HORNS FOR BEAUTY AND UTILITY
HORN –
CRAFT is the rich
cultural heritage of the artisans of Maharana caste in Paralakhemundi, Gajapati
district of Orissa. Originally
carpenters by birth and trade, they took to horn craft during the reign of Sri
Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb, the Maharaja of
Paralakhemundi.
It is next to
impossible to tell precisely when or how this handicraft was born. Its rudimentary for was prevalent at the
dawn of this century. Combs,
exclusively meant for women, are said to be the very first articles
produced. The hollow part of a horn
was longitudinally split and the slices thus obtained were then flattened. Those combs were wholly utilitarian and
devoid of any artistic value.
Rao Sahib
K.V.Appa Rao is acclaimed as the father of horn craft in its present form. The maharaja patronized him for his
fireworks, for one particular variety of which the hollow part of a horn was
used as a container. During the
firework display, incidentally discovered an important property of horns, its
plasticity. When he came across an
exquisitely carved wooden crane, he was inspired to get a similar one made of
horn. Gaurahari Maharana, a highly
skilled carpenter was requested.
The work of the art carved by him from the solid part a horn highly
pleased the Maharaja. Appa Rao with
his innate business acumen assessed the potentiality of the craft and set up a
workshop. His team of dedicated
carpenters concentrated on the craftsmanship of models, the attainment of
accurate anatomy of the bird or animal in horn, as well as the formulation of
appropriate technique.
After the
winding up of this workshop, K. Kameswar Rao and K.V Mrutyunjayam the successive
proprietors of Durga Horn Works, nurtured and developed this handicraft. The establishment of Paralakhemundi
Biswakarma Co-operative Society in
1948 and its successful management also played a vital role in the rapid
expansion of horn-craft.
Efforts were also made to introduce new designs and more sophisticated tools. An amazing range of horn works of superb finish and breath-taking beauty was the outcome, they began to enchant the buyers, and were exported to England, France, Germany, and the U.S.A. The very word Paralakhemundi became synonymous with horn-craft.
Cow horns,
Buffalo horns, stag antlers and tusks are used in horn craft. The desired object is carved from the
solid part of a horn after soaking it in water. If shaping is necessary, then the carved
piece is heated to a specific temperature and shaped. After that, its surface is smoothed down
with the help of a rough file, flat file or half round file and a sharp
stainless steel blade respectively.
Necessary bores are made to fix appendages. In the past, eyes were made of the stag
antler stick at the center of which a bore was drilled and stuffed with lacquer
burnt in a luminous flame. But
nowadays, plastic eyes are being used due non-availability of stag antlers. After drilling bores, light incisions
and grooves are made in the required places on the body of the horn work. At
this stage it is handed over to the women for polishing. They rub he articles first with an
eighty-count sand paper and
then with wet Khrshana leaves one surface of which is rough. The polishing is contained till the horn
work is smooth and shiny. Then it
is thoroughly cleaned with water and dried in open air. After drying it is further polishing
with cow dung ash or charcoal ash and the various parts are assembled. Applying either limestone paste or white
varnish highlights the desired areas.
Finally coconut oil is smeared all over to give the horn work a beautiful sheen.
Pen stands,
table lamps, paper weights, lamp shades, snuff boxes, walking sticks, vermilion
contain are some of the most common products. But the loupe-cleaners, razors,
spectacle-frames, cigarette cases that were in vogue during the Second World War
are now conspicuous by then absence.
Though they were imitational items, it did not prevent them from being
works of art. However, the name of
craftsmanship is attained in those made in imitation of living beings. Fish and Fowl, Flora and Fauna, Men and
Women in fact, the entire gamut of creation is rendered in a naturalistic
manner. The least remains
incomplete without a mention of the horn deities, especially Lord Jagannath.
In keeping with changing times,
inspiration for decorative pieces is being drawn from modern art as well.
But the
present state of this handicraft and its artisans is deplorable. Dejection is writ large over the faces
of about eighty artisans who are now valiantly struggling to maintain their rich
cultural heritage. They suffer a
major set back from the non-availability of enough horns. They have to compete with buyers from
out side Orissa, especially from Tamilnadu, which results in the spiraling of
its price and the lowering of their profit. Besides, the horns age getting diverted
to shipping industry, leading to further scarcity. Moreover, the horn workers have to
compete with various machine made products like plastic ware flooding the market
now and the buyers indifference to traditional craftsmanship. This is a resulting in stereo typed
production. Horn crafts demands
enormous patient, utmost concentration and long working hours, yet the average
income of an artisan is around Rs.20/- per day. Compounded by intermittent
periods of un-employment it is driving them to other trades and
professions. Excepting a few
fortunate artisans like the recipient of the National Award and the horn craft
instructors in Orissa Government service, others are at the hare subsistence
level. Those who are still sticking
to this profession are not at all interested in passing it on to their
children. If the present state of
affairs continuous this wonderful handicraft is going in die in a decade or
so.
Indeed, a loan from the industries department and a grant from Orissa Khadi Board certainly provided some relief to Paralakhemundi Biswakarma Co-operative Society. This financial assistance as well as the appointment of a Government employee as its Managing Director is a testimony to the State Government’s interest. A lot is to be born yet that top urgently controlling the sale of horns from out side Orissa, providing more working capital, and purchasing sophisticated tools. Improving the working condition of the artisans are the steps to be taken up immediately. Then only this gone handicraft will have fresh lease of life.
ARTS OF GAJAPATI DISTRICT
Gajapati District is also famous for its contribution
towards arts and pattachitra. Sri
Hari Krushna Maharana (Mahapatra): 1662-1734: A
great artist/painter, is regarded as the father of Pattachitra of
Parlakhemundi.
