Bhubaneswar: Pradeep Kumar Maharana, a seasoned artisan from Belaguntha in Odisha’s Ganjam district, has been selected for the prestigious National Handicraft Award 2025.
Announced on Tuesday by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the honour recognises Maharana’s outstanding dedication to sustaining and refining Odisha’s centuries-old flexible brass fish craft. This rare art form transforms rigid alloy sheets into lifelike, articulated aquatic figures that mimic fluid, natural swimming motions through intricate, hand-joined interlocking scales.
Belaguntha has long been celebrated as the historic hub of this metalworking heritage, which historically served as a symbol of good omen and wealth during traditional Odia weddings and religious ceremonies. Master artisans craft these flexible figurines without modern machinery, relying on meticulously hammered sheets, precision cutting, and hand-woven brass links. Maharana, who previously won the Odisha State Handicraft Award in 2000, inherited this intricate legacy from his father, Ananta Moharana. Spanning several decades of craftsmanship, his work has expanded the tradition’s boundaries into new decorative forms, including flexible brass prawns and snakes.
Beyond preserving family traditions, Maharana has actively trained over 100 local youths to pass down the specialised technique. Expressing his gratitude for the national recognition, he acknowledged the government’s support while highlighting the ongoing economic pressures facing rural craft clusters. “I am thankful to the govt for recognising my craft which is one of our state’s distinctive traditional handicrafts. My family continues to practice it and we have improvised it to create other forms, including prawns and snakes. However, the labour-intensive process and uncertain livelihood prospects pose challenges to the craft’s continuity,” TOi reported, quoting him.
Despite its cultural significance, the craft requires immense physical labor and days of detailed handiwork, leaving practicing artisans vulnerable to low profit margins, rising raw material costs, and uncertain market demand—challenges that threaten the survival of Belaguntha’s unique metalworking legacy.