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July 12, 2008

The exhaust gets exhausting... Lainie

Between the smog, dust and sewage, Delhi can be hard to swallow. This weekend I managed to escape. Right now I am sitting in the mountains, surrounded by trees(gasp!). Dhararmsala is the home to the Dalai Lama and, accordingly, a lot of Buddhist Monks. The bus ride here was frightening to say the least. There were times when I thought we were going to flop on our side..and sometimes down a mountain. I was happy, very happy to arrive safe and sound. It has been raining here the entire time, but the fresh air makes up for it all. It is amazing..food is really inexpensive, but material goods are. It is obvious that the tourist community here, that is trying to 'escape life and find themselves' is catered to, but I guess the food industry just doesnt take advantage? I havent figured that out yet. I went to the monastery today, met monks and families and took lots of pictures. The light wasnt great, but the smiles were. When I offered to send the pictures to some of the monks surprisingly (an conveniently) they gave me their email address instead of a local address. It is the digital age my friends...the monastery was full of monks on cells, handing out their email. All in all, it was quite a spiritual experience. The trip started by a sudden decision to leave Delhi. The bus was leaving in an hour and I was an hour away. All I brought was the clothes on my back, my journal and camera...It was not a choice to travel so humbly, but instead out of necesity. And it was perfect. I feel so liberated and spontaneous.

A step back to Delhi..

Before my venture into the wild I was working on various assignments with Dastkar. They have given me some great opportunites to show what I can do as well as given me a platform to showcase my work. Last week I worked with the Dastkari master tailor. After snooping through Dastkar's scrap fabribs, embroidery and other textiles, i designed a couple bags suitable for the Indian and American markets. The bags were very different from the samples that Dastkar currently holds, but were well recieved. The bags will be used as samples to show the products Dastkar can produce using the materials of the crafts people they support. The challenge was as follows: The tailor speaks no english, except colors, which I know in Hindi, haha. We managed.

Even though designing the bags was great, the day after, Thursday, was even better. My collegue, Geeta, and I visited remote sites (not even on my Delhi map!) on the outskirts of Delhi where Dastkar has producers. Words cannot describe this experience. Geeta was even speechless by the end of the day. Our first stop was to a craft group who uses scrap fabrics that are donated to them to make bags, blankets, pillow covers, etc. It is mainly patchwork using simple shapes, to make traditional designs. Unfortunately I was unable to take many photos because of the politcal situation in this area. THe governement is trying to clear this entire town because it is unauthorized and therefore illegal. Tragic and common. Most likely after relocating these people they will have no where to go. So, they will live somewhere else, illegally. I dont understand why there isnt a better solution.

Craft Group #2: This particular group uses waste products as well- mainly textiles and newspapers. The inspiring part of this one is, however, that the woman who opened this group, started an orphanage at the same time. So, on this piece of land, where the road ends, after traveling in swampy, trash filled mud streets you reach a haven for women and children. The women come to the center to collect matierals to take home and work on. This was they are able to take care of their own children and earn money of their own, which for many of them is put into their PERSONAL bank accounts. In addition, they learn various skills, as do the children at this orphanage. Children are allowed to stay there until the age of 18 and other children from the village visit the locale to learn how to make crafts. In the orphanage the children learn how to make cratfs which can support them once they leave, should they decide that is what they would like to do. So, by giving these underprivalged children a creative outlet, they also are giving them a skill. If they want to work in addition to going to school, they are not allowed to until age 16 because they must instead focus on their studies. The supervisors for the entire project are young adults who grew up in the orphanage. The few that I met were so very poised and driven. I could see in the sincerity of their eyes the effects this place had on them.

#3: Imagine: Wheel thrown pots, 8 feet tall, and perfectly round. Our final destination was to a master craftsman's home. He has won awards from the Indian government for his talent and has sold his pieces all over the world. The pictures speak more than these words ever will.

And this is where I ended before escaping to a greener place.

Still to come: Ranthambhore, Rajastan- Home to a world renowned tiger reserve and Dastkari craft group.

Posted by lkkokas at July 12, 2008 06:10 AM

Comments

Haha I loved the part about the monks with cellphones. Are there a lot of Americans trying to "find themselves" there??

Posted by: xiaojane at July 15, 2008 01:39 AM

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