Tale Of Dhokra

Who would have imagined that fusing metal and wax would go on to create such wonderful and beautiful art sculptures?  The traditional Indian culture is so rich but these crafts have been forgotten. It would be surprising to know that crafts such as Dhokra are very popular in the west and are just gaining credibility here in India, where it all started. Our nation has a rich history of arts associated with it for hundreds of years. Dhokra is one such art. The name ‘Dhokra’ is used to indicate a group of craftsmen from Dhokra Damar tribes, who are, incidentally still nomads with few settlements that now extend from Jharkhand to West Bengal and Orissa to Chhattisgarh. They are part of the same family which includes the Malhars of Jharkhand and Sithrias of Orissa, who are identified for their beautifully shaped and decorated metal products. . Dhokra can be explained as a non–ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique. This art of metal casting has been prevalent in India for almost 4,000 years. One of the earliest discoveries of this art form was the “dancing girl” of Mohenjo-Daro. The traditional metal smiths still follow the old method of casting. This exquisitely handcrafted Dhokra Art involves a long tedious process of making. The artisans displayed their skills in making bronze and brass objects using the casting technique. A clay model forms the core and wax threads are wrapped around it to form a layer. This is covered with another layer of clay with a small aperture. Molten bronze or brass is poured in, which melts the wax, replacing it with brass or bronze. The products of Dhokra are unique as no two products are similar.

Each piece of Dhokra has its own distinct identity. They originally used to make Gods and Godesses, but over the time, as spiritual erosion took place, they started casting more specular forms, used more as artefacts than objects of worship.

Dhokra products enjoy tremendous popularity in the domestic as well as foreign markets because of their simplicity, enchanting sculptures and form. As the roots of Dhokra are deeper than imagination, its unique process makes its product indeed a collectible.