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 Ashugram Cluster:-
Ashugram Cluster falls under West Bengal State in Bardhaman district.The Ashugram cluster is able to form 2818plus Artisans & 97 SHGs supporting the strong work force. The mobilization gains momentum day by day. Ashugram Cluster is famous for Hand Embroidery and Leather Crafts.
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Hand Embroidery:-
Kantha is the most popular embroidery of West Bengal done with folk motifs. Other embroideries include the chikan work, the zari work and Kashida. The fine subtle form of chikan embroidery is usually done on very fine textured cloth like muslin and cotton. The embroidery is usually done by the same coloured thread as the cloth itself. Like blue thread is used on light blue cloth while white thread may be used on white cloth. Though white on white is a popular combination other colored threads are also used in white cloth.Silk embroidery on cotton clothes, the Kashida, is the most common form and is used primarily for caps and scarves used by the Muslims for prayers. More contemporary modern embroidery involves Kashmiri stitches, Cross stitches, Convent stitches, Cut work and combinations. Kathiawari mirror work is also used in abundance. The modern style uses alpana designs and motifs of flowers, animals and birds.The main flat stitches with their traditional names are:Taipchi: Running stitch worked on the right side of the fabric. It is occasionally done within parallel rows to fill petals and leaves in a motif, called ghaspatti. Sometimes taipchi is used to make the bel buti all over the fabric. This is the simplest chikan stitch and often serves as a basis for further embellishment. It resembles jamdani and is considered the cheapest and the quickest stitch.Pechni: Taipchi is sometime used as a base for working other variations and pechni is one of them. Here the taipchi is covered by entwining the thread over it in a regular manner to provide the effect of something like a lever spring and is always done on the right side on the cloth.Pashni: Taipchi is worked to outline a motif and then covered with minute vertical satin stitches over about two threads and is used for fine finish on the inside of badla.Bakhia: It is the most common stitch and is often referred to as shadow work. It is of two types:
Khatao, khatava or katava is cutwork or appliqué - more a technique than a stitch.Gitti: A combination of buttonhole and long satin stitch usually used to make a wheel-like motif.Jangira: Chain stitch usually used as outlines in combination with a line of pechni or thick taipchi.The bolder or knottier stitches include the following:Murri: A very minute satin stitch in which a knot is formed over already outlined taipchi stitches.Phanda: It is a smaller shortened form of murri. The knots are spherical and very small, not pear shaped as in murri. This is a difficult stitch and requires very good craftsmanship.Jaalis: The jaalis or trellises that are created in chikankari are a unique specialty of this craft. The holes are made by manipulation of the needle without cutting or drawing of thread. The threads of the fabric are teased apart to make neat regular holes or jaalis. In other centres where jaalis are done, the threads have to be drawn out. In chikankari, this is not the case. Names of jaali techniques suggest the place where they originated from Madrasi jaali or Bengali jaali or possibly the place of demand for that particular jaali. The basic manner in which jaalis are created is by pushing aside wrap and weft threads in a fashion that minute openings are made in the cloth. Shape of openings and the stitches used distinguish one jaali from another.
Raw materials:-
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:-
The production process of a chikan garment, assuming it is a kurta, goes through several processes. In each process a different person is involved. The final responsibility is, however, that of the person ordering the manufacture, who is also usually the seller. Chikan work involves several stages. The fabric is cut by the tailor into the required garment shape, after which the basic pre-embroidery stitching is done so that the correct shape is available to the block-printer to plan the placement of the design. The design is printed on the semi-stitched garment with fugitive colors, and the embroidery of the garment is then begun. After completion, the article is checked carefully since most defects can be detected at first glance. However, the finer flaws surface only after washing. The washing is done in a bhatti, after which the garment is then starched and ironed. The whole cycle can take from one to six months. Originally, chikan embroidery was done with white thread on soft, white cotton fabric like muslin or cambric. It was sometimes done on net to produce a kind of lace. Today chikan work is not only done with colored threads but on all kinds of fabrics like silk, crepe, organdie chiffon, and tussar.
Techniques:-
There is a discipline and method in the application of the stitches. The darn stitch is worked on rough cotton fabric to fill angular designs and to cover the surface of the fabric, while satin stitching is done exclusively on delicate fabrics like silk, muslin, or linen. In chikan some stitches are worked from the wrong side of the fabric, while others are worked from the right side. It is however unique in its discipline in as much as stitches designated for a particular purpose are used only for that purpose they are not replaced by other stiches. For example, the chain stitch (zanjeera) will only be used for the final outline of a leaf, petal, or stem.Different specialists work with different types of stitches. For example, open work or jaali is not done by embroiderers who do the filling work - each worker completes his/her bit and the fabric is then sent to the next embroiderer. The wages for each job are fixed separately.
Leather Craft:-
Variety of articles such as Hand Bags, Wallets, Jewellery Box, Utility Box, Pouch etc. are made from Leather.
Leather Craft's Raw material:-
The main raw material that is used for making leather crafts in Tamilnadu is the skin of goats and sheep. The creating of leather crafts specifically the leather puppets follows some procedures like washing the hide, cleaning and decorating it with immense perfection and dexterity. Once the puppets are structured, then the dyeing and outlining of the borders are done. Apart from creating these leather puppets, the craftsmen of Tamilnadu create leather items that are used for home décor like lamp shades, wall hangings etc.
Leather Craft’s Process:-
Leather is bought from the wholesale market and soaked for two days in huge drums. It is then washed thoroughly to rid it of excess tanning ingredients. While fully wet it is stretched on the floor and left to dry. This process involves some skill as the leather needs to be stretched uniformly to avoid wrinkles. Good stretching can also increase the leather surface area by 5 - 10%. At this stage the water in the wet leather acts as an adhesive and holds it firmly to the floor. As the leather dries it automatically disengages from the floor.After this it is marked and cut to size with scissors and cardboard formats.he piece which needs to be embossed is then moistened with a sponge and rolled out with a rolling pin.A block is made according to the desired design by the acid etching process used in old letter presses. The die is placed in a ball press machine and the leather is sandwiched between the die and a sheet of hard rubber and strongly compressed.The leather is again cut according to patterns and assembled to make bags or boxes. Boxes are made using cardboard stiffeners and everything is pasted together using a rubber-based glue. Cardboard is cut using a die, because the cutting has to be very precise. Even a slight error ruins the final shape of the bag.
Leather Craft’s Techniques:-
Various other techniques are involved in making a complete product, the most important of which is skiving (to disguise the edge of the leather without increasing thickness though fashion pundits have opposing views on this), creasing (to ensure an even fold), beating(with a mallet to increase effectiveness of the adhesive) and polishing (rubbing the leather hard with a smooth piece of stone or glass to give the leather that shiny surface, the pressure and heat involved also closes the pores and gives the leather a high and even density). Bags are made by stitching together the pieces using a sewing machine. Unlike fabric stitching leather has to be stitched with a more heavy duty machine and a certain amount of pre-stitch adhesion is required to keep piece in place.
How to Reach:-
By Air:-
The nearest airport from Bardhaman is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata. It is located about 160 km from the place and caters to all the major Indian destinations, apart from a few international ones as well. From the Kolkata Airport, you will have to board bus or private taxi for reaching Bardhaman.
By Road:-
The road connectivity of the district is also very good. Interstate bus services connect the city, with key destinations in India, on a regular basis. Well-maintained four-lane GT Road is there for those who want to drive down to the place, by their own car.
By Train:-
Numerous trains pass through the Bardhaman district. The Howrah-Delhi line also passes through it. There is constant connectivity to the place through rail, as it is one of the major rail heads in the state.