DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3906#0109
( 103 )
Dor KankawW3-Wala.—Vendor of kibes and cord. Kite flying is a
wida-spread amusement in Lucknow; and persons often stake heavy wagers on
two kites which are sent up together and the cords made to rub against each
other in the air. He whose cord breaks and kite falls loses. The Nawabs of
Lucknow are extremely addicted to this sport and bet very heavily. One
wealthy Nawab at least is said to have lost all his fortune on kites. This city
has, as might be expected, grown famous for the manufacture of kite cord, and
it is exported largely as far as Moradabad on the west and Calcutta in the east.
The cord manufacturer employs women who prepare the strands on a
charkhi which revolves in the opposite way to that in which the ordinary spin-
ning-wheel moves. The cordis made of from 3 to 13 strands (tar). The thread
used is either English or country. But the cord used in flying for wagers is
made of English thread and usually of 13 strands. This thread comes in
bundles (gaddi), and is carefully opened out, steeped in water for two days and
spun while damp. The strands are then twisted into cord by the hand. Finally
a preparation of wheat starch and boiled rice is made and this is rubbed into
the cord with a rag. This final process is called har dend.
English thread No. 80 costs Rs. 6-8 per gaddi which contains 2 seers
nawiibi, and by the time this is turned into cord (dor) the weight has increased
to 2^ seers nawabi. This is owing to the final process.
The wages of the women who spin the thread is as. 2-6 per seer, and the
starch and rice in which there is a great waste may be set down as \ anna to the
seer of thread. The total cost of production is Rs. 6-14 for 2j seers of dor of the
very best quality; and this is sold at Rs. 4 per seer (trade-price) by the manufac-
turer. His profit is thus Rs. 2-2 on 2| seers nawabi. The shop-keeper who sells
retail purchases at the nawabi weight and sells at lambari weight, charging still
Rs. 4 per seer, i. e., he has 5 chittaks dor left as a margin of profit when he
has replaced his outlay in purchase. This is equal to Re. 1-4. If the shop-
keeper sells in fractions of a seer he still sells by lambari weight but at the rate
of Rs. 4-8 per seer. In this case his profit is still more.
Kites are made by drdkhwdlds, but no expenditure is lavished on them.
They may be had for a paisa each, and though 2 as. will purchase the hand-
somest looking kite in Lucknow, it is the cheapest that are flown on wager.
The shop-keeper buys kites wholesale at 4 as. per score, and as he sells at a paisa
each his profit is one anna per score.
The reel on wlrch the dor is wound and unwound by the kite-flyer is
called huchka, latdi, or charkhi. Those sold in the bazar are made by barhais
from shisham or mango wood, and sell for. about 4 as. each. Many people
make up reels for themselves. These home-made huchkas are generally of
bambu, and much ruder articles than the shisham charkhi.
Do-SUti-baf.—Do-siiti is a coarse cotton fabric woven in two colors,
used for floor cloth. Each piece is woven 5 yards long and is 11 girahs wide.
This is the ordinary daily out-turn of one man. The weight of a piece (fard is
14
Dor KankawW3-Wala.—Vendor of kibes and cord. Kite flying is a
wida-spread amusement in Lucknow; and persons often stake heavy wagers on
two kites which are sent up together and the cords made to rub against each
other in the air. He whose cord breaks and kite falls loses. The Nawabs of
Lucknow are extremely addicted to this sport and bet very heavily. One
wealthy Nawab at least is said to have lost all his fortune on kites. This city
has, as might be expected, grown famous for the manufacture of kite cord, and
it is exported largely as far as Moradabad on the west and Calcutta in the east.
The cord manufacturer employs women who prepare the strands on a
charkhi which revolves in the opposite way to that in which the ordinary spin-
ning-wheel moves. The cordis made of from 3 to 13 strands (tar). The thread
used is either English or country. But the cord used in flying for wagers is
made of English thread and usually of 13 strands. This thread comes in
bundles (gaddi), and is carefully opened out, steeped in water for two days and
spun while damp. The strands are then twisted into cord by the hand. Finally
a preparation of wheat starch and boiled rice is made and this is rubbed into
the cord with a rag. This final process is called har dend.
English thread No. 80 costs Rs. 6-8 per gaddi which contains 2 seers
nawiibi, and by the time this is turned into cord (dor) the weight has increased
to 2^ seers nawabi. This is owing to the final process.
The wages of the women who spin the thread is as. 2-6 per seer, and the
starch and rice in which there is a great waste may be set down as \ anna to the
seer of thread. The total cost of production is Rs. 6-14 for 2j seers of dor of the
very best quality; and this is sold at Rs. 4 per seer (trade-price) by the manufac-
turer. His profit is thus Rs. 2-2 on 2| seers nawabi. The shop-keeper who sells
retail purchases at the nawabi weight and sells at lambari weight, charging still
Rs. 4 per seer, i. e., he has 5 chittaks dor left as a margin of profit when he
has replaced his outlay in purchase. This is equal to Re. 1-4. If the shop-
keeper sells in fractions of a seer he still sells by lambari weight but at the rate
of Rs. 4-8 per seer. In this case his profit is still more.
Kites are made by drdkhwdlds, but no expenditure is lavished on them.
They may be had for a paisa each, and though 2 as. will purchase the hand-
somest looking kite in Lucknow, it is the cheapest that are flown on wager.
The shop-keeper buys kites wholesale at 4 as. per score, and as he sells at a paisa
each his profit is one anna per score.
The reel on wlrch the dor is wound and unwound by the kite-flyer is
called huchka, latdi, or charkhi. Those sold in the bazar are made by barhais
from shisham or mango wood, and sell for. about 4 as. each. Many people
make up reels for themselves. These home-made huchkas are generally of
bambu, and much ruder articles than the shisham charkhi.
Do-SUti-baf.—Do-siiti is a coarse cotton fabric woven in two colors,
used for floor cloth. Each piece is woven 5 yards long and is 11 girahs wide.
This is the ordinary daily out-turn of one man. The weight of a piece (fard is
14