In the book ‘What India can Teach us’, Max Muller defines two very different Indias – one is the India of today, of the cities and towns and the other India, thousands of years old, is that of the village communities. As a foreign tourist in India, staying in five star hotelss and travelling by fancy cars, one is most likely to miss out on the second India, the truer of the two. Similarly, as a tourist in my own country, while I had often been to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, what I did not realise was that I was missing out on a more humble, yet strikingly important part of our heritage.  Located a few miles away from the glorious Taj, on the Fatehabad Road, are the marble factories of Agra. One among these is Zainub Exports.

Inlay work in progress

Engaged in a wide range of marble inlay work, workers at the Zainub Exports unit are treated just like family. It is, after all, a family tradition, an invaluable inheritance from the Mughal ancestors. Ask Mr. M. Ajeed Shirazi, a sixteenth generation entrepreneur and he will point out how his family has been running these factories since Mughal times. I listen to his narration but my mind has wandered off to another era, an era when the great ruler Shah Jahan added a grand legacy of structures during his reign. What must it have been like? Mr. Shirazi tells me how precious and semi precious stones used for the Taj Mahal were imported from all over the world, even in the seventeenth century. How much wealth, power and prestige must the royal highness have commanded? Then, I look at the humble figure in front of me. If it weren’t for Mr. Shirazi and his family, I might never have discovered the intricacies of marble structures and how it links us to our glorious past.

The different kinds of marbles on display

As a twenty-first century citizen, even though I am spellbound by the work of the artisans, I can’t help but ask the obvious question. Is there any money in the marble business? Mr. Shirazi hesitates, “This year the business was hit because of the slowdown abroad. Otherwise, we have many foreign tourists and clients who buy our products abroad.” From our discussions, I gauge that the major problem is that of marble sellers in bigger cities. They sell lower quality products, bringing down the price. How can a genuine product compete unless customers can spot and care for the difference? Problems cloud over the horizon. Yet, the satisfaction from this work is unmatched. For Mr. Shirazi, the work represents a culture, a legacy, a history he cannot trample carelessly. He holds it dear. There are always opportunities of work elsewhere, but he chooses to keep the glory of India untarnished. In the process, he helps many workers, who know nothing but marble.

The Final Work!

Take the case of thirty-two year old Mohammad Haneed, one of the workers. Born and brought up in Agra, Haneed joined this work right after high school. Zainub Exports is providing livelihood to many such artisans. They also have a place to train workers and thereafter employ them. I am surprised to see how much these workers know about different types of marbles. They repeatedly tell me that the blue stone is semi precious Lapis lazuli. I can hardly pronounce it right. What was the orange one, I ask for the fifth time. “The orange stone is carnelian. It’s the one that shines when you put a flashlight against it,” comes the answer. While I am filled with awe and pride to see this hardworking group of people, at the back of my head, all I can think of is trying to remember what these stones are called! Next time, I don’t want to feel like a tourist in my own country.

Zainub Exports:

Manufacture of Marble Inlay Work and Indian Handicrafts

Contact Details
Mailing Address:
18/160A, Fatehabad Road, Purani Mandi,
Tajganj, (opp. Kailash Talkies),
Agra-282001, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA

Contact No:
+919319127303
+919927860470

Email Ids:
zainubexport@yahoo.co.in
info@zainubexport.com
www.zainubexport.com

It’s a particularly fascinating idea – visually impaired taking photographs. Did this idea take you a few seconds to comprehend? This is one of the most wonderful initiatives that have broken the myths about limitation. Blind with Camera, a wing of the Beyond Sight Foundation, is an initiative that has empowered many a visually challenged individuals to use photography as a medium to express their inner self. Through the perception of touch, sound and warmth, we are now welcome to experience the world as the blind experience.

It was by accident that Blind With Camera took life in the mind of Partho Bhowmick. Partho came across an article about Evgen Bavcar who is a blind photographer based out of Paris. Deeply moved and startled, Partho, a photographer himself, started his journey towards understanding the world of the blind and how photography can be a medium of artistic expression for the visually impaired. In this pursuit, Partho founded Blind with Camera and has been tremendously successful in connecting the world of images and the world of the visually challenged.

How are the blind able to take pictures? How are they able to capture hues, tones and lighting? Partho Bhowmick explains – “Various tactile, audio clues, visual memories of sight, the warmth of light and cognitive skills are used by the visually impaired to create “mental image” before they make the judgment to take a picture. They use camera as an extension of their “self” to explore the visual world, gain deeper insight while recording their imagination and point-of-view.”

Blind With Camera organizes workshops for the visually challenged to introduce photography and help the blind transcend to this new realm of expression. Photographs taken by the blind are showcased in exclusive photo exhibitions which are not just a great exposure to their art but also a source of income to the photographers. Partho says that the exhibitions gave a feeling of pride and belonging to the visually impaired, which elevated their self-esteem, developed their confidence, personality and gave inspiration to achieve more.

Now, the blind cannot be deprived of the joy of cherishing their own artwork, right? To make this possible, Blind With Camera makes sure that the photographs are touchable raised images. The photos are supported by Braille notes, large prints and visual aids so that the blind can access and savor the photographs.

Blind with Camera is a momentous step in our pursuit towards an inclusive society. You can know more about the organization and see the pictures taken by visually challenged photographers at http://blindwithcamera.org/. Support the cause!

We have all read comics when we were young. Many of us continue to read them due to their fascinating nature of conveying stories very easily.

But comics need not necessarily confine to the comedy genre. Can they be used to communicate an issue, a cause or a fact? World Comics India, led by Sharad Sharma, is doing exactly that – using the power of comics to bring about a social change!

World Comics India is a collective of cartoonists, media persons and grassroots activists. This organization makes use of comics to serve as a communication tool and as a mode of self-expression in remote areas of not only India, but many countries in South Asia.

Sharad Sharma, who leads World Comics India, is a cartoonist from Jaipur and has initiated numerous workshops where cartoons and comics are used to spread awareness. A novel idea indeed, considering that comics can easily cut across language barriers!

One of their campaigns was the Girl Child Right Campaign which aimed to address the issue of female infanticide in the region of Western Rajasthan. Here, they trained children and adults in comics making. These trained people in turn created over 300 comics focused on the girl child’s rights. World Comics India then conducted a road-based tour with all this material which was distributed to various villagers and local leaders. You can view all the comics created as part of this campaign here: Girl Child Right Campaign Comics

Similarly, they had also initiated a campaign against corporal punishment in Uttar Pradesh. Students of a school in Maharajganj used comics to spread awareness amongst teachers that punishment by beating is not really the right way to discipline children. Details of this campaign available here: Corporate Punishment campaign.

Their website is comprehensive with a lot of material available for people and organizations to make use of. For instance, the entire manual on how to go about creating these comics is available in both English and Hindi (both files are about 2 MB each).

If interested, you can download a series of videos available on their website which showcases how the various campaigns were initiated and also on how World Comics India trains people in the art of comics making! Click here to view and download all resources related to World Comics India, including a book written by Sharad Sharma and Leif Packalen titled “Grassroots Comics – A Development Communication Tool”.

For contact details, please visit their website www.WorldComicsIndia.com

Pointer to WCI provided by Sunandini Basu of Inktales

Mrs. Savitri of Sangli

Mrs. Savitri is a weaver at the Physically Handicapped Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Sangli, Maharashtra suffers from leprosy but is learning to make scarves using wool for the first time.

Mr. Anbazhgan is a disabled wood-cutter, part of The Helen Keller wood carving group in Kalakurchi in Tamil Nadu, who is learning about the problems he could face with the use of an unfamiliar wood for an international client.

Mrs. Kankadurga works at Bethany Products, Bethany Leprosy Colony in Andhra Pradesh to create bed webbing that is used in the production of strong and beautiful bags.

Tarak Nath Roy of Susunia

Mr. Tarak Nath Roy of Susunia, West Bengal, is a gifted stone carver but disabled by polio.

The lives of these four artisans and several hundreds like them have been changed by an organization called MESH (Maximizing Employment to Serve the Handicapped). Earlier they were all being paid half of what their products were worth because of the presence of middle-men. But now, due to the efforts of a MESH, these artisans are able to market their wares directly and receive their due credit.

Mission and Activities:

MESH aims at providing opportunities for social and economic development to disabled and leprosy-affected people. It achieves this by acting as an intermediary between the disabled artisans and the market place. In effect they secure orders from national and international buyers, forward those orders to the skilled artisans, train and guide the artisans in fulfilling these orders, and promote fair wages among the artisans.

In addition to this, MESH helps the artisans by providing access to a host of design and product development ideas from its own Design Studio in order to keep them updated on the latest market trends. The organization helps add value to the artisans’ products by telling their stories. It also provides training in best business practices and helps the artisans secure 50% advance payment if required so that they can buy their raw materials without taking loans.

Products and Contact Information:

Their product catalogue includes shoulder bags, table mats, scarves, bedcovers, tablecloths, office stationery, toys, cards in a large variety of shapes, sizes, designs and materials to keep up with the latest trends and cater to various needs. All of these are available at their stores at the following locations in India:

MESH
5, Local Shopping Centre,
Uday Park,
New Delhi 110 049
Tel. +91 11 26965039/26568048
email: mesh@del6.vsnl.net.in

MESH
Shop No. 8,
NTR Gardens
Necklace Road,
Hyderabad
Tel. +91 9703879557

Besides this, MESH also has retail outlets in Britain, Germany, Sweden, USA and some other locations. Check their website for more details.

MESH has truly helped in filtering out the middle-men and enabled the handicapped artisans of India to earn their due.

Flamenco, as Wikipedia defines it, is a Spanish musical genre. It can be both a musical form, known for its intricate rapid passages, and a dance characterized by audible footwork.

Recently, a Flamenco group from Spain performed at the Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur. At this function, the Spanish ambassador Ion de la Riva announced that the origins of this art form are believed to be in India. Now, the Spanish government plans to set up a flamenco center in Jodhpur, India.

Sohini Chattopadhyay writes in this article in The Open Magazine:

Fernando Casas Granadino, artistic producer of the flamenco troupe says “We would like to eventually develop a festival of gypsy culture where flamenco would be a key element and a meeting ground for possible collaborations between Spanish and other European gypsy art expressions with Indian culture. We’d like to organise in a festival that will include dance, music, but also art exhibits, film festivals, lectures, workshops and master classes and collaborations among different cultures.”

The DNA reports in this article on the similarities between Flamenco and Rajasthani music:

Speaking through an interpretor, Antonio Rey who plays the guitar for the group says that since both the performance art forms — Flamenco and Rajasthani folk music originated from similar backgrounds, it was but natural to try and figure out a perfect co-existence.

Another interesting snippet of information shared in the above articles is the setting up of a Spanish classical music academy in Kolkata. World music coming to the shores of India should augur well for our music to get recognition as well as opening up opportunities for innovative artists.

Image courtesy: Wikipedia (shared under a GNU license)

Located at Shri Kshetra Siddhagiri Math near Kolhapur city on the Bangalore-Pune highway, Siddhagiri Museum is indeed a unique project. Spanning over 7 acres with almost 80 main scenes and 300 statues, the Museum does a wonderful job of depicting a self-sufficient Indian village of the pre-Mughal era. Painstakingly carved with exquisite attention to detail, the museum is a must-see for its artistic beauty as well as the message it holds for one and all – a call to return to nature and restore equilibrium in our lives and environment.

The write-up on the website better surmises the purpose:

Each sculpture has a multi dimensional effect and lifestyle theme which Swamiji very keenly arranged each and every scene to make a proper visual story. In the total cluster the village demonstrate a self sufficient machinery within village. Barter economy, Interpersonal healthy happy relationship among villagers is reflected. The Museum projects the entire village as a single family, and as single family members in a joint family. No adulteration, no cut thought practice, no mad Rat Race, No pollution, but Caring, and delightful atmosphere, no bitter feeling, but fertile land, clean water, clean air, quality food, maximum use of natural resources, cattle field, livestock, job satisfaction. All these things are reflecting the beauty, Joy, satisfaction of human race and oneness with nature. It advises us to get back to nature, without disturbing the equilibrium of nature and many other things which are beyond our imagination.

Set in pristine surroundings, with an abundance of flora and fauna in its vicinity, the museum truly inspires simple living. Here you see the benefits of an unspoiled and clean atmosphere, the bonding between the people of a village who live as a single large family, and the joys of an uncomplicated family life. The scenes in fact seem so far from our ordinary lives that we might find it difficult to believe that people, including many of our forefathers, once lived in such conditions.

Even if you cannot make it to the physical site of the museum at present, they have made available an online tour on their website, which transports you and gives you a feel of the actual place. Here, they describe in detail the various aspects and characters of a typical model village in the days gone by. For example, the following picture depicts the abode of the ‘Joshi’ or village priest, along with a passage describing his functions and duties.

On your right, the first house is of the village priest. Being a highly educated person in the entire village, he performs the following duties, rites and rituals like weddings, thread ceremony, to find out auspicious day and moments for house building and house warming activities, digging of new wells, sowing seeds, punching of noses and ears etc. He meets his livelihood on ‘Dakshina’ (money offered to him by the villagers). He consults and then refers to the ‘Panchaang’ (almanac) for finding auspicious occasions. The priest also suggests instant remedies for ordinary ailments. He studies and also teaches the spiritual literature and books, inculcates culture in the people and acts as such etc. These persons are good councilors, preceptors and philosophers.
Lastly, the priest performs all rites and rituals from cradle to grave. They serve like a lighthouse for the villagers in evolution and preservation of rural culture.

Do visit this amazing village, and tell everyone about it. You never know how it might change your life!

Take their online tour at their website: http://www.siddhagirimuseum.org/
Link Courtesy: Pramod. Thanks a ton for this gem!

Channapatna. It is the name of a small town between Bangalore and Mysore. But more often than not, the name evokes images of beautiful, colourful toys that had us enthralled as children and still make us remark at their exquisite craftsmanship. If ever toys made a town, this would be it, as the Geographical Indicator tag on Channapatna also confers. Savitha Karthik writes in Deccan Herald of her journey through the town, the changes she witnessed bit had not expected, and the work of Maya Organic – an NGO that helps the toy makers earn a decent living from a dying art.

Expecting to see an old craftsman sitting in a quiet corner and chipping away on a piece of wood that would eventually turn into one of those dolls, Savitha was surprised to find the factory of Maya Organic where workers of varying ages chipped away on power lathes and crafting those toys.

Girish, who has been working on toys for the last 18 years, explains, “We are a family of toymakers. My father, now, 74 years old, my brother, all of us, have been working on making toys.” So, how have things changed over the years? I ask. “Things have changed. Earlier, people would work on hand lathes in their homes, or hire lathes, and then we would go to the toy emporiums and sell our toys. Life was difficult because we had to make ends meet on a daily basis. Now, with the factory, things are more streamlined, and it is no longer a daily wages thing. Also, back then, we would make saada bombe (plain toys).”

Once believed to have been the art of Persian toymakers, who were brought in by the Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, the skill has undergone a host of changes to cater to the changing environment. With exports being the mainstay of the industry, the toys have also evolved to hold greater appeal to the western markets. The use of vegetable dyes is one such innovation, which makes these toys score over their more controversial lead-containing Chinese counterparts.

However, the picture still isn’t that rosy for these artisans:

An enquiry at a Handicrafts Emporium within the town brought a new perspective to the toy story.

The owner explains that while there are huge export orders, there is always the fear that such bulk orders get rejected even if there is a slight fault in one of the toys. And in the non-tourist season, on ordinary weekdays, there are not many people who actually buy toys from such shops in the town. And so, there is diversification, from the traditional toys to metalware, to incense sticks to sarees.

The Channapatna toys have been more than playthings for the many girls growing up in the town, offering them a means of livelihood and empowerment at the factory. Their story is intricately linked to the toy story of Channapatna.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: Seattle Times

Women who had never stepped out of their houses now travel across the country to display their crafts and dream of setting up their own fashion range! This is no small feat, and has been achieved by an NGO, Hunnar, which has freed 75 women from the backward section of Jaipur and shown them the route to financial independence. These women have traditionally been adroit with hand embroidery and stitching, and these were the easiest skills to enhance. Shara Ashraf reports in Times of India:

“We introduced workshops where these women learn hand embroidery which is quite a rage these days. It’s remarkable that within 6 months these women have got orders from another Delhi based NGO, that does handwork for various national and international fashion houses,” shares treasurer Nirja Mishra, who is also the ex vice-principal of Kanodia College.

The initiative has brought about tremendous change in the lives of these women.

From being totally dependent on their husbands for a living to gaining financial independence, they are on the fast track to discover themselves. There are some women who have been victims of wife battering, marital rape and molestation too. “As these women are now contributing to the family income, they command respect from their families and their relationships with their husbands have improved as the husbands have started believing in their wives’ capabilities,” says Lee, a volunteer from Taiwan, who works with these women now.

There are women who have already been benefited and now are devoted to helping others in the basti (community) find a similar foothold. Sanjeeda is one of them, and here she explains about the many benefits of the program:

“Besides the technical training, the women are also getting trained in various other aspects such as understanding the market, the current demand, networking, importance of networking, quality control, discipline and delivering orders on time,” explains Sanjeeda.

The excitement of these women to escape the shackles that bind them and experience freedom and appreciation for the first time is something palpable. We do hope that there are many such initiatives all over the country to uplift the millions of other women living in similar conditions.

Read the complete article here.
Image Courtesy: Times of India

Remember the time you saw those magical figures dressed in a riot of colours and dancing to the tune of a lively music? Or when you felt immense joy and sadness as you watched them narrate the story of the charming prince, in their own animated way? Many believe India to be the birthplace of puppetry, with crude specimens found in the Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations as well. The art of puppetry as a divine creation or form of entertainment and illustration has found widespread mention in many ancient scriptures and literary works including the Mahabharata, Gita, and works of Kalidasa and Patanjali.

It is a known fact that this ancient art is dying a slow death due to neglect and more sophisticated forms of entertainment. Puppeteers find it difficult to earn a living and feed their families just by giving puppet shows as there is hardly any audience left. It would be very rare to find a puppet show these days, and is only seen sometimes in fairs that try to promote traditional Indian art forms. However, Press Trust of India reports in NDTV.com the good news that there are slum children of about 2,600 families in Delhi, who have taken on the responsibility of keeping puppetry alive.

This classical art form, however, has been kept alive by children of around 2,600 families from the slums of Delhi, who put up shows under the banner of Kalakar Vikas School.

Hailing from Rajasthan, Gopal, says he wants to show this art form to a much larger urban audience, who in his opinion, are not very much aware of puppetry.

Gopal’s ambition is echoed by Lakshmi, a 14-year-old from a village near Delhi, who says the urban audience needs to know more about this almost-dying art form.

“Urban people are not very much aware that this art form is almost on its deathbed. We are struggling to keep it alive, but we are ready to do anything for it,” Lakshmi says.

Their efforts are encouraged by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), as it has recently released a journal with the focus on puppetry, and The Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA). It is touching to see these children with very few means of livelihood taking an active step in the conservation of an Indian heritage, a step that many affluent people would also not dare to take. The passion and optimism of these kids is a lesson to most of us who hesitate to protect what we know is valuabe and on the verge of being lost to us forever.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: PuppetIndia.com

We all know that tourism provides employment and income to millions in India. But have you heard of an entire village being trained to become a tourist hot-spot? This is the story of a small hamlet in Assam, mainly populated by impoverished families displaced by floods. These people have been trained for four years to play the perfect hosts to tourists, and come November, they will get the opportunity to display their new-found skills.

Durgapur, the little village on the fringes of the Kaziranga National Park, has about 70-odd families and has been jointly adopted by the ministry of tourism and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). These families have borne the brunt of the worst floods, and most live below the poverty line. They do not have much to call their own, and there are not many avenues for making a living in this place. The skills being imparted to them via this initiative, with the help of several help-groups and NGOs like North East Social Trust (NEST) and Indian Institute of Hotel Management, aims to provide a regular source of income for these families.

Pullock Datta reports in The Telegraph about this interesting project:

Most of the families living in the village are below the poverty line and only a few own small plots of agricultural land.

“The villagers were provided training by the Indian Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Services at Guwahati and handicraft experts from Bangalore,” the NEST official said.

A troupe of dancers from the village even took classes at Uttar Kamalabari Satra in Majuli.

“Six youths were also provided training as tourist guides,” he said.

All the houses in the two square km village are Assam-style dwellings with thatched roof and bamboo walls.

It may sound a bit like a large-scale drama production where all the inhabitants have a role to play, and the entire village is a stage. However, if the production helps these unfortunate people earn a decent and honest living, it is an innovative solution to combat India’s enormous poverty.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: The Telegraph