Dhokra Metal Craft
Lalbazar in West Bengal has recently become a major center for the art, thanks to a popular metal craft, the dokra.
Dokra Art
- Dokra is a form of bell metal craft practiced by Ojha metalworkers living in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana.
- However, the style and workmanship of this artisan community also varies from state to state.
- Dhokra or Dokra is also known as bell metal craft.
- The name Dhokra is derived from the Dhokra Damar tribes, who are the traditional metalworkers of West Bengal.
- It is a form of sculpture produced in West Bengal using the lost wax method. Its documented history is about 5,000 years old.
- The Dancing Girl from Mohenjodaro (Harappan Civilization) is one of the oldest Dhokra artefacts now known.
- Due to its primitive simplicity and attractive folk motifs, Dhokra products are in high demand in domestic and foreign markets.
- Dhokra products mainly include making of horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuring bowls, lamp boxes etc.
- Bikna in Bankura in West Bengal and Dariyapur in Bardhaman were its main centres. However, at present the red market of West Bengal is emerging as its major hub.
- In the year 2018, the Dokra craft of West Bengal was presented with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Source – The Hindu
