Dr.Mazhar Naqvi
Jetpur is to India what Chiniot is to Pakistan.
Ironically, the entire world knows about Chiniot as a prominent house of oldest
and finest tazias, Jetpur is largely known as one of the largest
centers for screen and block printing and yarn dyeing workshops. Despite
producing the most beautiful tazias in the country, Jetpur is famous for cotton
saree manufacturing and also as a major exporter of khanga and kitenge-(fabrics
used by native Africans for various use.
The Gujrat department of
tourism has also never attempted to highlight the beauty and craftsmanship of Tazias
in Jetpur. This is in sharp contrast to efforts put in by the concerned stakeholders
to make Chiniot as world famous center of Tazia making.
In terms of spirit,
creativity, devotion and craftsmanship, Jetpur does not lag behind Chiniot. Being
a traditional center of screen and block printing, there is no dearth of artists
capable of producing most ornate Tazias, using different materials like wood, paper,
Bamboos coupled with LEDs for profuse illumination. Preparations for Tazia
start in Jetpur at least six months before the arrival of Muharram. Artists
carry out most of the works at night being busy with their occupation during
daytime. They work voluntarily,
considering it as their pious duty to serve Imam Hussain.
Though scores of
tazias are taken out in Jetpur, formerly a princely state of British India and
now a municipality of Rajkot district in Gujrat Province, the notables ones
have been wending streets of the city for centuries. It is not on record as to
former rulers of Jetpur extended any patronage to taziadari or not? But the
screen and block printing artists have surely kept the tradition alive since settlement of their ancestors at Jetpur. They
are carrying out the legacy without any expectation with same enthusiasm years after years. Jetpur Tazias like
other places are taken out in procession on Shab- E- Ashur and taken to Karbala
on Yaum-E-Ashur. (The article is based on the inputs given by Mr.Sameer Madarvi
on phone. Photos too have also been sent by him. He is President of Madariya
Sufi foundation and hails from Jetpur).
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