Azamgarh- The enduring Charm of Crafts and Music

Azamgarh, a small town located in eastern Uttar Pradesh welcomed us with drizzle and experienced summer monsoon after 4 hours’ drive from Prayagraj. A sip of kulhad chai energized our souls, walked down the busy streets of the beautiful town on the same evening. The colourful markets, unfathomable spirit of people and lip smacking food are some of the best encounter to perceive the city better. Azamgarh is rich in cultural and religious activities as the district lies in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. The traditional languages of the district are Bhojpuri Language and Purvi. Some of the most famous crafts are black pottery, music and zari works. It is also home of many temples and Ashrams as well!

Nizamabad – The Magic of Black Pottery:

Black Pottery of Nizamabad is renowned for its shiny appearance and engraved silver motifs. A specialty which is much admired among local folks and recognized as a geographical indicator of the town. A community known as Prajapati is particularly contributing towards the preservation of this craft.

 Around 500 registered pottery artists with their families are working relentlessly to keep the tradition on track. One such inspiring artisan couple is Baijnath Prajapati and his wife, Pushpa Prajapati. They have risen above many hurdles to set up a unique pottery workshop-cum-store in Nizamabad.

Baijnath went further and introduced technology in the craft, which doubled the production and reduced the manual effort. His wife took the managerial roles and ran the store. Together they took the craft beyond their previous limits and connected it to a potential market.

What Makes Black Pottery Special?

The black pottery of Nizamabad gets the black colour not by any coating, but by going through a special process of firing, where the pots are kept in an air-tight kiln at a temperature of around 600 °C. The locally available fine-textured clay works well under 1000 °C and is naturally rich in mica content.

Black pottery stands out mainly because of the contrasting black and silver colours, which look similar to the metal birdiwire of Hydrabad. In Nizamabad, the silver colour is produced by mixing an equal amount of lead, zinc, and mercury. The motifs are drawn on the pots using sharp twigs before firing them. After firing, the silver colour is pressed into the engraved lines.

The heritage of Hariharpur

At the break of hot sunny dusk, the melody of the sarangi flirts with the fleeting beats of the tabla. A playful jugalbandi of the two seems omnipresent in this hamlet. As one meanders through the narrow roads sandwiched between lush green fields of mango trees, chickpea and potatoes that share the canvas with the bright yellow blooms of mustard, a soulful rendition in bhairav—a morning raga in the Hindustani classical music—fills the air.

A peep into the courtyards of the humble homes reveals the source of this music: children immersed in practice. For young boys and girls of Hariharpur, a hamlet 6km from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh, music is a way of life.

Hariharpur is the ancestral home of noted Vocalist PT Chhanulal Mishra and Tabla Maestro Late PT Shama Prasad Mishra- Popularly known as Gudai Maharaj.

Mubarakpur Weaves:

Mubarakpur, a small town and a municipal board in the Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh which is known for its magnificent silk weaving along with its impressive Kadhua Zari Motifs from the beginning of the 14th century. The city found prominent mention in the travel diaries of the famous medieval traveller Ibn Battuta, who praised the high quality fabrics being made here.  Mubarakpur silk weaving is not just a piece of clothing or a short-lived trend, it is a symbol of ethnicity style that we still see today in the attire of modern women. These sarees are hand-woven by pure silk on the looms of Mubarakpur, using zari with the most intricate motifs and heavy pallu and zari borders. It’s truly magical to witness this unique style of weaves.

Some of the popular temples in Azamgarh are

• Bhawarnath Temple
• Shiv Mandir. Sadavarti; Azamgarh;.
• Shyam Janki Mandir.
• Radha Krishna Mandir.
• Kali Mandir.
• Shri Bihari Ji Mandir Chowk.
• Shri Ram Janki Mandir Chowk Azamagrh.

Staying in Azamgarh will make us to experience the enduring charm of music and crafts. One can play for two days to explore the beautiful district. Check out Uttar Pradesh Tourism website for more details to plan better.