Batik Work in the Ashram

The Birth of “Batik Work“

(Translated by Sumita Dhar from the original Bengali by Bibha)

It was the 9th of August in 1969 when this section of ‘BATIK WORK’ was born. It was on the same day in the year 1941 that I had come to Pondicherry. What an incredible gift on the anniversary day of my arrival! It is this gift of the Mother that is keeping me on the move even today and I believe that it will continue to do so till the last day of my life. Only the Mother could bestow such a gift! Nobody else can.

Truly speaking, Batik is a sort of hobby. There is a word in Bengali which is spelt in English as ‘batik’; it means a sort of habitual activity developed by a person out of obsession. I do remember how, on the basis of this Bengali meaning, Pranab used to tease me saying that I must have developed a ‘batik’ to do ‘Batik’!

This department has taken birth in a truly miraculous way. Jayantilal-da’s sister, Manju, who was from Shantiniketan, had come to Pondicherry on her way back to her native place. She had brought with her a handful of samples of Batik designs done on cloth. I met her at my elder brother, Sanjiban-da’s residence. These pieces attracted me so much that I was extremely keen to learn how it was done. But I could not get any occasion to learn. However, things changed miraculously by the grace of the Mother.

Moti-ben, the wife of one of Ambu’s friends, had come from Africa with her daughters. They stayed for about three weeks in the room just below my apartments. They used to have their meals with me and in the course of various discussions they came to know about my interest in Batik. Two of the daughters knew the technique and they agreed to show it to me. Immediately things were arranged and we did Batik design on two handkerchiefs. That is all the practical training I had to start doing Batik on my own! Then a lady from Jamshedpur came to Pondicherry for Darshan. When she heard about my interest in Batik she agreed to make a Batik tablecloth in my presence. But accidentally the colouring part was not done properly and most of the dyes faded during the washing and remained in the basin as residue! After a couple of days I collected those dyes and made three handkerchiefs and they all came out perfectly well. My birthday was approaching. So I waited to present them to the Mother. The day came at last and my wish was fulfilled. The Mother clasped the three handkerchiefs tightly in her hand and was silent for a while. She then asked Ambu and Vasudha-ben if it was I who had made them. She seemed to be very happy with them. I was hoping that some good luck would be there behind that gesture and I was right! The very next day, Amrita-da came with a blessings packet for me from the Mother and told me that the Mother wanted me to continue doing Batik. I immediately started the work. It is interesting that without any conscious plan, I had kept the stove that had to be used for the work on the very spot where the Mother had sat when she had come to see my new home here. Nolini-da came to open the department: he unfolded a piece of cloth on which the Mother had put her signature specially for the occasion of the opening of the department. The name chosen by her was “BATIK WORK” to differentiate the place from that of Millie’s (Art House). All the ingredients had to be bought. With the Mother’s blessings the sale of the materials was good and satisfactory.

Looking back at those golden days of the past, I still remember the faces of some devotees whose service to the department was of great help. Madhusudan is one of those who worked here for some time and helped to organise the department. Another person had come from Shilong. He would use his own brush which was of a special type. He made many human figures in Batik. The sale increased quite a bit after his coming. Another person, Chandranath, worked here for about three months, and he too did many human figures. A Tamil lady, Jaya, had worked here for some time but she has gone away to France. A very young girl, Lakshmi, from a nearby village worked here for about five years. She was a great help. She is working in Auroville at present. She had a special flair for doing Batik. Nowadays she comes only on Sundays and works specially on sarees. Once a Spanish artist also came and worked here for a few months. Among others, the work done by Bhakta, a name given to a foreigner by the Mother, has special significance. Bhakta was asked to do in Batik a picture of Ganesh traced out from a calendar. He was nearly at the end of his work when something astonishing happened. At that time, the floor of my room was being redone and that work was also nearing completion. One night, I was suddenly awakened by a noise coming from behind the wooden shutters on the top portion of the door. I peeped in and saw five mice. The mice fled through the window immediately. I switched on the light and looked at Ganesh. To my surprise I found that Bhakta had forgotten to draw a mouse beside the Lord! The next day, when Bhakta came he narrated that the previous night he had been awakened by something licking his fingers. He sprang up, only to find that it was a mouse! Dorothy, Bhakta’s wife, who was in the next room had also seen the mouse which had tried to enter her mosquito-net! I told Bhakta that he had made a major mistake for which those mice had come. Bhakta examined the design closely and cried out, “Bibha-di! I have forgotten to draw the mouse!” The piece had still to be dipped in black and the portrait was finally completed with a black mouse beside the Lord. The living image of this Ganesh is still there on the walls of the sales area—for, it is not for sale.

Every month, whatever money we used to get through the sale was sent to the Mother in a wooden box. Kumud who was in charge of this, said that the Mother would place the box on her lap leaving all her other work. The money was then taken out, but the box was never returned empty. She used to put something or the other in the box.

Now, though I have grown old, this golden past is still living in my memory. I remember a night when I was colouring a dress and was feeling tired and drowsy. It was nearly 11 o’clock. All of a sudden, I felt a shadow passing behind me. All my tiredness vanished. I became totally alert. I stood for a while with that cloth in my hand and then continued to work past midnight with no trace or memory of the fatigue.

As the department grew in size, I felt the need for more space. The Mother gladly granted us a loan and the necessary job was done. She said that the money could be returned to her gradually, depending on the sale of the goods. Many people including school-children came to help in setting up the new premises. Aditi, who is working regularly here, came around that time. Some older people have also come forward to work here. Lata is one among those whose name needs special mention. She applies wax on six or seven handkerchiefs or a full dress piece within two to three hours. She does free hand waxing. She is fully involved with the department and really seems to care for it. This part of her self-giving appeals to me most. She brings with her a few of her artist-friends who are also expert workers. Among them Paulo is very efficient. He is an artist and fond of working on human figures. Prabha and Antony also come once a week. All of them are Italians.

When I had gone abroad for some time, Chitra Sen looked after this department. At present she is too busy, otherwise she would also have joined us, for even now she comes off and on whenever she can. My heartfelt gratitude remains for Hasmukh-bhai and Pulak who used to send us dyes, one from Ahmedabad and the other from Calcutta. At present Paulo, the Italian gentleman arranges for these.

Now, with a sigh of relief I am in a position to say that even in my absence, the department will continue to run with its own initial force, set forth by the Mother in 1969. After all, it was the Mother’s decision to start this work, not ours. It has to go on.

Mother India, June 2007  ·  pp. 465–467

BEAUTY

Artistic taste is pleased with beautiful things and is itself beautiful.

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Artistic sensibility: a powerful aid to fight ugliness.

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Artistic works: all work at the service of beauty.

- The Mother

(Words of the Mother, CWM, Vol. 15, p. 232)