Banarasi saree weavers upbeat as orders pour in

Varanasi: Banarasi sarees on the theme of ‘Ram Mandir’ are set to make a fashion statement with weavers here working on beautiful drapes ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony this month. The weavers have received customised orders for various patterns on the sarees, including Ram Mandir motifs on the pallu, designs detailing life of Lord Ram right from his childhood to killing Ravana, and ‘Shree Ram’ inscriptions on the border.

The first phase of the temple is nearing completion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the consecration ceremony on January 22. The Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict in 2019, settling a temple-mosque dispute that went over a century back. The court backed the construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for building a mosque.

As Ayodhya decks up for the ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration) at the Ram Mandir, artisans across the country are expressing their enthusiasm for the temple opening through unique creations. Anisur Rahman, a weaver from the Mubarakpur area here said there is huge excitement among Varanasi’s weaver community for the grand event. “Sarees with detailing work and motifs about historical features have always been in great demand but the sentiment towards the Ram temple is completely different,” Rahman told PTI.

“We are preparing sarees on the Ram Mandir theme and these will be soon be part of the fashion statement. We have orders from different parts of the country from women who want to celebrate January 22 at their respective places wearing these sarees,” he said. Explaining the types of sarees being designed on the theme of Ram temple, Rahman said, “One type of sarees have an inscription of Ram temple on the pallu; these sarees are being made in red and yellow colour and the inscription is in shade of golden.

The second kind of sarees are available in multiple colours and they have a border with ‘Shree Ram’ written throughout.”

“The third type of sarees are the most detailed one which depict the different phases of Lord Ram’s life right from his childhood to killing of Ravana,” he added.