Arzaai or Razai ( Hindustani: रज़ाई, رزائی; Punjabi: ਰਜ਼ਾਈ, ; ) is a bedding (

quilt A quilt is a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of two or more layers of fabric or fiber. Commonly three layers are used with a filler material. These layers traditionally include a woven cloth top, a layer of padding, batting or w ...

) very similar to, if not a type of,

duvet A duvet ( , ; ), usually called a comforter or (''down-filled'') quilt in American English, and a doona in Australian English, is a type of bedding consisting of a soft flat bag filled with down feather, down, feathers, wool, cotton, silk, o ...

comforter A comforter (in American English), also known as a doona in Australian English, or a continental quilt (or simply quilt) or duvet in British English, is a type of bedding made of two lengths of fabric or covering sewn together and filled with in ...

, used in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. ''Razais'' usually have a

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

cover which is stuffed with

cotton wool ''Cotton Wool'' is a 2017 British drama film following the story of a 7-year-old boy (Max Vento) who cares for his mother (Leanne Best) after she has survived from a stroke, with little to no help from his older sister (Katie Quinn). The film wa ...

. They can provide a great deal of warmth even in the very cold weather that can occur in these regions, primarily due to the insulating effects of the large amount of air trapped in the cotton wool.

Maintenance

The cotton wool in a ''razai'' clumps over time, thinning the ''razai'' and driving the air out, which causes the ''razai'' to become less effective as a protection against the cold. For this reason, prior to the onset of winter weather, it is common for families to get their ''razais'' carded: the cotton wool in the ''razai'' is removed, carded to eliminate the clumping, and reinserted into the ''razai''-cover. This is done by ''razai''-carders (called ''dhuniyas'' or ''dhunnas'', see the

Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language and ''de facto'' national language. While Australia has no of ...

term for duvet, "

doona ''Doona'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It includes ten species of trees endemic to Sri Lanka. Species Ten species are accepted. *''Doona affinis'' *''Doona congestiflora'' *''Doona cordifolia'' *''Doona dist ...

") who are professionally adept and seasonally employed in this activity. The bowed carding instrument, called the ''dhunki'', has a distinctive twang when it is in use or its string is plucked. This twang is a common daytime sound in rural areas in the autumn, and is sometimes used as a cultural reference to the onset of winter in local literature and movies.

Business

Many businesses have been set up to sell quilts. The quilt market is big, and culture and local customs have evolved to make quilts into an international business opportunity. Razai is famous by the name of 100gram Jaipuri Razai. Many old business of Jaipur-The Pink City sells Jaipuri Razai. Chaura Rasta being one of the hidden markets, sells most of the authentic Razai.

References

{{Bangladesh-stub Beds Bedding Blankets Indian_handicrafts Linens Mattresses Ornaments Portable furniture Quilting Textile_industry_of_India Hindi words and phrases Urdu-language words and phrases Bengali words and phrases