Why We Came to Kolkata

 

 

 

 

Today we validated the reason that we went to Kolkata. It was to spend the day with Darshan Shaw. She is an amazing woman that founded the Weavers Studio in Kolkata. We had met her previously in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She left corporate life in India and has devoted herself to maintaining the textile techniques that were developed over 1000’s of years in India. She has recently moved into her own 5 story building that provides a center for the preservation and continuation of these indigenous crafts. She now has over 120 workers that come from small villages and learn the various techniques from weaving, to dying, to multiple ways of creating designs on the fabrics. She provides these poor people with much more than a job. Medical services are provided including family planning and HIV awareness. There are many outreach programs provided by the Weaving Studio. She also collects and preserves old textiles so that they can be studied by textile artists. It was an inspiration to see what she has accomplished by the force of her will and her vision. The day with her made the trip to Kolkata memorable. After a tour of the facility, we went to her retail store where we purchased textiles and were measured for some custom outfits.

Outside of the gallery we once again saw the abject poverty of Kolkata. There are thousands of rickshaws pulled by men carrying people throughout this crowded city. They go racing down the street, the better pullers are shoeless because they can stop and corner quicker. I really thought that rickshaws were non-existent and I was amazed to see them. The people riding in them were not tourists but Kolkatans who use them regularly.

We also saw a man in a little sidewalk stall who irons clothing. The neighbors drop off their wrinkled clothing and he irons them. Amazingly as you can see in the picture, the iron is not electric; rather it is heated over burning coals.

In this city of contrasts, we then went to Darshan’s home for drinks, entertainment and dinner. She lives in a very quiet, well protected area of Kolkata. There are no signs of the poor in her area! The streets are protected by police and private guards. She lives with her mother in a quite large 2 floor apartment. She has a roof deck that is totally landscaped with trees, grass, etc. You would never imagine you are on the roof of a house, rather you think you are in a lush garden. She had arranged for drinks, a performance of classical Indian Music and dinner on the deck. There must have been at least 60 guests. The musicians were amazing. The Tabla (a kind of Bongo drum) player is 22 years old. He told me after the performance that he started playing Tabla at age 2. He further said he is the 34th generation of Tabla players in his family! They can trace the family music tradition back to the 1100’s.

The music, food, and day were perfect! We will be up at 4:00am tomorrow for a flight to Delhi and a change of planes to fly to the holy city of Varinasi.