Reading ‘Dari’ as a Cultural Text of Punjab

Abstract

Every culture is the product of the interaction between its’ material and non-material aspects. As a part of the weaving industry of Punjab, ‘Dari’ enjoys a special status among the women weavers. Along with being expert homemakers and agriculture workers, women of Punjab are also excellent artists. They are also adept at expressing their feelings through the colours and contours of the weaving thread. While making useful products by exploring the art of spinning, weaving, embroidery, mud wall paintings; these women showcase their talent in varied forms.

                                   The traditional handicrafts woven by Punjabi women find acceptance and name all over the world.  In this research paper, I have attempted to take ‘Dari’ woven by Punjabi women as the primary text and tried to comprehend its place and value within the context of Punjabi culture. ‘Dari’ is an ingenious part of folk textile traditions and an integral part of Punjabi duvet. The cotton thread used to make duvet is spun on the spinning wheel (charkha). It According to Irfan Habib (the writer of Agrarian System of Mughal India (1556-1707), the spinning wheel reached India through Iran in the 13^th Century. In the same vein, it can be said that the tradition of weaving duvets goes back much in time. The art of weaving finds its mention even in the sufi, gurmat , kissa and folk literature of the medieval century. In the long, cold wintery nights, the women and young girls in Punjab sit together to to spin and embroidery. It”s called ‘Trinjhan’. In the hot, summery days they weave dari  (bedspreads). The Adda of  Dari  also acts as training centres for young girls, where they not only learn a new trait but also develop comradeship amongst each other. These centres provide them with a safe place for the catharsis of their emotions in folkloric way. The elderly use this art of handicraft to connect with the younger generation, thus ensuring the smooth transmission of their legacy. The art of weaving ‘Dari’ brings forth the social, cultural, psychological and aesthetic elements of the Punjabi women.

This paper is an effort to study dari  as an integral text of Punjabi culture which includes an examination of its structure, patterns and motifs. It also highlights the themes of evils of Punjabi society i.e. oppression on the basis of gender, power, dynamics, economic differences and diasporic alienation in the symbolism of dari. The pain and angst of Punjabi women find an expression in Punjabi folk songs, folk tales and stories. A similar expression is found in the motifs, designs and weaves of the traditional ‘Dari’. It is an expression of the folk mind and thought. Since culture is a constantly evolving phenomenon, time permitted new changes in arts like handicrafts are also inevitable and natural. This text not only reads the changing scenario of the present time but also tries to see its future and possibilities.