Amazing Terracotta of Odisha That People Would Never Miss

Amazing Terracotta Crafts of Odisha That People Would Never Miss

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(Author with the terracotta musicians)

Introduction:

Terracotta crafts of Odisha are overwhelmingly prepared, polished and painted in the rural belts of Orissa.Burnt Clay Crafts are otherwise called terracotta.The word ‘Terracotta’ is derived from an Italian term, which signifies ‘baked clay’ and ‘fired clay’ in Latin. Burnt Clay Crafts are made out of locally accessible clay and most likely the earliest craft made by humans.It is additionally called ‘ Mruttika (ମୃତ୍ତିକା ) ‘ in vernacular Odia.  These crafts are natural, solid and very appealing when painted. The only negativity is that these crafts are fragile and has to be handled with care.

Replica of Tulsi Chaura on display at the Crafts Museum ( KalaBhoomi)

Huge Burnt Clay Pots for Keeping the Auspicious Basil Plants in front of Houses (Tulsi Chaura ,ତୁଳସୀ ଚଉରା ).(There lies a tradition of offering/putting burning earthen lamps every evening in front of those basil plants in almost all Odia rural households.)

Varieties of Burnt Clay Crafts

Various things are produced using clay by capable Odia skilled workers, for example, diyas ( charming little lamps), necklaces, earrings , accessories, masks, jars, utilities like storage of food grains,  cooking vessels, tea/coffee cups, glasses, chulhas or clay cookstoves, incense stick stands,toys and tiles, masterpieces of pretty much anything (human figures, birds and creatures, plants,images of Deities, landmarks, even cartoon characters ) . Anything is possible by creative minds of these artisans.

There are more than 15,000 burnt clay  craftsmen in the state who are creating customary, decorative and utility clay craft based things.

Painted Burnt Clay Musicians & Plain Containers for Sale in an Exhibition

Painted Burnt Clay Containers, Bed Lamps, Masks etc. For Sale.

Burnt Clay Images of Deities

Burnt Clay Plaques to Decorate the Walls

Burnt Clay Plaques to Decorate the Walls

Burnt Clay Sculpture Displayed in an Art Exhibition

Painted Burnt Clay Flower Vases

Burnt Clay cups, plates, tea kettle etc. for sale in a craft exhibition

Tribal painting done on the surface of terracotta flower vase

Centres of Clay Crafts

There are several places in different nooks and corners of our state where these clay craft artisans are predominantly staying and concentrating only on producing terracotta products. Some of the focused terracotta craft pockets are

Sonepur( District H.Q), Barapalli(Baragarh district) , Haldharpur(Kendujhar district), Nuagaon( Sundergarh district), Lunukua(Jagatsinghpur district), Kusumi(Sambalpur district) , Dashmantpur( Koraput district), Laxmipur(Koraput district),  Kumbharput (Koraput district) etc.

Clay rooftop tiles are enlivened with the figures of monkeys, squirrels, birds , mice etc. on them. This practice started in the need to drive off wild creatures and these creatures roosted on tiles act fairly in the idea of scarecrows as accepted by the people of the rural belts.

Dongria kondh tribal ladies selling/ purchasing household earthenwares in a weekly tribal market, Chatikona near Raygada, Odisha

Making of Clay Crafts

Potter’s wheel

Potter’s wheel

Potter’s traditional kiln in Kumbharpada,Puri, where cow dung cakes and wood logs are used unlike electric kilns widely used in western countries.

Artistic varieties of terracotta smoking pipes made by an artisan in Kumbharpada, Puri.

Lankapodi Hanuman is the idol used during Lankapodi Utsav ( the burning of Lanka festival) that is celebrated in Sonepur Balangir and Sambalpur parts of Odisha. The idol has attached wheels and a cloth wrapped to its tail that is set on fire and dragged in the streets to create an illusion of burning Lanka. Here I am giving the phot

The offering of votive horses to the village deities is a common phenomenon in rural Orissa. Such sculptures are made as offerings to a village deity normally seen in village squares under a large banyon or peepal tree, near a pond or river . The seven individual pieces of the horse are made separately and then joined together.

Here I am attaching a short video on 

” Mythological Trail of Living Terracotta of Sonepur ( Western Odisha)” by IGRMS for a better understanding of the craft.

Dr. Manoj Mishra

lunarsecstasy@gmail.com