- A grand event titled “Zardozi: Our Heritage, Our Legacy” organized by Agra Virasat Foundation
- Models showcased designer Zardozi garments on the ramp, winning the hearts of the audience
Dr. Ranjana Bansal, Poonam Sachdeva and Chandramohan Sachdeva demonstrating - Agra: The tapestry woven with golden threads, when shaped, becomes the world’s finest example of Zardozi. This ancient art, mentioned in the Rigveda, where gods adorned garments made with this craft, is being taken to new heights on the world stage with the aim of bringing Agra’s Zardozi to global recognition. Agra Virasat Foundation organized a grand event titled “Zardozi: Our Heritage, Our Legacy” on Wednesday at the Sur Sadan Auditorium.
The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of State, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, State Women’s Commission Chairperson Dr. Babita Chauhan, Mayor Hemlata Diwakar, ADG Zone Anupam Kulshrestha, ACP Sanjeev Tyagi, Abhinav Maurya, Madhu Baghel, and Foundation President Dr. Ranjana Bansal. In his speech, Prof. Baghel expressed his commitment to giving Zardozi craftsmanship from Agra recognition on the world stage.
Zardozi’s Glory on the Ramp Under the direction of designers Rakhi Kaushik, Agraj Jain, Alark Lal, Kirti Khandelwal, Sukirti Mittal, Himani Saran, Renuka Dang, and Poonam Sachdeva, a collection of creative garments featuring Zardozi embroidery was showcased on the ramp. Models presented the outstanding collections of the designers in an elegant manner. Chandermohan Sachdeva, Dr. Narendra Malhotra, and Dr. Jaydeep Malhotra also garnered applause with their presentations. The audience appreciated the makeup direction by Shivani Mishra and choreography by Kapil Punjabi from Glam Professionals.
Zardozi’s Opulence on Display At the venue, Ganeshi Lal Emporium, Kohinoor Jewelers, Shams Creations, and Modligent set up exhibitions of Zardozi-crafted garments, bags, carpets, and decorative items. The centerpiece was a group of elephants made with silk and golden threads by Shams Creations, a result of five years of hard work, which became a major attraction. Additionally, a large Zardozi embroidery masterpiece, the result of 10 years of dedicated effort, was displayed. Local artisans performed live demonstrations of their craft at the exhibition.
Rashi Garg’s mesmerizing performance of “Shiv Tandav” captivated everyone, while Faizan Uddin from Taj Heritage beautifully narrated the story of Zardozi in “Zardozi Ki Zubani.” The event was hosted by Shruti Sinha, and the vote of thanks was delivered by the event coordinators Meenakshi Kishore and Ayushi Choubey.
Awards for Excellence in Zardozi Craftsmanship
- Rais Uddin – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Ghanshyam Gopal Mathur – Jewels of Zardozi Award
- Alark M. Lal – Global Innovator Award
- Agraj Jain – Trendsetter of the Year Award
- Faizan Uddin – Trailblazer and Innovator of Zardozi Award
Awardees for Zardozi Craftsmanship Nine artisans who have been working in Zardozi craftsmanship for several decades were honored with the Excellence in Zardozi Award. They included: Nazim Ali, Shehzad Khan, Jameel Uddin, Anwar Khan, Sajeer Ahmad, Mohammad Bilal, Imdad Ali, Mohammad Adnan, and Shakir Abbas.
Key Roles in the Event The event’s arrangements were managed by Tulika Kapoor, Divya Gupta, Himani Sharan, Rashi Garg, Sakshi Sehgal, and others. Special guests included FMEK President Puran Dawar, DG Revenue Ashok Choubey, Dr. Sushil Gupta, Dr. D.B. Sharma, and many others.
