Often described as `black beauty', the craft was once the cynosure of art lovers. Its distinctive features are delicateness of designs and boldness of form which stands class apart. But, lack of patronage, official neglect and spiraling prices of raw material coupled with invasion of plastic are throttling this rare craft.
“Availability of plastic goods in plenty at much cheaper price compared to horns goods dissuades the customers to buy horn work,” says Umashankar Maharana, a young craftsman.
The artisans are a dejected lot today. Those who still hold on to this famous craft are calling for its conservation.
Horn craft is the rich cultural heritage of the artisans of this town located in the southern extreme of Odisha.
The craftsmen community, all Maharanas by caste, is originally carpenters by birth and trade. They are believed to have taken to horn craft during the reign of Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Deb, the late Maharaja of Paralakhemundi.
Legend has it that the Maharaja had patronised the art-form using the intricate artistic skills of the craftsmen to beautify his majestic palace.
Over the years, the artisans tried to diversify and develop the craft to make wide range of scintillating objects.
The establishment of Paralakhemundi Biswakarma Samabaya Samitee Limited (Singha Shilpa) in 1948 had ushered in a new era for the development of the craft as the Samittee played a vital role in rapid expansion of the art and uplift of artisans.
Efforts were made to introduce new designs with better tools, the outcome being an amazing range of horn works of superb finish and breathtaking beauty. The products began to enchant the buyers and even exported to other countries including the US , England , Germany and France . The very name `Paralakhemundi' thus became synonymous with horn-craft.
“The craftsmen skillfully fashion horns into birds arrested in flight, animals of prey on the prowl, fighting bulls, fish being guzzled by cranes, elephant rolling log, combs, pen stands, lamp stands, paper weights, lamp shades, snuff boxes, vermilion containers and walking sticks. In keeping with changing times, the craftsmen are drawing inspiration for decorative pieces from modern art as well,” an employee of the state-owned Utkalika says.
“This is akin to dragon culture of Sikkim ,” says B.K.Sahu, marketing manager of the state-owned Handicraft Development Corporation of Odisha.
But the present state of this handicraft and its artisans is deplorable. Dejection is writ large on the face of about 30 families who are now valiantly struggling to maintain their rich cultural heritage.
Problems engulfing the craftsmen included non-availability of enough raw materials, particularly horns, its spiraling price and resultant less profit.
They procure horns from Ankapalli in neighboring Andhra Pradesh and Ambadala in Rayagada district of Odisha besides from the local area.
As traders from other states also procure the horns from these places, the local artisans are unable to compete with the big buyers. “This is a major set back for the local craftsmen,” Alok Raj Jena, Managing Director of the Samittee says.
The price of horns is becoming unaffordable because of high transportation cost. To add to their woes horn traders from other states are procuring available horns at higher prices for use in fertilizer plants.
“The government should procure raw material through cooperative societies and provide them to the artisans at subsidised prices,” the HDC official says.
“There is still demand for horn products but the trade is suffering due to scarcity of raw materials (horns),” he adds.
Though the craftsmen here are skilled workers, their stereotyped hand-made products face stiff competition from various machine made products flooding the market now.
The men folk do major portion of the work flying their imagination giving desired shape, and the women and children contribute in great deal by polishing detached shapes to make them smooth and shiny. They clean the half-made products thoroughly with water and dry in open air before rubbing it with ash of cow dung or charcoal. Then they apply limestone paste or white varnish to highlights the desired areas. Finally, coconut oil is smeared all over to give the horn work a beautiful sheen and glossy look.
“The craft is steadily losing its appeal to the people and there is diminishing appreciation for this art-form. Some of us who are still sticking to the craft are doing so only to keep the hereditary art-form alive. Otherwise, one cannot make the ends meet in this profession”, says Tarini Maharana, president of Horn Artisans' Association of Odisha.
There are altogether 42 families engaged in horn-works here but practically about 30 families are doing this craft. Besides Parlakhemundi, the only other place in Odisha where this craft has symbolic presence is at Cuttack.
Horns of cows, buffalos and stag antlers are used in this craft. Solid parts of the hors are only used, says Udaya Moharana.
The scenario, however, has since changed in view of the demand for the horn works drastically falling in the international market following awareness campaign launched by wildlife experts and stringent deterrent provisions in the Wildlife Protection Act, the rare craft suffers heavily.
“This has led to scarcity of horns having adversely affecting the craft. Now the craftsmen are fighting a grim battle for sustenance,” says Gourang Charan Panigrahy, an educationist.
“Horn-work demands enormous patience, utmost concentration and long working hours, yet the average income of an artisan is around Rs 70 to Rs 80 a day. These factors make many horn artists to switch over to other trades like wood craft.
Those who are still holding on to the profession are not at all interested to pass it on to their children. “If the present state of affairs continues, this wonderful handicraft may face extinction in a decade or so,” says septuagenarian Nila Maharana.
The craft also poses health hazards, dissuading the younger generation to accept it. The artisans inhale the smoke while burning the horns which expose them to diseases like asthma tuberculosis and skin ailments. “Despite all odds, a few of us are striving to keep this art-form alive,” Padmanava Maharana, another craftsman says.
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