Rewari

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Rewari | type = city | latd = 28.18 | longd = 76.62
locator_position = right | state_name = Haryana
district = Rewari
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 245
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 100,946| population_density = 483
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone = 01274
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio = 899
unlocode =
website = [http://rewari.nic.in/]
footnotes =

Rewari ( _hi. रेवाडी़) is a city and a municipal council in Rewari District in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in southern Haryana around 95 km away from the Indian capital city of New Delhi.

Rewari is a city of historical importance. Its history can be traced in Hindu epic, Mahabharat. The last Hindu emperor of India, a great warrior 'Hemu Vikramaditya' belonged to Rewari only. He had won 22 battles during 1554-1556 spanning entire north India and was the only Hindu to rule from Delhi during Mediavel period.His coronation had taken place in Purana Kila, Delhi on 6th Oct. 1556. His Haveli in Rewari still stands in Qutabpur area. This city has also produced famous freedom fighters such as Rao Tula Ram.

Rewari is famous for its metal work, particularly brass work. If anybody needs the best brass work in the world, Rewari is the place for him or her. The main markets of Rewari have shops which sell brass utencils and brass artistic works. Along with Moradabad, Rewari is the brass hub of India. Rewari has kept the art of Tilledar Jutti alive. People from various parts come here to purchase Tilledar Juttis. Rewari also has emerged as a new industrial township. It is the abode of companies like Hero Honda, Sony, YKK, Haryana Suraj Maltings Limited, Exide, TVS, Indian Oil, HPL, various Metal Companies, like Narolac.

Though all of the Hindu festivals are celebrated here with great enthusiasm, the festival of Teej has a special place in the heart of Rewari citizens. As in the nearby state of Rajasthan, the colourful Teej is witnessed annually in Rewari. NGOs like INTACH (INDIAN NATIONAL TRUST FOR ART AND CULTURAL HERITAGE) are actively involved in conservation of old monuments in the town.

History

The history of the district of Rewari is contemporary to the history of Delhi. During the Mahabharata period there was a king named Rewat who had a daughter whose name was Rewati. The king used to call her Rewa lovingly. The king founded and established a city named “Rewa wadi” after the name of her daughter. Later on, when Rewa married Balram, elder brother of Lord Krishna, the king donated the city “Rewa wadi”as dowry for her daughter. Later, the city Rewa wadi became REWARI.

During the mediavel period and rule of Mughals in 1554 a Dhusar Brahman, named 'HEM CHANDRA VIKRAMADITYA', called 'HEMU' in short, a Bhargava of Rewari (whose initial occupation was selling saltpetre /gunpowder) became chief of the army and Prime Minister of Adil Shah of Sur Dynasty.Hemu fought 22 battles for Adil Shah in the two years period which spanned the entire North India. He proved to be the greatest Hindu warrior in the entire history of India. He was almost successful in throwing out Mugals out of India after victories in Agra and Delhi. After centuries of foreign rule over India, Hemu re-established the Hindu Kingdom and Vikramaditya Dynasty on 6th October 1556 in a coronation in PURANA QUILA, which is presently opposite PRAGATI MAIDAN in Delhi.

During the Mughal period Rewari was part of the Delhi territory. In the "Svantrata-Sangram" of 1857 Rao Tula Ram & Krishan Gopal of Rewari fought aggressively against the British rule with the help of Samrat Bahadur Shah Zafar, leading a brief movement that brought British rule to an end in Rewari for a time. Rao Tula Ram could not succeed and soon expired.

The land of Rewari is called "Veer-Bhumi", as even today the people of Rewari feel proud to serve in the Indian military.

Industry

Traditional Industries

"Rewari Metal Work"

History and origin

Rewari metal craft history is about 450 years old i.e. close to the Mughal (Mediaeval) period. This place was known to have a nursery of soldiers for a long time which still exists till date. Hemu, of Rewari was a great soldier who appeared in the Indian history, belonged to this place He fought a war with the Mughals to prevent them from invading Delhi but was defeated due to the shortage of ammunitions. This was the time when being a warrior state, in Rewari, Hemu set up Brass Foundries to manufacture Canons. Craftsmen from “Kishangarh, Rajasthan” were called in Rewari.

The whole region lying at the border of Rajasthan and Haryana had scarcity of potable (sweet) water. The water available in the region was brackish (salty) and Rewari was the only region nearby which had sweet drinkable water due to the presence of 4 huge lakes or “bawaris” there. Rain water, the only source of drinkable water, collected in the lakes and wells were dug around the lakes to get clean water. People from the nearby places used to come to take water. Clay pitchers were replaced by metal containers as copper ore was available in nearby Khetri in Rajasthan.

Rewari became regional centre of sheet metalwork and craftsmen skilled in this work flourished in Rewari. The basic purpose that led to the initiation of the craft was storage of water hence big and small utensils ”bartans” were made like kund or “tamdi,” metal pitchers or “tokani,” “parati,” “patili” and “bhagonas.”

Customs associated with the craft

Local customs developed with the craft in which during a marriage a boy used to gift the girl’s family a kund (sicsic) and the girl’s family used to give 11, 21, or 51 brass utensils as dowry. Till date every marriage that happens 50 km from the city, the brass utensils are supplied from Rewari only.

Till the demand was not much, the brass that was needed for the craft was supplied by the local Kartus factory. But gradually as the demand increased industries were set up in the region which supplied sheet brass to the craftsmen. Today there are 7 big setup’s in the region providing the raw material among which Everest Metal, Aggarwal Metal Gupta Metal & Surbhi Metals are the most important ones.

Nature of the products

The entire products range made in Rewari is utility based rather than being aesthetically gratifying. Since the origin of the craft is need based hence the products also are purely utilitarian with very little emphasis on aesthetics. Going back to the history where the need of storage and transportation erupted the products made caters to the function of storing, cooking, and transporting. Initially the products made were restricted to keeping water but since time cooking pots and plates have also started to being made.

Product range

The product range of the Rewari metalcraft is as follows:1. Tokni: Tokni is a metal pitcher most significant to the craft. It is supposedly one the first thing that started the metal craft. 2. Patili or Dekchi: It’s another container which resembles a Tokni but the height is less the half of a Tokni. Its quite broad compare to the height of the utensil. Its mainly used for cooking vegetables, preparation on tea etc. 3. Parati or Parat: parat or parati as its called in the local term is a huge plate with raised peripheral walls. Its basic function 4. Kund or Nand : This is a huge cylindrical tank used to store water. The kund is often kept in a pit dug in the ground to keep the water more cool.

Raw materials

* Suhaga or borax
* Acid – tejab
* Khatai / tamarind
* Sand paper 24 no.
* Brass wire
* Metal sheet
* Coal

The basic raw materials used in the practicing of the craft are brass and copper sheets. Other than this to join the shaped pieces of various utensils soldering materials “suhaga” (it is a mixture of borax and water used to join metal pieces), brass, copper and zinc are used.Another process that involves washing of the utensil requires sulphuric acid, followed by washing in tamarind. Other than this coke or coal is required to heat up the utensils during shaping to make it soft.

Sourcing and recycling

Some shopkeepers in the area act as a channel between the craftsmen and the brass factories and supply them with brass and copper sheets. The thickness of the sheet is approx 36-40 gauge.Also during working with the sheet, circular patterns are cut on the rectangular sheet. The waste edges are collected, melted in a furnace “bhatti”, converted in the form of bricks and sold back to the factory at the same rate of purchase. The furnace used in this case is an open furnace and uses coal as the ignition material.There are about 10 furnaces in the region “kayastwada” where all the local craftsmen bring their waste metal and process it into bricks.

Tools

* Hammer - There are 4 different sizes of hammer used in the initial process. Among them, one is made of iron called hathori and other three are wooden hammers called as ghanchla. The wood used is of Ronj tree found in and around the area.

* Dies – The dies are made of iron; the circular brass sheets are kept on the dies and after hammering the desired depth or volume is achieved on the sheet.

* Welding – Gas welding is done.

* Chowka and Megh – These are made of iron. It is used to make the design on the utensil. The get the desired design on the utensil it is kept on the chowka or megh and the hammer is stroked on the metal surface.

* Lakdi – It is a wooden piece used to give a shine to the hammer so that when it strikes metal a shine produced there too. The lakdi is the root of aankda tree.

* Powder – The powder is put on to this lakdi.

* Misc— Cut tyre tubes are worn on the feet to protect from metal edges. Rubber gloves are worn while washing the utensils with acid.

Process

The steps followed on the round cut brass sheet are almost the same for making tokni, patili and parati. The only difference lies in the dies used and the welding of the pieces.The basic steps can be summed up as under:

1. Hammering on the die: Different dies made of iron are used for giving the brass sheets, the basic shape of the product. Two dies are used for making the three basic pieces of tokni and dekchi; and one for making the only piece for parati. Heavy wood hammers are used in the initial stage and later on detailed finish is given by smaller metal hammers. Craftsmen wear hand and toe leather caps for protection.

2. Joining the joints: Borax powder, commonly known as suhaaga mixed in lukewarm water, for making a thick paste. The pieces to be joined are then plased edge to edge touching each other and this paste is applied on the joints. Its then kept in the sun and allowed to dry.

3. Brazing / Welding: Gas welding is then done on the joint, above the dried paste, using brass welding wires.

4. Acid wash: The prepared product is now washed with Gandhak ki tezab so as to remove all the dust and other dirt particles from the surface of the metal.

5. Washing in water: The acid washed utensil is now washed thoroughly with water to remove the acid which can corrode the metal on prolonged exposure.

6. Neutralization: after water washing acid is not completely removed. So to neutralize the surface of the metal it is dipped into Kishta or Khatai i.e. tamarind solution.acid present on the meta surface darken the color of brass due to corrosion.

7. Polishing: Polishing the metal surface is done mainly by hand. The metal surface is smoothened by rubbing it with 24 number, coarse Regmar and sand-Balu ki ret. The surface now gets the golden yellow colour of brass.

8. Decoration by Hammering: Final finish is done by using a metal hammer. Metal surface is stroked from one side and the impressions come even on the other side too. This is done mainly for serving two purposes. First is to strengthen the metal surface by increasing the density and second is for decoration, so as to make the product more visually appealing.

Craft and Craftmen

All the craftsmen who are working on brass belong to the “Thatera” or “Khasera” community and if they employ work under them they are also take from the same community. Their roots originally lie in Kishangarh, Rajasthan. The work is generally inherited from father to son and doesn’t require any training. The process of manufacturing is not complicated and there in no division of labor involved. The whole process of making a utensil excluding its finishing and hammering is completed by one craftsman. Even for the other process like washing, sanding and hammering the family members are enough to help the craftsman complete the product. In Rewari the metal craft is concentrated in the “thateragaon” or “kayastwada.” They are generally not well-off financially.

Workspace and setup

The setup of the craft requires no special work setup. The craftsmen in the region sit in front of their houses and also one or two rooms in the house are kept for working purposes. In front of many houses dies are permanently fixed in the ground.

Peak and off season

The peak seasons for the selling of the utensils are near Diwali, Navratra and Teej festivals.June to mid October is supposed to be the time of the year when the business is very slow. It is this time when the selling of the utensils is rather a retarded affair and the craftsmen who are a little well off than the others generally keep make the utensils and stocking them so as to release the bulk in the selling season.

SWOT

STRENGTH

* Storing water in brass utensils is good for health. It combines copper and zinc together. Copper is very good for health the properties of which are in brass also.
* The craft has its root in the glorious history of Rewari which gives its identity to it.
* The resale value of brass is high as compared to the other metals. If it is bought at Rs 250/- per kg then the resale value is more or less near to it which is not in the case of say steel.

WEAKNESS

* The raw material (the metal sheet) has become so costly that craftsmen can’t afford to buy in bulk. The rate of brass in 1986 was around Rs. 40/- per kg. This has risen to about Rs.250/- per kg without the considerable increase in the labor cost of the craftsmen. It makes it very difficult for the craftsmen to sustain the craft and which is one of the major reasons for many of the craftsmen quitting the work.
* The craftsmen do not get satisfactory amount as a return on their labor. They rate at which they are paid only depends mainly on the quality of the brass they are using. Workmanship is not that great a deal when it comes to pay the craftsmen. On an average they are paid Rs.40/- per kg additional on the utensils while selling. Considering the fact that one craftsman makes one “Tokni” in a day which weighs nearly about a kg Rs. 40 won’t obviously get him his bread and butter.
* In the marketing of the product, there is a two tier system. One craftsman and other local dealers. Normally these craftsmen sell their products to the local dealers at cheap rates because it is very convenient for the craftsperson as it skips going to the main market to sell the products themselves or to approach various shopkeepers. It also saves money in transportation. These middle men are the ones who actually take all the profit by selling these products further on at high prices. Because of this the artisans are underpaid.
* Most of the craftsmen cannot make and store the product because they are not financially strong. As such there in no active government policy aiding these craftspeople financially to provide them raw materials. These results in slow production of good and the artisans actually suffer in the peak season where they don’t have stocked utensils to make money.

OPPURTUNITY

* A time felt requirement of the craft is to explore on new designs according to changing conditions.

THREATS

* Aluminum and steel is taking over brass utensils. The reason being that they are more cheap and readily available everywhere.
* Cost is more compared to other utensils available in the market.
* With more and more exposure of other markets brass work in Rewari is facing huge competitions from “Moradabad” where brass work is being carried on at a grand scale. Rewari metal work might not be available in “Moradabad but metal work from Moradabad is readily available everywhere even in rewari.

Modern Industries

Rewari has three modern developed industrial areas: Rewari (along Rewari-Dharuhera road), Dharuhera and Bawal.

(To be added)

Geography

Rewari is located at coord|28.18|N|76.62|E| [ [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/10/Rewari.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Rewari] ] . It has an average elevation of 245 metres (803 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001 India census [GR|India] , Rewari had a population of 100,946. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Rewari has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 67%. In Rewari, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References

External links

* [http://rewari.nic.in Rewari.nic.in]
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