MY VISIT TO BARPALI

Friendship and the work of artists/artisans have no bar and boundaries. A friend and artisan are being admired universally for their love and workmanship respectively. I am fortunate to get an opportunity to meet both of them at one tiny village by name BARPALI (dist: BARGHAR) , ORISSA. on 15.09.2011.

 I am a silkholic. I was in search of procuring one double Ikat silk sari for my daughter. One day I went to Google search and typed IKAT SAREES OF ORISSA. (Images). In one blog “comfortreadings.blogspot.com” I found an artisan and designer of Double Ikat patterns by name BHAGABANA MEHER. When I entered to his blog, to my surprise I found some designs for which I have been searching. In the blog I found the creator of the blog Mr.KIRAN MOHAN. (The Barpalidays) Kiran also mentioned his contact number as well as that of Shri Bhagabana meher. The next day I contacted Kiran Mohan over phone and expressed my desire to meet Shri Bhagabana meher at Barpali. I was pleasantly surprised when Kiran was speaking in Telugu. After taking their consent I reserved my ticket to Bhargarh on 7.9.11 for my journey on 14.9.11. The next day I was delighted to receive a message from Kiran asking me to note down the mobile number of Mr RABINDRA BISWAL who is a medical representative at Bargarh. Kiran informed me that Rabindra would receive me at Bhargarh Road station on 14th. I was immensely happy for Kiran’s concern towards me even though I am a stranger.

On the evening of 14^th Sep when I alighted at Bhargarh Road railway station a boy aged 25 approached me and to my surprise touched my feet better to say “touched my heart”. The boy is none other than Rabindra Biswal. I was overwelhmed  with this move and before I recovered he was slowly moving his bike towards Bargharh town. He put me in a decent lodge with affordable tariff. The name of the lodge is Hotel Abhinandan exactly where I stayed some 10 years ago at the time of DHANU YATRA a unique festival of Orissa conduced annually .Before signing off Rabindra once again touched my feet. The next day morning (ie.15.9.11) at 8.00 A.M I caught a mini bus with destination Balangir and passes via Barpali The journey took about 45 minutes and all the while I kept my mobile busy. As per the instructions of Kiran I got down at Tahsil Chouk in Barpali. I did not face any difficulty in reaching the house of Kiran as his father Dr.E.R.Rao,M.D is a famous children specialist in and around Barpali. Mohan’s villa is situated in a sprawling area of about 1000 square yards with clinic on one side and a big medical shop on the other side of the main gate. I was exactly on time and at 9 AM after initial greetings Kiran and I sat in the medical shop over a cup of coffee. Mr.Kiran is a B.Com and has been working as a L.I.C agent but he is otherwise very busy in managing the medical shop on one side and browsing, typing on the lap- top simultaneously on the other side without any break in the conversation .

                                                                                     KIRAN AT WORK

Kiran invited me for lunch at his residence and without much ado I readily accepted his invitation as I knew that I cannot get good food either at Barpali or Bargarah. We discussed many things especially about SHABD NRITYA a dance form whose birth place is a small village by name KUMBHARI about 6 K.M from Barpali. At 10.30 A.M the designer cum Master Weaver of famous SAMBALPURI IKAT SAREES OF ORISSA by name BHAGABANA MEHER had arrived and took me to his residence cum training centre. Shri Bhagabana meher and his wife Smt.Kalabati meher are exponents of Ikat saree designs and National awardees for Master Craft Persons and Weavers for the year2003 and 2002 respectively.

They were also awarded Craft Seal of Excellence by UNESCO. Bhagabana showed his award winning Ikat sari, BANA BIHAR .The main design of the sari is circles allover the body adopted from circular GANJAPA CARDS used by Royal families of Orissa as playing cards. Each circle contains different animal motifs woven with silvery white thread against black background using only eco-friendly natural dyes. According to Bhagabana he took about 30 weeks for making this master piece and priceless silk sari The theme of Banabihar is co-existence of different animals in the jungle and the need for protecting wild life. He showed his entire range of Ikat designs on silk, cotton and khadi. He also weaved slokas from Bhagavatgeeta and Geetagobind in Oriya using Ikat work. I spent more than 3 hours admiring the skills of Bhagabana and Kalabati meher. Finally I took a black silk sari with silvery white Ikat work entitled PALLI CHITRA depicting village life.

                                                                      IKAT SAREE OF ORISSA (PALLI CHITRA)

At 2.30 PM I rejoined Kiran Mohan and sat for lunch. I met Dr E.R.Rao and all the while Mrs. Rao was sitting at the lunch table to make me feel “at home” .I enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and took leave from kiran’s family members. Kiran escorted to see me off to Bargarah. Let my admiration towards Barpali go from strength to strength and remain ever lasting. Thank you Rabindra and Kiron U made me feel to visit Barpali once again. My best wishes to Bhagabana meher and Kalabati meher U made Odisha proud with your outstanding Ikat poem on fabric. On 16^th I proceeded to Sambalpur and eased my temptation by purchasing another Ikat sari from Gol Bazar.

       

           

                                                                                      IKAT SAREE OF ORISSA

Lovingly and sincerely,

E.HANUMANTHA RAO,

56-14-5,Vidyanagar

RAJAHMUNDRY-533105

ANDHR PRADESH (INDIA).

Mail id: email2ehrao@gmail.com

29-09-2011.