Tales from Banaras

Banaras colony’s fabric was famed far and wide but the security situation in Karachi has dented its business.

KARACHI: Banaras, which is a small locality situated in “the heart of Orangi” as one shopkeeper terms it, is in real terms what produces the best Banarasi three-piece suits and saris that have been a favourite for women for decades.

Banaras colony houses almost 400 to 450 shops, with a price tag of Rs2,500 to Rs 6,500 for a three-piece suit.

While shopping markets in Pakistan are chock full of Banarasi fabric, in this colony it is still very much a household affair to produce it. Each store has a unique display of colours and designs, and entire households are involved in the business with the women cutting the Indian gold -zari thread on the reverse side of the cloth and the men are involved in making and selling the fabric.

Abdul Aziz of Al-Aziz Banarasi Fabrics says, “In the earlier days of our business, the fabric was made at home by handlooms. Even today some homes have followed the same old-fashioned way of making fabric but most of us have switched to Banarasi power looms.”

Mohammad Furqan of New Style Banaras Silk House told The Express Tribune, “My grandfather Haji Kifayatullah came to Pakistan at the time of independence, settled at Banaras Chowk and established his business here.”

The fame of the fabric produced in the area spread far and wide. According to Furqan, “Benazir Bhutto’s Banarasi wedding dupatta was designed by Fasi Baba, from our own community.”

Furqan asserts, “At the height of its glory there used to be a major problem of car parking, for people from all areas would throng the market.”

But now, shopkeepers answer questions about business with a groan, “Khuda hi chala raha hai.” (God is making things work out for us)

According to Aziz, “We are living in difficult times. Supply has exceeded demand. People living on a budget consider this (fabric) to be an extravagant luxury. It is hard to make ends meet.”

The city’s precarious security situation has dented the flow of customers to the area, and Aziz says another reason is, “the incomplete flyover in the area,” which has been under construction for four years. The area’s electricity problems also remain unresolved. “We are the mercy of the local authorities and the government shows no interest in resolving our issues.” In times of strife, shopkeepers earn no income for a week at a stretch.

According to Furqan, business activity once flourished in the area. “There were banks here because our wholesale business was going so well. Any shop in the locality was able to generate good income with a profit of at least Rs40,000. But not today, we are hardly left with a meagre Rs 10,000 profit in our hands which goes to maintenance or salaries. Through the wholesale market we are able to capture markets in many cities in Punjab and in Quetta. Also, the entire community once used to make the Ghalaf-i-Kaaba (cover for the Kaaba), hence business flourished.”

While Banaras colony has fallen on harder times, there are still customers. Furqan says men make for better clients. “It has to be men - mostly those who work in the wholesale business.

They are great customers and usually buy the fabric at the price we quote. However we often give women extra fabric so they become repeat customers, but they inevitably fret about the fact that the price quoted to them is not correct!”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2010.