Rangpur shataranji

The story

Shataranji is a thick, flat-woven floor covering that has been made around Rangpur for centuries. Local tradition traces it to the Mughal period, and the name is usually linked to the Persian word for chess, shatranj, because the early designs were laid out in squares like a chessboard. Wealthy households once used the rugs as seat covers, bed spreads and wall hangings, and they were sent from Rangpur to markets far beyond Bengal.

The craft is tied to one village. Weaving was centred on Pirpur, just outside Rangpur town on the bank of the Ghaghat river, and in the colonial era a district collector named Nisbet is said to have taken the weavers under his patronage. The village was renamed Nisbetganj in his honour. Sources disagree on the decade, some pointing to the 1830s and others to the 1880s, but they agree that the trade later collapsed under competition from factory goods and was revived only from the 1970s onwards with help from BSCIC, which went on to register shataranji as a geographical indication in 2021.

Today most of the work is done by women, in Nisbetganj and increasingly in other parts of Rangpur. The method is still manual: the warp is stretched across a frame on the ground, the weaver passes the coloured weft through by hand, and a comb-like tool called a panja beats each row tight. A single square foot can take hours, which is why a large piece is a real investment.

How to spot the real Rangpur shataranji

A hand-woven shataranji is a true flat weave: there is no pile and no knotting, and the pattern runs right through the cloth, so the back looks almost the same as the front. Turn the rug over before you buy. A printed rug, or a power-loom copy, usually shows a faded or different back. Look at the edges too. Hand work has slightly uneven sides and loose warp threads left as fringe, while machine copies have perfectly straight, overlocked edges. The weave of a good piece is dense and heavy for its size and does not slide out of shape when you pull it gently from corner to corner. Small irregularities in the pattern are a sign of the hand, not a fault.

Buying tips

Price depends mostly on size, density of the weave, the complexity of the design and the yarn: cotton is standard, while jute and mixed-fibre pieces cost and feel different. Ask the seller for the exact measurements in feet, the material, and a photo of the back as well as the front. A seller who works with weavers in Nisbetganj or elsewhere in Rangpur should be happy to say so, but a listing that mentions GI is not proof on its own; ask where the piece was woven and by whom.

Each shop on Midmart sets its own delivery charge, so a rug and a set of table mats from two different sellers arrive as two parcels with two charges. Midmart does not handle payment or delivery: you agree both directly with the seller. Large rugs are heavy, so confirm the courier charge for the weight before you pay.

Keeping it fresh

Roll a shataranji rather than folding it, since sharp folds weaken the weave over time. Keep it somewhere dry and away from long direct sun, which fades the dyes. Shake or vacuum it regularly. If it needs washing, use cold water and a mild detergent, wash it on its own the first time in case the colours run, and dry it flat in the shade.

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