My trip back home after long....
I had
left Moirang long time back after my class XII, almost thirteen years ago. I
had seen and studied in Dehradun and Delhi. I had discovered places, people and
myself. My lovely Moirang, a small town in Bishnupur district of Manipur
however has managed to resist change. Each time when I had come on vacations
things have remained same. I always felt it as ossified frame of my young days.
I only feel content at its changelessness.
Now after I am settled in
far off place and has found a stability, i often feel a beacon from Manipur,
things that perhaps I took for granted, its people, its places, its fields, its
violence, its blockades, its women, its skilled and hardworking craftspersons;
I think it needed discovery. Discovery for me.
I can only feel proud being a woman from
Manipur; they have stood not only India in good stead but have given a meaning
to womanhood itself. I never observed the hard work, the dedication and the finesse
the women in Manipur bring when they sit on craft. And my journey around the
country make me learn that what fine artist they are, and also how underpaid
they are. The crafts persons in Manipur are the tough people who fight through
the poverty but unwittingly produce master pieces each time, leaving a personal
stamp on each piece. I remember when I visited Lamlai (a small village in
district of Imphal East) to see a relative of mine, saw how the young girls of
the family adept at silk saree weaving were care full in wiping their hands of
sweat each time by a clean cloth; controlling their sneeze each time there was
an urge, so that there is no blemish of any kind on that saree that they would
take seven hours of gruelling work for ten days to finish.
It would mean 70 manhours of work to ready a saree
of spotless finesse. The price at which they can sell this masterpiece with
brilliant colours and traditional patterns, when I discovered me shocked me out
of my wits.
Kauna Phak:
A
unique craft of Manipur is the double-weave mat known as the kaunaphak reed
mat. Kauna work is mostly done by women. But unlike the
weaving that is exclusive fortress of women, men contribute in this craft. The kauna craft
is the most natural and stylish product range that I have encountered, and have
often missed it outside. Kauna reed is used to make phak, a
heavenly alternate to mattress, cushions, baskets and other decoration
works. The reed used to weave the phak (mat) is
called kauna which is the succulent stem of a plant that grows
in water. Kauna is a kind of reed that mostly grows in
wetlands and marshes. Reeds are carefully chosen for the mats. The plant is cut
only when it has reached maturity. It is cut thrice in a year. However, it
should be carefully watched for the amount of water around it when it
grows. If large amount of water is there then the stem of the kauna becomes
large which is not preferred. On the other hand if there is less water, then it
would be too weak. Once cut, the stems are dried to make them soft, pithy and
quite brittle. A bunch of cut stems of the appropriate length are then woven
with bamboo placed at suitable distances to give the mat its desired length.
The border has an interesting pattern and is about an inch wide. The kauna reed
mats are not meant to be washed for the reed spoils with moisture. I was told
that crafts persons often found their phak on TV as they are
used in posh hotels and yoga programs. I found that a substantial export market
exists for this trade through Delhi, and most phaks madde here
end up in UK, Holland, Germany, France UAE, and even Latin Americas. However
the remuneration for this craft to the women is again paltry and they just
manage to meet their ends meet.
They need no potter's wheel
The black pottery of Manipur has always
enamored me and I have often found the world so unaware of it. During the
lectures in History that I was taught in advanced courses I often found my self
not sure of the direct relationship that I was told exists between discovery of
potter's wheel and beginning of sedantism. The black pottery is
made without the wheel and has stored grains and other essentials for Manipuris for ages. This is a unique pottery which is handcrafted by Thangkhul
tribe of Ukhrul district, Manipur. The ingredients of this pottery are found
only in a single village called Longpi which is inhabited by around 400 houses
and this art is carried out by only 200 artists. It is a long process to finish
a product and perhaps can take at least up to a week. The mixture
of black serpentinite stone and weathered rock is the material which is mixed in a three to one ratio in making black pottery. The pots are made
by a “coil method” where the paste formed ingredients is then rolled by
hand into desired shapes. And, then are put in a kiln and set
on fire for around five to nine hours till it reaches 900 C. After which it is
polished with local leaves called pasania pachiphylla (scientific
name) which provides the luster to its surface. It is very hygienic
and eco-friendly as there are no chemicals or machines used.
Utensils made of black pottery
are used during major occasions like marriage and other important
festivals for cooking meats. I also learnt that the black stone pottery is fire
proof and also Gas and Microwave friendly. It can be used as normal regular
utensils and can also be washed by any dish washers. Food cooked in these pots
gets a distinctive flavour and hence an enhanced taste.
I also happen to meet a young
student in Longpi, who is studying in the same University where I did my
education from. Discussions on issues of local politics, economics and campus
refreshed me.
