Not far from Chanderi, where the movie Stree was shot, is a village called Pranpur. Here communities unite and traditional gender divides blur as its residents strive to preserve the art of weaving sheer Chanderi sarees.
Hemlata Koli smiles for the camera, her palms folded in a greeting. Resting against the door, she points out the murals painted by artists on the tangerine wall, reflecting the designs seen on Chanderi sarees.
About five km from Chanderi town where both parts of Stree were filmed, lies Pranpur, India’s first craft and handloom village, developed by Madhya Pradesh Tourism. To this day, about 450 families here weave the sheer Chanderi sarees that originated in the 13th century.
Though traditionally it’s men who weave, there are women weavers too in Pranpur, and Koli is one of them. “I learnt to weave after marriage. My husband urged me to become self-reliant. It is vital for women to learn weaving,” Koli adds.
Several weavers have chosen to settle down in Chanderi, bordering Bundelkhand. Initially, it was turbans for royalty that were woven, and then sarees arrived on the scene. To maintain Pranpur’s glorious past, it was developed as a craft village with central aid, says Ranjana Mishra, an advisor for the tourism board.
Walking along the lanes of Pranpur, one can hear the rhythmic tapping of the looms at work. Murals ranging from yellow to green, and even a sober violet, are visible. One can spot a woman busy at work making bidis as carefree children play in front of their homes.
Inside a modest room, Golu Khan weaves with rapt attention. He walks 30 minutes daily one way to reach Pranpur, to work on a wooden loom. For this, Khan has to pay Rs 200 to the owner each time he receives money for a finished saree.
In Pranpur, the thrust is on handwoven Chanderi sarees as these are appreciated for their elegance and finish. The price of some of the sarees which have real gold zari work can touch Rs 1,00,000. While the zari is supplied from Surat in Gujarat, silk usually comes from Bengaluru.
“After the sarees are done, they are handed over to merchants. They pay us depending on the detailing and the number of days taken. Sometimes, I make Rs 2000 for two days. Sometimes, sarees fetch Rs 3000-Rs 5000 as wages,” Khan says.
Khan, who once resided in a kuccha (mud) house, has now constructed a pucca (cement) one. In the future, he plans to set up his own loom. Farming is not an option as most weavers don’t own land for cultivation.
“I don’t like the idea of working on a power loom even though handwork comes with minor flaws at times. Sometimes, buyers directly contact weavers and give us designs. But if merchants provide us raw materials like zari and threads for weaving, we have to hand over the finished pieces,” Khan adds.
In Pranpur, weaving unites communities and blurs the traditional gender divide. Women like Koli, who arrived in the village after marriage, are now adept in the art of weaving.
Koli makes about Rs 6000 a month. “I cannot find time to weave more than three sarees after household chores and looking after three children. Still, I can buy things like bindis and bangles from what I earn.”
Koli heads to Bharat Prajapati’s house where the old family pit loom is used by his mother Pushpa, who is in her 40s. Though pit looms look difficult, as one has to sit dangling the legs, she is used to it.
Though weaving is carried out throughout the year, weavers have to deal with the vagaries of a changing climate. Umesh Koli points out that the shuttle which goes back and forth in a loom starts to loosen once the rains start.
“When it loosens, it becomes difficult to pull. It is used to control the lifting of thread warps. In summer, which is harsh in Chanderi, the threads break. Weavers have to sprinkle water to make them moist.”
Umesh works at the handloom park which has been set up for weavers a short distance away from Pranpur. Here, there are separate buildings where several weavers work together. “My loom has a jacquard attached at the top which sets the design. But during monsoon, when the perforated cards become moist, I fix a bulb near it for warmth during weaving,” he says.
Umesh explains that the round patterns on the body of the saree are unique in Chanderi sarees. The small ones are called butis, while butas are bigger. “Even if a saree becomes frayed with time, the borders and the round patterns remain intact,” he informs.
It takes him 20 days to make a heavy saree, working 8-12 hours a day. Naturally, his wages are high and fetch him Rs 7000-Rs 8000 for one saree. Plain sarees fetch weavers Rs 800-1000 per day.
Meanwhile, Anjali Prajapati, works at the Handloom Café in Pranpur, which is run by eight women. The café serves Bundeli dishes like tawa-made bafla prepared with besan, sooji, wheat and maize flours and ajwan, Bundelkhand style kadhi pakoda, chawal, methi saag bhaji, churma laddoo and palak poori. The thali costs Rs 400. “Locals find it expensive. But visitors drop in from time to time,” Anjali says.
Back in the village, Golu Khan is still at work. He comes in at 8.30 am, takes a short break and continues till 6 pm. He has been doing this for 15 years, toiling at someone else’s loom and dreaming of his own.
Pranpur’s vibrant atmosphere retains the youth. A young Rajit Koli likes to weave as it keeps him connected to his roots. “There is no pressure to perform all the time,” says Rajit. While he has not completed his education, he wants his children to focus on it.
In Pranpur, most weavers vie for personal looms, which are occasionally distributed by the government or are subsidised. “But getting government looms is difficult as many people fill up forms at the same time,” Bharat informs.
The sights and sounds of this weaver’s village linger on even as you exit, with the artisans infusing life into one of India’s most delicate and sought-after weaves.
The lead photo at the top shows Umesh Koli at work in Handloom Park where many weavers work together. (Photo by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi)
Deepanwita Gita Niyogi is a journalist based in New Delhi.
