Artisans ramp up Aazardi items’ production

With the onset of Muharram, the sale and purchase of Azadari items has surged as compared to the past. Traditional alam, zanjeer, and taziya makers in Lahore say that modern machines have made production faster and easier, however, the sophistication and finesse of hand made Azadari items cannot be achieved with machines.

Several artisans in Lahore, with their shops located near the Wazir Khan Mosque, have been involved in the profession for many generations.

An artisan named Abdul Rehman told The Express Tribune that he has been preparing and designing handmade Azadari items all his life, adding that his family has been involved in the same profession for four generations.

“Since people love intricate designs on the Azadari items and hold the object sacred, we try our best to use as few machines as possible,” he said. “There are plenty of machine-made items available in the market these days, that too at a cheaper cost. But customers come to us and in search of genuine, hand-made zajneer (chains), taziya, alams, zari, rauza, jhoola, and jewelry items.”

He said that before the commencement of Muharram every year, he receives dozens of bespoke orders by devotees and mourners.

“Even though it takes time to carve designs into the metal, we make sure that all items are prepared before the 9th and 10th of Muharram.

An elderly artisan named Sukh Chaen, who has been associated with the profession for many years, said that he has prepared several alams this year, many of which took weeks of hard work because of the intricate design.

“These orders came from other cities of Pakistan. In the past, a lot of people from India, particularly Lucknow, used to place their orders at my shop too, but because of the ongoing strained relationship between the two countries, trade and business has suffered.

He said that small alams, taziya, and jhoola take about two weeks to prepare, but since alams come in a lot of shapes and sizes, many of them can take months to finish.

Another artisan named Mohammad Sharif said that he prepares alams from different types of metals, including gold and silver, which can be pricey. Nonetheless, devotees do not think twice about spending money on things that they hold in high reverence.

“The artisans of Lahore are second to none in the art of taaziya and alam making. Moreover, they devote a lot of hard work in the making of Azadari items as people trust them with their work.”

He added that the preparation of large alams may cost up to Rs2,500, and it is sold for Rs4,000. The sale of items peak during the first 10 days of Muharram. It’s not only about earning money, but also about earning a reward from Allah by showing devotion to the commemoration of Hazrat Hussain’s (RA) sacrifice.

Old mourning equipment is also repaired and polished in many places in the city.

The edges of the knives are sharpened and polished, especially for mourning.

People from different cities flock to Lahore to buy and have mourning equipment, which has a large market.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2020.