METAL MAGIC: THE TRADITIONAL DHOKRA CRAFT OF WEST BENGAL

I am a student of masters of history at Presidency University, Kolkata, India. My area of interests includes early medieval, colonial and postcolonial history of India, particularly Bengal, as well as Socio-Religious interaction. I am currently involved in several societies and platforms both inside and outside Presidency University. My research interest includes looking at satire in nineteenth century Bengal.

Story Views: 10

Dhokra is a traditional craft, a form of metal casting, which is around 4000 years old dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. Throughout the centuries Dhokra art migrated to the eastern regions of India mainly Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. The technique used in making Dhokra works is known as Madhu Chestan Vidhan or Cire Perdue Technique or Lost Wax Technique. The Dhokra art received its Geographical Indication in 2018 and has also been recognised as an intangible heritage by UNESCO. It has a rustic appearance with thin wired adornments in brass.

FROM CLAY TO BRONZE: THE BEGINNINGS OF DHOKRA ART

The Dancing Girl using the same Lost Wax technique as Dhokra craft

With its roots from the Indus Valley civilisation around 2500 BC, the earliest example produced using the lost wax technique is the famous bronze statue of the “Dancing Girl” recovered from the Mohenjo Daro region. It uses the same technique which is used to produce the Dhokra works. The mention of this lost wax technique can also be found in ancient Indian texts such as Silparatna and Manasollasa.

The name Dhokra was derived from the name referred to a nomadic tribe situated in the eastern belt of the country called the “Dhokra Damar” tribes of West Bengal. Historians believe that the legacy of the Dhokar Damar tribe is passed onto the tribal communities of West Bengal.

Dhokra Damar tribe

This does not mean that Dhokra was limited to one area. Historians believe that the Dhokar Damar tribe migrated to different regions passing it onto the different tribal communities of different regions leading to the flourishing of Dhokra art not only in West Bengal but also in other regions such as Jharkhand, Odisha and even Chhattisgarh (Bastar). However, in the current times, increasing capitalisation has turned Dhokra from a tribal art form into a craft business with its locus in West Bengal.

CRAFTING SUCCESS: THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF DHOKRA

A Dhokra figurine: A Bull

The Dhokra art form mainly flourished in the regions of Birbhum, Purulia, Bardhwaman and Midnapore as the tribal communities who crafted the Dhokra art mainly resided in these areas of West Bengal. The rural district of Bikna in Bankura is also considered as the thriving hub of Dhokra art. The artisans of this form of art are locally known as Mal, Malhors, Malars or Karmakars.

The Dhokra art form did not immediately evolve into a popular art. Rather it was initially used to produce items of daily use such as utensils or repair broken ones. With the passage of time, Dhokra art work produced sculptures of different themes. The most prevalent themes of Dhokra are religion, animal anthropomorphic representations. Within the theme of religion, the idols of Lakshmi are prevalent. In West Bengal the idols of Durga, Shiva, Saraswati and Ganesh are mostly produced. Other sculptures of animals are also produced using this art such as bull, tortoise, etc. An intriguing accept of the animal sculptures is that they often act as symbolic representations of Gods. Such as the Dhorka statues of bull and tortoise are used to represent Shiva and Vishnu respectively.

Apart from its religious themes Dhokra art has other religious connotations. Idols of Dhokra are given during weddings as they are considered as markers of good fortune and prosperity. Apart from this religious connotation, we can also trace the role of religion within the process of Dhokra making as well. Before beginning the work a Dhokra artisan or a guild would worship Tvastram, son of the divine architect Vishwakarma, using copper, brass and other metals.

Modern demands have also evolved the nature of Dhokra art forms from figurines to forms of jewellery as well as home decors which have their own motifs with their meaning.

EXPLORING THE MOTIFS IN DHOKRA TRADITION

Dhokra making process: Breaking the sundried clay shell

The process of Dhokra art mainly involves the technique known as annealing (the process where a melted metal heated at a high temperature is poured into a precast mould). Given the ancient roots of Dhokra it is also inevitable that the techniques used in Dhokra making have also undergone transformation. When we look at the process of how it is constructed we can find the unique local techniques that have passed through generations carrying unique histories with them:

The process begins by forming a clay model using either riverbed clay or local soil mixed with rice husk and coal dust.
Once it has dried, wax strands, made of beehive wax and resin from Dammar gum tree, are wound around the core, and the required details are carved into the wax. Due to its softness and malleability, wax is ideal for achieving fine detailing.
The distinctive coiling effect, achieved from wounding, imparts a unique feature to Dhokra figurines.
Additional decorations are achieved by carving into the wax, followed by sprinkling various types of dry soil onto the wax model.
As the entire model dries, a second coat of rice husk and red soil is applied to it again to harden the model.
When the model has completely dried up, two holes are made. This is followed by sun drying the model and then firing it in a bhatti (traditional kiln) which makes the wax to melt which pours out from the two holes.
When the model has cooled off, molten brass is put inside through the same holes. Once it has solidified too, the artisan breaks the outer clay mold revealing to us the Dhokra model.

Popular motifs of Dhokra figurines in West Bengal are the Horse and the Elephant. While the Elephant represents wisdom and masculinity, the symbolic meaning of horse has deep roots with Indian history. On one hand while historians believe that the horse represents sun in general, popular local narratives suggest that Horse symbolises the vahan (ride) of the local god of death and justice called Dharmaraj, worshipped by villages of Rarh region of West Bengal. The deity is also said to have deep roots with Sun god. Apart from elephants and horses, other important motifs of Dhokra figures also include owls symbolising vigilance and prosperity and tortoise symbolising Vishnu. Most artisans depict everyday activities in Dhokra art such as hunting or grinding corn. These were the ways in which the artisans immortalised their way of life on the metal.

Dhokra Horse Motif

However, it is the Dhokra jewellery which not only boasts numerous symbolic motifs but also has a rich local story tied to it. Local folklore narrates that the first Dhokra necklace was made out of the order of the King of Bastar for his queen. The story follows that the King was so mesmerised by the beauty that he gave the artisan the title of “Ghadwa” meaning either melting or working with wax and meaning shaping and erecting. The most prevalent motifs of Dhokra jewellery are:

The Energetic Sun: it is one of the most widely used motifs used in the Dhokra necklace. The symbolic sun is presented either as a huge round pendant placed in the centre of the necklace or as several small discs presented throughout. The sun as a major source of life signifies growth, positivity, and passion. Given the essence of sun worship among the artisans and the tribals, it is no wonder that the motif of sun is the most prevalent. The motif apart may also be represented as displaying the sun with a face giving it an anthropomorphic form or displaying it as a big disc carved with large rays carved on it or different geometric patterns.

Another Dhokra rendition of Sun Motif

Following the sun we have the Moon: This motif of the moon elegantly portrays the beauty of transformation. The moon is represented in different forms ranging from its most popular shape in the crescent to a round disc. There is another representation in the form of a tilted moon which is a thick crescent shape occupying the centre of the necklace. Sometimes the motif has beautiful carvings on them too. The symbolic essence of beauty of transformation is derived from different phases of a moon from a crescent shape to a full moon. This is what the tribal communities believed in.

Moon Motif

Floral Designs: Almost most of Dhokra jewellery portrayed vibrant symbolic flowers as an iconic motif. Different flowers have different symbolic meaning for different tribal communities in different parts of India. In Bengal, the flower jasmine has special relevance to Dhokra artisans. While jasmine normally presents itself in the jewellery as the symbol of fertility, a variety of the same known as Motia phool (Arabian Jasmine) symbolises happiness and prosperity.

Flower Motif: Jasmine

Paisley Designs: It resembles a mango or teardrop shape, often detailed with intricate floral or geometric patterns. In Indian and Bengali culture, the paisley represents fertility, prosperity and the eternal cycle of life. The Kalka motif also symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bengal, particularly the mango, a vital fruit in local culture and folklore. In Dhokra jewellery, the paisley motif is also symbolically tied to the peepal leaf. Among the tribal community, the peepal leaves were used not only as offerings to gods but also symbolically used to ward off evil energy.

Paisley Motif in Dhokra

CONTEMPORARY DHOKRA: CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS IN THE MODERN ERA

The Dhokra works still have high demand in the international market, but the artisans of this art remain in poverty. Dhokra artisans today are finding it hard to even procure the raw materials required for their craft. Due to lack of rural markets many artisans are forced to migrate to metropolises and cities in search of different jobs. However, recent recognition of Dhokra art UNESCO and its receiving the tag of geographical indication has spread the awareness for its preservation to some degree. The craft is also represented at institutions such as the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy and Bharat Bhavan. Notable Dhokra artists include Jaidev Baghel, who won a National Award in 1977, and his nephew Rajendra Baghel.

Yet it was Covid 19 which had a devastating effect on the artisans of Dhokra. As citizens of India I believe the little we can do is spread the news of such an elegant tradition.