Handicrafts : the Visible Cultural Symbol of Ganjam District
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Orissa Review January - 2010 Handicrafts : The Visible Cultural Symbol of Ganjam District Dr. Prafulla Chandra Mohanty Orissa is famous for her handicrafts which exhibit There are almost more than one hundred the skill and creativity of her artisans. Handicrafts crafts available in the district but about a dozen are the visible symbol of cultural behaviour. Craft cater to the world importance. These are mostly involves a technology as well as art. Any paintings and painted items, applique, dhokra articulated product in the sphere of creativity could figurines, bell metal and brasswares, brass fish, be termed as an artistic handicraft. The person carved items in stone, wood, horn; terracottas, who imagines and creates these hand made goods toys, lacquer items, basket, filigree and other hand of different origins forms is called as craftsman woven crafts. Along with these handicrafts other who is otherwise known as Silpi, Kalakar, items of coir, jute, grass, carpets, cane and Bindhani, Moharana, Karigar etc. The craft wooden furnitures are also receiving the growing importance in the area. It is a matter of great regret culture of India shows the firm base in the that a number of crafts are languishing due to want country's age old artistic traditions. This is very of patronage, shortage and availability of raw- true of Orissa as well as of Ganjam District. materials, market and of Government support. The glorious archaeological monuments Handicraft Cooperative Societies were with their beautiful architecture and exquisite functioning in the State with 0.15 lakh members. sculptures are a living testimony to the rich artistic Handicraft goods worth Rs.657.08 lakh were traditions of the Ganjam District. The artistics produced in the state during the year 2007-08, traditions are also reflected in paintings, textiles, while the goods worth of Rs.723.84 lakh were metal images, jewellery and other items of finery sold. The State has 9011 cottage industry units and aesthetic sensibilities. functioning with an investment of Rs.38.30 crore, The handicrafts of the region is known generating employment to 15,368 persons. and admired world over for their primitive quality Patta Paintings dexterity, precision, novelty in designing and Painted on primed and processed cloth, concepts. The handicraft of the area is sustained patta paintings traditionally depicted a large in villages and they are of human need based. The pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. As a religious produces are a basket, a bell metal bown, horn art form, it evolved in various temples of Ganjam stics, a saree, claytoy, painted wood art or a and other districts also. The Patta paintings which wooden chest, etc. are used in the temples are archaic with iconic 39 Orissa Review January - 2010 features. Traditionally the Chitrakars, Moharanas Wall Painting :- and Mohapatra Painters used to paint Pattas in The walls were embellished with their village workshops. The specific handicrafts conventional religious themes based on are available in Chikiti, Digapahandi, Dharakote Krishnaleela and Ramayan. The largest and Parlakhemundi area. The painters of the art concentration was given in the Maths especially are now producing the traditional art of Radha of Ganjam and Puri. The Biranchi Narayan Math Krishna, Ramayan, Bhagavata Gita's themes in Buguda, Jagannath Temple at Dharakote, Bad alongwith other varieties of unconventional modern Radhakanta Math in Parlakhemundi, Ushakothi arts. Ganjapa or the Painted circular playing Gharas seen in different villages of Ganjam and in cards are one of the socially used traditional forms different temples and Maths of Ganjam district of these painting craft materials. It looks very mostly bear the wall paintings which are worthy creative and colourful. Ganjapas available in the for preservation. Jhoties and Chitas find a special district are mostly of three types. A large variety place in the houses of Ganjam mostly at Laxmi of these cards carry paintings of Dasavatar, Puja and other festivals. mythological subjects related to Ramayan and Stone Carving :- other variety is of Mughal Ganjapa with king and ministers, some other type is Ashtamalla Ganjapa Stone carving is an age old craft mainly i.e. the painted figures of eight wrestlers. Out of of Ganjam. The descendants of the artisans who these Ramayan Ganjapa seems to be very popular. once scaled the dizzy heights of excellence in temple building have kept the sculptural tradition Now-a-days, a lot of innovations are alive through their hereditary craft of stone carving. made in the Patta paintings. The traditional canvas, Pati, is replaced with tassar silk cloth and This craftsmanship could be traced in the paper. The traditional pigments, hingula long and cherished temple building activities that continued over a period of more than two (vermillion), harital (yellow), Ramaraja thousand years. The Orissan Sttapatis (Stone (Ultramarine blue), Dipakala (the lamp black) and architects) and Silpis (artisans, masons and Sankhadhala (white colour prepared from the carvers) have shown remarkable depth and conch shells) have been replaced with chemically dexterity in handling hard granite stone and prepared colours. bringing them into a shape of fine sensible and Like Ganjapa, the palm leaf painting is artistic living like poems. The jewellery like another form of traditional cousin craft of Patta intricate and exquisite carvings on the temples painting. It may be a simple engraving or illustration make the Ganjam or Orissan sculpture unique. in pureline the palm leaf and the other form is The muguni (granite stone), Kunda (sand engraving the art with colour filling. There are also stone), Khadi Pathar (soap stone), Baulamalia (a innovations made by the painters to depict a story type of coloured soft stone) are the best varieties to bring a visual form, they use more than one of stone available in Jagannath Prasad and other folio of the palm leaf. These are vertically stitched parts of Ganjam and Orissa which give a thrill to together with the help of threads to create a this handicraft. Due to the longevity of the stone needed rectangular or square format. These could carving, people usually purchase these sculptures be folded, opened or be hung on the wall. The for outdoor or display. The customers also need craftsmen also use palm leaf in writing scripts, these stone arts to keep as city symbols and in Slokas alongwith their pictorial illustrations. public buildings, star hotels and to beautify the 40 Orissa Review January - 2010 corridors, corners of drawing rooms as a fashion Jagannath, Balbhadra, Subhadra and the godly need in interior decoration. Village Mathura of images are the best known examples of this craft Ganjam has a number of world famous temples; generally made by these rarely available craftsmen and stone artisans. The Nayikas, dancing girls, in different interior parts of the districts in the title musicians, horses, elephants, Gajasimhas, Vidala of Maharanas, Badheis, Biswakarmas, etc. and other modern decoratives are in the demand Toys and also in the sculptural habits of the craftsmen. The products also include the replicas of temples, Toys as playthings have caught the human the images of Gods and Goddesses, the Konark imagination since times of yore. Toys range from wheel and horse and decorative figurines like day figurines to painted wood, to lacquer, to papier Alasa Kanya (the indolent damsel), Salabhanjaka mache and cowdung. Toys are mostly produced (lady leaning against Sal branch), Sura Sundari by women in their leisure hours generally after (heavenly beauty), Lekhika (lady writing a letter) harvesting. These may be termed as women craft. etc., which are popular items of household The design, architect, painting, colour and the decoration. used material price the toy. The village Mathura, Wood Carving Dharakote, Digapahandi, Chikiti and some parts of Berhampur, Parlakhemundi produce a greater From time immemorial the artistic variety of cowdung toys which is very light, cheap, expression of the craftsman has been possible colourful and hygienic for child play. Lacquery through a vast media at his disposition : Stone, toys are tiny, queer and colourful with contrasting metal, bark, fibre and a plethora of such other colours. The traditional handicraft and market of natural endowments. Obviously, wood has been, toys are now pressurised by different plastic, for its abundant availablility in forests, a powerful rubber and ceramic toys produced by machines. medium of satisfying the creative impulse of the craftsperson. Horn Works The Sun temple at Buguda is one of the Horn works is really a craft which is famous representations of this wood art. The art produced from the buffalo horns. The horns are in carving is no way less than the sun temple of collected, heated and shaped to required forms Konark which is of stone. Several traditional and sizes. Parlakhemundi is excelled in horn craft. villages, temples, Mandaps carry these arts. The The craftsmen are poor and still striving hard to wooden beams, pillars, the ceilings are having very keep the craft alive. Simple items of birds, fishes, beautiful carves of plants, leaves, fruits, flowers, cranes, prawns, lizards and other modern arts of animals, birds, peacocks, swans (Hamsas) etc. attractive designs are made out of these horns by The other wood arts like Padma Mandals, lotus, the craftsmen. The walking sticks, the tiger, the panasa (jack fruit), members hanging down with parrot mounted on them, buttons, writing pens perching parrots, birds, bracket figures, and penstands, combs of different varieties are Alasakanyas (indolent damsels), Viralas (mythical the accepted popularity for the craft. lions) and mithuna (erotic couples) are generally seen in temples. The Palinki (Palanquin), Vimana Brass and Bell Metal Works (portable Pavillions) doors, palank (cots), sinduka Brass and Bell metal work is considered (chests) and furniture made of wood with intricate traditional and auspicious. In the temple rituals carvings and inlay work still exist in royal palaces brass and bell utensils are a must.