Tilfi’s Gulab Bari campaign is a revival of Banaras’s hidden treasures, bringing the essence of bygone eras to the present. Captured in film, it portrays a quintessential Gulab Bari celebration in the heart of Banaras, paying homage to the city’s time-honoured traditions and celebrating the passage of seasons.
Tilfi’s Gulab Bari campaign is a revival of Banaras’s hidden treasures, bringing the essence of bygone eras to the present. Captured in film, it portrays a quintessential Gulab Bari celebration in the heart of Banaras, paying homage to the city’s time-honoured traditions and celebrating the passage of seasons.
It is said that Gulab Bari was started in the 18th century by nobleman Mir Rustam Ali, a subedar of the Nawab of Awadh in Varanasi. The occasion observed rules of mehfils, where classical music and recitals would be performed for audiences in intimate settings.
Seated on mattresses covered with white sheets and bolsters, women draped in pink sarees and men dressed in white kurtas, pink scarves, and dopalliya topis would gather in gardens, courtyards, or bajras to partake in a graceful and harmonious celebration.
After the end of the Second World War, this festival, which was once synonymous with the social calendar of Banaras, started to fade into history, remembered only by a few veterans of the city.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign is an endeavor to revive the spirit of this cherished occasion – a poetic journey that traces its roots to the heart of Banaras, weaving together textile and classical arts into a musical and roseate composition.
It is said that Gulab Bari was started in the 18th century by nobleman Mir Rustam Ali, a subedar of the Nawab of Awadh in Varanasi. The occasion observed rules of mehfils, where classical music and recitals would be performed for audiences in intimate settings.
Seated on mattresses covered with white sheets and bolsters, women draped in pink sarees and men dressed in white kurtas, pink scarves, and dopalliya topis would gather in gardens, courtyards, or bajras to partake in a graceful and harmonious celebration.
After the end of the Second World War, this festival, which was once synonymous with the social calendar of Banaras, started to fade into history, remembered only by a few veterans of the city.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign is an endeavor to revive the spirit of this cherished occasion – a poetic journey that traces its roots to the heart of Banaras, weaving together textile and classical arts into a musical and roseate composition.
With the Gulab Bari campaign, Tilfi translates the harmonious ethos of the festival and its symbolic Chaiti rose through handwoven, hand-dyed, and brush-painted artistry.
The Chaiti rose comes from a breed of light pink, fragrant roses, named after the month of Chaitra, when they are at their most fragrant.
This rose has been expressed as a key motif throughout the pieces of the collection.
With the Gulab Bari campaign, Tilfi translates the harmonious ethos of the festival and its symbolic Chaiti rose through handwoven, hand-dyed, and brush-painted artistry. The Chaiti rose comes from a breed of light pink, fragrant roses, named after the month of Chaitra, when they are at their most fragrant. This rose has been expressed as a key motif throughout the pieces of the collection.
A musical festival at heart, Gulab Bari is centered around Chaiti, a genre of semi-classical music originating from the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Sung during the month of Chaitra, Chaiti songs are characterized by slow tempos and melodies evoking an aura of romanticism and love.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign film chronicles a quintessential Gulab Bari celebration along the ghats of the Ganges, featuring a performance by the renowned Banaras gharana vocalist, Smt. Sucharita Gupta, accompanied by classical musicians on tabla, flute, harmonium, and tanpura.
A musical festival at heart, Gulab Bari is centered around Chaiti, a genre of semi-classical music originating from the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Sung during the month of Chaitra, Chaiti songs are characterized by slow tempos and melodies evoking an aura of romanticism and love.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign film chronicles a quintessential Gulab Bari celebration along the ghats of the Ganges, featuring a performance by the renowned Banaras gharana vocalist, Smt. Sucharita Gupta, accompanied by classical musicians on tabla, flute, harmonium, and tanpura.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign is a unique fusion of two of Banaras's music festivals - Gulab Bari and Budhwa Mangal. The former is typically held in pavilions, while the latter on floating barges on the Ganges. Despite these differences, both festivals share a common thread - the welcoming of the month of Chaitra and the new year with classical and semi-classical music.
With the Gulab Bari campaign, Tilfi translates the essence of these occasions into a roseate harmony – intertwining the soulful melodies of classical music with the vibrant colours of Banarasi textiles.
Tilfi's Gulab Bari campaign is a unique fusion of two of Banaras's music festivals - Gulab Bari and Budhwa Mangal. The former is typically held in pavilions, while the latter on floating barges on the Ganges. Despite these differences, both festivals share a common thread - the welcoming of the month of Chaitra and the new year with classical and semi-classical music.
With the Gulab Bari campaign, Tilfi translates the essence of these occasions into a roseate harmony – intertwining the soulful melodies of classical music with the vibrant colours of Banarasi textiles.
Namaste!
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