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All about Aari

A workshop in the city brings alive an ancient craft from the deserts of Rajasthan

SILK ROUTES Aari involves sequin and zardosi . (Right) Design of Geetha Viswanathan Photos: K. Ananthan

In a college hall on the outskirts of the city, a group of women sit around a wooden frame to revive a tradition that took birth in the dunes of Rajasthan over 3,000 years ago.

Aari - hand embroidery, once the pride of the Rajasthani royalty, could have been lost like many other traditional crafts with the passage of time.

But the flourishing fashion industry, in spite of its fetish for the Western look, has encouraged designers to delve into the richness of native textile traditions.

The Sri Jayendra Saraswathy College of Arts and Science, the Department of Costume Designing along with Srijati Institute of Fashion Technology (SIFT), Chennai, is holding a four-day workshop on Aari. Over 50 women are trying to learn this age-old craft at the workshop.

Designs from the desert

According to Geetha Viswanathan of SIFT, Aari work was once a jealously guarded secret. But with time, the artisans passed on the tradition to those beyond the traditional hubs like Rajasthan, Orissa and Delhi.

In a craft that bring in the splendour and colours of the desert state, flower motifs and Mughal prints are found in plenty.

Aari is a melange of zardosi, zari, cut work, appliqué work, bead, sequin, thread and mirror work, says Geetha.

The cloth is stitched on to a traditional wooden frame called the shamsher and the designs are punched on it. Later mirrors, sequins and beads are stitched on with silk threads. The workshop is aimed at homemakers and those interested in starting their own small garment units.

Picking up the threads

Revathy joined the workshop because learning a new craft appealed to her. But for Lakshmi, 76, sitting with much younger women and learning the nuances of Aari is proving to be a trifle difficult.

"Though I am familiar with stitching, this is much more difficult than I thought," says Lakshmi as her needle works its way around a floral pattern.

But she is part of the workshop so that she can embellish the clothes of her grand children. Aari can be done on bed sheets, wall hangings, handbags, shoes and garments.

Geetha is thrilled by the response to the workshop and says one can learn this craft in 25 days.

ANIMA BALAKRISHNAN

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