Looming Threat: Zardozi craft at risk amid infrastructure challenges, shrinking markets

In the timeless cinematic masterpiece ‘Devdas,’ the leading ladies, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, wore intricately embroidered garments crafted by the skilled artisans of Farrukhabad, a garrison city in Central Uttar Pradesh, also considered the gateway to western Uttar Pradesh.

This was a moment for Farrukhabad to bask in the glow of fame and acclaim as this quaint town boasts a centuries-old tradition of zardozi embroidery, a craft so exquisite that it has garnered recognition far beyond its humble origins.

The history of zardozi, where ‘zar’ means gold and ‘dozi’ means sewn, dates back to the time of the Mughal reign. This craft has been skillfully passed down from one generation to the next. It thrives in all three tehsils — Farrukhabad Sadar, Kaimgunj, and Amritpur— where embroidery has become a widespread practice among the local populace.

Before Farrukhabad’s emergence, the bustling cities Kolkata and Lucknow were renowned for their zardozi work. For those seeking the pinnacle of excellence in embroidered lehengas, ghararas, and shararas, Farrukhabad or Kolkata are the go-to destinations.

However, as the development and progress steer away from Farrukhabad, a looming threat shadows its existence of this ancient craft. Just as the very reason phased out the Farrukhabad’s famous textile printing, the legacy of zardozi is in danger.

“We can never create a market for this craft because of the great distance Farrukhabad has from economic growth,” said Atiq Ahmed, owner of one of the biggest embroidery firms in Farrukhabad. His working units are nestled within the dense matrix of lanes and bylanes of the old city.

“The top designers backed out after one or two visits to Farrukhabad. It did not have a proper hotel or even a quality restaurant to host them for discussions and business,” rues Atiq, adding that the entire business has reduced to copying the works of top designers who, at one point, wanted to deal directly with the firms here.

Worse, connectivity poses a formidable hurdle for both local businessmen and external buyers. The only link to Delhi is a single train, and there is none to Mumbai. Buyers must arrive in Lucknow or Kanpur and proceed by road from there, said Mohammad Rais Munna.

To exacerbate the issue further, all the major expressways pass within a 40 to 60 km radius of Farrukhabad, yet it remains unconnected to any of them. “We thought getting zardozi included in the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative would bring about a change; it would provide the much-needed boost,” said Mohammad Tahir of Sadar.

The business community has raised the issue of Farrukhabad’s lack of direct access to the expressway with Governor Anandi Ben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The chief minister has assured that a new four-lane, 60 km road will be constructed to connect Farrukhabad with the Ganga expressway.

Currently, around 1.5 lakh people are directly involved in creating zardozi work, with a significant proportion being women who contribute from the confines of their homes. Shahnaz Bibi and her three sisters have been tirelessly working for the last 20 years, creating embroidered pieces in their house.

“We earn ₹500 for working 11 hours, sitting around the ‘adda’ (hoop), and sewing different kinds of metal threads, beads, and other materials onto the fabric,” she said in Mohammadabad. “Our children do not want to pursue this work; they aspire to earn better and do not want to end up like us,” said Manzar Ali Beg, 70.

No wonder the workforce is shrinking, and orders are drying up. To sustain their business, local firms have opened offices or rented flats in Delhi. Only one family has gone international with a store in London—the Rahmani family, which worked on attires in Devdas. Some firms also have offices in Mumbai.

“Our work goes to Canada, middle east, Bangladesh, England, Singapore,” said Atiq Ahmed, adding the people who matter deal with people in Delhi and Mumbai who pass the order to us replicate. “This where government help is needed to generate skilled people in zardozi and the promised textile park close to any expressway,” he said.

The embroidery work thrived until 2020, with a business turnover of ₹20 crore, but it has since dwindled to ₹8 crore. Without intervention, it risks suffering the same fate as textile printing, another ancient craft renowned for block printing using wooden and brass blocks, said Raman Mishra, a social activist striving to preserve this legacy.

“Though the craft has existed for thousands of years and has demand in Europe and America, but it could never establish its own market like zardozi did,” Mishra said.