24/10/2015
Handicraft
The arts and crafts including Mojari, once thriving under the kingdoms receded into the oblivion with the advent of the British rule. The introduction of mechanized production sounded the death toll for the hand made artisan articles. The last nail in the coffin was driven by the cheap synthetics that further eroded even the rural marketing base of the artisans.
Nonetheless it is fortunate that Mojari trade survived despite adversities, albeit constrained to the rural areas only and diminishing by the day with continuous migration of the artisans to other areas. This can be attributed to an already existent substantial production base and the overwhelming suitability of the product to the local conditions.
Village Mojari, the time tested option
The traditional ethnic produce have evolved over a considerable period and with raw materials which have also in turn come about on the basis of easy availability and suitability to the needs of the region.
Tanned by the bark of the locally available vegetation (Babool), the Village leather (called Vegetable Tanned or VT Leather) is very eco-friendly. It does not contain any Chromium salts, which are very strong pollutants. Nor does it contain any carcinogenic chemicals like the P*P or any azo dyes.
Also the VT Leather has excellent thermal insulating properties. For centuries Mojaris have enabled the villagers walk through scorching summers and freezing winters of this land of extremes.
The inside temperature came close to the body temperature after heating the VT Mojari on a sand bath for 48 hours. That’s the efficacy of VT’s insulation property.
The Resurrection
It goes to the credit of UNDP sponsored NLDP (National Leather Development Programme (Government of India) which initiated the mainstreaming of this traditional artisan activity with the contemporary markets and commensurate technology.
The integration of sizing with internationally accepted British/European conventions, dovetailing of traditional skills and contemporary designs, appropriate mechanization and exposure to the mainstream markets of the world have paid rich dividends.
Mojaris are enticing buyers from all across the world and have been exported to France, Spain, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Japan, Taiwan, etc. In India Mojari now is marketed as a registered brand name through organized distribution network, replete with packaging, tags, MRP, carry bags, instructions on care after care, etc.
All this has come about with the UNDP-NLDP-FDDI endeavor of mainstreaming these artisans with the contemporary markets and technology.
The Livelihood programme identified the missing links that prevented the skillful product from getting mainstreamed and achieved the desired results through techno-design intervention consisting of standard shoe-moulds (Lasts), scientifically cut patterns, appropriate mechanization (Finishing, Leather Cutting, Sole Compressing) and Contemporary Designs.
Today the improved mojari is providing livelihood so much so that there is a reverse migration of the artisan from the brick-kilns and metros where they had gone to do menial manual labor tasks like rickshaw pulling.
Moreover Mojari has become a fashion statement in itself. It is in raging vogue in Europe, which has woken up to this ethnic enticement. Even in India the up-ended fashion niche markets have taken liking to this improved ethnic footwear for which a latent demand was always present.
