900 weavers from UP worked nearly 10 lakh man hours to craft hand-knotted carpets for the new Parliament building
"Originally the carpet that was laid out was from the British era as it was part of our colonial past and was inspired by the Parliament in England. So, we wanted to make a real India story," said Jasmine Roy, vice president (design and business) Obeetee Carpets.
Take a look at the carpet (Source: Obeetee) India’s new Parliament building has hand-knotted carpets, covering 35,000 square feet of area, woven by nearly 900 weavers from the Bhadohi and Mirzapur districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream for an Atmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India, these weavers have created 158 carpets for Lok Sabha and 156 for Rajya Sabha. These carpets were then stitched together in the form of a semi-circle to form one single carpet in sync with the architecture of each of the Houses.
Rudra Chatterjee, chairman of Obeetee Carpets which was behind the work, told indianexpress.com, “Yes, it is true that approximately 10 lakh man hours were invested in weaving the carpets for the Parliament. There were approximately 900 weavers involved in the process, working for 150 days, eight hours a day. The meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail required a significant amount of time and effort from the skilled team of weavers.”
The colours of the carpets in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were carefully chosen to align with the overall design aesthetic and symbolism associated with the halls. (Source: Obeetee)
What was the initial idea?
“Originally the carpet that was laid out was from the British era as it was part of our colonial past and was inspired by the Parliament in England. So, we wanted to make a real India story. The entire interior is designed with the main central theme. We wanted to have a direct representation of these themes but also intertwine the nuances of our craft that history has to offer. We took inspiration from the Pichwai (a Rajasthani form of art) as well as from the significance of the lotus in Buddhism and Hindu mythology. That was our starting point,” Jasmine Roy, vice president (design and business), Obeetee Carpets, told indianexpress.com.
Approximately 120 knots were woven into the carpets per square inch. “To complete the project, an estimated 600 million knots were woven in total,” Chatterjee said.
Interestingly, while the carpet in Lok Sabha has intricate motifs of the peacock, symbolising India’s national bird, the one in Rajya Sabha showcases exquisite images of lotus, the national flower. The colours used in Rajya Sabha have been primarily inspired by the shade of kokum red, whereas in the Lok Sabha it is based on Indian agave green, inspired by the plumes of the Indian peacock.
The colours of the carpets were carefully chosen to align with the overall design aesthetic and symbolism associated with the halls, Chatterjee explained. “The selection process involved considerations such as the interior decor, the desired ambiance, and the significance of colours in Indian culture. The colour choices were made with the intention to create a visually pleasing and harmonious atmosphere that complements the overall design scheme of the halls,” said Chatterjee.
Roy concurred and said, “We felt that we need to design the carpet in such a way that it aligns with the shape of the building. The motifs and the florals in both cases, especially in the lotus, are closer to the horseshoe in the central part where the respected Prime Minister and the Speaker would be sitting. The motifs and florals are spaced and fade out towards the end with an ombre colour which was the base colour. This was the initial design and vision but to execute something like this in hand-knotted carpets was indeed a challenge.”
According to Chatterjee, the mammoth exercise to create the magnificent carpets for the Parliament took over a year and a half, beginning in 2020. Roy said, “We began the project in 2020 right in the middle of the pandemic. It is a huge honour for us to be able to do this massive project and show the world what this craft is about. It also needs to be highlighted that the project helped 900 weavers find work for eight to nine months. The art and its craftspersons need due glory.”
The selection process involved considerations such as the interior decor, the desired ambiance, and thesignificance of colours in Indian culture. (Source: Obeetee)
Interestingly, two works from Obeetee Carpets adorn the Rashtrapati Bhavan – one of which measures over 450 square metres and contains a whopping 100 million intricate knots. On how the new carpet is different from that in the President’s residence, Roy shared, “The carpet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed 25 years ago and was based on Persian vocabulary of design.”
Obeetee officials said in a statement that the weavers belonged to the villages of Lala Nagar, Deharia, Jangipur, Pipanith, Goppur, Ugapur, Anarudidhapur, Fattapur, Godhana, Kalhana, Makrandpur, Abholi, Guwali, Meuli, Bathna, Gazia, Chausha, Barkaccha, Aghuli, and Fataha.
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