Day Trip Week Three (Part One): Sonargon! (Lots of green, Village life, Sari weaving, Photo-shoots, Football)

Hi Everyone :)

Check out my older posts! I have added pictures! Hooray!

I am sorry that I have not posted for so long. Obviously, lots and lots has happened since my last post so I shall do my best to fill you in.  To do so, I am going to do this in installments… Alright, ready?  Here we go:

End of Week Two/ Start of Week Three:

         Our Day trip for week Two was to Sonargon.  Sonargon is a relatively nearby village that is known for its production of the hand-woven jamdani sari.   Jamdani woven products are rich in traditional Bengali culture and tradition and are the product of lengthly hours of patient and dedicated handwork.   Our first stop was Rupshi.  Here we had a chance to observe the process by which the famous jamdani saris are produced.  As we walked through the winding dirt paths of the village we passed by large production rooms filled with machinery that prepare the various colored threads for weaving.

            We then spent the duration of our time in Rupshi mingling with the jamdani weavers and viewing the fruits of their labor.  The weavers were all situated in a small and dimly lit hut.  There were several weaving stations all within close proximity of each other, and with two men positioned at each weaving station.  Being the lively and adventurous group that we are, we all jumped at the chance to climb down into the weaving stations and learn to make a few stitches from the professional weavers.  I found that I posses an uncanny talent for jamdani weaving, and that really, it is as easy as eating a piece of apple pie! JUST KIDDING, this is what really happened:  after a bit of maneuvering and carefully planned movements of descent as I climbed down into the weaving station (careful not to bump into the nearby weaving stations) I began my first attempts at weaving a jamdani sari.  Let me be the first to tell you, this is NO easy feat!  The threads are SO CLOSE that you must squint very hard and weave a small metal hand tool back and forth small and precisely calculated distances.  The weavers do not use a guide of any kind as they have memorized all of the weaving patterns.  My weaving partner had to hold my hand the whole time to make sure that I wouldn’t mess up.  I am proud to say, however that by the end of my 15 minute jamdani sari-weaving session that I was able to make one or two stitches by myself! 

            I thought that our trip to Rupshi was extremely special.  I loved the feeling of being in a village.  I loved the green, the clear skies, the animals, the people, and the feeling of remoteness.  Leaving Dhaka brought back many memories from my time in Bangladesh last summer interning with Grameen, and my many village-stays.  I can’t wait until I can speak Bangla so that I can come back and use it in the villages.

            Before long we were on the road again and arriving at our next stop in Sonargon to explore two museums on the history of Sonargon.  The literal translation of Sonargon is ‘golden village.’  Under the Muslim rulers of eastern Bengal, Sonargon used to be the main center for commerce and administration.  It is situated in what is now the Narayangani district and is about 27 km to the southeast of Dhaka.  Sonargon’s grandness and stature have survived only in name.  What remains are ruins and remnants of a once gleaming city. 

            I had fun running around the museum with my fellow students looking at the artifacts (mostly examples of items that used to be traded) and snapping photos in the unique aged, and elaborate ruins.  In some of our free time that we had to roam around, the boys managed to find a football (soccer game) with some locals that they willing joined!  Expect a post with my thoughts about the world cup... If I open that can of worms now I will NEVER finish this post! haha

        This “photo shoot” of sorts then continued as we advanced to Panam City, ruins from what used to be the accommodations of the upper-middle class.  Despite their looks, we quickly learned that these “ruins” are actually inhabited!  We had a great time mingling with the locals and exploring the “city.”  Many of the CLS-ers even stopped for a quick cup of tea at a cha stall before our departure.

            Our last stop for the day was  the Goaldi Mosque.  After hearing a lecture on Islamic architecture (which I unfortunately missed due to illness)  this trip was meant to show us some of the unique architecture that one can find in Bangladesh.  It was a short visit, yet another perfect end to a more than eventful day!

Stay tuned for more pics and recent posts!

A woman I met when we arrived in Rupshi.

A man working in the fields. 

Two men hard at work weaving a Jamdani Sari.

I give weaving a try!

Weaving a Jamdani Sari is no easy feat!

A group pic!

Some kids I befriended in Panam City!

In front of Goaldi Mosque!