2008
Organic Furnishings
Organic furnishings may seem strange when you first hear the term but are growing popular in India. I am not refering to a ’boutique’ brand of new furnishings but to age old techniques that lend themselves to furnishing our spaces. I write this article after purchasing some of them myself.
It’s winter in Bangalore, not as cold as most cities in India, but for years now i have found it essential to use a ‘razaii’. I like to snuggle up inside them and come out only when the sun comes up. For many years that I accompanied my mother to stores in Delhi we always bought Rajasthani quilts. Most of these products are only available in larger more expensive stores down south.
The Jaipuri razaii as it is called is soft, and evenly stuffed unlike most other razaiis. I was enlightened about it’s history and technique by some research that I have been doing all afternoon. It’s time to share it now. Most cold places have their own kind of warm cover. For centuries man has been using animal furs, wool and other fabrics to create a compact warm cover for harsh winters and cold nights. One such invention came out of the Thar desert where men lived with their families as wandering gypsies called banjaras, and in later times, while the women remained their entire lives in the comfort of their homes, the men went out to trade and often had to spend their nights among the dunes of the Thar. The answer was the light and comforting Jaipuri razaii.
What makes these razaiis different from the ones you find in the rest of India is the filling technique which is done from the first crop of cotton. Only the finest fibres are used (if one opens the razaii and compared it with another, one will only find light white fibres compared to the dross you would find in the other). The highly skilled Rajasthani wives used to ensure that this cotton was evenly laid out making the razaii warmer. Like the other fabrics out of Rajasthan which are bright and extensively dyed in bright colors, the Jaipuri razaii was no exception.
Traditional Jaipuri quilts are hand printed with vegetable dyes on a soft white voile cloth. They used the color from turmeris, pomogranate, indigo, alum and sugar in varying proportions to produce vibrant rich hues of red, blue and green.
Today the tradition lives on, famous stores sell them for a fortune, smaller ones at a meagre profit, but the Jaipuri razaii is a living example of craft handed down from one generation to another. I for one adore it for it’s simplicity, ethnicity and warmth.
They are even available in velvet.
More about Rajasthani dyeing techniques here.