Traditional Orissa artisans lament low business returns

Artisans in Orissa, who make a living by crafting embellished costumes for traditional theatre, lament loosing business due to low returns and peoples apathy.

By Sarda Lahangir

Haripur (Orissa), Oct 4 : Artisans in Orissa, who make a living by crafting embellished costumes for traditional theatre, lament loosing business due to low returns and people's apathy.

Artisans in the Haripur village, located about 55 kilometers from Kendrapara district, have continued the traditional craft of making dresses for Jatra, a traditional form of folk theatre.

However, they say the craft has almost reached the verge of extinction.

Jatra involves making gaudy paper headdresses and vests by stitching colourful beads and laces, and engages about 50 families in the village.

The embellishments made by the artisans are also used as accessories in the state's dance form, Odissi. The artisans also send these dresses to their clients across India and abroad.

"We have employed village women to stitch beads in the dresses. We supply these dresses to Odissi dancers. Within India it goes to Jaipur and outside, we send it to countries like America and Pakistan," said Ganga Bihari Mohanty, an artisan.

The artisans lament the steady deterioration in the craft due to the concept of Jatra undergoing a change and low returns.

"Now the demand has come down. Earlier, the Jatra used to be royal or mythology-based but now the dramas are mostly modern and people don't require gaudy dresses," said Sarat Nayak, another artisan.

An Indian version of 'Opera', Jatra shares a great deal of literary and ethnographic features with West Bengal and Bihar where the performers act in an open stage without curtains.

Jatra today has changed. It depicts modern day cultural and political struggles, using the traditional art form. .

ANI