Karnataka - Mangalore   

Leading craftsmen towards self-sustainability

—PHOTO: Renuka Padhnis

EXQUISITE PIECES: Pottery requires scarce clay.

MANGALORE: Artisans Village, nestled in the Western Ghats at Pilikula on the outskirts of Mangalore, has been drawing hundreds of urbanites since four years.

Those interested in seeing arts and crafts of yesteryear and buying products upgraded to contemporary designs come here. Yet, those who run the place admit that they walk a tight rope, balancing between showcasing the bygone skills while trying to make it a profitable business.

The village showcases crafts such as cane furniture, pottery, stone, wood, carpentry, handlooms, blacksmith , an old method of making beaten rice (‘avalakki'), and a traditional method of making edible oil. Of these, pottery, cane furniture making, terracotta articles, and even preserving the traditional way of making beaten rice were posing tough challenges, said Parameshwara Adiga, project officer of Artisans Village.

Clay craftsmen find it difficult to procure good clay, which is brought from Gurupura. Another problem is getting firewood for the kiln. There is an additional problem of off-season rain so the pottery does not dry in time. In carpentry, wood is hard to get and stone carvers find it tough to create idols as it requires scarce, soft black Krishna Shile, available only at Nellikaru in Karkala.

The job of a blacksmith is laborious and youngsters are unwilling to take up such crafts. “If the Government increases the stipend, then students may come,” said Mr. Adiga. No one was interested in traditional crafts, he said. This year, only three students joined the village despite being offered Rs. 2,000 a month, free accommodation, electricity, water and firewood, he said.The village has trained 1,249 craftsmen over three years from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. It was started under the Special Swarna Jayanti Swarozgar Yojana of the Centre and the State Government (75-25 partnership) with Rs. 3 crore with the aim of becoming sustainable after three years. Now, 21 artisans live in the village. However, the issues have not daunted them. Mr. Adiga said: “I am confident we can create and sell these goods profitably.”

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