Do you know how the people of Pink City keep themselves warm every winter? It is the cozy and warm ‘Jaipuri Razais’ that have been helping people with ‘cold hands and warm hearts’ to have warm hands as well. Razais are snugly bed quilts that help you brave the winter and sleep peacefully.
Jaipuri Razais are fashioned with much intricacy. Mainly, it involves the stuffing of cotton wool which is then covered with cotton fabric. The process of making it requires ‘carding’ of the cotton which basically is the straightening out and disentanglement of the cotton fibers that appear to be locked or clumped together. This is done by carders, which are cased with very thin and fine teeth that help in extracting any kind of waste material found in the fibers. This work takes almost a week to get finished after which the cotton filling becomes fluffier and featherlike. Finally, the sides of the coverlet are stitched together with cotton or velvet material.
The artisans who have the skills of making these comforters have been practicing it for many generations. In the olden times, all the stitching used to be done by hand held needles but now the craftsmen use sewing machines for it which has made it easier for them. The work of the Razai makers doesn’t finish at just making them as after the Razais have been used, they need maintenance. With time, the cotton inside tends to bundle up and causes the air inside to be shut out which makes the quilt ineffectual in stopping the wintry cold. For this reason, the Razai artisans are needed seasonally to do the carding process and free the insides of the quilt form clumps.
The covering fabric of Jaipuri Razais is either cotton or velvet and the design is generally Sanganeri hand Block printing. The designs include floral, kaleidoscopic and Dhola Maru prints. And they come in all vivid and bright colors. People often prefer Jaipuri Razais over others because of its softness, lightweight and how it warms those cold hands and feet in the chilly winters. You can find them at stores in Bapu Bazaar and Badi Chaupad. Their price ranges from Rs. 1500 and may go up to Rs. 3500.
