“When you visit a country, visit the forgotten artisans of the narrow streets because they are the ones who made that country! Do thi...
“When you visit a country, visit the forgotten
artisans of the narrow streets because they are the ones who made that country!
Do this, not to honour them but to honour yourself!”
―
―
The handicrafts sector is the most
decentralized and unorganized sector in India. India’s rich cultural diversity
and heritage provides a unique and huge resource for developing craft. As per
national census of handicrafts done by the NCAER the value of handicrafts
product last yearly was Rs.26, 213 Crore. This industry can provides huge
employment opportunities to artisans that include women and people belonging to
backward and weaker society which nearly 6 million artisans.
India’s handicraft product holds share
of 1.51% of total export of the country. Indian handicraft items have huge
demand in developed countries such as USA, Canada, Britain, France, Germany,
Italy etc. In industry like domestic and international tourism sector, fashion
industry, Real Estate, Retail, requires handicrafts products. 
The Indian state of West Bengal has a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Due to
the reign of many different rulers in the past, arts and crafts in West
Bengal underwent many changes giving an
artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, masks,
painting and carving, dance, music etc.
One of the West Bengal’s important
handicraft product is Dry Flower products along with Metal ware, Wood ware,
Hand printed textiles, Embroidered goods & Shawls, Carpets, Bamboo
products, Zari goods, Imitation jewellery, Paintings & Earthenware, Jute
products, Marble Sculpture, Bronze Sculpture, Leather Products, Other
miscellaneous handicrafts. Some fresh flowers are also converted into dry
flowers for better returns; including Dahlias, Marigold, Jute Flowers, Wood
Roses, Lotus pods and Lilies among others. Over 70 lakh people; mostly in rural
areas earn their livelihood from 
For the purpose for promoting and
building network of the artisans West Bengal Government arranged a fair named
as Hastashilpa Mela /Handicraft Fair in each year. Entry is free for the fair.
Artisans can have the opportunity to sell directly to the customer and interact
and build network with investor, fashion houses, marketing chain. 
In December 2018, Hastashilpa Mela /
Handicraft Fair held in Eco Park, New Town, Kolkata. Dignitaries and Ministers
from West Bengal Government inaugurated the fair. The footfall was in Lakhs. There
were 6,000 stalls and artisans from all part of West Bengal; participated in
the fair came across all the districts.
Saris, Punjabis, T shirt, Kurtis, Dress
Materials displayed for purchase in many stalls. The entire clothing item had
unique design with thread or painting. Other than clothing finely wood made
product, cane, bamboo crafts, jute products, terracotta jewellery and crafts,
dokra jewellery, Bankura horses, patachitra on scrolls, Sawdust
Art,
Owl Made of Wood, Decorative Items from Bamboo, Handmade paintings on
papers, glass paintings, Mask/Mukhosh, Chalchitra, Potchitra, Clart art and
decorative kettles, uniquely designed umbrella, glass bottle, kettle,
boxes, cups, flower stand, Dry flower items, artistic lights, jewelry and pen, spoon made from horn and shell are name of few which were available in the
fair.
The creativity of Artisans is incredible.
Making the statues of different gods in different postures by carving on the
woods or stones by using only carve and hammer, excellent Paintings, In the
respective stalls and if you wish you can see how considerately and minutely
and neatly they shape up a normal wood or stone into different carving figures,
enhance the colourful art design by a paint brush. I was standing quietly in front of different Artisans
quietly to observe how calmly they work in an unmelodious situation. I was simply
awestruck by their patience and their elegant creativity.
Food court had also arranged by the Fair committee. In the food court
starter to desert all items were available. The varieties of food like
patisapta, Puli Pite, Chicken Cutlet, Biriyani, Chicken Kosa, Mutton Rezala,
Chinese variety to Mogul’s Variety all were available to satisfy and delight
the customer’s taste buds.
Artisans came to the fair with
their family. They were also involved in making different crafts along with
also taken care their small children. Artisans are acknowledged as the main
Industrialisation
and globalisation of “the seventh largest
country in the world” and modernization is decade old, even though
millions of Indian artisans still uses native modes of making, outmoded
techniques and skills for making handicraft products. The fiscal statues of the
rural artisans are far below the adequate level, which compel them to
compromise their marketing power both at selling and buying levels. They are really
very poor but honest and humble. They are offering their product in really low
price. Some customer who travelled by
luxury cars still bargain with artisans. Bargain for price is ethical right of
buyer but artisans are really very poor, think of them kindly. Above all the worth
of their creativity is million dollars.
If you are in Kolkata or will be in
Kolkata in the period of the biggest handicraft fairs in West Bengal (possibly
in India) please visit. You can have bagful of unique handicraft jewels,
handful of incredibly unique Dry Flower sticks, mindful of pleasure.
Some product details or
definitions for my Non-Indian Friends.
****Mask or Mukhosh of
West Bengal, as it known has a mysterious history. Mostly it uses for the Mask
Dance, the folk dance of West Bengal. The wearing of these masks is connected
with early types of folklore and religion. There are various types of masks
made up of clay, wood, sponge wood or shola, pith, paper, metal etc. Generally,
half masks are made up of clay, pith and paper and wooden masks are very rare.
Some of the masks came from the Tribal of West Bengal. Geographically,
West Bengal comes well within this mask using culture zone. Mask in West Bengal
is mostly used in folk dance. UNESCO selected The Rural Craft Hub of
Bengal to showcase their artwork in Paris in 2015.
Bengal Patachitra paintings are a true cultural heritage
of West Bengal. The Patua Community of West Bengal has an ancient history
to practice the craft of Patachitra. A quaint little village of Paschim
Medinipur, Naya is home to around 250 Patuas or chitrakars. Bengal Patachitra
has a various aspect like Chalchitra, Durga Pat, Medinipur
Patachitra, kalighat Patachitra, mud wall painting etc. The patachitra
of Manbhum, now known as Purulia can easily be distinguished by
their preference for one particular shade of burnt sienna relieved by white and
yellow patches and densely packed composition. The figures are impressive and
monumental. In the scrolls of pot
of Birbhum, Bankura and Burdwan preference for Indian
red background usually found, the scrolls of Hooghly preferred a dark
brown.
Chalchitra is a part of Bengal Patachitra, It referred to
the Debi Chal or Durga chala, the background of
the Durga Pratima or idol.Patua, the artists of Chalchitra called it
as Pata Lekha, means the writing of Patachitra. 300–400 years
old idols of Nabadwip Shakta Rash used Chalchitra as a part of
Pratima. At a time, the use of Chalchitra became fade, but now it has a great
popularity.
Clay art has an indigenous history in
West Bengal. Ghurni of Nadia district is very popular for making the clay
idols. West Bengal has an ancient heritage of dolls. Dolls have been
customarily crafted by women from the potter communities. Dolls made of soft
clay and fired-clay are available all over West Bengal. Each of these dolls is
made differently. Terracotta dolls of Panchmura, Hingul dolls and Tusu dolls of
Bishnupur, Jo dolls of Medinipur, Kanthalia dolls of Murshidabad, Sasthi dolls
of Coonoor, Manasha Pot of Dakshindari, Shiva Head of Nabadwip are very famous.
Kantha Stitch is one of the most popular
handicrafts of Santiniketan in the Birbhum district of West
Bengal, India.
Dorka art is the most interesting and
creative art of West Bengal. The Dokras are now dispersed over the western part
of West Bengal in four districts namely Bankura, Purulia, Midnapore and Burdwan
and are mainly concentrated in Bankura and partly in Purulia. The Dokra
artistes of Bankura make various kinds of images and figurines of gods and
goddesses, birds and animals, like Lakshmi, Lakshmi-Narayan, Shiva-Parvati
flanked by Ganesh and Kartik, elephants, horses, owls, peacocks etc.
The above product definition
portion is taken from Wikipedia to some extent.
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