Bhopal artisans behind expensive Zari lehengas are empty-handed

Ensconced in a modest room within an ancient alleyway of Bhopal, Firoz Ahmed diligently applies his refined needlework to his current piece of cloth. Once Firoz's intricate work of zari zardozi is complete, this same cloth will be transfigured into a lavish suit. Residing in this confined space within Bhopal's network of roads, Firoz, in collaboration with an associate, meticulously crafts 'zardozi' work on suits and lehengas daily. The suits with Bhopal zari work possess an attractive pricing range of ₹ 2,000 - 3,000 in the market, yet poor Firoz barely receives a meagre ₹600 for his hand-crafted suit.

Zari work has been done since the era of Nawabs

Rida and her mother, Sitara Bi, residents of Shyamala Hills in Bhopal, are both engaged in the same vocation. Notably, Sitara Bi has dedicated 40 years of her life to the traditional craft of Bhopal Zari Work. As a maestro in this field, she has guided her daughter, Rida, teaching her the fine details and techniques. Rida, prompted by the depth of its history and the beauty of the craft, enthusiastically shares the story behind this work.

“If you see old photographs of the Begums of Bhopal, you will see the same work in their clothes.”

She says that the lehengas, kurtas and wallets made through this work are still in trend. “Though there are stone lehengas in the market, the highest demand is for zari lehengas.”The matching purse with the lehenga is a special identity of Bhopal.

Market shifting from women to men

When Sitara B commenced her journey with zari craftsmanship, it was a field predominantly occupied by women. Over 40 years, she has passed on her knowledge and skills in this craft to numerous young females. However, over time, zari work transitioned from being a home-based activity to a thriving market, thereby attracting a wider gender spectrum. Today, there are more male artisans involved in zari work than females.

“This work was a source of income for the housewives. Women who could not go out due to family reasons used to get this work at home. But, now everything is available in the market, so no one comes to the women artists.” Rida says.

Women have been affected by the growing market

Previously, Sitara Bi operated an embroidery training centre. Large groups of girls routinely visited her residence in two shifts to learn the craft. Currently, Bi has shifted her focus to teaching tailoring and, as a result, the embroidery training centre remains closed.

“There were girls who came to me who were in dire need of money. I have taught them for free and then also paid them for the work.”

Regarding the losses due to the expansion of the market, she says, “Now women have no work.” Rida says that the male artisans working in factories work for less money and they also have the freedom to go out of the house, but women do not have this.

The generation after us doesn't want to do this work

Even though kurtas with zari work are available in the market at expensive rates, neither the male artisans nor the women get a fair price for making them. “The customer wants to buy the same dress from us for Rs 1500 which is worth Rs 3000 in the market,” Rida says. Whereas Firoz says,

“This work does not provide adequate wages. This is hard work that requires sitting for hours, so the next generation no longer wants to do this work.”

Firoz belongs to Uttar Pradesh. According to him, most of the men working here come from Uttar Pradesh only. Nida says that the government should promote women doing this work through schemes. In this way, both artisans and art will survive.

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