Introduction to Dhokra
Dokra or Dhokra, is a traditional craft practiced since the Indus Valley Civilisation. It is a set of metal products made using the Madhu Chestan Vidhan or cire perdue technique or lost-wax technique. This metal casting technique has been timelessly connected to the lives of individuals, and professionals who make cast metal items.
Dhokra is a traditional form of metal casting practiced for over 4000 years and is believed to date back to the Indus Valley Civilization, where the earliest use of bronze in the subcontinent has been found. Dancing Girl, a bronze statue recovered from the Mohenjo-daro region is an example of this. This statue is a paradigm of today's Dhokra made using the lost-wax technique.
The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro; 2300-1750 BC; bronze; height: 10.8 cm (41⁄4 in.); National Museum (New Delhi, India)
Themes of Dhokra
The term ‘Dhokra’ is used to denote a nomadic group spread across the states of Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. They are from a tribal community whose specialty of work is strength and accuracy in designing; brassware products made through the lost wax process. The motifs depicted in their creations come from folk culture, while elephants, horses and cattle are one of the most frequently depicted animals. Other objects are the head figurines, miniatures of weights and measures, containers with and without lids, the images of deities such as Lord Ganesh and Goddess Durga, and lamps of various shapes, designs and styles along with their stands. Not only do these designs look stylish, but also carry certain cultural connotations with them. Though a lot of artisans today have started making items such as candle stands, ashtrays, and pen stands, they still keep the folk motifs intact.
Like any tribal community, folklore is a part of the Dhokra art history as well, while also incorporating the major festivals celebrated in the country. Local folklore amongst the Dhokra tribals suggests that about three thousand years ago, the king of Bastar ordered a Dhokra necklace for his queen. Mesmerized by the necklace's beauty, the king offered the title of “Ghadwa” to the craftsmen. The term Ghadwa is derived from "Ghalna,” which means melting and working with wax or "Ghadna,” meaning shaping and erecting. These craftsmen are also referred to by different other names depending on their regional location in India; they are called Vishwakarmars, Ghasias, Mangan, and Kansara, among others.
The Dhokra figurines are frequently used in religious rituals in households, starting with idols placed in the family temples and utensils in the kitchen. Hindu households are known to use brass and bronze utensils for cooking, as their religion does not allow them to cook with copper utensils.
Koya Mask: Dhokra Handicraft by Kunal Rana
What is Dhokra?
The Dhokra art is unique because while most of the metal craftsmen are associated with hammering to mold the metal, the Dhokras simply employ the lost wax technique. It is a conventional process of making metalware using casting, forging, or shaping and has been implemented in Indian craft for ages.
Bullock cart in Dhokra by Anil Baghmare
According to the available records, there was no difference between an artist and a craftsman in ancient India. Each group of craftsmen, such as the architects, poets, sculptors, painters, carpenters, and weavers were organized in guilds. The craftsmen learnt the nuances of their profession from masters and continued to promote the craft with every passing generation.
Religious aspects are intricately involved with the Dhokra craft. Like any other folk tradition, before commencing any work, the Dhokra artisan or group of Dhokra artisans would worship and offer prayer using copper, brass, and other ferrous metals to Tvastram, son of the divine architect Visvakarma. According to legends, Visvakarma had five children, Manu, Maya, Tvastar, Shilpi and Visvajna, each the torchbearer of the five subgroups of the blacksmiths, carpenters, metalworkers, stone masons and goldsmiths respectively.
Several technical details regarding the Madhu Chestan Vidhan, or cire perdue technique, or lost wax technique have been described in the ancient Indian texts such as the Mānasollāsa, Śilparatna, and Mānasāra, for making solid or hollow idols. It has a huge repository of details regarding metalwork, such as the type of material that is to be used in the metal casting, the tools to be used, the temperature to be achieved, and other important details. For instance, the Śilparatna has described the use of tamarind wood, bamboo, and metals such as copper and brass for preparing the tools. The Dhokra artisans continue to use these native materials in conjunction with iron, whereas in the contemporary world, grinding and polishing machines are used.
Jhitku-Mitki tribal couple in Dhokra by Anil Baghmare
Tribal man and woman in Dhokra by Anil Baghmare
The Dhokra Artist Community
Originally, the castes associated with manufacturing, and artists in general were considered Sudras, which is the fourth and lowest caste according to the Varna system in Hinduism. During the early Vedic period, these arts and crafts belonged to the Vaisya class, but over time this occupation was taken up by the artisan class, particularly sudras, who were considered low in society at that time. However, these craftsmen have remained socially immobile, contributing to the fact that their craftsmanship in metals was important but socially not profitable.
Dhokra craft indeed is an age-old profession, and today, the Chitraghasi & Ghasi clans dominate this profession. The technique is named after the Dhokra Damar tribes of West Bengal which is the traditional blacksmith community. These people have adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle and are now found in places like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, which are recognised as the tribal areas of India. In West Bengal, especially in the tribal belts of Bankura and Burdwan, Dhokra craftsmen are culturally more popular.
Birsa Munda Statue In Dhokra by Anil Baghmare
The said artisans are distinct from the farmers, who until the 1940s dwelt in compact communities at the outskirts of agricultural settlements and frequently migrated depending on market conditions. They adopted designations such as Mal, Malar, Maral, Malhor, Mahuli, etc., which all have their link with the tribal zone of the Chota Nagpur plateau. However, right now, not much information or research is available on the history of the Dhokra makers in West Bengal; it remains untold.
Lost wax casting tradition, or ‘Cireperdue’ seems to be a natural tradition of India, which has been passed on through generations of master craftsmen. However, there is a traditional sophistication in styles and techniques that the tribal people retain today, even when using modern techniques in their production are significantly different from the prehistoric, although the crafts themselves nowadays have a specific pattern, color, form, and methods distinguishing their originality.
The process
The Dhokras use the lost wax casting process to manufacture brass articles and images. This technique entails making a wax prototype of the item, coating it with terracotta, followed by melting the wax, a cavity is made around the terracotta model through which molten metal is poured to produce the final product. In this era of technological advancements, the original lost-wax technique is still in use in India, Nepal, and some parts of South India, but the procedure has been developed and rechristened as investment casting in the Western world.
The process of casting by Cireperdue can be divided into four main stages: molding, casting, and finishing; and the other includes modeling. All the stages are critical so that every aspect of the finished product is visually appealing and correctly operational. The materials and tools that are utilized by the Dhokra artisans have changed over the years and with the advancement of technology the process is also mechanized to some extent. Yet, the fundamental concepts and approach are preserved.
Most of the Dhokra artisans of the present generation learn this art form when they are young from their fellow elders. However, there has been a modern twist in the design although the traditional methods of designing and the types of art continue to be implemented.
Contemporisation of Dhokra and problems associated with the craft
Present-day Dhokra artisans make numerous products, which include religious icons, utensils, artistic crafts, home decor items, as well as jewelry. The craft has also found a new market with urban customers who love the traditional models and workmanship of the craft.
Although the Dhokra products are still in great demand, the craft encounters various problems regularly. Most of the present-day Dhokra communities are not financially sound, many families had to abandon the craft and seek wage employment in the manufacturing industries or large cities like Kolkata in order to meet their daily needs. Besides the reduction of potential rural markets, artisans today have less product variation and have started looking for new markets with the help of government and voluntary organizations.
The organization of crafts around certain geography has always had a social importance concerning the differentiation of the work and quality of production. Earlier there were smiths’ villages, carpenter’s villages, potters’ villages, etc. in functions, people of the same profession used to group in specific regions, which gave rise to regional styles and techniques. However, with the rapid decline of the craft, the artisans are at the edge of having no identity.
Thus, one has to understand the significance of the protection of such a unique craft as Dhokra and the identities of tribespeople who continue to use it. Due to this ancient tradition slowly reducing, it is important to come up with ways that can help these craftsmen practice their trade so that these traditions do not fade away. Thus, efforts should be made to preserve the grace of the Dhokra craft as it helps in keeping alive the traditional art and craft which has always been an integral part of Indian culture and traditions.
The Stylization and Symbolisms of Dhokra Artistic Perception
Dhokra art is thoroughly meaningful, it embodies major beliefs, practices, and even life experiences of the tribes crafting it. The motifs are mainly the subjects from mystic nature, tribal legends and myths, where subjects like elephants, horses, and owls are depicted frequently. These animals, however, are not only ornamental but are also loaded with symbolic connotations. For instance, the elephant has been used widely to symbolize strength or wisdom, and the owl to symbolize vigilance, and prosperity, among other attributes.
Other popular forms of motifs include human figures, other deities, and mythological scenes that include Lord Ganesh, and Durga Maa, to name but a few, which point to the religious nature of these products. Further, any depiction is usually seen in the manner of everyday activities of women grinding corn, and men hunting or dancing. Through such depictions, the tribes have captured their way of life on metal.
Ganesha in Dhokra by Anil Baghmare
General Perspectives of the Cultural and Religious Importance of Dhokra
Dhokra art cannot be considered just another art of decorating an object, as it has much to do with the beliefs and traditions of the tribes that create such items. In the process of metal casting, people use various rituals and pray to the gods in a bid to show that the process is sacred. Tvashtar is first worshiped at the beginning of the work by artisans so that the God of creation blesses the work.
Some tribes in India have even used Dhokra products as religious symbols during celebrations or even worship. They are thought to be imbued with this power and that is why they are used for worship both at home and in the public domain. Religious and ritualistic use of Dhokra also helps to relate the people within the community, as the making of the products as well as their usage involves the efforts of several families, artisans, and even the whole community in general.
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