New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) West Bengal native Gaurav Malakar is an eighth-generation traditional artisan who is carrying forward the legacy of ‘sholapith’, an age-old delicate craftsmanship he was handed down by his forefathers that needs patience as well as finesse.
Artistic handcrafted objects fashioned out of stems of ‘shola’ plant have been traditionally used in ritual adornment during Durga Puja, weddings and auspicious occasions.
Malakar, who hails from South Dinajpur district, laments that due to presence of artificial decorative wares in the market, price of handcrafted ‘sholapith’ items at times goes up, leading to less number of buyers.
Now, to empower India’s indigenous craftsmen and promote their traditional arts and craftsmanship, the Union culture ministry has set up the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD) which was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 8 during the opening of the India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale.
Housed in a two-storey barrack ‘L1’ built in the 1860s inside the 17th century Red Fort complex, the project has transformed the British-era military garrison into an aesthetic cultural space.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design has been created under Project Aatman with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) as its nodal agency.
The colonial-era barrack, located near Delhi Gate of the Mugal-era monument, has been conserved and adaptively reused for this project that paves the way for a “sustainable cultural economy derived from the indigenous crafts of India by empowering the artisan communities with new designs and innovations”.
Malakar — title used by traditional garland (‘mala’) makers in Bengal region — and several other craftsmen, men and women, drawn from different parts of the country have been assembled in Delhi, and currently showcasing their traditional craftsmanship to visitors at the ABCD.
Rooms which once were residences of military personnel are now showcasing some of India’s finest arts and crafts, such as Jamakkalam carpet weaving and Pulicat Palm Leaf work of Tamil Nadu, traditional board games such as Chaturanga, Jaipur rugs, black pottery of Mnaipur, Tangaliya weaving of Gujarat, Himalayan Indigo dyeing of Uttarakhand, papier-mache of Kashmir and glass work of Firzobad.
Malakar is showcasing his ‘sholapith’ craftmanship in a room on the ground floor of the barrack that was built in 1861 as evidenced by am embedded stone on its frontage. A stone plaque on the facade of the first floor mentions ‘1865’, suggesting it may have been added later during the colonial era.
“This centre for design is not just a place for exhibition if arts and crafts, but its also has a workshop space, where one can interact with craftsmen while they are practising their work. We are trying to get indigenous and rare arts and crafts of India here to promote their preservation and disseminate the knowledge to others,” Anisha Agarwal, project assistant at IGNCA, told PTI.
Project Aatman was conceived a couple of years ago under the vision of Prime Minister Modi to empower India’s indigenous craftsmen and make them ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) in their practice, while showcasing their works to a wider audience.
Malakar says centres like ABCD will help in promoting and preserving the country’s rare craftsmanship, which in turn should help artisans in sustaining their practices.
“‘Sholapith’ handicrafts are made using white portion of stems of ‘shola’ (Aeschynomene species) plants which grow in marshy areas during monsoon season. I is extremely light in weight and therefore needs a lot of patience and finesse in fashioning out items, made of it,” he told PTI.
At his barrack room, he carefully picks a peacock flaunting its feathers made using ‘sholapith’ and says, it is very light, about half a kilogramme.
The West Bengal artisan says, the practice takes a lot of time and craftsmen only do it for certain part of an year, so, it needs patronage and promotion.
“It is used for making ornaments of Durga Maa during puja season, head-wear for brides and grooms in Bengali weddings, various auspicious ceremonies and as decor items. There are artificial wares now in the market, so price of handcrafted ‘sholapith’ items at times go up, leading to less number of buyers,” he said.
According to IGNCA’s website, this centre will not only “reinvent the craft sector, but will also provide economic stability and livelihood to the people associated with it”.
“As we celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence, Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design will be a one-of-a-kind platform showcasing a part of our heritage for the citizens of our nation and international visitors to learn from, engage with, and appreciate,” it said.
The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design is a catalyst for advancing craft development through innovative design strategies aligned with current trends. Its approach involves fostering collaborations among designers, artisans, and domain experts to address both business and societal challenges.
IGNCA project associate Chandramolle Modgil, while giving a tour of the newly-opened centre to this correspondent, said many artists like those who practice Jamakkalam weaving could not come for it launch as they got stuck in their villages due to impact of Cyclone Michaung.
Jamakkalam are unique, coarse cotton floor covering or ‘durrie’ woven on a pit loom. They ate handwoven and manufactured only in Bhavan, located in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, according to a board displayed in the room.
Noteworthy collaborators in this project include the National Culture Fund, State Bank of India, National Institute of Design – Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Craft & Design – Jaipur, and the Kalakshetra Foundation – Chennai.
A café with furniture and decor on display in sync with sustainability has also been opened in a room on the ground floor of the barrack that sits inside the Red Fort — an architectural marvel and a UNESCO World Heritage site. PTI KND ZMN
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