Friday 19 February 2016

When I met Kabir outside Banaras & the weaving of a Banarasi sari

I have been sitting on this post for a while even as I was very excited meeting Kabir in Banaras and thought of writing about it. But its more than 20 days since I came back. And suddenly one acquaintance again brings me back to Kabir about a festival on Kabir.

May be I am more involved with Lord Shiva these days than Kabir and thats the reason for delay. Read my post: When I met Lord Shiva in Banaras. Read it here

Anyways, Kehat Kabir Suno bhai sadho...let me tell you how I met Kabir.

I didnt go to Banaras thinking of Kabir. All that I had in mind was Banarasi Paan, Bhaang and Saris. It was only after I reached Banaras that I got to know that it is also the city of Kabir. Not really, as some people say that the village of Kabir is on the other bank of Ganga in Banaras and Kabir deliberately never came to Banaras saying that if I have to meet God...I need not go to a city of pundits or so called holy city. God is everywhere.

And that may have been the reason that I had to go outside Banaras to meet Kabir...literally.

One of my seniors from JNU teaches history at Banaras Hindu University and one of his students doing research on carpets in Mughal India told me that his father is a weaver of Banarasi saris. Buying a couple of saris was anyways on my agenda, so I thought its a good idea to get it from a weaver.

The village was about 25 kms away from Banaras but near to the airport. While two of my other friends chose to buy saris in the city. I headed to the weaver's house with his son, the Phd student.

The village was name Badagaon near Babarpur.

The moment I entered the courtyard of the house, I could see women with some seemingly silk stuff with them. I got excited. But the Phd student, Parvez Sharqi (I call him Sharqi because he is doing some research on monument of Sharqi dynasty as well) told me that oh its not that, this is for the carpets.

Parvez had given me a copy of the article that got published in the proceedings of the Indian History Congress last year. The moment I struck a conversation with his father, I took it out and told him that this is something which you should be proud of about your son. He just smiled and said if its true its good. I presumed he couldnt read much of English.

I was eager to get to the weaving bit and he didnt disappoint me. Within seconds we were in a hall, which had a loom and lots of interesting things around.



On your left is the bible that decides the print. Its put on the loom somehow. See video at the end to understand.

He showed me the loom and the frame where handwork is done on the saris. I asked him questions about the work of gold that used to happen at some time.

The thing going on inside my mind was that its a good experience to capture and let me just get to know the sari industry a little better and write an entry on my travel blog. But I was in for a spiritual treat.

We just sat down for a cup of tea and the discussion started on education. Parvez's father hadnt studied much and both his brothers at home helped at the loom. Interestingly, one of the brothers of Parvez was laapata or lost and his father said nobody can find him. I enquired and got to know that he had become a Sufi/Fakir.

I anyways being on my Sufi trail told him that he is blessed to have  kid taking the Sufi track. He smiled. I got interested and then magic started happening in the conversation as we discussed education.

Dhai aakhar is a famous doha or couplet of Kabir and the way he said it was amazing.

The one we study is:

Pothi pad pad jag mua
Pandit bhaya na koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem ka
Padhe so pandit hoye

But he said something else to the effect:

Jo kuch pothi patra rakho do taak par
Aur dhai akhar prem ka padhlo...

Coming from a modern day weaver, it was Kabira live for me.

When I asked him to repeat as I wanted to record it...He couldnt recreate it. As they say golden words are not repeated.


Interestingly, as Prof. Mujeeb Rizvi a renowned scholar of languages at Jamia in one his interviews told me that a lot of what we read as Kabir is in fact not an original verse. So, I dont know what did Kabir originally say but I did enjoy this weaver Kabir telling me a similar quote just off the hand.

He told me a lot of gospels about money as I started buying sarees from him...and also on life and philosophy. I guess I should have written a bit earlier as I forgot a lot of them. May be they dawn on me when time comes.

But it was a lovely interaction. I bought some saris and enjoyed the time before my flight. But it was memorable to be there and listen to a Kabir doha from a modern day weaver.

So, I guess its important to visit a weaver's village outside Banaras to meet Kabir.

In the end they put on the loom for me to listen to the music that inspired Kabir's poetry.