons. Tools used- Needles & Scissors
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9 Finishing and knotting the sphere. 10 Dividing the yarns into three, and braiding a pleat to serve as base for the poonch bandhini. 11 Sewing button on one side of the braid. 12 Fundak and ghungroos attached with beads instead of tassels. 13 Portion of poonch bandhini.
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Illustrative representation for Poonch Bandhini
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Last Day Mire Khan had promised us that one of these days he will bathe ‘Patang’ and adorn him with his latest set of Sanjad to show us and take notes. We were more than lucky, as he got a call from his friends requesting him to come to a hotel which was about to be inaugurated along with his Baggi and Sanjad to dress up another camel. Mire khan took us along with Dhapu and one of his sons, to the venue. The distance was only about 2 kms from his house, and we enjoyed the ride thoroughly taking the scenic ride to the hotel comfortably perched on the Baggi.
Tang Tang or Camel Girth, is one of the important article in camel decoration. People used to make belts for fixing the saddle on camel’s back for carrying load as well as for decorating the camel which they usually do at the time of festivals and occasions. Tang is mainly of two types: (1) Goat haired (2) Cotton
Goat haired Tang
Cotton Yarn Tang
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We started our journey with our introduction with the family of Late. Ishwar Singh Ji. He was nationally awarded for making spectacular camel belts. His entire family was involved in this profession, but later when he passed on, it vanished with time.We visited his house in Jaisalmer, there we asked one of his family members to show their collection of camel belts, every single piece was done magnificently. After talking to his family, we visited his brother Dungar Singh Ji’s place in the nearby village Dhahua, who showed us the hanks of goat hair and shared with us the entire knowledge from making the yarn till the finishing of the belt.Goat haired Tang requires a lot of time and steps: Cutting the goat hair, preparing the hanks then spinning the yarns. Unfortunately, Dungar Singh Ji’s family have also stopped practising this craft, as farming is their main source of earning livelihood. Then we met his son Kamal Singh Ji, who has shifted his job in Electricity Department. When we asked people of Jaisalmer about the existence of artisans who make these belts, nobody was able to identify. But when we visited the local markets of Jaisalmer as well as the markets inside the main fort, most of the shopkeepers had collections which they usually sell at very higher prices to the foreigners. We noticed a difference in the quality of the belts, the one at Late. Ishwar Singh Ji’s place, were very intricate and the goat hair yarn which they have used was very fine. Whereas the belts on the shops were mostly made out of cotton yarn, few belts were of goat hair but the quality was tainted. The belts in olden times have motives of human beings like men riding horse, women carrying pots and of animals like horses, camels etc, which changed to geometric patterns with time.
Dungar Singh Ji’s residence, in village Dhahua near Jaisalmer
Dungar Singh Ji answering our queries, Dahua village
Rider posing on Camel. The Saddle is fixed with the help of Goat hair tang that people used to make in earlier times
Though this craft is not there in Jaisalmer district but people living in the nearby areas who have migrated to Bikaner, Barmer, Kutch in Gujarat region are still making it, but mostly it is order based or they make for their own camels. Searching for this craft took us to the houses of camel owners, where we came to know about camel decoration at the time of festivals.We saw a large number of camels while visiting Sam, every single camel was wearing tang made by this technique.
Sam is a place where people come for camel riding and enjoying traditional dances at night.There, all the owners have adorned their camels and were ready to sell the camel belts but at very higher rates. Though we were not able to cover the craft but we visited all the places where people are still preserving and using them.
Different types of motives on camel like human figures, birds on tang, sam, Jaisalmer
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decorating camel Camel are decorated mainly at the time of fairs, festivals and other occasions. After completing all the articles, the owner decorates the camel step by step. Mire khan demonstarteted to us how the ‘Sanjad’ is adorned on the camel, in this particular case, he was invited to inaugration of one of the hotels, with decorated ‘Patang’ (his camel), to pose for various photographs and videos, which could boast about the traditions, culture and heritage of jaisalmer.
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1 Camel sitting on the floor as per indicated by the owner before decorating it 2 Craftsperson inserting the lobe of moari in camel’s pegs 3 Placing Malda on camel’s back 4 Fitting Moarakha on its face by holding both the ends. 5 Tightening Moarkha 6 Fixing Saddle on the hump. 7 Making knot at the end of Saddle on both the sides to ensure the safety.
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8 Tying one end of Pooch Bandhini with the knot of Saddle 9 Fixing other end with the tail of camel 10 Covering Saddle with one of the article called Ralli which has colourful motives on it 11 Placing Gorbandh on camel’s neck by resting it on the hook of the Saddle 12 Putting Naklesh to cover the exposed portion between Gorbandh and Moarakha 13 Fixing Binni on Camel’s forehead 11
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14 Fixing Godiya above the knee of Camel 15 Placing another Godiya on the top of the other one 16 Adorning the ankle with another category of Godiya 17 The Craftsperson with the Camel after decoration
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innovation or changes Throughout our journey and research process we found that the craft has seen a lot of changes over a course of time. We were fortunate to meet and see people and articles which belonged to the earlier times made and were now preserved and very rare along with the recent creations and decorations. The craftsperson Mire Khan was generous enough to show us his father Sandal Khan’s creations. The main article of Sanjad which is the Gorbandh, was stored away carefully, he no longer adorned it on his camel but kept it as a memory, an example of extraordinary craftsmanship. The earlier piece was made up of goat hair, which was cut, washed, separated and spun with hand. The piece had seen around four decades. The base of the Article was completely braided giving away the fact that the amount of time spent on article, unlike the Nivaad or the tape used as a base readily available in the local market which is used nowadays. The embellishment was with buttons and soot, the work more intricate. The choice of colours was less bold unlike the ones documented in earlier chapters, and instead of beadwork, there was thread work on the tassels. Gorbandh made up of Goat hair by Late. Shri Sandal Khan
The Soot used earlier was cotton; the ones used now are acrylic, available in all neon and bold colours, the access, availability and affordability also has to do with choosing these colours. Ironically now, these colours have become illustrative of the craft.
Kanthmaal alongwith Lumbi made of cotton thread
The form of the Gorbandh was also different, but the number of pieces we saw was not enough to speak about the transition. Another Article we saw was with a collector, it was also a Gorbandh, around 20yrs old. It was made with cotton yarns, and its base was also braided. It was heavily decorated with Conch shells. The work was less intricate than Sandal Khan’s Gorbandh. Articles like Godiya, Kadi, and Poonch Bandhini are fairly new additions to the Sanjad. Also, Mire khan and others like him, who are sensitive and respect the craft are very skilled and are maintaining the craft along with changing with the times and bringing in additions. But, also we can find cheap plastic and synthetic decorations for the camel which are available at cheaper prices but do not illustrate the same heritage.
Gorbandh adorned with cowries from one of the older collections
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how craft
reaches people Rajasthan is a place, where every occasion, festival is celebrated with full zest and vigour. Where every colour has its own tale, every motive has its own meaning, every painting tells a story. Jaisalmer is rich in craft like leather, embroidery, puppet making, Miniature pinting, Yellow stone carving, and camel decoration. The craft Camel Decoration has its roots from the time of Maharajas, who used to decorate their camels, from the processions like Marriage where the decoration of Camel was the main criteria that depicts one’s status in society. In Jaisalmer, Camels can be seen in festivals, fairs, marriage and other occasion that held. Desert fair which starts in month of January-February at the time of full moon, many events are associated with camel like: Cattle Fair, Camel Decoration Competition, Camel Race, Camel Dances, Camel Polo, Camel Acrobatics. Apart from these, there are other events also: Moustache Competition, Tug of War, Puppet Shows, Folk Dance Performers, and Mr Desert. Camel Decoration termed as Oonth Ki Sanjad, is a craft which is practised in the villages of Jaisalmer district. People came to know about this through the occasions like desert
Decorated camel at cattle fair, Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan
fair. It dated back at the time of partition, when most of the Sindhi Hindus came to India; they brought this art with them. Initially the main occupation of people was to practice the crafts of the region but now it has changed. There are hardly few families left that are still a part of it. People have changed their occupation. In all the year round, 6 months they work and rest of the 6 months they go to their fields and make Sanjad in the meantime. We can see the shops of Sanjad at the time of fair, where people come to buy it particularly foreign tourists. Apart from selling in fair, people give it for renting at the time of marriage, functions, Inauguration Ceremony and alike.
Mire Khan makes new Sanjad every year with modifications in it. As Mire Khan’s primary occupation is giving camel chariot rides to tourists, but with the commencement of Fair, he starts making it. He sells his older Sanjad to whosoever knows and comes to his place to buy it. We can see his photographs showcased in Hotel Paradise, where people come from different places and when they see it, and then they go to him to buy Sanjad. Most of the buyers are foreign tourists, some are from Arab countries. Some people give orders too.
Shop selling camel decorations, at Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan
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challenges and opportunities The challenges that this craft faces are very similar to a lot of crafts which are entirely made by hand. It takes up a lot of time, and the growth of an article is slow. Also, especially for this craft, the articles are such that they lose the function and importance as soon as the context changes. They only make sense in deserts, and camel owners or collectors. Apart from this a very few people like tourists like to own such items for decoration. The younger generation, children of craftsmen, are rarely learning this craft owing to the time the processes take, one sanjad which takes about 6 months and also as they do not fetch reasonable returns and a steady income. As it is, it is done in off-seasons, where the main occupation of the craftsperson is farming. The craft has seen a lot of change with time, the revenue it brings back and the time required practising it. We understand that these are the obvious factors for getting
cheaper imitations. And as these pieces are available for far less prices, the crafted pieces are less in demand. The way in which these decorations reach people is through processions, competitions, fairs and festivals. But these are again limited to the desert. Another place where they are used is, BSF’s Cantonment in republic day Parade in New Delhi every year. Though for this, what we could gather was, the order is given to a contractor, who in turn gets work done form different craftsperson, and the price is standardised. The beauty of Sanjad lies in uniqueness of every piece, as each is handmade along with different style of each craftsperson, and region. The interesting thing, from where we see its future is, although the forms of the articles are very specific to a camel’s adornments, is the application done, like the
embellishment, tassel work, embroidery, beadwork is the real skill on which the craftsperson spends time. And we see a solution in applying these skills to a different set of articles.Base for items to have similar properties like nivaad, for e.g. textile fabric or leather. Souvenirs of Jaisalmer can be these articles. Items which will remain meaningful even after leaving Jaisalmer or Rajasthan. Pieces carrying the same design and colour language like that of Sanjad. This will give a chance to people like us to own and admire such beautifully crafted articles and the craft to stay alive. This can help in keeping this craft from dying, as it can provide livelyhood,and the next generation would want to learn and practise it further. It will also increase and expand the reach making the craft more popular.
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GLOSSARY Atthi is hank of yarn
Kurta is upper garment for men, longer than knee length.
Baggi is a 4 wheel camel drawn vehicle.
Leheriya is Stripe pattern formed by textile dyeing technique.
Bandhini refers to tie & dye technique for textiles.
Maniya/Moti are beads of different sizes, having through and through holes to be able to string or stitch them on fabric.
Bind-Bindani are husband - wife in the language ‘marwari’. Dhaga/soot refers yarns used in stitching, embroidery & embellishments. Dholak is a musical instrument, two-headed hand drum. Fundak is a kind of pom-pom made using multiple yarns resembling a marigold flower. Ghaghra Choli is the traditional attire worn by Rajasthani women, consisiting of a blouse (backless/ strings on the back), along with a long pleated skirt. Ghee is clarified butter made from the milk of buffalo or cow used in Indian cooking. Googda/Ghunghroo are small metallic bells, which produce musical sounds when shaken. Gota is golden zari belt. Kaanch is referred to mirror (for embellishment).
Meenakari colouring and ornamenting the surface of metals by fusing over it with brilliant colours, on patterns like flowers and leaves. Nayaka- nayika are referred to characters (Hero-Heroine) in painting style Ragamala. Nivaad/Patta is a woven belt made of cotton yarns, 1”-2” wide. Oonth Ki Sanjad is18 different articles make up for Sanjad, which are used to decorate a camel, for eg. Gorbandh. Ragamala, raga- musical composition, Mala- Garland, i.e- garland of ragas, type of art to depict all the ragas. Rassi is a long cord made by plying yarns. Salwar is the lower garment worn along with Kurta, gathered at the waist, held up by drawstring. Sarangi is a bowed, short-necked string instrument.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Gillow John, Barnard Nicholas. Traditional Indian Textiles. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1991. Nagarajan Kalyani. Camel Belts. Ahmedabad:NID publications department,1992. Quick Betsy D. , Stein Judith A.Ply-split camel girths of India. UCLA,1982. Ranjan M.P, Ranjan Aditi.Handmade in India:A Geographic Enclyclopedia of Indian Handicrafts.New Delhi: Council of Handicraft Development Corporations (COHANDS),2007. Sharma N.K. Jaisalmer
Website Refrences http://www.indiatravelportal.com/rajasthan-tourism/ tourist-attractions/jaisalmer.html http://www.jaisalmer.org.uk/travel-tips/how-to-reach.html http://www.mapsofindia.com/jaisalmer/geography-history/ geography.html http://www.rajasthantourism-india.com/rajasthan-touristdestinations/jaisalmer.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaisalmer
Singh Ranbir. Jaisalmer Art, Architecture & Tourism. Gurgaon: Shubhi Publications.
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Mire Khan Along with his camel ‘Patang’ & student researchers Ankita Sharma & Nazuk keshan
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Oonth ki Sanjad Jaisalmer NID 2013