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I
n reality we do not make Muslin Jamdanis. Rather they
make us into patient and accomplished weavers. As a sixth
generation weaver I have observed and learnt the intricacies
of the fine art of weaving Muslin Jamdani that has been passed
down from generations in my family as a treasured art and skill.
I have seen my father Jyotish Debnath, 60, weaving for the past
thirty-five years. He received a master craftsperson award for
his weaving and is credited with the development of Muslin
Jamdani. My father learnt weaving from my grandfather late
Shri Krishna Mohan Debnath. My ancestors were also weavers;
they were part of the muslin weaving culture. We live in Kalna, a
famous weaving village, in Burdwan district of West Bengal. As
a teenager I was inspired by my father and learnt a lot from him.
I was very eager to know everything about the muslin weaving
tradition.
Muslin is a cotton fabric of plain weave, and the name may have
been derived from the French word
mousseline
that refers to a
mousse or from the name of the city of Mosul where European
traders are said to have first come across the cloth. However,
the weaving of the fabric originated in weaving centres in
West Bengal and Dhaka, Bangladesh. The early 16th century
Portuguese traveller Duarte Barbosa described the muslin
of Bengal and mentioned different types of muslin such as
Etrabante (Sarband), Mamona, Fugoza, Choutara, and Sinabaka.
In the late 17th century and the early 18th century, muslin was
sought after throughout the world. In the present day, many
different types of muslins are produced in many different places,
including Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The marriage of two exalted
traditional Indian textile
expressions, Muslin Jamdani
is a hand-woven weave that
requires immense patience and
hard-work.
Rajib Debnath
Paramparik Karigar | Muslin Jamdani
A Sublime Symphony
