THE UNTOLD AUTHENTIC GARA TALES

STORIES BEHIND AUTHENTIC GARAS; PART 1

A TRIBUTE TO LATE MRS. SUNOO SHROFF

We see a lot of old Garas at functions and on the internet, but how often do we get to know the untold history and stories behind them?

For those of you who aren’t aware, Gara sarees are traditional sarees having hand embroidery on it. They originated from china and were brought to India in the form of sarees when Parsi women fell in love with this art. Ever since, the traditional gara has been an evergreen beauty. Most women back then understood the precision, time and effort taken and the value of these sarees. They also customized these according to their life experiences, hence they preserved it for their next generation and taught them the value too. However, over the years, the knowledge and value of these garas weren’t passed on to future generations and hence, weren’t appreciated as much, this is the primary reason of this art dying.

Due to the lack of information as above, the market got flooded with cheap imitations of gara work such as that of the AARI technique and MACHINE embroidered gara sarees. So those who have had no knowledge about the art, would blindly buy these imitations least realising the difference. Since the imitation techniques need less skill, consuming less time and is comparatively much cheaper, most artisans found it as a quick source to make money. Thus, leaving only a handful of skilled craftsmen who continue to do this form of authentic hand embroidery. Which is why this art is on the verge of dying.

Do you know the difference between an authentic hand embroidered gara, machine gara and an aari gara? Find out before you end up buying the wrong one!

This article is dedicated to all the old Parsi ladies who have managed to preserve their rare and authentic hand embroidered gara sarees. So, here’s the first story behind a gara that I hold very close to my heart.

Mrs. SUNOO NOSHIR SHROFF- (Nee; MEHTA), inherited a few garas from her mother but, this one has always been very close to her heart. it is a beautiful and unique purple gara with Chinese warriors in different scenes of a battle field embroidered all over the saree.

Her family moved to Hankou (Wuhan) on the Yangtze riverbank for business and trade in the late 19^th century. This beautiful gara was presented to her mother by her cousins  around the 1880s. Unfortunately with the outbreak of the second world war, her family had to flee with limited belongings. But the gara was loved dearly, so her mother zealously packed the gara and guarded it during their boat journey to shanghai. They then managed to travel to Hong Kong and Singapore thereafter, but unfortunately the war had overtaken them and the ship was taken into the possession of the British as a troop carrier and was then diverted to Manila. At the manila bay, they narrowly missed a bomb dropped by the Japanese planes and witnessed several ships being sunk there.  They spent an enervating time there under Japanese occupation for three and a half years. Mrs Sunoo Shroff and her sister were only teenagers back then. They lost their father to a disease but they were saved by the grace of god. They were then deported to Australia as war refugees where they spent 4 months before finding a ship to Singapore and then to Madras (now Chennai). They returned to Bombay by train and stayed with their relatives before getting married and settling down in Bombay.
Throughout their treacherous and exhausting journey, the Garas were guarded by Mrs Sunoo Shroff’s mother, who never let them out of her sight, in spite of limited luggage space and the danger of being robbed, she personally and fiercely protected them as best she could. Why? Because she knew the hard work and time that went into it and the value of the art. She preserved the garas she had as heirlooms for her family and the community.

After her, Mrs Shroff, herself preserved these garas, especially the purple warrior one since it depicts the life they led back then. She then presented the Gara to her niece, Mrs Hufrish Contractor who has cherished the gara and shared with us the beautiful untold story behind the exquisite purple warrior Gara.

Mrs Contractor wore this gara at the gara competition held  by me, under the auspices of the Farohar foundation at J.B. Vachha School on the 14^th of April, 2019, where she won the first place. She then shared with me, “my purpose of entering the contest was not to win, but to showcase the beautiful piece. When these garas were gifted to me, I had made up my mind that if an opportunity came up sometime, I would love to display them so people can share the wonderful work. When the gara won the first prize that day, my aunt (maami) was staying with me. The next morning when I told her, ‘Sunoo aunty, your gara won the first prize!’.. I still remember her expression of on hearing that. She was so happy!”

Our Sunoo aunty was taken away from us on 22^nd May, 2020 at the age of 94, leaving behind a priceless Chinese warrior gara as a beautiful memory of her and a reminder to preserve our exquisite old garas.

I truly hope that all those who have an old, authentic hand embroidered gara, pass on the history if any behind them, preserve and even restore them in their authentic form if they are damaged so that your next generation can have a sweet part of your past as their cherished memory of you!

Our old garas do not belong with the Jaripuranawalas! If Mrs. Shroff and her mother could preserve and keep a gara safe through all the toil and struggle they faced, so can we.

This is a tribute to Mrs. Sunoo Shroff who took the effort to preserve this gara and ensured that even to this day, we are able to see it in its pristine form.

Mrs Sunoo Shroff holding her purple Chinese warrior Gara. 

Mrs. Hufrish Contractor adorned in her purple Chinese warrior gara at the gara contest 2019.

Compiled by Zenobia S. Davar