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here is a raw starkness to the terrain in Radhanpur, a small town in North Gujarat, western India. One can feel the dry, dusty heat on the face even if it’s March. But once you enter the Hanisba Museum, it’s a different, colourful, vibrant world. You leave behind the heat and the ruggedness as the women artisans welcome you with a tilak and a piece of jaggery. It is believed to sweeten the relationship between the host and the guest.
Hansiba Museum is a community museum run by women artisans, and it came into existence in 2012 because of the efforts and support of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). This museum is unique because here you will find heirloom pieces, furniture and household items that once belonged to these women.
The museum is named after Hansibaben, who was known for the gift of her craft, resilience and grit. She carved a niche for herself and became a symbol of SEWA’s incredible work in empowering women artisans. The entrance to the museum displays beautiful torans that the women make themselves. Every little corner of the museum speaks of the creativity and resilience of the women artisans and the strong community spirit they have built over the years.
The pieces that are housed as artefacts in the museum reflect the legacy of work done by these women artisans. Apart from bright, intricately designed clothes, they have an amazing collection of cloth bags, and the beautiful handwork with mirrors and embroidery is a sheer visual delight.
The museum also has many household objects like gleaming copper utensils, beautiful rakabi sets for tea drinking, bathing utensils, stoneware and beautifully carved wooden chests and the like. These are pieces that have been passed down through generations, and textile pieces that the women have seen their mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters create and wear in their daily lives.
As the women artisans show us around and explain the details and the story behind the pieces, they say, “This museum is special because it is owned by the community. You can call it a living museum because through this museum we show a slice of our lives, our work and our community. Everything has a story to tell, everything here has a memory.”
Established by Ela Bhatt in 1972, SEWA emerged as a collective dedicated to uniting women artisans and empowering them with both economic independence and creative control over their work. There was a time when the Banaskantha district of Gujarat was affected by constant droughts, and due to a lack of sustainable means of livelihood, people were forced to migrate to Ahmedabad, Rajkot and other regions of Gujarat for work.
It was SEWA that came forward and joined hands with a small group of women, giving them economic independence and opening up new vistas in life through their craft of embroidery. The craft has been passed on through generations from mothers to daughters, as hand-embroidered clothes form part of a bride’s wedding gifts. And with SEWA’s guidance, support and vision, there emerged a community of thousands of women with new identities, economic independence and enviable confidence.
Looking back on their own journey, the women say, “In the initial days, visits by Reema Nanavaty of SEWA were looked at with suspicion. Not many were even ready to have a conversation. But consistent efforts on the part of Reemaben and her team members to break the ice finally bore fruit, and over time, the women artisans themselves saw the transformation.”
Women of SEWA and those associated with the museum come from various communities in the region. The museum has also dedicated space for different communities like Ahir, Rabari, Mochi, Harijan and Chaudhary Patel. Interestingly, each community has its own unique embroidery and craft language, reflected in the fabric tapestries that are part of this museum.
Was it difficult for them to collect these items, which are so personal? Sakhiben, a young, energetic woman artisan, says with a smile, “My mother Jamuben has donated her personal items like the traditional butter churner and other items to the museum. My family members have enjoyed these products and now it’s time for the world to see these beautiful products we use in our day-to-day life.
“There was never a moment of hesitation on the part of these women to give away a slice of their precious material world to the museum. There has also been detailed work on the part of the women to first prepare a list of products and then trace their history before including these items as part of the museum collection.”
The women belong to several communities; chief among them are Ahir, Rabari, Mochi and Chaudhary Patel. Each community has its own craft tradition. For example, Mochi women do leather work, and both Ahir and Rabari women embroider, but their stitches and mirror work differ.
The Ahirs, considered descendants of Lord Krishna, are predominantly a pastoral community. One of the largest communities, with over 10,000 members, the Ahirs practise an embroidery style locally called ‘Soi Bharat’. Soi embroidery is known for the various shaped mirrors embedded in each design. Popular motifs include the peacock, parrot, elephant, scorpion and flowers.
The Rabaris are pastoral nomadic communities scattered across the deserts of western India. Traditionally, they earned their livelihood by grazing sheep and herds of cattle and buffaloes. The women of this community practise fine embroidery that creates a magical effect.
So, how has the museum been bringing the younger generation closer to art and craft? Explaining it, Gangaben says, “When youngsters visit this museum, they feel a sense of pride in their own heritage, as it is all here.”
The museum complex also has a fantastic trade facilitation and training centre for women artisans. In an effort to bring the younger generation closer to their craft heritage, SEWA started Harkhi. Adds Sakhiben, “SEWA made us aware that our craft is precious. These days, fashion is changing every month. Mobile phones have made our work life easier. Now, we discuss our design ideas over video calls. In this way, we save time, money and travel. SEWA gave the women artisans a loan to buy smartphones. It was called ‘theliphone’ (as the women used to keep the phone in a bag).”
Both the museum and the adjoining centre quietly speak a language of women’s empowerment and the celebration of craft heritage. As Pooriben, daughter of Hansiben, says beautifully, “‘Previously, I was only known as someone’s daughter-in-law. Today, I have my own identity as an artisan. I have travelled around the country and abroad too. My skill is my identity. Without SEWA’s efforts, we would have never known our true worth in life.”
She adds, “It has been a life-changing experience. Our region is drought-prone. There is hardly any water. We were living a life of anonymity under a veil. Today, I am known as SEWA ki Poori ben.”
Deepika Sahu has been a journalist for 30 years and she has worked with some of India’s leading media houses. Right now, she is independently engaged in content creation and curation. Twitter: @menondeepika | Instagram@moodydeepika | Facebook: Deepika Sahu
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