TITLE:
Katan Shari in the Bridal Culture of Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
Faria Mahjabeen
KEYWORDS:
Shari, Wedding Culture, Mirpur, Benarasi Katan
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
13,
2023
ABSTRACT: The article examines the significance of Mirpur benarasi katan shari as
wedding attire in the bridal culture of women in Bangladesh. It explores the
emergence and transformation of the zone of Mirpur Benarasi Polli, in
Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka as a centre for both the weaving and the
trading industries of the katan shari. The article examines the emergence of
Mirpur benarasi katan shari as a garment of distinction in its own right instead
of an “imitation” of the benarasi katan shari, a garment associated with the
city of Benares (currently known as Varanasi). It inspects whether katan shari’s
shift from an item of distinction to an item of mass-produced commodity,
changes its use from a “festive” to an “everyday” garment. To what extent does
this shift change the special designation characteristics of the Mirpur
benarasi shari? Also to what extent does this shift influence customers’ preference for Mirpur benarasi katan shari for weddings and other festive
occasions?