ગુજરાતી
English
DILIP PATEL
7 SAPTEMBER 2024
A Khatri family in Nirona village of Nakhatrana in Kutch has kept the Rogan art tradition alive for more than 300 years because of their passion for art. The price of the ART starts from Rs 2 thousand to Rs 2 lakhs. The price of a normal wall piece starts from 8 thousand. Then the price of the article is higher. Sumar Bhai tells that his family has also made wall pieces worth up to 3 lakhs.
This design lasts for 200 years. The cloth in this artwork may tear but the lacquer art done on it remains intact. It never gets ruined.
Initially Rogan painting was done in many places in the Kutch region. The painted clothes were mostly bought by women of lower castes. Who decorated their wedding dresses and sheets with this art. The trade was done during the wedding months.
Why is lacquer prepared?
The wax is boiled for twelve hours and then mixed with cold water, which forms a thick solution. This solution is called Rogan. Natural colours are added to this thick solution, which is somewhat like glue in consistency.
Mineral colour is added. Only five of the mineral colours are made. So in the Rogan painting, you will see repeating colours. The Khatri family buys this mineral colour from Ahmedabad. However, the special thing in this whole process is how the mineral colour is mixed with the castor oil jelly. Doing this is the mastery of the Khatri family.
The process of colouring and creation of the artwork is unique. First, the castor oil is heated for more than 12 hours. When it is mixed with water, the oil forms a thick residue called thickening. Then this lac is mixed with natural vegetable colours and kept in earthen pots.
The magic of the stick
Then a wooden stick about six inches long is dipped in the solution that is prepared and designs are made on the cloth through it. The process of designing in Rogan is labour intensive and concentration intensive. It requires the artist to sit on the floor for hours.
A six-inch metal rod is used to draw a fine thread of colour on cotton and silk fabric. Interestingly, the metal rod never comes in contact with the cloth held by the hand.
In this art, designs are drawn on the cloth in the same way as women apply mehndi on their hands. But the colour of Rogan is so mature that once a mistake is made on the cloth, that cloth has to be discarded and another cloth has to be taken! The art requires a lot of concentration!
With the availability of cheap, machine-made textiles in the late 20th century, lacquer-painted textile products became relatively more expensive, and many artists gave up the art and turned to other occupations. Ultimately, a single family, the Nirona Khatri of Gujarat, kept the art alive.
Now 30 women of this village are being taught the art.
An extinct art, Rogan painting was practised by two families in the same village almost till the turn of the 20th century.
Rogan is in safe hands.
Abdul Gafur Khatri, 55, and his brother Sumer Khatri, 36, carry forward the tradition followed by the Khatri family for three centuries. Gafurbhai received the National Award for his art in 1997 and Sumerbhai in 2003. Rogan is like a one-man army, sustaining itself without any support and finding its own ways to reach out to people.
Rogan art is deeply influenced by Persian culture, and the Persian word ‘rogan’ means ‘oil-based’. Rogan came to Kutch with the migration of the Khatri clan from Sindh.
“For the last 300 years, this skill has been practised only in our family and now the eighth generation has also taken it up,” says Sumerbhai. Nine members of the family currently make lacquer art and all have won several awards.
The art is important to the clan, with each member dedicated to keeping the lacquer art alive.
The colours and the process of creation of the artwork are unique.
The designs are a mix of geometric and floral patterns, Persian motifs and local folk art, including the spectacular ‘tree of life’. The finished product is so intricate that it often looks as if it is not painted but printed.
Rogan art is still confined to the borders of Kutch. Will it survive market pressure?
“The hurdle that Rogan faces today is the commercialisation of the craft industry and the lack of adequate human capital to meet market demand. Also, we still have to learn and implement design innovation and product diversification,” says Sumerbhai.
The designs can be so intricate that they look like prints, not paintings.
Rogan designs are now available not just on saris and wall hangings but also on mobile covers, cushion covers and kurtas.
In 2014, Gafurbhai gifted a beautiful ‘Tree of Life’ painting to US President Barack Obama, suddenly putting the family and their art in the spotlight.
One can earn up to Rs 60,000 per month during the tourist season.
Rogan designs are a mix of geometric and floral patterns, Persian motifs and local folk art. Right: Gafurbhai’s beautiful ‘Tree of Life’ painting has gained immense recognition in the family.
“Ironically, we have received two national awards and several other state-level awards, but in eight generations we have never had the opportunity to showcase Rogan on an international platform,” says Gafurbhai.
Wasar nahi mila.”
The Khatris do not transfer their skills to other communities in an effort to keep them within the family. Within the clan, the art of Rogan is always p
reserved for men, with women only helping in the preparation of colours. But Gafurbhai is changing all that. In an effort to revive this art, the family is now training 30 girls from the village, and many of them are already earning Rs 6,000-12,000 per month.
The art of painting on cloth is in vogue. In this craft, paints made from boiled oil and vegetable dyes are painted on cloth using a metal mould (for printing) and a stylus (a painting tool).
History
Rogan art is also known as heritage art. The real beauty of the art lies in its design. Rogan art is very popular among urban youth due to its attractive designs and bright colours. Has received 20 awards. In 1997, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had honoured him with the National Award. So in 2003, Sumar Khatri of this family got the National Award from the then President Kalam Sahab. In 2012, Jumma Dawood Khatri got the National Award from Pranab Mukherjee, and in 2016, Khatri Arab Hasam of this family has also received the National Award from Textile Minister Smriti Irani. That is, this wonderful art, hard work of this family has been honoured four times at the national level.
Came to India from Persia three hundred years ago. The word Rogan is derived from Persian, which means varnish or oil. The process of applying this oil-based dye on clothes was started by a Muslim community called Khatri who came to India from Sindh, Pakistan. There is no reliable historical source to prove this.
Even fashionable clothes are now being given a modern touch of lacquer. Earlier it was limited to cotton (sutrou) fabrics, but now silk is also dyed with lacquer art colours, especially silk colourful saris, kurtas, dupattas, blouses, chaniacholi, handkerchiefs etc.
Revival of the art
Earthquakes, tourism, cooperatives, voluntary organisations, online sales, awards and Barack Obama’s White House have saved the art in the late 20th and early 21st century. During his visit to Denmark, he gave it to Queen Magrath.
Rogan art which involves fine carving of lacquer has spread not only across the country but across the seven seas. White people were impressed by the lacquer colours as this art spread to the White House of America.
Bags, cushion covers, table cloths, ball cloths for wall decoration. Tree of life is becoming a major object. In 2010, 400 people started visiting daily.
This village has already been adopted by Smriti Irani, but strangely she has not done anything for this village or art.
Often the design is made on one half of the cloth, then the other half of the cloth is placed upside down on it, so that its reverse side automatically rises towards the other back side.
The steps that the Gujarat government should take for conservation have not been taken yet.
Time
It takes at least 8 to 9 days to make an article of Rogan art. First of all, as soon as the color is ready for painting, after four days take out the smallest piece of the wall, dry it and make the color for the next four days. If there is a small work, that is, a design has to be prepared in detail, then an article or wallpaper takes only 12-13 days. Sumerbhai, who makes Rogan painting, says that we have made a piece of wall or an article by spending a year or so, if it is a museum piece in which special efforts have to be made, then one or two years will also be spent. That is, the more beautiful and detailed the work, the more time it will take.
Ashishbhai Kansara
Ashishbhai Kansara is an artist of the ancient Rogan art of Kutch. Lacquer artist Ashish Kansara has been doing this for the last 6 years since 2018.
Madhapar’s Rogan artist Ashish Kansara, who earlier surprised everyone by creating a masterpiece of Raja Ram Darbar with Rogan art. Usually artworks like the tree of life are made.
Ashish Kansara has started doing Rogan work on a large scale for the last 6 years and is the first craftsman of Kutch to make paintings of gods and goddesses in Rogan art. After doing the Rogan art work of Ram Darbar, Ashish Kansara works with his wife Komal Kansara.
Golden color zari work has also been done.
Golden brocade work has been done by preparing the work. Which was called Smim Abarkh in the olden times, which was sprinkled on the artwork after the lathi work. After the lacquer work, golden powder is sprinkled on it, giving the art a shine that remains intact for years.
Ashish Kansara’s wife, who supports her husband. Creates lacquer art pieces.
Designed the logo of Yoga Day. This artwork was prepared in 25 days, the size of which is 15 by 18.
The artisans create artworks like the tree of life. But Ashishbhai has previously created works like Chandrayaan 3, Ram Darbar, Bharat Mata, Ram Mandir in lacquer art. As a lacquer craftsman, Ashishbhai is fond of making portrait replicas. (Google translation from Gujarati)
