This is the photograph of legendary artist Sonadhar Viswakarma, he and his community worked with legendary meera mukherjee and the torch bearer of Indian craftspersonship and metallurgy from thousands of years.
He came in a Handicrafts mela Kolkata, Salt Lake, Central Park, Karunamoyee. it will on till 13th Dec, Sunday. He was not recognised by the people or by the organizers. Kalaboti Mudra spotted him in a remote corner without visitors.
He and his community should be recognised as a national treasur. Here in Kolkata, "rajdhani of arts and crafts" no one recognizing him and his community and the organizers are seems not aware about the traditionality. We should remember out great tradition and encourage our torchberer individual and commuities as well.
Pls visit the mela and talk to Sonadhar if possible and buy if you can. He and his community is a national treasure.
We are putting a small write up on Sonadhar Viswakarma and community and his work and his association with Meeradi.
We are extending our heartiest thanks to those who supported this venture and supplied various information on him and his work and meeradi.
Sonadhar is skilled in making utility items like sickles, knives, drills, saws, ploughs, axles, axes, pickaxes, spades, arrows, etc as well as artistic items like bird and animal forms, trees, habitat and beautifully crafted puja items which are immensely appealing. He is fully familiar with the traditional technology of making iron from local iron-ore called 'Ghana' in Bastar. Sonadhar has introduced innovation in designs like making four-footed animals in place of traditional two footed ones as well as other designs. His innovations won him the first National Award in the craft of Lohakam in 1992. His son Baxshilal has continued the tradition of Lohakam craft by joining his father. His wife, sons and daughter help in producing these iron artifacts. He has participated in numerous exhibitions at state, regional and national levels all over the country.
He is fully familiar with the traditional technology of making iron from local iron-ore called 'Ghana' in Bastar.Sonadhar has introduced innovation in designs like making four-footed animals in place of traditional two footed ones as well as other designs.
His innovations won him the first National Award in the craft of Lohakam in 1992. His son Baxshilal has continued the tradition of Lohakam craft by joining his father. His wife, sons and daughter help in producing these iron artifacts. He has participated in numerous exhibitions at state, regional and national levels all over the country.
Lohakam or iron-craft was used by the blacksmith to make agricultural implements and other items of utility until it became another expressive form of art. Lohakam or iron-craft is a traditional art used to make objects like lamps, trays, animal figures, etc. Iron is creatively used by the beating and hammering method to form elegant shapes. In early times and presently in remote villages iron-ore was generally collected from the mountains and liquefied in the Oven or Bhatti over a coal fire to obtain pure iron. In recent times it is easier to buy iron in the market - already made into sheets and rods. The method of work involves tempering of specially shaped pieces of Loha or iron with a hammer, after the pieces have been softened over a dish of burning coals. Legendary Meera Mukherjee learnt the native technique of bronze casting from the Dhokra artisans of Bastar, who used the cire-perdue process in a unique way. They arranged wax threads over the core wax form before covering the wax model with two layers of clay. The first layer was in very fine clay while the other was coarse and fired hard. The cast bronze would then have a rich and ornamental surface of curves, spirals lines, etc. of bronze threads. Meera spent many years staying with them, won their confidence and acquired the basic knowledge of their technique which she put to use in a creative way in her sculptures. This lady worked with this man and with this community day and night.
Hope in future we should honour our masters, communities and their crafts.
thanking you
biswendu
from Kalaboti Mudra ও লোকফোক
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