My mother has a Baluchari saree. Baba had bought it for her in Kolkata many years back.
I had seen the saree many times, but had not noticed anything special about it. Today when Ma took it out from the wardrobe, I saw that the pallu/anchal i.e. endpiece of the saree was full of depicted drawings.
I took a closer look and saw that it wasn’t any plain drawing, but the whole Ramayana was depicted on the saree. On one image I could see Rama was shooting arrows against a deer. In another image I saw Sita ma sitting and thinking deeply about something.
The saree is of orange and black colour. It is extremely soft. The work is extremely intricate.
Fine silk thread has been in making the saree and it is a gorgeous and beautiful saree.
It is a special Baluchari saree. Baluchari sarees were first made in Baluchar village in Murshidabad, West Bengal. That’s where the saree get it’s name from. Mostly all Baluchari sarees have Ramayan depicted on it.
The whole of Ramayana was depicted very nicely. But mind you, these drawing were not the work of computer imagery or painting or some other form of drawing. They were pure handiwork of saree artisans who have handstiched the whole of the series.
I asked Ma-“Where had you worn this saree?”
Ma replied-“To my cousin’s marriage and in many other functions.”
I told Ma that I was very happy that she had such a saree.
Adios!
Image courtesy of By Atudu – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46712966
Before You Travel. 