Nakshi Kantha: An inseparable part of history, culture and tradition of Bangladesh

It has been drizzling, accompanied by a frigid wind outside. At this moment, what Bengalis expect the most before going to sleep is a rag with an elegant design, also known as Nakshi Kantha. Maybe it has an artistic design or not. A rag with a decorative design has occupied a great place in Bengali folk culture as well as village cottage industries.

The tradition of making a nakshi kantha at the time of childbirth continues today. In some villages of Bengal, the tradition of welcoming new guests with a new rag on the occasion of marriage or any festival like a social function is observed. A rag with an elegant design is also listed as a gift while sending the daughter to her father-in-law's house. 

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In Bengal, the rainy season continues for a long time. At this time, fields are inundated with rain water, and outside work remains limited. This time, village women get some relief from work. In their leisure time, Bengali women gather around and gossip, while chewing betel leaf and betel nut, and sewing a nakshi kantha with a decorative design has been an age-old tradition in Bengali households. With the rapid change in village society, this type of socialization is going to be changed. Still now, village women do decorative designs on rags from afternoon to evening while chatting. With unparalleled efficiency, pictures of trees, birds, and leaves are depicted on rags. Sometimes the story of happiness and sorrow comes to light on a rag with an artistic design. Sometimes women portray the stories of ancient manuscripts they heard under a dim lantern.

Though two Bengals are divided by barbed wire, similarities in the pattern of sewing and ornamental design are found in two Bengals on rags because this art originated long before the division. So, the decorative rag has become immortal in Bengali proverbs, stories, songs, and poems. In the Bengali language, there is the popular adage "Dreaming to become rich lying on a torn quilt" (equivalent to the English adage "Building a castle in the air"). At the same time, there is the famous dramatized Bengali verse narrative "Nakshi Kanthar Math" written by folk poet Jasimuddin. The narrative verse shows the creation of love and grief created with every stitch made on an embroidered quilt. This verse is the everlasting story of Rupai and Saju's love.

The name of an enduring chronicle is "Nakshi Kanthar Math." After marriage, the love story of Rupai and Saju did not last long. Rupai became a fugitive. While eagerly waiting for her husband, Saju started sewing a rag with an artistic design for the rest of her life. Days, months, and years pass in this manner. Saju continued to stitch on the rag with an elegant design. She portrayed so many stories on the rag with an artistic design, but Rupai did not come back. Saju spent her whole life in this way. When Saju’s sewing on a rag with an ornamental design was finished, she requested her mother to strew it on her grave after death. After long days, the dead body of a foreign flute player was found beside the rag with an artistic design, covering the grave of Saju. 

    At midnight, somebody noticed in the field

    In the space, someone is hoisting a rag with an artistic design

    That person is playing a sad tune with his flute

    From village to village, they commiserate with that profound anguish.”

    (Nakshi Kanthar Math by Jasimuddin) 

In this way, the women of Bengal have stitched rags with elegant designs in the estrangement of their husbands or beloveds. Reminiscences of relatives or family members living abroad have become vivacious on the texture of rag with artistic design. Someone could be able to present a new rag with an ornamental design to their near and dear ones, while other people like Rupai and Saju would not be able to do it.

Inside and outside of a rag:

A rag with a decorative design has usage in both Bengal. The culture of quilt sewing is scattered in all the villages of Bangladesh, comprising Mymensingh, Faridpur, Jashore, and Khulna. In West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar in India, verities of rags with artistic designs are found. Suzani rag with an elegant design from Bihar has geographical recognition in the international arena though in the same name and almost the same type of rag with an elegant design is found in the Rajshahi area of Bangladesh.

Somewhat rag and old sarees, lungi, dhoti, or bed covers are used for making rags with decorative designs, but sarees have a special loftiness for making them. Old clothes need to be washed first, then use starch. Sometimes, depending on choice or order and based on depth, three to seven sarees are used in a single rag with an artistic design.

Apart from rags with artistic designs, normal rags without artistic designs are seen in the villages. Where artistic design’s vanity is absent, there necessity is the main thing. Rags with artistic designs are made after sewing by accumulating old clothes. Around the rag, a strong stitch is done as it would not rend easily. Sewing rags with elegant designs are made somewhat coarse and thick in order to protect from cold. Rags with the ornamental design of northern areas like Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabganj are thick. Parallel to our local quilt, comforter or Blanket rag with ornamental design has extra grandeur of protecting from cold.

Designs of decorative rag:

Frequently, artistic designs of flowers, birds, and leaves are drawn on the rag with artistic designs by the artists in their own interests. Many people follow the artistic design on the rag of their mother or grandmother. Characters from history, folklore, and village ancient manuscripts, as well as religious characters and much advice, add variety to rags with artistic design. On the artistic design of Jainamaz for offering prayer or Gilaf of the Quran, images of mosques or tombs, lines of religious books, stars, and the moon can be seen.

But there are many artistic designs, which are found hither and tither in many houses of Bengal for thousands of years. Philosophic resources of artistic design are found in the Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist religions. In all cases, it is not evident that artistic designs are portrayed on the basis of that philosophic theory or symbol. In many cases, it is spread out family-wise for its beautiful design. Sometimes artistic design is preserved by stitching it on a small handkerchief. Eventually noticing that design, the next generation can reinstate that. Sometimes some innovation from the next generation enriched that artistic design.

One such famous artistic design is a lotus or wheel surrounding a circle. This type of artistic design can be found not only on rags or handkerchiefs, but it is also a very important architectural design in India. Often lotus encircling a circle on a rag with an artistic design is found. Besides that, the artistic design of the wheel is found on a rag.

Trees and leaves:

The artistic design of trees and leaves has occupied a remarkable place in the Indian cottage and handicraft industries. Parallel to human beings, horses, peacocks, and the picture of other animals are depicted on rags with an elegant designs. In some rags, along with artistic design, the first letters of the name of a near or dear one are seen.

It is difficult to find out the philosophical source or confine it to a checkerboard of rags with artistic design for its diversification. Every day, new dimensions are added to this traditional industry. Artistic design is not limited to rags only. Artistic designs like trees, leaves, flowers, and birds, which are found in rags, the same design is also found on table cloths, handkerchiefs, caps, pillows, and bed covers.

How long does it take?

A rag with an artistic design cannot be sewn in a single day. Gradually, its artwork has to be enhanced. It is mentioned before that once it was the leisure accompany of a Bengali woman. There is a precedent for presenting it at any adoration festival or any other function. It takes 7 to 15 days to make a medium-sized rag with an elegant design. A large or complicated design can be made in more than one month.

Economic and cultural value:

Everyone, from the poor to the middle class, valued it because it could be transformed into a new one by combining old clothes and artwork on its texture. But in modern society, its economic value to the upper class is newly illustrated. For a long period, in the eyes of the upper class, rags with artistic designs were a form of cold protection. There was a practice of the Bengal upper class of making requisitioned rags with elegant designs in times of need. Over time, a cultural appeal is created for flawless artwork on rags with artistic design texture. Eventually, its economic value has increased. As a result, there is ample opportunity to establish a small industry producing ornamental rags. Professional handicraftsmen were once rare because this industry grew out of amusement or necessity. So, due to the changing in socio-economic conditions, rags with the artistic design were about to be annihilated. For centuries, the existence of a valuable rag with an artistic design was unknown. Attempts have been made to turn rag weaving into a small industry. Elegant design on rag is not only a distinct needle stitch on rag texture, but also on each rag texture, a story of love and a story of sorrow is hidden. Each rag with an ornamental design is the symbol of a lost story in the pathway of Bengal.