photo taken by Jeremy Fritzhand

About a month ago we had two lovely visitors from the U.A.E. come to stay at Savista. And from our first meeting, they clearly expressed interest in textiles, even sharing with us pages torn from a magazine highlighting the beauty of authentic textiles of Jaipur. The couple was most interested in purchasing textiles, less interested in witnessing the process (entirely understandable on a short trip to Jaipur).  So we shared our knowledge of the best shops to go hunting for authentic Jaipur textiles, told them a little but about our relationship with the neighboring block printing town of Bagru, and sent them on their way.

The two came back exhausted loaded with shopping bags, and at some point during that day asked to hear a bit more about Bagru.  Our block printing workshops.  And our half day tours to the printing workshops.  Bagru, only 8 km from Savista, is home to artisans of the Chhipa community who are renowned for their style of hand block printed cottons.  They have kept this beautiful tradition – using mostly natural fabrics and vegetable based dyes – alive in Bagru for at least 350 years. The long life of this craft is attributable to its prime natural environment.

Considering that Jaipur is known for its history, architecture and, one must not forget the crafts using precious stones, gold and silver, leather, textiles, etc. we expect many of our guests to have made a note whether mental or in their travel books that these are the things to see or buy while in the Jaipur area. This very reasonable notion encouraged us to strengthen our relationship with our friends in Bagru, hoping to bring the interested parties directly to the source of block printed textiles.

The men and women of the Chhipa community produce beautiful meters of fabric day in and day out, without much of a notion of where their fabric will be going and what it will become. Their products are sold at a distance from the environment in which they are produced, and visitors who come to buy textiles in Jaipur do not get to see the hard work, time and care that goes into each meter of fabric.  So, the half day tours and the block printing workshops were created by Savista – working with a few select artisans of Bagru – to showcase this beautiful art form.

Now, our couple from the U.A.E opted for the half-day tour to Bagru. It was long enough to see each step of the process: from the carving of the block, to the dyeing of the fabric, the block printing, the drying,  and examples of the final product in various styles. Of course, no length of fabric can be chosen, a block carved, fabric dyed, printed, possibly dyed again, maybe even printed on once or twice more, dried and sold, within a half day time-frame. And because of the natural time constraints built into the process, our guests taking the tour to Bagru get to visit the Chhipa community, see the carving of the block in one shop, the dyeing in another home/workshop, etc. etc.

This tour opens up many types of opportunities: the opportunity to see a community beyond its bazaars, with a local at hand to answer questions. The chance to see workshops of many different shapes and sizes, as well as varying printing techniques such as Dabu:  printing with mud such that further layers can be printed atop and the mud can be washed away leaving negative space. And, finally, the opportunity to see the finished work of a master printer, and share a cup of chai with him.

I hope that you have enjoyed the photos of our Bagru trip and should you want to learn more about our half day trips to Bagru or blockprinting workshops, please visit: http://www.savista.com/block-printing.html or contact us at: info@savista.com

The rains have been particularly bountiful in Jaipur this monsoon season.  And Savista and its environs have benefited greatly from nature’s generosity.

On Tuesday September 6, the sixth day after Ganesh Chaturthi, we decided to go in search of a water body in which to immerse our Ganesha – the turmeric representation of the god of auspicious beginnings that had been sanctified in our puja just a few days earlier.

We did not have to go far.  Less than 20 km from Savista stretched the brimming reservoir of Hingonia.  There was water for as far as the eye could see.  We drove along a winding country road  that took us through green fields and little villages.  We passed by men in white tunics and dhotis, colourful turbans, gleaming earrings, and luxuriant moustaches who pointed to the road ahead, until we stopped in astonishment at the largest expanse of water any of us has ever seen near Savista.

And here is a beautiful classical south Indian rendering of the popular composition Vathapi Ganapthim Bhaje in the raga Hamsadhwani, on the guitar.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO8faakv_34

A few posts have been piling up here at Savista. One on Eid, another on Ganesha. So we hope that you will welcome them like a well meaning belated birthday card, a chance to celebrate for another day, to savor the sweetness a little bit longer…..

Here at Savista we pride ourselves on our commitment to an environmental ethic. Over the past few years our sustainability initiatives have been big and small, some only discernable to the critical eye, and others in plain sight. This list includes the decision to paint the roof white in compliance with the albedo effect, solar water heaters and a chemical-free freshwater pool that also waters the garden and recharges the aquifer. We have not plastered the place with Reduce, Reuse, Recycle signs and buzzwords as one would if these measures were in accordance with a fad, but have instead incorporated these environmentally friendly measures into the lifestyle of Savista, quietly installing low-flow shower-heads, dual flush toilets, CFL light bulbs and energy conservation appliances that are here to stay.

So, what next?  A very important component of one’s carbon footprint after energy, meat consumption and transportation is WASTE! It seems that it is time to look closely at our waste, and ask some important questions. Where did it come from? What is it made of? And when we are done with it, where should it go?

Up until this point we have composted our organics and recycled our bottles and cans, but because the production of non-organic waste is so minimal, disposal has never been a pressing issue. But even with limited production, these remain important questions and often times lead to positive self-reflection, an inquisitive mind and creative action.

STEP ONE: SORTING. We have created a space where we can sort our waste into the following categories: plastics, metals, electronic waste, paper, cardboard, batteries and light bulbs. The categories will expand as time goes on, but for now this is all that we have come across.

Responsibly disposing of one’s waste becomes much more difficult in a rural location. In the city, one can feel pleased to have sorted out recyclables and place them outside to be collected. The process is not as simple in the countryside. Waste is typically burned or buried here. And only that which one receives a return on will be collected, but what about the rest? Burying toxics such as light bulbs, batteries and electronic waste in an unlined pit can lead to chemicals leaching into the groundwater. And burning of such toxics is another type of harmful pollution to the air and lungs.

STEP TWO: RESEARCH. That brings us to step two. As we come to the end of our products lifecycle, we will sort and hold these materials while research as to their proper disposal continues. This is where we stand currently, in the research phase, having taken a pledge to dispose with our products properly (step three), to change our purchasing patterns (step four) to limit waste accumulation, and to focus on reusable items (step five).

There will be plenty to come on this subject, look out for further posts showcasing Savista’s progress as well as some tips to a more environmentally responsible lifestyle!

For more food for thought, check out: www.storyofstuff.com ! Annie Leonard does a wonderful job of putting the lifecycle of our products into perspective: harvesting materials to disposal, enjoy!