Artisans village near Mangalore
It was time to visit an Artisans village near Mangalore that was set up specially to preserve some unique artistic professions like pottery, woodwork, stonework, which are part of our culture.
As a Mangalorean, I am privileged to be a witness to a number of local art forms, be it music, dance, architecture, artistic products etc. My father has written two books on the specialities of the art forms around us.
A hand made artistic pottery or stone or wooden or bamboo product made by the local artisans will always leave an ever lasting impression in the mind, as compared to the mass produced Chinese products available in the market.
Our region used to have many highly skilled practitioners of various arts and crafts who had learnt from their forefathers and who used to depend on their craft skills for their livelihood. However in the fast paced mechanized times, the youngsters have abandoned their forefathers craft skills, and these traditional arts have the danger of not being passed to the new generation.
So it was a pleasure to visit the model Artisans village at the Pilikula Nisarga Dhama where we could understand these unique professions in their traditional settings.
I was glad to know that this Artisans village had many training centres in a traditional ambience where people are trained in the skills and can later earn their livelihood, by using the marketing facilities for their creative artistic products.
There were different cottages created in a rural set up, that exhibited sample local handmade products. Most of the artisans were away, because we visited the place on a national holiday, yet we had a guide who explained the arts and gave us live demonstrations wherever he could.
Our first stop was at the earthern pottery centre, where we saw many shapes and sizes of earthern items on display. As kids we would drink cool water from earthen pots and even grow plants only in earthen pots. We saw the potters wheel, on which unique items were handmade and later baked in special ovens to harden for posterity.
Since childhood we have cooked tasty items from beaten rice or Powa, but I had no idea how it was made. At the next centre we saw how the rice was dehusked and beaten to make small flat flakes. In olden days, many households used a unique hand operated pounding mechanism, to flatten the rice into flakes. We all tried our hand at operating the lever based mechanism to pound the rice with force! The hand pounded beaten rice produced is supposed to be more tasty than the machine made variety which is commonly available.
Even oil used to be produced at local homes and we saw the old ox -mill, so called because it required the strength of an ox or two bullocks to go round and round and operate the machine! Coconut, gingely, groundnut or other seeds would be inserted in the center of this huge mechanical device and after being crushed with the help of bullock power, the device would automatically separate the oil and cake using a unique process. In these times of cheaper mechanized oil extraction techniques the only reason we purchased the rare traditional ox-mill gingelly oil is because of the guarantee of purity!
Our South Kanara district is filled with abundance of rocks and stone sculpture became an important art. There is a special training programme in stone carving where craftsman first work as apprentices and then go on to earn good money for their sculpting skills. They make idols of Gods, Goddesses, snakes, pillar bases, or other decorative items. They are first giving drawing lessons and knowledge about different types of stones and tools, before they actually use the tools for carving and sculpting!
In spite of it being well past the closing hours our knowledgeable guide kept taking us from one artisans cottage to another. At the next stop I realised the effort it takes to become a Blacksmith. This artisan would make kitchen and field implements from iron or metal like
sickles, axes, knives, cutters, scrapers etc. The trainees are given knowledge of metals and the processes like hammering, shaping and cooling of metal implements. We saw the true meaning of the term ‘ strike when the iron is hot! ‘. And it was tough for us to try to strike it with the heavy hammer. We also saw how important it was to fix the metal items securely to wooden handles.
When we studied about our Indian freedom movement, we learnt about how machine made clothes replaced the demand for clothes made on the hand operated looms and today we got to see the hand operated looms in detail.
We wished the artisans were actually present in this unit, as our guide gave us knowledge of different types of looms, yarns, counts, etc. At another place we also saw how the yarn was wound into the bobbin, and the effort it took to weave the yarn into cloth. The more complicated the weaving pattern, the more intricate was the loom arrangement instead of just creating the usual striped or checked cloth.
The next workshed was dedicated to
the carpentry trade. We saw the important carpentry tools needed to prepare different household items and furniture including a turtle and fish shaped seating board.
ThecBamboo and cane making workshed was the last of the artisans place that we visited where varieties of products like basket, and even furniture are made using cane.
We even saw a peacock walking nonchalantly among the people. There was a sales outlet where products created by the artisans were available for sale. We just had to encourage the local talent by buying towels and oils. Our guide refused the tip and we mentally gave him good wishes. It is rare to find such pure dedication to work, especially after the closing hours.
Our relatives from abroad really experienced the variety of traditional skills at this Artisans village and we all smiled as we went home wiser in our understanding of of their unique lives.
So in 2018 do notice these simple smiling moments.Have a smiling year.
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