Explained: What Is Varanasi¡¯s Gulabi Meenakari That PM Modi Gifted US President Joe Biden

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a variety of products for the heads of governments at the G7 Summit. The gifts have the essence of India's rich cultural and artistic traditional values.

Reuters

US President Joe Biden received Gulabi Meenakari, a GI-tagged artform of Varanasi. While the German Chancellor was presented with metal marodi-carving Matka, considered a masterpiece from Moradabad, hand-knotted silk carpet, a signature product from Kashmir, to Canadian PM and ittar (perfume) bottles in zardozi box, crafted in Lucknow to the French President and marble inlay.

What is Gulabi Meenakari art form?

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Gulabi meenakari or pink enamelling is a unique art form of the Banaras. The art form is given the Geographical Indications (GI) tag for its beauty and uniqueness. In this art, the artisans colour or decorate a metal surface by attaching or fusing pieces of different mineral substances over it. The metal used is called ¡®chitras¡¯.

Often considered the most alluring and technical of all metal decorations, the Gulabi meenakari was earlier done on gold which is widely replaced by silver and copper primarily.

Who introduced the art to India?

Gulabi Meenakari is an ancient art form of India introduced by Persian enamellists. In the 17th century, they came to India when Mughal courts were at their peak.

The marvellous designs and combination of colours are characterized by pink strokes on white enamel. The uniqueness of the product is that artisans of Varanasi delicately add pink colour to the White enamel. Artisans predominately use natural and leadless dyes for decoration.

The Varanasi craftsmen delicately add pink to the predominant white enamel while red, green and blue are added in Delhi and Jaipur. Raja Man Singh of Amber brought the art to Rajasthan by inviting skilled artisans from the Mughal palace at Lahore to Jaipur.

Why Varanasi¡¯s Gulabi Meenakari is different?

The craftsmen are called ¡®meenakars¡¯ and they generally craft religious figures of god/ goddesses on silver and gold sheets, traditional ornaments and decorative items, dining sets and motifs, including flowers, birds and animals.

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Rai Krishnadas, founder-director of Barat Kala Bhawan of Banaras Hindu University told TOI that ¡°Banaras stands next to Jaipur in the art of enamelling and nature of Banaras pink is similar to Jaipur red. In the 19th century and early 20th century, pink enamel was famous throughout the country and was much sought after by princes and the aristocracy.¡±

According to a report published in TOI, the red enamel of Jaipur still maintained its fine workmanship of the 19th century, while Gulabari Meenakari of Varanasi was in dark in the first quarter of the 20th century. The last hereditary master of pink enamel was Babbu Singh, who passed away in 1923.

The artform revived after a gap of about half a century in Varanasi again with increased demand for old jewellery among women and tourists for its cultural value.

Gulabari Meenakari received GI Tag

The Meenakari of Varanasi was given a GI Tag in the year 2015. It helped in reviving the art form and supporting the meenakars.

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According to a report published in Hindustan Times in January this year, the demand for Gulabi Meenakari increased and meenakars have generated business of over one crore in 3 months.

With the GI tag, the meenakars have acquired a new identity. At present, more than 300 craftsmen from about 80 families are working in the art form in Varanasi.

GI tag is a special tag given to a specific area of ??products, agricultural, natural and manufactured products (handicrafts and industrial goods). It is given to a product of special quality and identity that originates in a specific geographical area.

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