Weavers Of Mubarakpur: The Final Keepers Of A Dying Tradition?

When you think of the Benarasi saree, it is common to assume that the richly crafted fine silks come from the city of Varanasi. While some of it does hail from the Uttar Pradesh city, much of the famous Benarasi sarees are weaved in another city called Azamgarh, and more specifically, a small town called Mubarakpur.

The weavers of Mubarakpur are quite famous. Known for their indigenous art with its intricate nuances that could only be replicated by the magic of the hand, these rural artisans preserve a skill and a technique that remains endangered by modern mechanisation and a severe lack of institutional support.

Azam Ahmed, a weaver by profession, resides in Azamgarh. He has many other weavers working under his supervision. The previous many generations of Azam’s family have been in the business of weaving.

While talking to Timeline, Azam expressed his primary concerns with the market.

While business has been going fairly well since the COVID pandemic, Azam says, the demand needs to persist and increase; otherwise, the weavers will find themselves in deep trouble. Since it is the era of the Internet, Azam complains no one comes to Benaras anymore, and Mubarakpur is difficult to reach. With lack of connectivity to the main production place, the situation has compelled the weavers to go online as well.

A weaver using a handloom at one of the Mubarakpur facilities.

But it’s not easy for them. They seek platforms to help them get there. In the past, the weavers have collaborated with other brands and organisations to bring their designs and handicrafts to the limelight and boost business. “Reliance has its own store for Banarasi sarees; if they collaborate with us, we can also make some profits,” says Azam.

Often associated with luxury, the Benarasi sarees underwent a transformation as mechanisation took over. The machine-operated power looms, while fast, end up resorting to mass-produced cheap materials instead of the tested pure silk used by handloom weavers.

Azam says that that is precisely one of the reasons why their business continues to move forward. The quality of the lustrous brocades woven with the handlooms is unmatched. The machine-operated power looms can never replicate the delicacy and the fine art that only a weaver with decades of experience and knowledge can bring out.

A major challenge arises when sellers demand items for cheap discounts. It takes a weaver at least three days to craft a saree. But the weavers are dependent on the sellers.

While a handcrafted saree costs around Rs 5,000, for instance, by the time it ends up in the market, the price shoots up to Rs 15,000. With middlemen involved in the business, the saree weavers barely earn Rs 500-600 in daily income or Rs 1,500-3,000 in labour charges for a saree.

What happens when the market is low? Azam says that they have no choice but to stock according to the demands of the customer because otherwise, the weavers will leave. The market is unpredictable as well. The weavers have no option but to hope there is continuous and growing demand for them to earn their livelihood.

With the help of the handloom, the weaver can craft intricate designs for the Benarasi saree which usually takes them three days.

When asked how one could preserve the art of weaving practiced among the people of Mubarakpur, Azam focuses on the reality. “Acha yeh hai ghar mein rozi mil jaaye (It is good enough that we get food at home).”

While speaking of help from the government, Azam is quick to dismiss the idea. “They (the government) must have a different department for handlooms… but no benefit has reached us,” he told Timeline.

While he acknowledges he does not know much about the policies related to the weavers, he assures us that whatever the policy, the indigenous craftsmen community in Azamgarh has not received any advantages or government aid, financially or otherwise.

Speaking to Timeline, Azam highlighted that the labour is increasing with over 50,000 workers in Mubarakpur, of which women comprise a workforce of 30 percent. With 15 different steps in the handloom process, labour is not an issue.

So what do the weavers want to improve their situation? A market with considerable demand for their products, a platform where they can promote themselves for future projects, and they want the people to visit them directly.