"Eh dari taan saadi bhetan hai" (This rug is our secret keeper). This old saying in rural households of Punjab had summed up the emotions of women for centuries- when their mothers or grandmothers would pack hand woven, beautifully crafted daris (rugs) in petis (iron cases) and gift them to their daughters on their weddings (as a party of their dowry). Preserving the love and warmth of their mothers in petis and further carrying on the tradition for generations, the women of rural Punjab, have not just kept the intricate, tapestry art of weaving daris alive, but have also turned it into a medium of earning livelihoods and becoming financially self-sufficient. This Women’s Day, one such peti has been thrown open in the form of a book, collecting and recording more than 200 samples and designs of daris, hand woven by women of Punjab, with the labor of love. Titled “Namune Dariyan De: Dariyan Wali Peti,” the book crafted by Jagdish Kaur, professor of Punjabi, department of agricultural journalism, languages and culture, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, is an ode to the resilience of rural women since the times of undivided Punjab. The book traces the long journey of daris from an emotional wedding gift for daughters to a source of livelihood, financial independence and recognition. The book also tells the journey of at least 100 such women weavers from Punjab who have either preserved their handmade daris or continue to weave them for livelihood, in districts such as Bathinda, Sangrur, Mansa, Barnala- the cotton hub. Dari, in Punjabi culture, refers to a thick, hand woven piece of cloth that would be traditionally used as bed or table covers, and later even on floors, with beautiful theme-based embroideries on them. These would be made using desi kapaah (cotton) which women would themselves spin on charkhas at home and later dye them in various hues. But hardly anyone would have imagined that these women, along with weaving emotions and memories in their daris, would also record history and landmarks, and that is what has left Jagdish Kaur pleasantly surprised after five years of field work that she did to find designs which were buried in Punjab’s rural hinterlands. “From Lahore da burj, Taj Mahal to Bathinda da qila, from folklore characters Mirza-Sahiban to agricultural practices such as morabbebandi (land consolidation that was undertaken after Partition); from stages of cotton crop, vegetable vines to fruit orchards; from animals, birds to traditional musical instruments and maps of undivided India and Punjab; and even weapons such as guns and pistols, we found that women literally weaved everything to record Punjab’s history and culture and record them in their own way. We also found daris as old as 150 years,” says Kaur. The samples, with their photos, have been divided into 15 categories in the book. One such heart-warming journey recorded in the book is that of Baljit Kaur Sangha (78), a dari weaver Dabdikhana of Bathinda who shifted to Moga after marriage. A class-7 pass, her handcrafted “Bathinda da qila” (Bathinda Fort) dari has been preserved in the book. “I had woven this “Bathinda da qila” dari before my marriage and brought it along in my daaj (dowry) after getting married. This design was in high demand in those days. Every woman used to take along many such daris as gifts in their weddings so we all would weave different designs for each other. My mother had also gifted me 7-8 daris from her collection. Our village in Bathinda was a hub of cotton cultivation. We would weave a lot of daris and khes (another form of tapestry). My daughter-in-law also brought ten beautiful daris from her home. If fashion to use daris returns, it would be really nice. My entire collection can be used. Otherwise I will keep preserving them as memories,” said Sangha, in her testimony in the book. Even as this art is mostly dying due to lack of interest or vogue to use daris in modern households, it is still helping rural women earn livelihoods. Gurmail Kaur Melo (54) from Chhotian of Mansa said that she has continued to weave daris for customers who place orders and it helps her in earning a living. Another woman Mazeedan Begum (67) from Ghanda Banna village of Bathinda told that her family never owned any land since partition, so she raised her family by earning through weaving daris. The book also has five chapters on the origin and history of weaving daris. “Our research shows the art dates back to 13th century. The families used to give charkhas (spinning wheel) as gifts to women in their daaj during marriages. Later, the Malwa belt including current districts such as Bathinda, Sangrur, Mansa, Barnala became a hub of cotton cultivation. The women would do the entire process- from spinning desi cotton to dyeing them in colors and then weaving embroidery- on their own. Women later turned their art into a source of livelihood and started making them commercially,” says Kaur. “Women have been the guardians of this intricate art for generations. Our book is a heartfelt tribute to the unsung heroines who have kept the tradition of rug-making alive. Each rug, with its vibrant colors and intricate patterns, tells a story of resilience, perseverance, and the deep-rooted connection these women have with their craft,” says Kaur. The book has been published by Patiala-based publishing house - Autumn Art. “After five years of field work, when I and my assistant Surinder Kaur went village to village, searching for daris and women behind them, the most satisfying moment was to see the elated faces of women weavers, holding in hands and reading their own journeys in the form of a book,” says Kaur.
