AHMED NAUSHAD JI

In Mubarakpur, where silk weaving moves through homes and family workshops, master weaver and loom owner Ahmed Naushad Ji carries the Banarasi tradition through both hand and household. His work belongs to a system in which craft is inseparable from daily life. Designs are prepared, yarns are arranged, looms are set and sarees are woven within networks of skill built over generations.

SPECIALISES IN

Traditional handwoven Banarasi silk, Kadua weaving and intricate zari motifs. Naushad Ji’s craft is not limited to a single named saree or design tradition. It lies in his command of the loom itself: balancing the silk warp and weft, controlling supplementary threads, interpreting complex pattern sequences and maintaining the clarity of motifs across the body, border and pallu.

The finished saree may appear richly decorated, but its beauty is structural. The motifs are created while the cloth is being woven. Nothing is printed on top and nothing is embroidered after the saree leaves the loom. Silk, zari and pattern become part of the same fabric.

THE PLACE

Mubarakpur, Azamgarh District, Uttar Pradesh. A historic silk weaving centre closely connected to the wider Banarasi tradition, Mubarakpur is known for pure silk sarees, intricate Kadhua motifs, substantial pallus and richly woven zari borders. Historical research records its evolution into an important silk saree centre linked to the merchants and markets of Banaras.

The town’s weaving identity is sustained through family workshops, small production units and networks of specialised artisans. Knowledge moves between generations through observation and practice. Children grow up hearing the rhythm of the loom, learning the names of threads and understanding the stages of a saree long before they begin weaving themselves.

THE ROLE

As both a master weaver and loom owner, Naushad Ji’s role extends beyond weaving at a single loom. In a traditional family-run unit, the loom owner must understand how the entire saree comes together. This includes the selection of yarn, preparation of the design, arrangement of the warp, loading of the pattern, supervision of the weaving and inspection of the finished cloth.

The role requires technical knowledge as well as judgement. Different designs demand different yarns, loom settings and levels of skill. The loom owner must recognise whether the tension is correct, whether the zari is sitting cleanly and whether the motifs are emerging with the intended proportion and sharpness.

THE WEAVE

Banarasi weaving begins with the relationship between the warp, which runs along the length of the saree, and the weft, which moves across its width. Together they create the ground fabric. Additional silk or zari threads are then introduced wherever a motif or ornamental section is required.

Some sarees depend on the gleam of zari. Others draw their richness from silk-on-silk patterning, contrasting colours or the quiet repetition of small butis. What connects them is the precision of the handloom and the weaver’s ability to transform a design into cloth.

THE KADUA

Kadua weaving is one of Naushad Ji’s characteristic skills and an important part of Mubarakpur’s identity. In this technique, each motif is formed individually with an additional patterning weft. The thread is introduced only in the area where the motif is required rather than being carried continuously across the entire width of the saree.

The weaver uses small shuttles or spools to build each buti, flower or section of the design separately. The supplementary thread is turned by hand within the boundaries of the motif. This allows different colours and materials to be used in the same composition while giving each form a distinct and lightly raised appearance.

Kadua is slow because the weaver cannot create an entire row of motifs with one continuous movement. Every element must be formed, secured and aligned independently. Depending on the density of the design, an elaborate Kadua saree can occupy the loom for many weeks or even several months.

The eye sees a field of effortless ornament. The weaver sees hundreds of separate decisions.

THE MOTIFS

The visual language of Naushad Ji’s craft comes from the traditional vocabulary of Banarasi weaving. Small butis may be distributed across the body of the saree, floral vines may travel along the borders and larger compositions may unfold across the pallu.

The difficulty lies not simply in creating a beautiful motif but in repeating it without disturbing its proportion or rhythm. Every curve must remain legible. Every repeat must stay aligned. Every zari thread must sit at the correct tension.

A motif that appears simple on the finished saree may require years of experience to weave cleanly.

THE MAKING

The making begins long before the shuttle moves. Silk and zari are selected according to the weight, colour and surface required for the saree. The yarn is reeled, twisted, dyed and wound. The design is then drawn on a grid or prepared through a textile design system.

The pattern must be translated into instructions that the loom can follow.

The warp is then stretched under carefully controlled tension. Hundreds or thousands of individual threads are passed through the appropriate heddles and reed. The ground weft, coloured silk and zari threads are wound separately and placed within reach of the weaver.

Once weaving begins, the saree grows one narrow line at a time. The feet operate the loom, the hands guide the shuttles and the eyes watch the cloth for irregularities. In Kadua sections, the supplementary threads are inserted only where each motif appears. A small mistake in counting, tension or placement can affect an entire repeat.

Every motif begins as a decision at the loom. Every saree carries the labour of many hands. In Naushad Ji’s craft, Banarasi silk is not simply woven for the present. It is kept in motion for the next generation.