Changing Patterns in the Applique Craft of Pipili
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Orissa Review * December - 2005 Changing Patterns in the Applique Craft of Pipili Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra The applique craft of Pipili is an attractive product responsible for bringing about change to the in the world handicraft market. Pipili, the small traditional applique works. They are of the opinion town situated on the golden triangle, that when the very survival of the applique work Bhubaneswar- Puri -Konark, attracts the tourists, owes it to the tourists, it is rather the choice of the who stop for a while at Pipili. Very often guides tourists that has imposed a change on the products are heard persuading tourists : ³Here is something and its making style. Customers want the products for you to carry as a token to be cheaper and attractive. of remembrance for your visit Artisans go for more profit, to Orissa." Applique works at times ignoring the quality. of Pipili, filigree works of Among the traditional Cuttack, horn works of Cuttack and Parlakhemundi applique work, Chandua, and patta paintings of Chhati, Trasa, Alata, Raghurajpur are offered as Adhoni, Mandant and Bana, objects of gift by the people used at the time of Dola Jatra of Orissa. for deities are quite well known. The use of all these Jagannath Pattanaik, a products are associated with leading historian of Orissa, the religious ceremonies. But dates the origin of the there are some other applique works to 850 years products which are prepared back. The process of for the domestic and making the products individual use. Two such remained unchanged for the past few centuries products are Batua and Pasa-Pali. Since betel is but during the last two to three decades, the commonly chewed in Orissa, a special type of applique products and their style have undergone bag called Batua is prepared to carry betel leaf a tremendous change. Darjis who make this craft and the accessories. It is very much popular for generations, now attribute two reasons for among the tourists from Eastern parts of the such change in the applique works. The first country. Pasa Pali or the dice-mat is another reason is the changing taste of the customers and popular ancient products sold among the natives. the second is the commercialization of the products. Most of the Darjis are of the opinion All these products are fast disappearing that it is the customers who are primarily from the applique market. Instead, wall hangs, 66 Orissa Review * December - 2005 garden umbrellas, lamp sheds, cushion covers and Competition letter bags are now prepared as they are very amongst the artisans, much in demand by the tourists. Several tourists use of low quality have special choice for monochrome art, for which inputs and use of monochrome garden umbrellas are prepared. readymade and Attractive motifs like Surya Mukhi Parrot, machine made items Dancing Peacock, Elephant are gradually getting have often brought withdrawn and more of monochrome and patch down the standard of work is now in use. the work. It is now slowly drifting from It may appear reasonable that it is either cottage industry to the changing choice of the customers or the small scale industry. commercial attitude of the artisans or may be, the Something exceptional combination of both, that has brought about a in the market that may radical change in the traditional work. But perhaps be liked by the tourists there is another factor, which is more responsible initiated change in the for bringing about a change in the traditional and applique works. It is classical applique works. Applique works, which now seen that every was a secondary source of income for Darjis for day some new product centuries, has become their principal source of is exhibited on the income today. Earlier, applique work gave them forewall of the show- subsidiary income by prouding them part-time room to attract tourists. Since most products are engagement. All the principal applique products common in the market, some artisans take pain were used for religious purposes and during to create new products with a sole aim of festivals. Rest of the year Darjis were earning their monopolising the item for getting more profit by livelihood by way of mending umbrellas and fixing the price at his own accord. But after some mattresses moving in and around the township. days the same product is copied by others and it Now as there is a growing demand by the tourists becomes available in all the shops. With this for more of the utilitarian products. Darjis are process, new products appear in the market, engaged full-time with their entire family and it which disappear after a brief spell. became their principal source of income. The Although, the applique craft of Pipili is cost of labour and the return for investment have undergoing a change, octogenarian artisans still diverted their attention from the classical work to prefer to produce antique and classical work. commercial work. With the demand for more of utilitarian products, Earlier, locally prepared colour used to be changes may come but principal applique added to the white cloth and applique products products like Chandua, Chati and Trasa will continue to live as it is associated with religion were prepared. But these days applique products and culture. Pipili has earned a name because of are prepared out of coloured cloth. As a result, the famous applique works. cheaper cloth is used and at times due to the non- availability of suitable matching colored cloth in the local market, traditional works are suspended Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra works at CIFA, and alternative new products are prepared. Kausalagang, Bhubaneswar. 67.