Safeguarding JAMDANI

On 11 November, 2014, an exhibition titled 'Safeguarding Jamdani: The Intangible Cultural Heritage from Bangladesh and Promoting Creative Economy' was inaugurated. The three-day exhibition, organised by Bangladesh UNESCO National Commission and Korean National Commission for UNESCO was held at Shilpakala Academy.

Webbed by fairies with the thread of winds
Jamdani, which is believed by many to be a variety of Muslin, is a rich heritage Bangladeshis should be proud of. We all know about the fame and importance of Muslin. Its usage goes back to time immemorial. It has even been claimed that Muslin had been used for the outer covering of the mummies of Pharaohs of Egypt. And, "as the distribution centre of this fabric, two very important towns grew up in Asia. One of them was Mosul in Iraq and the other was Musulipatam in Madras, both of which derived their names from Muslin," Syed Muhammed Taifoor wrote in Glimpses of Old Dhaka. Such was the significance of Muslin.
The Europeans used to say that Muslins were 'webbed by fairies with the thread of winds.'
The glory of Muslin, through the passage of time, has been lost. However, Jamdani, one of its varieties, survives till date.
Jamdani has long been an aristocratic affair. For example, it was a favourite of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, 'for which he paid 250/- per piece'.

An intangible asset
In 2013, the traditional art of weaving Jamdani was included on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is therefore our responsibility to protect this heritage and ensure that the weavers are financially secured enough, so that the craftsmen continue to retain their trade.

Old trade, new dimensions
In light of this, Bangladesh UNESCO National Commission and Korean National Commission for UNESCO undertook a project to create awareness on Jamdani and promote new products made from this heritage weave. It collaborated with Jamdani experts and three fashion and lifestyle brands that have been promoting 'deshi' fabrics and products for years -- Kumudini Handicrafts, Anjan's and Aarong. The project involved mentoring and guiding 20 Jamdani weavers to make various lifestyle products with Jamdani. The weavers were given Tk 20,000 each. The exhibition was the reflection of that project.

Traditionally, Jamdani has been used for saris. Many women do not wear saris regularly, opting for shalwar kameez sets and other attires. "In order to bring Jamdani to everyone, and to promote our heritage, we need to find diversified uses for it," said Esha Husain, a consultant at Kumudini Handicrafts.

The stall of the three fashion brands featured household products and accessories, such as table runners, handbags, purses, cushion covers, photo frames, etc -- all showing that Jamdani has a much more varied use than just saris.

Other than these 3 stalls, there were several others that belonged to the weavers. This gave them the opportunity to showcase their work and also to directly sell their crafts.
After all, it is the weavers who can keep the heritage of Jamdani alive.   
The exhibition closed on Thursday 13 November.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed