A few families in Odisha keep an exotic but dying art alive amid poor marketing and Covid.
The lac of the draw

It is that time of the year again when the 150-odd potter families including that of Gadadhar and Sarojini in Nuagaon village, located 15 to 17 km from Bhubaneswar, engage themselves in making traditional clay lamps for Diwali.
Odisha’s rich tradition of handicrafts add colour to the landscape that is dotted with beaches on one side and forests on the other. Often centered on Hinduism and Islamic lore, these craft traditions have been an integral part of the State’s heritage offering an insight into its culture and geography.…
(From left) Pramod Das, Prashant Maharana, Gangadhar Maharana and Banamali Mohapatra (Photo | Shamim Qureshy) In the verandah of a craft centre in the quaint Raghurajpur village of Odisha, 70-year-old Banamali Mohapatra sits hunched on the floor applying thin strips of colour on a small black circular disc. His fingers…
Straw painting of Holy Trinity At the backyard of his house in Jirala village, Pradeepta Nayak carefully selects delicate rice straw strands, separating the dark brown coloured ones from those having a golden hue. In a small room few metres away, a group of women are creating a massive painting…
It may be made of brass, but this fish can still flap a fin and touch its tail. The craft of making the flexible brass fish occupies a significant place in Odisha’s rich handicraft tradition. In the lanes of Belaguntha village in Ganjam district of Odisha, three craftsmen from the…