History, Heritage, and Prospects of Zardozi and Beadwork Batuas of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (original) (raw)

History, Heritage, and Prospects of Zardozi and Beadwork Batuas of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

The word ‘Batua’ comes from Hindi language, and it means a small bag of leather or cloth which has partitions on its inner side. One such craft related to the humble batua is the ‘Batua- making’ craft of Bhopal. A ‘Bhopali batua’ is a small purse adorned with zardozi and bead work and was used for keeping paan (beetle leaves), laung (cloves), itar (perfume) and other fragrant material by the royals and subsequently by the locals of Bhopal. Legends associate the development of batua making craft at Bhopal to the begums of Bhopal. A series of steps are taken to complete batuas and involve embroiderers, tailors, and helpers. These are delicately adorned with zardozi, bead work or a combination of both. The steps include layout, design transfer, embroidery, setting and stitching, putting the dori and finishing. Bhopali batua, zardozi and beadwork embody the cultural heritage and tradition of Bhopal. In olden times Bhopal was a prominent Zardozi center along with Delhi, Hyderabad, Luckno...