In 1964 a pioneering effort by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay resulted in the founding of The Crafts Council of India. The primary aim was to create public awareness and initiate a course of action to preserve the knowledge and crafts of the artisans of this country.
In 1964 a pioneering effort by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay resulted in the founding of The Crafts Council of India. The primary aim was to create public awareness and initiate a course of action to preserve the knowledge and crafts of the artisans of this country.
Today while (a registered organisation) CCI operates and works out of Chennai, the Chairperson and the working committee are a source of constant support and encouragement for the other councils carrying on the founder’s vision ,throughout the country. Every year there is a National meet and this year, it took place in the city of Coimbatore after a gap of 2 decades. Crafts council ot TamilNadu or CCTN as is popularly referred to is no stranger to the citizens of Coimbatore.
As a host for the national meet 2020, they painstakingly set out to curate an exhibition titled simply, ”Thaambaalam” (plates). With the staggering amount of stunning crafts that India has to offer, objects of utility were often used to depict the crafts of the area. Beautifying household items was how each home showcased craft and most importantly upheld the livelihood of the talented artisans. Hence this unique exhibition involved a meticulous curation of the various crafts using the plate/tray/platter as the object on which crafts from every state in India could be depicted. This required months of planning and communication to put up a display not only for the visiting delegates from other councils but just as importantly for the people of Coimbatore.
The National Meet took place at The Kumaraguru College of Technology which was attended by the Crafts Council members and the press. Aside from the display, the national meet also focuses on the work done in the area of craft revival and preservation. To highlight this, speakers are invited to present their knowledge on projects, workshops and documentation on the craft which they are concentrating on at present.
The morning started with a welcome address by Smt.Gita Ram, chairperson of CCI and included talks by Mr.Sharda Gautam, Mr.Manish Saksena , Mr.Praveen Raj Naik, Mr.Ashwini Saxena, Ms. Kanchana, Ms. Sudha Ravi and Mr. Ashoke Chatterjee.
The topics discussed were, ‘lenses for craft sector interventions’, ‘navigating the handloom ecosystem’, ‘challenges facing the craft sector and the role of CSR’, ’kondapalli project’, ‘the aranmula kannadi’ and ‘The Kendra Story-Sandur’.
Craft sector interventions is being done through a programme called “Antaran”, which is a Tata trust initiative.They intervene and work with weaving clusters across India to preserve the country’s textile heritage.They empower the craftspersons in whichever avenue necessary in order to improve their livelihhod. The Kondapalli project is aimed at bringing awareness about the ‘kondapalli products’. Once termed as ‘kondapalli toys’ they are made of wood and carry depictions of daily life. Made at Kondapalli, in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh these dolls are handcrafted to an extent where they showcase the smallest detail. While they are seldom used as objects of play by the children of today, it is a project which looks to highlight how it can be made relevant to today’s living.
The Aranmula mirror is another very fascinating tale. This craft is handed down from one generation to the next of Vishwakarmas. The closely guarded secret lies in the composition of metals which go into the making of the Aranmula mirror. It is an alloy which became popular after ornaments which were commissioned for the Aranmula Parthasarathy temple were appreciated for the way they sparkled. Due to the high content of tin, the crown for the deity apparently glinted like it was made of well cut crystal. This later formed the basis for the Aranmula kannadi. These specially crafted mirrors were an important part of the visu kani celebrations and earned a GI tag in the year 2004/2005. The Aranmula kannadi artisans live near the Pampa river in Kerala. The recent floods in Kerala resulted in huge losses of equipment, molds and tools for the Aranmula kannadi workers. Since then a team from CCI has been visiting these families and been in constant contact, helping them with funds and assistance to revive their trade. They will also be hosting an exhibition of Aranmula mirrors in April at Chennai.
The day ended with a scintillating performance by talented classical dancer Karuna Sagari and her troop. The second day of the National meet is exclusively for the committee members of the various councils where they share reports on their activities for the year and discuss about future agendas.
It is vital to mention that the Crafts Councils are a ‘not for profit’ society. Every member of the collective Crafts Councils who work tirelessly and passionately have one thought process. The need to preserve craft, help the future generations learn these intricate hand skills and enlighten the public about our rich craft heritage, in every way possible.
This specially curated exhibition was achieved by documenting the crafts, getting in touch with the karigars wherever they live, (some even in remote parts of the country),educating them about trying a different medium to showcase their work, convincing them to do a little bit more and cajoling them to do it within a particular period of time. This took 9 months of meeting, planning, correspondence and phone calls by committee members P. Gopalkrishna, Jayashree Ravi, Saranya Ramkumar, Manju Illango and Sujani Balu. In order for their efforts to be realised they received the unstinting support of Shankar Vanavarayar and the entire team at KCT, Vijaylakshmi Rudrappan who gave her time and creativity to do the design & layout for the exhibition along with committee members Sabitha Chandran, Divya Chandran, Roopa Vishnu, Venkatlakshmi Silesh, Srikala Badri and member, Sheela Rajendran. New badges in the lotus motif were made and given to members. Other committee members who are vital to the workings of CCTN ; Akila Selvakumar, Lakshmi Raman, Jayanthi Manohar and Radha Prasad ensured that that the event organised was well executed and that the guests were taken care of.
It is important to highlight that it is only with a collective consciousness that we can make a true impact. These dedicated men and women set aside their careers, homes, families and work hard to ensure that showcasing these incredible works of art help the artisans and their families to dream big ,have hope and believe that the callouses on their finger and blisters on their feet are worth than just a hand to mouth existence.
A list of the curated plates for Thāmbaalam from the various states of India
1.Kashmir-Papier-mâché
Copper
Walnut wood
2.Punjab-Hoshiarpur, ivory inlay work trays using acrylic
3.Assam- Water hyacinth trays and bamboo trays
4.Orissa-Pattachithra painting on wood trays
Soft stone plates
5.Gujarat-bell metal plates called Khaansa
Soft stone and alabaster cut work trays
6.Bihar- Madhubani painting on papier-mâché
7.Madhya Pradesh- Philkuwa work trays
Mathura - Sanji work trays
Bijnore- tray by a comb maker
Dokhra work from Bastar
Gond painting trays
8.Andhra Pradesh- Buditi work platters and troughs
Etikoppaka,turned wood plates
9.Telangana- Nirmal work trays ,
Bidri plate,
Karimnagar silver filigree trays
Cheriyal painting on wood trays
10.Karnataka- Sheet metal ,Ganga Jamuna work ie brass and copper worked trays
Soft stone from Halabedu
Chennapatna plates by AtulJohri a contemporary designer
11.Andretti pottery of Himachal
12.Rajasthan- Phad painting
Pichwai painting
Contemporary phad all on accasia wood trays
Miniature painting on a wooden plate from Jaipur
Blue pottery from Jaipur
13.Tamil Nadu-soft stone plates from Salem
Tanjore painting on antique wooden bases
Palmyrah leaf plates of Nagarcoil
Mirror work of Tanjore
Sheet metal contemporary plates from Kumbakonam in brass and copper
Sheet metal plates from Thirumurugan Poondi
Valaya thambalam of Chettinad
Wooden plates by a Ratha craftsman
14.Kerala- Mural painting on trays
Bell metal thambaalam
15.Agra- Inlay work on wood and stone
16.Maharashtra- enamel work on copper
Please visit and view these unique works of art at;
Kuudam,
334 Puliakulam Road,
Opposite Carmel Garden school
Coimbatore-45
For details contact:
9952778667
Entry is free for all.