Today is Christmas. As we gather
with friends and family and are enveloped with joy and laughter, let us not
forget the traditional artisans worldwide who add the sparkle to your holidays.
This beautiful Christmas ornament
comes from Batul Artisan Welfare Society, an artisan group making papier mache products
in Srinagar, Kashmir, India. Papier mache is an old form of craft using paper, originally from Persia. Old paper is purchased from the local market. Strips are cut and soaked in the water for 2 to 3
days. Then it is pounded with a mortar and pestle. Rice powder is boiled with water
to make it into thick glue and then mixed in the pounded paper pulp. Round molds
made of wood or terracotta are used for making the balls.
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| The balls are ready |
The molds are first
covered with ordinary paper. Layers of prepared paper pulp are patted on the
ball and then gently rubbed with a wooden file. This is then dried for a couple
of days, and when the paper pulp on the balls is completely dried, the ball is
cut into halves and the mold is extracted. A strong string is attached to one half
of the ball with a thick knot. The two halves of the ball are rejoined with the
help of adhesive and the surface is smoothed using sand paper. The ball is
now painted with a solution of chalk powder and white acrylic color. Now the
ball is ready to be transformed into a beautiful Christmas ornament.
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| Furhat and her parents |
This is Furhat with her parents,
who are artisans with Batul Society. She is a chirpy young girl of 14 years and
studies in the 6th grade of a local school Furhat is no way different from other girls in
their early teens who love to play, sing, dance or go to school with a dream of
a bright future. Furhat lives in Srinagar in the Kashmir valley. It is the capital
city of the state of Jammu and Kashmir situated in the northern most part of
India. The natural beauty of the valley with its rivers, lakes, verdant fields
with a backdrop of snow capped mountains has given it the title “Heaven on
Earth” and much sought after tourist attraction spot in the world .
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| Studying hard |
Furhat goes to a local school
named Government Girls’ Zaildar Mohalla Zone Rainwari where she learns Urdu (her
mother tongue), English, history, geography, science and mathematics. Friends
from school and neighborhood are the sources of joy in Furhat’s life with whom
she plays everyday in the afternoon. They play cricket, hide and seek, racing
and some indoor games, much like all school going children around the world. In
addition, she has to help her mother in the kitchen and do some light household
jobs. She also keenly observes her parents when they make papier mache products.
It is her favorite pastime to watch how old pieces of paper are transformed
into colorful toys, stars, boxes, flower vases, trays etc.
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| Household at work |
Furhat’s family consists of her
parents, grandmother and three siblings. Among her siblings, two are sisters
and one brother. Furhat’s parents and elder sister work from home but collect
the work from the Batul workshop which is 2 kilometers away. The three adult
members start working from home at 9.30 am and finish at 5.30 pm. However
within these working hours, Furhat’s mother may attend to some household chores
though major work like cooking, cleaning and washing are completed before she
sits for work.
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| From their home to yours |
There are few income generation
opportunities in the Kashmir valley for Furhat’s and similar families. Industries
are hardly present in the state. Fruit cultivation and agriculture can hardly
support the people. Tourism is a profitable industry but has declined from its
heydays due to the turbulent situation in the region. Handicrafts like
embroidered woolen shawls, carpet making, wood carving, papier mache products are
the only options for job seekers. Life is hard for Furhat and her family, and
when the demand for their craft falls, the situation worsens.
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| Naseer Shah, Group Leader at Batul Society |
