A culturally rich state Bihar is known for many things. But Sujani embroidery is not one of them. Not many people know that this beautiful art that was originated in Bihar. When it comes to embroidered our mind goes to either Rajasthan or Gujarat.
The Origins
Sujani (also spelled as Sujini) was originated in the Bhusura village of Bihar. The story of its origin goes back to the 1920s when this art was practiced only by Rajput. The word Sujani can be broken into two words “su” means facilitating and “jani” means birth.
In the beginning, this art was practiced on old clothes to make them look new and to use them for different occasions. For example when new babies were born women used to make quilts for them using their old sarees. They would cut colorfully patched of their sarees and dupattas and then stitch them together with colorful threads. They also embroidered on them with love for their newborn baby. Initially, it was limited to only small designs and motifs.
The reason for using old sarees is that it is considered inauspicious to put the baby in new clothes. This is why to this day many people cover their babies in old clothes instead of getting them new ones. The other reason is that by using an old saree of the mother, the child will not cry for her whenever it is in someone else’s arms because the new quilt made of an old saree will have her smell.
Due to Sujani art’s popularity women got encouraged to try it on other products too. Soon being in-demand products started to sell and it became a source of living. It was now done on sarees, bedsheets, covers, etc.
Motifs Used in Sujani
Sujani embroidery is mainly attached to a loving relationship between a mother and her child. The motifs and symbols used in this embroidery have a purpose too. There is sun, moon, cloud, sacred animals, fertility symbols, and a mother’s day to day life workplaces such as kitchen and courtyard. All these motifs and patterns were used to evoke gods to bless the child and the mother. The colors red and yellow are also symbolic. Yellow represented the sun and red lifeforce.
Advancements in Sujani Embroidery
Bihar has its amazing ways of telling us sad stories. Like it shows stories of society and it’s people through dances, it does the same thing with embroidery too. The modern adaptation of Sujani embroidery has taken a new turn to open the eyes of society. They have started creating pieces with social issues such as a drunken husband beating his wife or the groom’s family taking dowry. There are some positive images of society too such as a woman speaking as a judge or a woman working as a leader.
Even though Sujani is a wonderful art it is dying slowly. There is an organization The Sujani Mahila Jeevan which is trying really hard to keep this art form alive. They have gathered 400 women who know this art and helping them to sell it.
Sujani Art was given the Seal of Excellence by UNESCO in 2019 which is also known as the Seal Award. Sujani embroidery is well-deserving art and there is nothing like it. The most amazing part is that the artisans took it into their hands to open the eyes of society by depicting social issues through Sujani art. The thought behind it should not go unnoticed and every well-deserving praise should be given to it.