Baluchuri Sarees ~ Pride of Bengal

Two years back I went to a trip to Bishnupur in West Bengal to see the famous terracotta temples of Bengal. I was mesmerised with the amazing terracotta sculptures that were done all over the temples. The stories depict scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, everyday life, men, women, animals, flowers and so much more. In case you are interested, you may read my travel stories here.

link: Blog Post

The last destination our guide took us was to a small room ( he called factory ) where we saw two weavers who were working on their looms. They were making a beautiful red-tinted pink Baluchari saree which has figures of Lord Ram and Sita on the pallu and lions and lotuses on the border. It was just as beautiful as poetry. Our guide briefed us about this wonderful saree. It is a favourite in Bengal and I already have 6 baluchuris but I never knew the history of this art.

" Baluchari Saris are made from silk. The appeal of the Baluchari lies in its colour harmony and not contrast, of pattern colours with the colour of the body fabric. Preferred Colours are red, green, yellow, blue and their shades. It is appreciated for its magnificent weave, attractive motifs, brilliant colours and thematic pallus. One of the major themes that adorn the Pallav or Pallu of the Baluchari Saree are mythological stories depicted on the walls of the terra cotta temples that the Malla rulers had built and are located in present day Bengal.

Historically, with its roots in Bangladesh, one of the Nawabs of Bengal fascinated by the extraordinary craftsmanship of the Baluchar Sari, brought the rudiments of the weaving form from Dhaka(Bangladesh) to Murshidabad (West Bengal) in the eighteenth century. Baluchar village in the district, prominent in its devotion to the practise of this weaving art, flourished, and the Saree got its name. Though patronized by the Malla Dynasty rulers for the continuation of this art, it was affected later by the apathy of the British. Suffering a tremendous decline the Baluchar art almost died. Post-independence revival by a person named Subho Thakur, through the weaving skills of Das, a weaver from Bishnupur and knowledgeable in this art form, restored the glory of this fine weave once again."