Jharkhand’s traditional tribal gold jewellery finds urban takers

By Shambu Nath Chaudhary

Ranchi, Jan 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) The fame of products made from Jharkhand's soil, metal and gold is spreading worldwide.

In the last four-five years, the talent of Jharkhand's hand craftsmen has opened up new avenues for business and employment generation.

The products made by them are being sold on e-commerce websites, branded showrooms and international fairs and exhibitions.

On Dhanteras, to provide a big market for the state's traditional tribal jewellery, government agency Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society (JSLPS) launched the brand 'Adiva'.

The traditional ornaments of silver and metal are being made in villages by a group of women hailing from Dumka and Khunti districts.

Adiva brand ornaments can be purchased online via the Palash Mart application.

In the India International Trade Fair (IITF) held in New Delhi in November, Adiva brand's jewellery enticed people and in four days ornaments worth over Rs nine lakh were sold.

The government has opened 158 Palash Marts for women hand craftspersons.

Over 60 products are available at the Palash Marts, which are getting a good response from Amazon and Flipkart.

JSLPS CEO Nancy Sahay told IANS: "We are very excited with the response our products drew at IITF."

"During the exhibition, we got orders worth Rs 15 lakh for Adiva and Palash products," she said.

A woman hand craftsperson from Khunti said: "With the launch of Adiva, our handcrafted jewellery got a new identity."

To provide employment to the state's craftsmen, weavers and artisans, the state government has established the Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (JHARCRAFT).

JHARCRAFT'S showrooms and emporiums are being run at various places including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and cities in Jharkhand.

In these showrooms, one can see a wide range and variety of tussar silk cloth, dhokra art, lacquer ornaments, terracotta products, leather products and musical instruments, among others.

Jharkhand's 5,000-year-old Sohrai and Kohvar paintings after getting the Geographical Identification (GI) tag, have got global recognition.

In the past decade, exhibitions of Sohrai and Kohvar paintings have been held in New York, Paris, London, among other places.

Padma Shri awardee Bullu Imam has played a significant role in getting this art recognised at the international level.

Every year since 2014, photographer and filmmaker Deidi von Schaewen organises exhibitions of Sohrai and Khovar paintings in various cities of France.

Shobha Kumari, who hails from Ranchi, has been making the traditional ornaments of Jharkhandi tribes since 13 years. The products made by her have been exhibited in the US, New Zealand, among other countries.

Sohrai and Kohvar paintings made by Jaishri Indavar have been exhibited in Germany and Italy via Jharcraft.

The state's Dhokra art, wooden craft and bamboo products are available on e-commerce websites.

After soil, wood, stone, now plans are being made to prepare jewellery and decorative items from coal which is produced on a large scale here.

This project has been prepared by the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), a Dhanbad-based central agency doing research in the field of coal mining.

Under the project being started under corporate social responsibility (CSR)- CIMFR, women in the mining areas of the state will be given training to make jewellery and showpieces from coal.

As per the director of the institute, a technology has been developed on the basis of which after processing coal waste, ornaments and showpieces can be made.

Source: IANS