 The
Mughal era brought richness to the textiles and
costumes of India. Ari work or Zardosi is a kind
of hand embroidery believed to be introduced in
medieval times during the reign of Muhammed Bin
Tughlak. Embroidery done on velvet, satin or any
other heavy material came to be known as Zardosi.
The work is done by laying the gold threads over
the material and is very heavy when the weight of
the fabric and the metal wire used for embroidery
are combined. Zardosi used to be a work of beauty
combined with display of wealth, but today other
metals are used instead of gold.
 Commercial
Street in Bangalore is a familiar name for fashion-conscious
zardosi buyers. Tucked in a corner here is the
Narayana Pillai Street Cross. This lane
displays a series of more than twenty shops offering
zardosi work. Most of them have been running the
show for the past twenty to twenty five years.
Ninety per cent of the owners and workers are
Muslims. Each person showcases amazing talent
in the designs and needlework.
Stopping by Shabana Embroidery and Zari Works,
which is the first shop in the lane, I could see
various styles of embroidered materials hanging
in a row. The artisan sits on the floor behind
the wooden equipment working on a piece of cloth,
held taut with two long pieces of wood and thread
to enable him to work easily. And the speed at
which his hands move, with a small pencil like
instrument with a curved needle at the tip, is
a treat to watch. "This is a kind of frame
we use to tie the cloth so that the material is
stiff when we are doing the embroidery", says
Ahemedullah.
 Each
piece is charged as per the design and the materials
used for embroidery. They use a variety like zari,
sequence, coree, beeds, or the shiny stones that
look like diamonds. The clients can specify patterns
and motifs to suit their budget and choice.
"Normally for a simple zardosi work we charge
anywhere between Rs 300 to 450/-. But for bigger
works we charge more. For bridal wear we have
embroidery costing up to ten to fifteen thousand
rupees," says Masood Ahemad the owner
of Shabana Embroidery and Zari Works.
The materials used to do the embroidery are bought
from the city market at wholesale prices. The
smallest work takes a day to be completed and
the most exclusive one can take up to ten days.
"I generally take work that I can finish by three
days, because I like to work on new designs. I
have been here from four years and have learned
this zari work", says Ismail of Rahmatullah
Zari Works.
And one can only admire the dexterity with which
the hands weave magic with cloth and thread and
wires.
Author: Kamini M.V.
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