An excellent day today - some still suffering but all well enough to participate. We split into 2 groups, with some of us going to a leather producer and some going to a silk producer. Both groups reported having an excellent time. It was particularly enjoyable to take a drive to a small village without fear of death! We were in modern minivans with seatbelts (the first we've seen!) and AC; the journey took us across the Ganges onto a large highway, then onto progressively smaller country roads, finally winding our way through a small village.
I went to the silk producer and it was fascinating to see the various stages of production. They purchase woven raw silk from producers in the northern part of the state so they can assure us that it is fair trade. The silk is boiled in very hot water for some time before being cleaned and dyed. We saw in detail the screen printing process, with many different designs and colours being applied in sequence. We also saw block printing which is a lot more labour-intensive. Finished items are wrapped in a huge bundle then steamed for a considerable time to set the colours. Finally, smaller bundles are pounded with wooden hammers for an hour to restore the lustre of the silk. Carolyn and I tried this and can report that it is very hard work - we could barely lift the hammers!
On returning to Kolkata we met all the staff at the CRC offices and viewed a short film about their operations. We (or at least those of us able to eat) enjoyed possibly the best lunch so far, at the lovely home of our hosts Walia and Irani, then there was some energetic shopping in CRC's fabric room!
We're back at the hotel with crowds of men gathered outside the lobby window (and many other windows along the way) - India are playing Australia in an important cricket match and there is great excitement as the match nears the final overs.
Tonight some of us may try to take in a Bollywood movie, others will continue to try to rest up in preparation for the busy days ahead of us once we get to Delhi.
2 comments:
Glad to hear people are starting to recover from their stomach ailments. Have really enjoyed reading about your travels. Hope the rest of your trip is great and look forward to hearing all about it.
Carol R-W
Hi all;
Sorry to hear about your tummy troubles. Hope everyone is getting better.
Do you have pics of the textiles being produced? If you remember, I am a textilaholic and only saw one group there--St. Mary's, where our embroidered wall hangings, pillows etc. come from. I believe you are going there as well.I would love to see anyone's purchases.
I am a member and volunteer at the Textile Museum of Canada and the education coordinator's mother volunteers at Niagara-on-the Lake--one of Anne's volunteers! The coordinator's name is Susan Fohr but I don't know if her mother's surname is the same. Can you tell this to Anne for me?
Again,your blogs are great and I appreciate you taking the time, when I know you are exhausted, to keep us in contact with you all.
Take care everyone.
Sandra
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