A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated (mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations.Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.

About Shanti Puram Cluster:-

Shanti Puram Cluster falls under Uttar Pradesh State in Agra district.

The Shanti Puram cluster is able to form 940 plus Artisans & 10 SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day.

Zari :-

Embroidery done with metallic threads is called kalabattu and forms the zari.The main zari production centres are Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.Here the metal ingots are melted into metal bars called pasa from which lengths are got by beating it after treatment. This is then pulled through perforated steel plates to make it into wires, followed by the tarkashi process to make it thin with rubber and diamond dies.The last stage is called badla where the wire is flattened and twisted with silk or cotton thread to become kasab or kalabattu.This has uniform evenness, flexibility, softness, and ductility.Kasab can stand for real silver/gold, as well as for plated silver/gold or for an imitation in which a copper base is given a coat of silver or golden color to make the product less expensive.

Zari thread is used widely in weaving but more selectively in embroidery.For intricate patterns gijai or a thin, stiff wire is used; sitara, a small star-shaped metal piece is used for floral designs.This type of embroidery is called salma-sitara.The thicker kalabattu is a braided gold thread used for borders while the thinner variety is used at the end of the drawstring of purses or batwas, and in tassels, necklaces, and strings.Tikora is a gold thread spirally twisted for complicated designs.The dull zari thread is called kora and the more shiny one is called chikna.The equipment that is used for embroidery is a rectangular wooden-frame called karchob and a wooden leg called thapa used for sewing laces.Listed below are different kinds of zari work.

Zardozi: This is a heavy and more elaborate embroidery work which uses varieties of gold threads, spangles, beads, seed pearls, wire, and gota.It is used to embellish wedding outfits, heavy coats, cushions, curtains, canopies, animal trappings, bags, purses, belts, and shoes.The material on which this kind of embroidery is done is usually heavy silk, velvet and satin.The kind of stitches found are salma-sitara, gijai, badla, katori, and seed pearls, among others.The main centres are in Delhi, Jaipur, Banaras, Agra, and Surat.The old teach the young and the skill continues from generation to generation.

Kamdani : This is a lighter needlework which is done on lighter material like scarves, veils, and caps.Ordinary thread is used and the wire is pressed down with the stitching producing a satin-stitch effect.The effect produced is glittering and is called hazara butti(thousand lights).

Mina Work : This is thus called owing to its resemblance with enamel work.The embroidery is done in gold.

Kataoki Bel : This is a border pattern made of stiff canvas and the whole surface is filled with sequin edging.A variation of this border technique is lace made on net and filled with zari stitches and spangles.

Makaish : This is one of the oldest styles and is done with silver wire or badla.The wire itself serves as a needle, piercing the material to complete the stitches.A variety of designs are produced in this manner.

Tilla or Marori Work : This is the kind of embroidery where gold thread is stitched on to the surface with a needle.

Gota Work: The woven gold border is cut into various shapes to create a variety of textures in the patterns.In Jaipur the border of the material or sari is cut into shapes of birds, animals, and human figures, attached to the cloth, and covered with wires of silver and gold; it is surrounded by coloured silks.The work resembles enameling.

Kinari Work: A small variation is kinari work where the embellishments are done only at the edges in the form of tassels.This is done mainly by men and women of the Muslim community.

Raw Materials:-

Basic Material: Silk, zari, cotton, polyester, jacquard loom; dori (thread; 80no./60 no., mercerized yarn(dhaga)30 no.

Decorative Material: Peacock feathers.

Coloring Material: Bukani (colour powder).

Process:-

A pattern of the design to be woven is drawn on paper.The design is transferred on the cotton yarn with the help of tilli through the warp and weft grid.This contrivance is known as jala, which contains the total graphic pattern.This jala is hung from top of the loom and tied to the warp threads only the controlled warp threads are lifted as per the design.Extra weft threads of zari/ silk are inserted in the raised portions, row by row, along with the running weft thread.Jala device has been replaced by the punched cardson; the jacquard looms for these brocade decorations.Gyasar the Tibetan woven offerings are very closely woven.Apart from the silk/zari thread peacock feathers are used in a satin weave to produce an entire surface of the feathers.The motifs are woven on dark red, yellow, blue and white satin ground with use of gold and silver zari.

Techniques:-

Applique-and-Cut technique:-

Normally, fine white stranded cotton is used for chikan embroidery.Some stitches are worked from the front of the fabric, others from the back.Sheila Paine, in the book Chikan Embroidery, observes that there are six basic stitches, which are used in combination with a series of stitches for embossing flowers and leaves.Pulled work(known in chikan work by the Hindi word jali, which means a window with a pierced lattice, which can be looked out of but not into)and khatao(an applique-and-cut technique, where one piece of fabric is hemmed on to another piece and then cut away) complete the repertoire.

How to reach:-

(Kheria Airport-9 Kms) Daily Air services connects Agra to Delhi. Agra is on the main Delhi to Bombay broad gauge railway line, and is linked to Delhi by Shatabdi (2 hrs), Taj Express (3 hrs), Intercity Express (3 hrs). Shatabdi also links Agra to Gwalior, Jhansi & Bhopal. Regular service of A/c and Deluxe coaches from Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Gwalior.

Textile ( Hand Embroidery):-

This has ornamentation of tikris and beads, which make them, look attractive.This type of embroidery is done on a frame of wooden beams.The fabric is worked upon with a long needle, threads, tikris and beads.Multi sized frames are used,usually about 1.5 feet high, to secure the cloth on which the design is sketched with a stencil.One hand secures the thread under the cloth to the needle while the other hand moves the needle on top of the cloth with ease.Decorative tikris and beads are attached to the cloth with the needle.

Another embroidery pattern is the jaali or net embroidery in geometric or floral shapes and is done by pulling the warp and weft threads and fixing them with minute buttonhole stitches.The finished products dominantly comprise items for household use like curtains, bedspreads, furniture covers and dress material.

Raw Materials used:-

The fabric is worked upon with a long needle,threads, tikris and beads.Multi sized frames are used, usually about 1.5 feet high, to secure the cloth on which the design is sketched with a stencil.One hand secures the thread under the cloth to the needle while the other hand moves the needle on top of the cloth with ease.

Process:-

As embroidery is not so technical craft to follow procedure but then also small process like:

Set the fabric(Saree, Dress, material,etc.)on Wooden frame(it can be done without frame also)according to the design with desired allowance for the product.The motif is made the tracing screen for symmetrical making and uniformity, like the Khaka.The motif is marked with a marking mixer in a liquid form(Kerosene and gali powder) whether for embroidery the desired motif is neatly embroidery with different stitches to achieve desired motif.

Embroidery designs are prepared by fixing small round shaped mirrors to the material with the help of the buttonhole stitch, the outline being sketched by hand.Silken thread is used for the stitching done in stem or herringbone, closely worked.Flowers and creepers are patterned against a dark background.

Techniques:-

Techniques vary with the community and region.The term embroidery is basically defined as the method of ornamenting a piece of clothing with needlework; or embellishment with fanciful details.Thus embroidery is regarded as the art of decorating textiles using a needle and thread.This includes the hand and machine embroidery methods.And till date,hand embroidery continues to be an expensive and time-consuming method.However, in spite of this it is preferred because of the intricacy of the handiwork involved.

The basic techniques an embroiderer uses includes:-