15 Tribal Areas and Crafts

Dr. Meenal Dhall

Contents

Introduction

1. Tribal areas of India

2. Types of Indian tribal craft

2.1. Metal Crafts

2.1.1. Lost Wax Technique

2.1.2. Iron Smithy Technique

2.2. Tribal Textiles

2.2.1. Shawls

2.2.2. Sarees

2.2.3. Cushion Covers

2.2.4. Mekhla Chandar

2.2.5. Dupattas

2.3. Tribal Paintings

2.3.1. Warli Paintings

2.3.2. Gond Paintings

2.3.3. Pithora Paintings

2.3.4. Palm Leaf paintings

2.4. Tribal Jewellery

2.5. Cane and Bamboo products

2.6. Pottery

3. Role of Government and NGOs in promoting Tribal crafts

Summary

Learning Outcomes:

With the help of following e-text the students will be able to:-

• To know about different tribal areas of India
• To understand the importance of Indian tribal art and craft
• To know about various types of tribal crafts of India
• To know about role of Government and non-government organizations in promoting tribal art and craft industry

INTRODUCTION

With the advancement of technology, and increasing pace of urbanization and industrialization where majority of rural population is moving towards urban world, there is threat to the local culture based industries which play an important role in building the economy of a nation. Often these art and culture sector which is the foundation of these industries is neglected and not recognized as a contribution in national economy. But as globalization is taking a pace the art and craft of Indian tribal communities is given recognition as national level rather at international level. There are several government and non-government organizations that bring the art and craft culture of various tribal communities to a platform where more and more people could come across it. In such a way so that the manufacturers get the deserving amount in return and also recognized at national and international level. India has become one of the preferable tourist spot in the globe so millions of foreigners visit India every year. One of their favorite souvenirs is any handmade object specially which depicts a story or a part of any culture. Handmade objects demand continuous hard work and patience and the hard work is reflected from the final piece. This is the reason behind the growing demand of tribal crafts in India.

For the economic development of tribal people the government of India has set up an organization TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. This organization provides market support to the tribal population of India which constitutes around 8% of the total population. This organization not only helps tribal people to promote their products at domestic level but at international level. Various workshops and seminars are organized where tribal people can express themselves in the form of these artifacts.

1.TRIBAL AREAS OF INDIA

The tribal population of India constitutes around 8% of the total population of nation. The Statistics Division of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs keeps a record of the tribal population of the nation. In 2013 the Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India was prepared under the supervision of Ministry of Tribal Affairs. According to this profile it is depicted that the number of Scheduled Tribes is 705. According to the census of India 2011, the total tribal population is around 10.43 crore. Out of this population around 89% live in rural areas and 10.3% live in urban areas. The tribal population of India is distributed among various states and UTs of India but majorly the STs are concentrated in two areas on India. These two geographical areas are Central India and North-Eastern India. Out of these two geographical areas more tribal population is inhabited in Central India which is clearly visible from the pie chart given below.

Figure1. Distribution of Scheduled Tribe Population by States

(Source: Presentation “SCHEDULED TRIBES IN INDIA, Census 2011” by Registrar General Of India, May 2013)

In Central India the tribal population is distributed mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In North-Eastern India the tribal areas are situated in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

It is visible from the graph that most of the tribal population of India is distributed in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Delhi NCR, Haryana and Punjab and the UTs-Puducherry and Chandigarh have no ST populations.

The census of India 2011 also released data on tribal areas of the country which can be understood with the help of the map given below. From the map it is illustrated that the states of Mizoram has the highest tribal population and the states of Uttar Pradesh has the lowest tribal population. The tribal population in India is spread across the diverse land of the country. Although all tribal communities have been brought under the category of Scheduled Tribes on the basis of certain common characteristics but each and every ST has its own unique characteristic features which give it an identity. Each tribe has unique culture and tradition. These cultural traits can be observed from the artefacts they produce.

2. TYPES OF INDIAN TRIBAL CRAFT

Tribal crafts include any handmade artifact prepared by tribal people. These products are generally made by raw material procured from the nearby forests or natural resources. These products have unique patterns and designs on them that is why these days tribal craft is gathering very much attention all across the globe. Different tribal populations in India inhabit different geographical areas. So there is a difference in the environment any tribal community in India is exposed to. In India around 89% of the tribal population lives in rural areas where they are in close contact with the forests. Forests play a very important and crucial role in the lives of any tribal community. Most of their daily use products are procured from the forests itself. Tribal people depend on forests for fruits, vegetables, wood, leaves and much more. Apart from these daily needs there are several other products which forest blesses these tribal communities with. A tribal population inhabiting near bamboo forests is highly efficient in making several bamboo items. These items not only help them in their daily routine but now days have become very popular in national and international market. Where people buy many of the tribal crafts as showpieces and use them as gift items. Crafts differ from tribe to tribe and depend upon the availability of raw material. Some of the very famous and exquisite Indian tribal crafts are:

2.1. Metal Crafts

The tribal artisans of Chattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal are famous for their metal crafts. The metal products produced in these regions of nation come under the Bell Metal Art or Dhokra Art. This art is most famous in the Bastar and Raigarh district of Chattisgarh where the golden colored objects are made out of bell metal, bronze and brass. The dhokra art derived its name from the Dhokra Damar tribe who used lost wax technique for making these products. There are mainly two techniques used in making these metal products. These are:-

2.1.1: Lost Wax Technique:

The Ghadwas of Bastar and Jharwas of Raigarh practice this technique to make metal products. The Malars, the Bharewas and the Swarankar tribal artisans also use this technique. In this technique a clay core with wax ribbons is used to make patterns and then this pattern is coated with clay. Then this followed by melting. In this process of melting the wax melts off and a cavity is formed. This cavity is now filled with molten metal. After some time this molten metal solidifies and the structure formed is brought out after breaking off the clay shell carefully. This is now given the final finish by hands of craftsmen. The wax used in this technique is either the bees wax or the resin obtained from the Sal trees. The process of this technique show how this tribal people have incorporated natural products like resin or bees wax with metal and fire and have come up with such a great outcome. This technique is used to create items which are of daily use like lamp stands, hangers, candle stands, jewellery box and bells.

2.1.2: Iron Smithy Technique: This technique is practiced by comparatively less tribal people. In this technique the iron is heated up and then beaten continuously until it obtains a particular form of an object. The Agaria and Lohar tribes of Chattisgarh practice this technique. This technique is used to make showpiece items like ornaments and lamps etc.

Usually the name Dhokra art and Bell metal art are used interchangeably as most of the products are made from bell metal which is an alloy of copper and tin. A huge range of products are manufactured by bell metal art but the most common are idols of deities, trees, gods and goddesses accompanied by their vehicles, horses, elephants are some of the very common metal crafts. This technique is one of the oldest craft techniques as one of the artifact known as the Dancing girl figurine made by this technique is obtained from Mohenjo Daro which is supposed to be around 4,000 years old.

(http://www.osmhandicraft.com/dhokraart.html)

2.2.  Tribal Textiles

The tribes of India have designed various types of handlooms by making several drawings which are inspired by their history and culture. Several designs on their handlooms depict their mythology and legends. There is a wide range of material, color, texture which is tribe specific. One can see the extent of creativity that is reflected from the tribal textiles. The tribes North-Eastern India weave a variety of 10 shawls, blankets, wraps and many other garments which are very beautiful and colorful. In Andhra Pradesh the tribes add shells and mirrors to the fabric to make them into beautiful mats and cushion and pillow covers, while embroidery is one of the characteristic of the Todas in Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu). A variety of garments and other handlooms are prepared by the tribal people. Some of them are:-

2.2.1. Shawls: various shawls and stoles are made by the tribes of Himachal Pradesh i.e the Bodh tribe and Kinnauri tribe from this state made beautiful shawls. The Dongria kond girls make shawls with beautiful embroideries. The Naga shawls made by various tribes of Nagaland are also very pretty.

2.2.2. Sarees: Beautiful plain red coloured cotton sarees are worn by the women of Mahar, Gond, Maria, Gadwa and Bhatra tribes.

2.2.3. Cushion Covers: The Banjara tribe of Andhra Pradesh make cushion covers with floral patchwork on them while the Lambanis of Karnataka make silk cushion covers with mirror work and embroidery on it.

2.2.4. Mekhla Chandar: This is the traditional Assamese dress which is worn by women. It comprises two pieces one is mekhla that is draped around the lower half of body. Another portion of this dress is Chandar which is a piece of close worn on the upper portion of the body. It is prepared by the Mishi tribe of Assam.

2.2.5. Dupattas: The tribal dupattas are mainly made up of cotton or silk. The Panika tribe make cotton hand spun dupattas which are colored using vegetable dyes. Usually patterns of birds and butterflies are designed onto these dupattas. The Gond tribe of Chattisgarh makes Tasar silk dupattas.

2.3.  Tribal Paintings

Tribal paintings are a mirror of the tribal expressions which reflect their creativity as well as their simplicity. Many tribes use their paintings to decorate their houses and as a welcome note on their doors and floors. Tribal paintings are an expression of their daily livelihood and their interaction with nature. India is a land of diversity where every place differs in its culture, climate and heritage from the other, so differ the tribal communities. Some of the most famous tribal paintings of India are:-

2.3.1 Warli Paintings: Warli paintings or the warli folk paintings are made by the Warli tribe of Maharashtra. Warli paintings are usually made inside the huts on a background coated with cow dung or mud then either the chalk powder or rice powder is used to make designs on the dark colored background. A bamboo stick sharpened at one end is used to make the designs. The major themes of warli paintings is harvesting and wedding. The nature is usually depicted in these paintings.

2.3.2 Gond Paintings: The Gond tribe is the largest tribe of Central India and is distributed in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. The people of this tribe make beautiful paintings which are very colourful. These paintings depict various cultural and traditional ritual of this tribe. The paintings are mainly designed with the figures of birds and flora. These paintings are made on various occasions with the help of cow dung, leaves sap and other natural ingredients. Various gods and goddesses are also depicted in Gond paintings. These paintings are mainly drawn by joining lines and dots which give the picture an entirely different look. Various Gond artists have become famous on national level and make these traditional paintings in canvas.

2.3.3 Pithora Paintings: Pithora paintings are made by the Bhils of Madhya Pradesh and Rathwas of Gujrat. Marriage is the main theme of these paintings. In pithora paintings various marriage processions are depicted. Pithora paintings are of great ritual significance and the painting is drawn by performing certain rituals. There are pithora painters in some communities who draw these on the walls of house. These paintings also have certain myths associated with them. Pithora paintings are drawn using leaf extracts, lamp back and other natural products. Bhils of Madhya Pradesh make these paintings by first coating the walls with cow-dung. Horses are a major component of these paintings.

2.3.4 Palm Leaf paintings: The palm leaf paintings are one of the ancient paintings of Odrissa. The Saora tribe of Orissa makes paintings on palm-leaves, silk and also on cloth. Various stories, myths, and gods and goddesses are depicted in these paintings.

2.4.  Tribal Jewellery

In any society jewellery and other ornaments are s symbol of status, wealth and prosperity. But in tribal societies jewellery has religious and other significance also. A person with higher social status is usually adorned with heavy ornaments. Among the Naga tribes of Nagaland the long tail feathers of a hornbill are an important part of their ritual dress. The tribal jewellery and ornaments have symbolic value and usually are a symbol of power. Tribal communities have kept the original deigns preserved till date. The tribal jewellery are made up of raw material easily available to tribal people for example wood, clay, shells etc. these jewellery products are not only attractive but also hold a uniqueness in itself. Some of the jewellery and ornaments made by the tribal people are bison horn head dresses, necklaces made up of silver, gold and other crude metals. The Lambadi tribal women wear ornaments like necklaces, anklets and forehead belts made up from silver.

2.5.  Cane and Bamboo products

Human beings have an intricate relationship with plants. We are dependent on plants for many purposes be it food, shelter, medicines and other products. Tribal communities depend largely on plants. They because of living in the close proximity with various plants have identified and used different parts of plants for different purposes. For example coco-palm is used to make spears, knives, canoes, fuel, mats, baskets and hats etc. the North-Eastern states of India is rich in cane and bamboos and the tribal communities living in close association with the forests have been utilizing it as raw material for making many daily use products.

The tribal communities of North-Eastern region have utilized the cane and bamboo to every possible extent and also have developed techniques unique to their community. There is a varied range of bamboo and cane products found among various states of North-Eastern region. Bamboo baskets are a common product which can be seen with every North-Eastern tribal people. These baskets are made according to various purposes in different shapes and sizes.

Figure8: A Plain Basket used by Bodos of Assam

(http://ignca.nic.in/craft152.htm)

Conical Carrying Baskets are common to every household. These are also known as akhi and akha.

Flattened Cylindrical Baskets are used for storing rice beer.

Flat Bottomed big Baskets are used for storing grains into it.

Mizo Conical bamboo baskets are used by women for carrying purposes. These baskets are known as paikawang.

The Angami bamboo baskets known as kophi are a beautiful craft of Mizoram. It has its own significance and is given to the daughter at the time of her marriage.

Figure9: An Angami Basket

(http://www.indianetzone.com/41/bamboo_cane_crafts_nagaland.htm)

In different types of baskets the bamboo is used in a different form. Several patterns are made while making these baskets which unique in itself. Apart from various types of baskets the tribal people of North-East region make other utilitarian products from can and bamboo like cane mats, storage vessels, hats, fishing equipments, etc.

Apart from the tribes of North-Eastern region the Gadaba and Gonds of Chattisgarh make flutes from bamboo shoots which are used for musical purpose and to control the herds as well.

2.6. Pottery

Apart from above mentioned crafts certain tribes make their own pottery by a technique unique to their community. The pottery includes vessels and utensils which are used for many purposes. The Longpi pottery is one of the famous tribal craft and is practiced by the Thankhul Naga tribe of Manipur. This pottery is a status symbol among this tribe as only rich people can afford to have it. It is used at special occasions like marriage, festivals and feasts.

Figure10: Longpi Pottery

(http://antimakhanna.com/category/longpi-pottery/)

The Longpi pottery got its name from the name of the village where it is practiced. This specific type of pottery is made from the mixture of weathered rock and black serpentite stone. The mixture or the clay thus formed is then placed on a flat surface and the desired shape is given by hands. The structure thus formed is left for drying. Once it is dried it is put in a furnace for heating. The next step is rubbing and polishing of the potteries which are done by local plant leaves known as “Chiron Na”. The polishing and rubbing is done before the temperature drops down. After this the final pottery is formed which is ready for use.

3.   ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND NGOS IN PROMOTING TRIBAL CRAFTS

The government of India has always tried to uplift the tribes of the country by various means. Many efforts have been made to accelerate the tribal economic development by promoting their art and craft. The crafts made by tribal people are unique in their look, components and structure. People like them because of their uniqueness and are in great demand these days. So under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India, an organization named as TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd) was established in 1987, which work particularly for the development of the tribal art and craft. The organization has set up various shops all across the nation where various tribal products are displayed for selling. These shops have been given the name as TRIBES INDIA.

Apart from Government initiatives to preserve and promote the tribal art and crafts, there are many non-government organizations which are working in this context. NGOs collect products from tribal people and put stalls at different places all across the nation to sell these products. The motive behind all this is not just to uplift the tribal economic development but all these actions help tribal communities to come forward and spread their art and craft at domestic as well as at national level

SUMMARY

The tribes constitute around 8% of the total population of the nation and spread over different geographical areas. The large portion of the tribal population is inhabited in the Central and North-Eastern areas of the India. In Central India the tribes are distributed mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In North-Eastern India the tribal areas are situated in Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Tribal crafts include any handmade artifact prepared by tribal people. These products are generally made by raw material procured from the nearby forests or natural resources. The tribal artisans of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal are famous for their metal crafts. The metal products produced in these regions of nation come under the Bell Metal Art or Dhokra Art. The tribes of India have designed various types of handlooms by making several drawings which are inspired by their history and culture and are prepared with beautiful colours which are generally prepared by natural ingredients. Tribal paintings are a mirror of the tribal expressions which reflect their creativity as well as their simplicity. Warli painting, Gond painting, Pithora painting, palm-leaf paintings are some the very famous tribal paintings of India. Tribal jewellery is a symbol of their status and power. Various ornaments like necklaces, wrist band, anklets are prepared by the raw material available in their surroundings. Tribes living near forests especially near cane and bamboo forests make full use of these materials and prepare enormous number of their daily use products like baskets of various shapes and sizes, hats, vessels etc. Tribal people make beautiful pottery also. Longpi pottery from Manipur is very famous and only rich tribal people occupy this pottery.

Government of India has been trying to promote these tribal arts and crafts in national and global market so that the tribal economy could be fastened. Several NGOs also are working in this light.

References

1. DAS, A. K. Tribal Art And Craft. Delhi: Agam Kala Prakashan, 1979. p.1-8.