Obeetee is the largest handmade rug maker in India and one of the oldest hand-woven rug companies in the world.
Yet some people do not know who they are ?
The story of Obeetee begins in 1920 in Mirzapur, state of UP, India. This town on the grand trunk road is the heart of rug making in India. For centuries, artisans here have woven a long and distinguished reputation for excellence.
Shortly after WW 1, three British gentlemen named F.H. Oakley, F.H. Bowden & J.A.L. Taylor came to Mirzapur and gathered the finest local craftsmen under the banner of Obeetee. ( the term comes from their initials, O.B.T.)
Today, Obeetee is internationally known as the premier source of handmade rugs in India. Their label is sought by grand hotels and resorts, private residences, government buildings and palaces. They have received numerous national awards for being the country’s largest and most reputable exporter.
Very much like a carpet, Obeetee is isn’t grated vertically. They work directly with more than 15,000 artisans many of whom are fifth and sixth generation weavers in seven districts around Mirzapur.
Every Obeetee product carries a digital fingerprint telling when it was loomed and where. Even if your carpet contains over 400knots per square inch and takes six weavers a year to finish, their quality control experts will be watching every step of the way.
For Obeetee, the social fabric comes first and they care for environment in the same way they care for their rugs. Obeetee also enforces a policy of zero tolerance , hiring no one below the age of 16.When you live with Obeetee rugs, you support the lifestyle of those whocreate them. In case, that means caring for an extended family of more than 100,000 people in what is truly a cottage industry. Beacause it is the right thing to do, they pay higher wages and insist on more favourable conditions for artisans. They use safe dyes and chemicals, and were the first in the industry to set up water effluent treatment plants and air pollution control systems.
They inspect over 5.000 looms and turfing frames at least once every 15 days, with additional surprise inspections every other month, to see that only those who are approved by obeetee are working on their products.
No matter what style of rug catches your eye, you can learn more at www.obeetee.com , one of the most comprehensive, informative & user friendly e-commerce site in the industry.
Obeetee Private Limited is based in Mirzapur, India, on the Grand Trunk Road between Delhi & Calcutta.
Obeetee, Inc, their U.S. subsidiary is based in Sercaucus, New Jersey.
You can know more about how these wonderful rugs are made via these documentaries by Mark Tully
