Epar Bangla Opar Bangla

Darshan Shah first visited Bangladesh 30 years ago to learn about natural dyes from its dedicated champion Ruby Ghuznavi ldquoWhen I stepped into Ruby aparsquos facility it was reverence at first sight Under her guidance I explored natural dyes batik and block printingrdquo recalls Shah director of Kolkatabased Weavers Studio established in 1993 with a mission ldquoto use as many hands as possiblerdquoGhuznavi born in 1935 relocated from Kolkata to East Pakistan now Bangladesh after Partition She earned BSc and MA in Economics degrees from the University of Dhaka and worked as a teacher and social activist Her experiences of displacement deepened her appreciation for handmade textiles and their global marketIn 1982 Ghuznavi launched the Natural Colour project starting with six colours learned from Indian experts and expanding to 35 colourfast dyes a rare feat matched by very few countries ldquoAt a seminar on Jenny BalfourPaulrsquos book Indigo the author pointed out Ruby apa as the true expert sitting in the audience Later in India an expert in vegetable dyes asked me lsquoHow is the Indigo ladyrsquomdasha testament to the respect that her neighbours had for herrdquo says ShahRuby Ghuznavi is recognised as a vanguard in the renaissance of Bangladeshi handicraftsEncouraged by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay a pioneer in natural dye revival in India and Bangladesh and renowned artists Zainul Abedin and Rasheed Chowdhury Ghuznavi set up Aranya Crafts in 1990mdasha fairtrade micro enterprise specialising in crafts made from natural dyesGhuznavi who passed away in 2023 in Dhaka is recognised as a vanguard in the renaissance of Bangladeshi handicrafts ldquoAlong with artist Quamrul Hassan and others she played a key role in establishing the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh NCCB and securing Geographical Indication GI status for Jamdanirdquo adds ShahShahrsquos recounting of Ghuznavirsquos impact provides a fresh and evocative contrast if not a counternarrative to the recent crisisfocused reports about Bangladeshrsquos ldquofast fashionrdquo manufacturing industry This enriched historical and cultural retelling paints a deeper more nuanced picture of Bangladeshrsquos craft textile and design heritage while also highlighting the shared legacy of undivided BengalDarshan ShahThis perspective is further examined in Textiles from Bengal A Shared Legacy an upcoming 2025 exhibition by Shahrsquos Weavers Studio Resource Centre WSRC ldquoWSRC a notforprofit section of Weavers Studio is undertaking a multiyear project to study the textiles of undivided Bengal from the 14th century to the 20th centuryrdquo explains Shah ldquoDespite their significance these famed textiles have been largely neglected in academic circles It has been a victim of the partition of the subcontinent and the recent history of India and Bangladesh Our aim is to renew interest in Bengalrsquos textiles and draw attention to their current state in West Bengal and BangladeshrdquoldquoMy deep interest in archives is to connect the dots between past and present uncovering how much has changed and what enduresrdquo says Dr Ritu Sethi editor ndash Global InCH Journal of Living Heritage and the Asia InCH EncyclopediaHer chapter on Exhibiting Bengal Textiles 1851 to the Commonwealth will feature in a book edited by Tirthankar Roy Sonia Ashmore and Niaz Zaman which ties in with the WSRC exhibition launch ldquoI studied textiles exhibited from 1851 to 1947 spanning the colonial era up to the Commonwealth showcased both internationally and within India As I delved into the project I was delighted and astonished by the profound interest in the past that was waiting to be awakenedrdquo Dr Sethi adds Nakshi kantha silk saree Handembroidered with natural dye batik by Ruby Ghuznavi Bangladesh Collection of Weavers Studio Resource CentreDr Sethirsquos excitement is palpable when discussing Bengalrsquos craftwork choosing to view it as a unified heritage rather than splitting it into pre and postPartition eras ldquoI approach creativity through a broad lensmdashencompassing people culture art cuisine festivals and of course craft and textiles Creativity isnrsquot a matter of versus or competitionrdquo she arguesKnown for her extensive work in Bengal including Embroidering FuturesmdashRepurposing the Kantha and Painters Poets PerformersmdashThe Patuas of Bengal Dr Sethi asserts that Bengal deserves much more attention calling it a lsquoloadstarrsquordquoSoumitra MondalldquoThe golden era of Jamdani is rooted in undivided Bengal Today even when you find muslin or Jamdani pieces at institutions like Victoria and Albert Museum they are labelled lsquohellipfrom Bengalrsquordquo notes Soumitra Mondal The Howrahbased designer who received the National Handloom award in 2023 first gained attention with Marg by Soumitra at Lakme Fashion Week in 2007 In 2018 he introduced Bunon a readytowear womenswear line in TokyoAlthough Mondalrsquos connection with Bangladesh has not involved direct collaboration with its handloom weavers he participated in Bangladesh Fashion Week 2023 which also featured Paromita Banerjee and Rimi Nayak ldquoI maintain close ties with Bangladeshi designers like Maheen Khan founder and president of the Fashion Design Council of BangladeshrdquoSoumitra Mondalrsquos Musafir collection showcased at Bangladesh Fashion Week 2023 featured handwoven sarees and fabrics from fine linen yarnThe concept for Epar Bangla Opar Bangla emerged from conversations with Khan The name meaning ldquothis side of the riverrdquo Epar and ldquothe other siderdquo Opar refers to the Padma River also known as the Ganga which divides the Rajshahi and Murshidabad districts forming a natural border between India and Bangladesh ldquoThe show envisioned by Maheen aims to explore our shared heritage and ask lsquoWho we arersquordquo Mondal explainsThe project was to be a travelling exhibition at historic sites like Jorasanko Thakur Barimdashthe ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagoremdashand a comparable venue in Bangladesh featuring three Indian and three Bangladeshi designers ldquoWith Maheenrsquos family roots in prepartition Bengal the show intends to inform a shared history that extends beyond 77 years However due to the current uncertainties in Bangladesh the plans are on holdrdquo says Mondal Dr Ritu Sethi editor Global InCH Journal of Living Heritage and Asia InCH EncyclopediaSimilarly Shah had to postpone her July trip to Bangladesh She is developing her museum collection with master weavers from SonargaonmdashBengalrsquos ancient capital recognised as World Craft City for being the birthplace of Jamdani sareesmdashand from Naopara and Narayangunj ldquoI am in regular contact with my karigars who come from Muslim families with a long tradition in Jamdani weaving and are all thirdgeneration artisans Barring minor transport issues work is progressing wellrdquo Shah reportsAfter Partition many skilled weavers from Dhaka settled in West Bengal in Phulia and Shantipur Nadia district Kalna Samudranagar and Dhatrigram Bardhaman district These neighbourhoods have since become key centres where Indian designers develop textiles like Jamdani Tangail jacquard and muslinThis textile map from Sushil Chaudhurirsquos book Prithibir Tantghar 2018 illustrates the textile varieties produced across Bengal in the broadest historical sense during the 17th and 18th centuries Pic CourtesyWeavers Studio Resource CentreWhat makes a journey to Bangladesh indispensable ldquoWithout it I would have missed the essence quality originality and generational depth of their craft Their nimble hands singing traditional songs while counting warp and weft are irreplaceable As someone who values craft beyond borders I donrsquot think I could have gained this level of insight and connection if I had stayed only in Phuliardquo reasons ShahAlso ReadlsquoBangladeshis spend 23 billion USD annually on textiles from India including handloomsrsquo