The Hindu Business Line : Exotic Batua craft

Founded in the 11th Century AD by the legendary king Raja Bhoja, Bhopal was once the seat of art, culture and scholarly activities. In later period, Bhopal was ruled by the Gond tribe before it slipped into the hands of the Begums who ruled it for more than 200 years. The crumbling palaces, temples and mosques in Bhopal have on their walls magnificent pieces of art which have stood the ravages of time. Bhopali batua is part of the rich cultural heritage of this ancient Bh opal city which survives due to the devotion of a few senior artisans.

Giving an ethnic touch

The batua craft tradition is believed to have been linked to the Gond tribe who had the traditional skill to make exotic ornaments from bones, ivory, wood and shell. The traditional skill later got the blend of Persian art under the patronage of the Begums of Bhopal. The artisan first makes the drawing on a butter paper. The paper is then put on a velvet or satin cloth. A solution of chalk powder and kerosene is applied on the drawing, which seeps through the paper to leave an impression on the cloth. The cloth is tightly tied to a square frame called ada before the fine bead work is made. The artisan then creates the motifs of trees, flowers, geometric shapes, creepers, animals and birds by stitching beads, synthetic pipes, metals and jaris.

Skilled artisan makes raised motifs of flowers, trees and creepers on the cloth with intricate details. The cloth is then stitched to make the desired item. In the past, jari was originally used to make simpler objects such as purse, pan case and dish covers. Today, the craft has spilled over to dress material, wall hangings, bags, lamp shades and on other utility items. Fashion designers look for talented batua artisans to give an ethnic touch to their creation. Ms Zulekha Khan has been making batua craft for the last 40 years. She trains young girls under government-sponsored programmes. She had attended craft exhibition in all big cities across the country. “Senior artisans do not get the price for quality work,” laments Zulekha, “I have found suit making more lucrative than making those purses.”

Adding value to artefacts

Though quality batua craft has demand in domestic and foreign craft bazaars, the batua artisans are not in a position to cash in on the craft’s popularity due to illiteracy, lack of capital and backwardness. Majority of the artisans work for local handicraft traders and craft agents on daily wage basis. Around 50 Muslim women artisans hone their skills in Khanugaon village on the bank of the famous Upper Lake of Bhopal. They collect raw material from craft traders and supply them finished items. Their income varies from Rs 15 to Rs 50 per day.

Good NGOs, banks and the State government must help artisans start their own enterprise. They must invite genuine batua artisans to handicraft melas so that they can procure orders from different craft agencies. The skill and imagination of those artisans add value to simple artefacts and open the scope for investment in this sector.

(The author is a Pune-based freelance writer.)

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