Varakh - Jaipur
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Machine to make silver or gold strips.
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Big-head hammer, leather booklet, small bamboo stick and brush to clean the hammers are initial tools.
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Pushti, the leather cover and the pages called as auzaars.
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Takhti, white color flat piece of wood covered with mica to keep Varakh. Bamboo strip, cheep is used to hold the auzaars, iron cutter called as Phalua, helps in cutting the silver or gold strips, Makol, fine powder and small leather piece called as paibandi.
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Stone to rub the surface or metal cladded with Varakh to give shine.
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One piece is placed in every page at the corner.
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Artisan beating the Pushti with hammer.
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Varakh is cut into half.
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All the four pieces are turned inside out to make a rectangle with fine edges.
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Varakh is gently transferred on the butter paper and covered with another butter paper.
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It is tied with cotton thread.
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Tiles cladded with silver and aluminium Varakh.
Varakh is an ancient craft technique in which very fine silver or gold foils are made, which are used to decorate sweets, fruits, paan and sometimes even used for cladding. The craft of making fine gold and silver Varakh is mainly practiced by Muslim communities. These artisans are called as Pannigaars. Silver and gold biscuits are melted to convert it into liquid which is then poured into the moulds to make thin rods. These rods are further pressed in pressing-machine to make fine strips. Artisans cut small piece of 1 inch length out of the silver/gold strips. These pieces are placed in every page of the Auzaar. The Auzaar is finally kept in the Pushti (Leather Cover). The flap is closed by applying little amount of water on the surface and then beating it with hammer. After a considerable time the booklet is open again and the placement of the expanded piece is changed. This is done with each piece and again the booklet is closed and hammered. The placement of silver/gold and hammering is repeated till the desired size is obtained. After which the booklet is sent for cutting of Varakh and packaging. The Varakh is cut into four parts and each part is turned inside out. This helps in giving clean straight edge to the Varakh. Cutting is done with Phalua. The inner joints are pressed with Phalua so that the edge sticks to each other. The waste Varakhs are used to fill the gaps that occur while pasting the Varakh. Once all the Varakhs are cut and made into rectangular shape they are again gently hammered to make it flat and to remove any kind of over lapping. After cutting and shaping the Varakh, finally it is placed on a butter paper and covered with another. The paper is folded from between and tied with cotton thread. A bundle of Varakh contains 10 Varakhs.
For more details: http://dsource.in/resource/varakh-jaipur
