Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
BHAjMOUj
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We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the people who have
been instrumental in the successful completion of this project. Apart from
our efforts, the success of this documentation depended upon the encour-
agement and guidelines of many others, to whom we are highly obliged.
First of all we want to convey our sincere reverence to our honourable di-
rector, Mr. D.K Rangra, for serving as the backbone of our support and
inspiration channel. Also our heartfelt gratitude to Course Co-ordinator,
Mr. Aasutosh Porus and Cluster Initiative Co-ordinator, Ms. Chhavi Goyal,
who presented us with this unique opportunity to document this paradise
National Institute of Fashion and Technology, called BHARMOUR which, even after being the home for such heritage,
Kangra has been missing from the craft map of India.
We express our gratitude to our senior batch; their earlier work and docu-
Accessory design (2010-2014) mentation was a yardstick for us.
Last, but not the least, we would like to give a sincere gratitude to the people
Coordinated by: of Bharmour, especially the craftsmen and artisans, who accommodated
Mr. Ashutosh Porus (Course Coordinator, Accessory Design) our requests and shared their knowledge of skills and expertise with us. We
Ms. Chhavi Goyal (Cluster Initiative Coordinator) sincerely hope that this endeavour of ours will benefit these people whose
deft hands are sustaining the real India.
Core Team
Avijit S. Panesar
Sabina Khan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Saloni Jain
Sannu Kumari
Sarita Prakash
Shalini Kumari
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PREFACE
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Introduction Architecture
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Gaddi Khaddi Traditional Wood Craft Stone Other Diagnostic Reference Glossary
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costume
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craft craft Study data
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CONTENTS
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“Fortunate is the one who gets an opportunity to step into the sacred land
of Bharmour”
INTRODUCTION
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History
Folklores, legends and facts entwine
Weathered by passing time
Incorporate perspectives of generations
That is how we get historical narrations.
As scriptures say:
The history of Bharmour can be traced back to the 6th century when
emperor MeruVarman, a ruler from Ayodhya and his first prince Jaist-
ambh defeated the Ranas and held their territory. Meru found access to
the upper mountainous region through the Ravi valley. It was then called
Brahampura. He made it the capital of his new state.
After Meru, several Rajas ruled in succession. After about four hundred
years SahilVarman conquered the lower Ravi valley. He transferred the
capital from Brahmpura to Chamba which has the district headquarters
as of present and has evolves as the major town of the area.
As folklores tell:
According to a local legend the name got its origin from the Brahami-
ni goddess temple which is situated there. As the story goes, Brahamini
Devi was living with her son who was very fond of his pet birds. One day
he found them killed by a peasant which shocked the son to death. The
mourning also led to the death of Brahamini Devi. The spirits of this trio
started haunting the people awfully who raised Brahmani Devi to the sta-
tus of deity and built her a temple. The people believe that the place was
called Brahmpura after Brahmani Devi.
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Chaurasi
The Chaurasi Temple Complex offers a delightful, clean and a scenic view.
Nurtured by faith, frequented by memories, radiating many stories, set in The complex is surrounded by numerous schools. The most extraordinary
heavenly surroundings lies the heart and soul of Bharmour- CHAURASI, site of the complex is the tallest temple of Manimahesh, which is built in
84 carved and sculpted pages from history. the Shikhara style of architecture. Another temple built in the same style is
As mentioned earlier, life in Bharmour revolves around the Chaurasi tem- that of Lord Vishnu cast in his Narsimha Avtar.
ple complex. It is renowned for its cluster of temples collectively known
as the ‘Chaurasi’. Though of varying architectural design, these temples
are noted for their fine workmanship. Major temples at Chaurasi temple complex
An interesting legend surrounds the Chaurasi (meaning 84 in hindi).
In ancient times when Brahmapura, present Bharmour was the abode Ganesha Temple
of goddess Brahmani. On their way to Manimahesh Kailash, Lord Shiva Lakshana devi (Lakhna devi) Temple
and 84 sidhhas stopped in a scenic garden there and lit some fires. Angry Swami Kartik (kelang) Temple
at this trespass, she ordered Shiva and the Sidhas to get out of the place. Manimahesh temple (Lord Shiva)
Shiva importuned in all his humility for allowing them to spend a night Maa Chamunda Temple
in the beautiful garden as they were tired, and promised to leave early in Hanuman Temple
the morning. At dawn God Shiva left 84 Sidhhas sleeping and went to Maa Sheetla Temple
ManimaheshKailash, but the 84 Sidhas transformed themselves in to 84 Dharameshwar Mahadev temple
Shivlingas because they wished to settle there. Nandi temple
Legend also has it that in the 10th century, 84 Sidhhas (holy men) visited Jai krishan Giriji temple
Bharmour; they blessed the ruler Raja SahilVarman with ten sons and a Nar Singh temple
daughter Champavati whom the town of Chamba is said to be named. Ardh Ganga or Ardh Gaya
And while some shrines were already in existence, the Raja had the re- Trameshwar Mahadev
mainder built to commemorate their sojourn. These include the Lakhna Surya linga Mahadev
Devi Temple, the Ganesh Temple and the Nar Singh Temple. Installed in Kuber Linga Mahadev
the sanctum of the Lakhna Devi Temple is an exquisite brass image of the
goddess, The temple of Lord Dharamraj is also in the Chaurasi and only
one in the whole world.
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ARCHITECTURE
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The unique architecture of houses and temples are the splendid features
of this thousand year old town. The striking objects of interest are the
old temples which exhibit architectural beauty of design and execution.
The Chaurasi temple square in Bharmour was identified as one of its
most vital assets
both in terms of physical and social significance. Detailed studies on
Chaurasi revealed
the complex juxtaposition of a diverse range of form, functions and
activities. These at
one level comprised and defined the place as the nucleus of the settle-
ment. It is a unique example of community-oriented public architecture.
Most of the shrines in Chaurasi are built influenced from the Shikhara
style of architecture as it is best suited for higher altitudes and areas with
high snow-fall.
A tower like conical formation built of stone and decorated with carv-
ings is Shikhar style of architecture. The tallest temple in the whole
complex is of Manimahesh built in Shikhara style of architecture. The
temple has a Shiva lingam on a raised platform. The other temple in
Shikhara style is of Narsimha. Lord Vishnu in his avtar as Nar Singh has
been cast vividly. . Even the less significant temples of the Chaurasi are
wonders in terms of their architecture and detailing.
One of the oldest temples in the area is that of Lakshna Devi. This tem-
ple is made in the hill style with gable roofs and rubble masonry. The
outer facade, the inner facade of sanctum, circum ambulatory path and
the ceiling are exquisitely carved. The idol of Lakshna Devi in her incar-
nation as Mahisasurmardini is magnificent.
The housing type, cluster formations, constructional systems are all na-
ture-based responses to a very large extent. Community preferences vary
with physical conditions. Also, it is an earthquake prone area. As Bhar-
mour is a town at a very high altitude and large amount of snowfall, these
all factors are given utmost importance while designing and construc-
tion. Some of the highlighted aspects are:
The architectural heritage is interconnected to its larger physical environ-
•Sloped roofs so that the snow does not stay ment through various tangible and intangible linkages. These linkages
•Vivid use of wood as the chief material can be symbolic associations, physical connectors or traditions of art and
•Old houses had a single thick long tree as the beam for the whole con- crafts. Bharmour is endowed with a repertoire of iconic structures, refined
struction domestic vernacular, articulated open space, environmental assets, and an
evolved cultural system reflective of the identity and character of a tribal
•The walls are made in a special way in which blocks of cement and wood Himalayan society.
are fitted in a specific manner that makes the house earthquake resistant.
The old houses had a feature worth noticing in self-made long wooden
nails with the help of which these blocks were joined.
•The roofs are mostly made with stacking the locally available stones that
are cut flat. It is called “chinnayi”. Without any actually joining, just with
the perfect placement the roof becomes sustainable.
•According the locals, the so called Pakka houses cannot survive the
harsh weather conditions during the snow fall.
•Most of the villages or settlements are at hill tops and it requires an up-
hill walk of about 1-2 kms to reach. The main reason to this is that those
locations are best suited to grow apples.
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Gaddi is a generic term used for all of the indigenous population of the
Bharmour area of Chamba district and some regions of Jammu and
Kashmir. Historically, Gaddis have been a transhumance tribe and,
therefore, share much with similar communities found across the world.
However, their inhospitable habitat and livelihood practices have made
them evolve as a unique culture, though not really refined in the mod-
ern sense. Gaddis are widely respected for their honesty, friendliness,
peaceful lifestyle and God-fearing nature.
GADDI’S
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History of gaddi’s Culture 27
Lifestyle
Dialect Gaddis are very fond of sur (home-made alcoholic drink) which is taken
on occasions such as religious affairs and even the pension days set by the
Even illiterate Gaddis are polyglots, capable of conversing in Gaddi, government. Women consume it only on festive and social occasions. They
Pahari and Hindi. They use their own dialect among themselves where- also smoke tobacco in hukka, which forms a part of their daily sittings.
as while talking to other people they talk in the Pahari/Kangri dialect. Their special madira (liquor) along with a sweet preparation is a must on
There is no script for the Gaddi dialect, but ‘Devnagri’ script can be all social and festive occasions. They usually spend plenty of time to sit in
easily adopted. The previous generations of Gaddis have also been the verandah and gently smoke a hookah and chat. Sacrifice of goats is still
known to have used Taakri as their script. The influence of the neigh- practiced in the Gaddi traditions especially in the temple of Kartik swami
bouring state of Punjab can also be seen as some of the inhabitants temple in Kugti.
were well-versed in Punjabi as well.
KHADDI
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The traditional loom used for weaving chaddars, blankets, pattu and patti
is locally known as ‘khaddi’. It can be found in almost every household.
People in this area weave for personal use and sometimes commercially.
The width of khaddi is 5 feet and the height is about 5 to 6 feet.
The main parts of Khaddi are front beam, heedles, shafts, shuttle, reed col-
umn and pedal shafts.
The front beam is where the woven fabric gets wrapped and is situated close
to the weaver’s seat. The heedles or the harnesses which are connected to
the shafts, placed in which every yarn gets its position and alignment. The
heedless are made up of cotton threads. The shafts are the columns which
differentiate each set of yarns. There are 4 shafts in the khaddis.
The shuttles used in khaddi are made of plastic and one end is closed. Yarns
are either tied to it or stuffed inside it. The movement of shuttle is manual.
The reeds or the kanghi is approximately 4 to 5 inches in height and it
combs the warp yarns , thus setting the weft insertion into a straight align-
ment.
The back beam supports the warp yarns and aligns them under tension.
The warp threads are taken to the top back of the loom and tied.
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Weaving on khaddi:
Weaving on the khaddi has the paddle shaft mechanism; the paddles are
attached to the shafts/heedles. The warp is made manually by winding it
around peg-stands placed at a distance as required. The drafting and dent-
ing is done by pulling the yarns manually by hands through the heedles
and the reed column respectively. The main weave employed in the weav-
ing of the fabrics are plain and twill and the local name for the most com-
mon pattern is “dabbidaar” or chequered.
The woven specimen is then washed in ”kund” for about 2 days as it then
loses weight and shrinks. If required two woven parts are stitched together
by simple hand stitch with colored yarns (red color generally).
Another interesting aspect to this whole process is that the handloom is lo-
cally made by carpenters and most of them are dismantled and kept when
not in use.
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GARDU: Gardu is a blanket which has black and white squares pat- SHAWLS: Shawls are used by both men and women. The difference
terns formed alternatively. The length is approximately 5 to 5.55 m and the between these shawls is remarkable. The shawls that are made for females
width is approximately 1 to 1.25 m. Possession of Gardu is considered as are woven in multicolored designs and threads while those meant for the
a status symbol of the Gaddis. Gardu is so warm that it protects the shep- males are generally woven in single color with white and black checks.
herds from both snow and rain. The male shawls are heavy in weight and are larger than the females. The
female shawls are relatively smooth in texture and soft in feel. The size of
female shawl is 2.5*1 meter while the male shawls are about 3*1.5 meter.
GARDI: Gardi is a blanket of smaller size and weighs lighter than Gar- The product that are hand woven on Khaddi are beautiful, functional and
du. It has the same pattern as Gardu. timeless
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ARTISAN PROFILE
Charno Devi
Village Suchui, Bharmour
She is a 46 year old women and can comprehend in hindi, Punjabi and Gaddi. She is involved in
spinning and weaving of cloth. She wants to train her children as she wants to carry on this tra-
ditional practice. She has a savings bank account. She has shoulder pain due to weaving practice.
Bina Devi
Village Malkota, Bharmour
She is associated with the art of weaving and has been practicing this art form for the past 30 years, and
works for 28 per week. The demand rises in the winter months. She has health issues like back pain due
to weaving. Her monthly income is 5000 and she has a bank account. She works on traditional old pat-
terns and designs.
Ranjha ramji
Village Pranghala
He has been practicing the art of weaving for the past 50 years. His monthly income is 5000 and does not
want to train his children. He has his own house, which is under construction. He has purchased a land
and a mobile phone in the past two years. They purchase raw material from the local market.
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ARTISAN PROFILE
Reshamo Devi
Village Spedka, Bharmour
A 36 year old woman has been practicing various art forms to fulfill her basic family needs, spinning, agriculture
and farming as well. Her monthly income is 5000 and has a saving bank account. She would like to strengthen her
growth in designing. The pricing of the product is based on the local market demand. She produces raw material
from the local market.
Satya devi
Village Pranghala, Bharmour
Spinning and farming has been practiced in her family for the past 50 years and has been earning up to
5000 per month. She works for her own consumption and needs to strengthen her production. The demand
of the craft rises in the winter months.
Subh Karan
Village Pranghala, Tehsil Bharmour, District Chamba
He has been associated with farming and carpentry for the past 25 years. He does not want to train his children in this
particular field, he wants to educate them. Currently, he earns 3000 per month. He and his brother are the only working
members of their house and are skilled in their field. They work to satisfy their basic necessities. They require boost in
their production.
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Our robes and our jewels for that ethereal touch of beauty
Our belief and our traditions for that eternal bliss of prosperity
TRADITIONAL
COSTUME
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COSTUMES
Bharmour is not only known for its scenic beauty and ancient temples
but also for its inhabitants, the Gaddi tribe. It can be safely said that
the Gaddis are better shepherds than farmers. Bharmour has extreme
weather and rough terrains and so are the Gaddis residing in this area.
This is well reflected in their distinctive style of dressing. Another fact
very clearly reflected in their costumes is their faith and belief in Lord
Shiva. The Gaddis are not nomadic in its strict sense as they have villages
in which they reside but they travel to higher mountains of lahaul in
summers and lower hills near plains in winters with their flock of sheep
and goats. Their dresses are best suited for this activity and might have
been designed or evolved keeping all this in mind. Though the clothing
pattern is going through change with the passage of time, yet some tra-
ditional clothing remains an indispensable part of special occasions such
as marriages and festivals such as the Maninahesh yatra even today.
Both cap and turban are used to cover the head by the males. The most
common topi (cap) is made of woollen piece of cloth and is a round one
which is 5 to 6 inches in height.
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Dora
Dora is the most important part of the dress as it is worn over ‘Chola’
or ‘Luanchri’ around the waist. The maximum weight of the dora is 2 kg
which is worn by adult males. The ‘Dora’ of adult woman weighs in be-
tween 1 to 2 Kgs, whereas the `dora’ of a child is about half kilogram. The
maximum length of a traditional dora can run upto 40 feets and is around
2 cm thick.
It is made of sheep wool yarn through the manual process of continuous
compression in a special container locally called okhli or kund filled with
water. This process is called “mandhna”. It is usually black in colour. It can
take days to prepare a dora. It is worn due to a number of reasons.It is
used as saddle for carrying the load on the back. It keeps the waist erect
specially while climbing up the hills. Small articles like leather pouch of
tobacco, flute and money bag are tied in it. This is also used as pillow es-
pecially during journeys. It has a religious touch to it as well because the
gaddis take it as a sign of ‘Lord Shiva”.
In fact the traditional Gaddi costumes are believed to be the replicas of
the divine clothing of Lord Shiva and Parvati
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Material:
Traditionally the pattern of luanchrdi was made in the hand-spun material
and was also called chola. Luanchrdi on the other hand is made of two fab-
rics: contrast plain yolks which are mostly in velvet and the printed lower
flair whose material can vary from cotton to other fabrics that can be easily
sourced from the local market. The laces used for the embellishment of the
garment are also self made from fabrics and threads.
Men’s cholu or even coats are made from hand spun home-made fabric i.e
patti. Mostly people make their own fabric and get it stitched from the lo-
cal but skilled tailors.
Techniques:
No special sewing machines or threads are required to stitch these tradi-
tional costumes but it takes special skills to stitch a luanchrdi because of its
unique pattern and even higher levels of expertise to stitch a chola as it is
made of hand-spun fabric and hence is thick and has coarse texture. Chola
is hand stitched and yarn threads are used at times.
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ARTISAN PROFILE
Arjun Singh
Village Sachuin, PO Bharmour, District Chamba
He is a tailor who works according to the local market demands and stitches the traditional garments namely Luan-
chrdi and Coats usually worn during Festivals.
He has been working for the past 20 years and works throughtout the year. He works on traditional designs.
Om Prakash Sharma
Village Gourthu, PO Bharmour.
He has his partnership with Arjun Singh and works as a tailor itself. His family consists of two males and
three females. He works 12 hours per day. He has his own inherited house, with no exploration in raw mate-
rial and has taken no training. He decides the price according to the work needed.
Kaushaliya devi
Village Bharmour
She is 41 years old practicing the art of making traditional Gaddi dresses, apart from this she also practices farming. The
months of demand are june and july and November and December. She changed her location of practice from Pullan to
Village Bharmour. She wants to train her children for economic and traditional factors. Her monthly income is 6000 and
apart from that, she practiced sehra making which bought a rise in her income. She has health problems due to the craft
she practices. She orks on traditional designs and has life insurance policy. She is the master craftsman and few girls work
under her. They do not explore any raw material or new designs, she works on traditional designs. She hasn’t taken any
training regarding her craft and she sets the price according to the raw material she uses.
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Head Ornaments
Chak, Chiri, Jinjroo, Litki, Nam Tika, Clip
Ear Ornaments
Jhumke, Kante, Chhalka, Boonde, Bor, Bali, Pher
Foot Ornaments
Tore, Jhanjar, Panjeb(Pari), Patadi(Pattari), Ghun Karl, Phuloo
Nose Ornaments
Balu, Besar, Phulli, Tilli, Blak, Long
Neck Ornaments
Gal Sari, Kapoor-ri-mala, Singi, Chamkali, Dhulsete, Chanderhaar, Mal-
ka-ke-Rupaon-ki-Mala, Jaun Mala, AthaniChawani-ri-Mala
The community had a total dependence on local market for its jewellery.
Necklaces were mostly hand-crafted by silver smiths of the village using
silver sourced from the nearby towns
But now due to so much commercialization and better connectivity all
the jewellery is bought from chamba where there are still some tradition-
al artisans and sold by local jewelers. They still follow traditional design.
Gaddi jewellery pieces are meant to be heavy but now-a-days its weight
is reducing according to the taste of wearer.
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Wood carving in the Himalayan region is one of the most ancient forms
of folk art. Door panels and huge wooden statues from olden times are
found in Chamba valley even today. The tradition of woodcarving goes
back to 7th – 8th century AD. The temple of Lakshna Devi in Chattrari
is embellished with highly intricate woodwork and is famous for its ex-
quisite wooden relieves depicting the themes of Hindu mythology and
folklore.
WOOD CRAFT
60 Handcraft wood is an inspiring sight invoking emotions of awe at the sheer 61
patience of the artisan. As we look closer stories and characters come alive.
Intricate patterns carved on wood, three-dimensional wooden sculptures
having mythological bearings are all there taking us back through time. All
that is felt by looking at those was reverence for craftsmen and their faith
spanning generations. Marveling at the skill they possess to create such
beautiful work at such a scale, one cannot help but wonder “can something
like this be created this day?” As one digs further it is found that like all
other handicrafts, wood carving is also a casualty in the mechanized world.
Skilled wood carvers, today, can be counted on fingers in Bharmour.
In the region we could find only a humble number of craftsmen involved in
wood carving and other wood related crafts such as the use of traditional
lathes to make simple yet effective products. The main reasons attributed to
declining interest in handicrafts are many. In the absence of patrons, wood
craft is not economically viable. Commercially too intricate woodcraft can
turn out to be too expensive to be taken up on a large scale as it was in
temples in forgone days. The descendants of the artisans do not have the
requisite passion and patience to pursue the craft of their forefathers. Most
of them have now turned carpenters and carving has a taken a back seat.
Material
Deodar wood was chiefly employed for wooden architecture of the temples
as well as local houses but now a cheaper alternative in “kel” wood is used
in houses. Kel wood is also called kel devta i.e it is given the reputation of
God by the local people as it is their lifeline and is available in abundance
in the surrounding forests.
Other variety of woods that are used in craft are Ghun, Dhaun, Akhrot ki
lakdi.
Techniques
Carving is done with regular chisels and in the absence of any modern
tools, the carvers justify that the skill lies in hand. A wooden block is cho-
sen according to the design to be carved and then a pattern is sketched over
it. The larger unwanted portions are chiseled away and then the intricate
detailing is done.
The interesting thing is that the tools are also hand-made and some of them
are bought in from Chamba.
ARTISAN PROFILE
Bhagat Ram
Village Jagat Dak Ghar, PO Ruridhikthi District Chamba
He knows the local languages Gaddi and Hindi. He lives in a nuclear family and is associated with Wood and Stone carving. He spends 6 hours
on his work. He works throughout the year. His income is 9000 per month, with an inherited house. He has no health problems and wants this
family craft to be carried by his children. Though he has not explored any raw material, still he likes this traditional craft. He designs himself
and wants to strengthen his design skills for better results. He wants to be trained further in this field. He decides the price of the product
himself and they have no problem regarding the raw material.
Chuni lal
Village Malkota , Bharmour
A 62 year old wood craftsman has worked for 25 years now. His monthly income is 7500, living in a semi pukka house. In the past two years , he has
purchased electronic gadgets and mobile phone. He works on traditional and market demand designs. He requires training in design innovation.
Jagiya
Village Jagat Dak Ghar, PO Ruridhikthi District Chamba
He is a 65 years old skilled craftsman and has been practicing wood work for 50 years now. He also works on the khaddi and weaves
pattus. He wants his children to practice this art form. His monthly income is 5000 and he has a bank account too. He has his own
house and lives with his family. He has no health issues and works on traditional designs. He wants to be trained in capacity building
and is not satisfied with his basic salary. He explored wood (Ghu) which is used as a spoon for pickles. The speciality of the wood being
that it destroys the germs in the stomach.
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STONE CARVING
68 In stone carving, pieces of rough natural stones are given the desired form 69
by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the mate-
rial, evidence can be found that this is an age old craft. The landscapes of hi-
machal Pradesh are dotted with numerous beautifully carved temples. The
shrines at Bharmour and Chhatrari are examplry of the superb creations in
the medium dating back to the 7th- 13th centuries. Shaktidevi in chhatrari
and Lakhnadevi temple in chaurasi in bharmour is the masterpiece of the
classical wooden architecture in entire Himalayan region. Most parts of
this temple are made of wood and stone. The undated inscription on the
pedestal, records that it was built by an artist named Gugga on the order of
King Meru Verman.
The legacy has carried on in this area though not very wide spread now as
there are a very few people associated with this craft.
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Materials
Khaddi pathhar is most commonly used for carving in Bharmour. The
main reasons for this are the local and easy availability and its apt proper-
ties. The stone is in complete control of the carver as the cut to be made
is directly proportional to the force that is applied without any variations.
Also, the stone does not wither away during the chiseling process. Labour
is employed to dig out the stone from the mountain and carry it to the
workshop. The whole process of getting the raw material for the stone carv-
ing is cumbersome
Techniques
The process starts from choosing a stone of an appropriate size which is
normally a bit bigger than the final form to be given. The design is then
sketched over the surface. The pieces that are now carved have relief only
on one side and the rear side is flat.
The larger chunks are then chiseled out with the help of chhiniya (chisels)
and hammer. The intricate detailing is done with chhoti chhiniya. A new
tool has been developed recently to make holes in the sculpture like nos-
trils or passage for flowing water in case of a fountain. This is locally called
kruru. Other local tools that are used are dangu and behla.
After the carving is done, the surface is made smooth by sand papers (no.
60, 80, 100, 400) and filers (locally called tesi and chosa) that are bought in
from Chamba unlike the other tools that are either self made or made by
local blacksmiths. One filer can be used for only one sculpture as its rough
surface then smoothens out. The same is then used as chisels by sharpening
their front edge.
The last step is of varnishing the work piece for finishing. It is not manda-
tory. The varnish is self made by mixing the gum of an apricot tree with oil.
Previously only mustard oil, locally called kauda tel was used. The sculp-
ture after polishing become waterproof.
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ARTISAN PROFILE
Tara Ram
Village Chhatrari,P.O. chhatrari, distrit. Chammba
His family has been practicing stone carving for the past 50 years and it is a skill that they live on. As it’s his family profession,
he devotes 30 hours a week.
He is self-employed. He is also involved in weaving on the local khaddi for local consumption, sehra making and farming to
compliment his income. He wishes to train his children in carving the stones for both economical and traditional factors, as he
wants this legacy to continue in his family.
He earns a humble amount of about 5000 rupees a month. He has a workshop near his house and mostly works on orders giv-
en either by the people of his village or surrounding villages. His expertise lies in making idols of gods and goddess for temples.
He is renowned in what he does by virtue of which he also got an order by THE NHPC to make models.
He is very complacent but thinks that strengthening his marketing skills will help him grow in his work. He decides the price of
his work pieces on the basis of the time spent, detailing and the size of his product.
Milap Singh
Village Jagat Dak Ghar, PO Ruridhikthi District Chamba
He spends 5 hours daily on stone and wood carving. He has to work throughout the year. His monthly salary is 5000
and he has explored new raw material like walnut wood. They get their raw material from the local market and face
no difficulty in buying it.
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OTHER CRAFT
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Giddi:
One of the best examples of sustainable design that one can find in terms
of floor sitting is giddi. A part of almost every household in Bharmour,
its weaving technique is very simple and can be learnt from any other
woman in the neighborhood. It is made from the dried maize leaves and
is completely ecofriendly and easy on the eyes. Design is put it the center
with the help of coloured plastic polythene. It is always circular and the
diameter can vary according to the requirement.
Thalach:
Goats are reared once a year and with the hair, an extremely strong and
intricate rope is made that is used for the entire year. It is valuable and
hence normally not made on order. The goat here is first spun and then
woven to make thalch. It is used to carry loads or to dry woolen clothes
that are heavy. It is generally 8-10 meters in length and 2 cm thick.
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DIAGNOSTIC
STUDY
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APPENDIX I 17. Are you a member of any of the following organizations?
1) SHGs ( ) 2) Cooperative ( )
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Books
Handmade in India
Handicraft of Himachal
Handcrafted Indian textiles
REFFERENCE
MATERIAL
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GLOSSARY