Bangladesh 2019: Visiting My Mother’s Native Land
Bangladesh 2019: Visiting My Mother’s Native Land
A long way to home…
I had always wanted to visit Bangladesh, the land my mother and Mamabari left behind so many decades back. In July 2019, I finally made it with the help of my dear friend, Suraiya Chowdhury! The stories were vivid and the emotions were strong.
After a short 30-minute plane ride from Kolkata, my sister Anasua and I landed in Dhaka. We were welcomed with pouring rain, a welcome I had not had in some time! Our next destination was to Cox Bazar and then Chittagong.
Chittagong, or “Chadga” as my mother would say, was the most emotional destination for us. As it was the last stop of our journey, it felt almost like a ‘tirtha’ or a pilgrimage often described as a journey where one goes in search of an experience that leads to personal transformation.
Undoubtedly, visiting Chittagong was a cherished experience which ended in creating a thread, a connection to my mother that seems more difficult to part with in each passing day.
How to recognize a genuine Jamdani Saree
How to Identify genuine Dhakai Jamdani sarees.
Jamdani sarees invoke stories with deep rooted emotions involving artistic, historical , political as well as emotional threads which connect to roots in undivided Bengal. Jamdani has always been a source of pride of Bengal and owning a Jamdani saree was a cherished dream! The ancient Muslin fabric is however no longer available but there are fascinating stories which hold the legend of the Muslin fabric together! In its most classical form Jamdani must be 100% cotton. (Mr. Saiful Islam). The thread count should be on the higher side 80-100 and the complexity of the motifs and designs determine the price of the sari as it is proportional to the cost of labor and time spent. Dhakai Jamdani prices are also related to the quality of the threads the weavers use. A finished product can take up to 12 weeks, depending on the designs and quality of the cotton threads used. The goal is to educate oneself to recognize a fine, light weight and quality finished Jamdani sari. Tiapakhicollective presents exquisite, one of a kind Dhakai Jamdani sarees - creations of an award winning Master Weaver who has worked with many reputed designers.