[Watch] Traditional Instrument Makers Cling On To Dying Craft In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada: The families that craft the traditional music instruments in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district are now forced to look for alternative means of work to supplement their income.

Invasion of technology and fading demand for the traditional instruments among the artisans have pushed these families involved in the business for generations into financial uncertainty.

Three families of Telebila village in Shyamakhunta block of the district, known for making mridanga, madala, Khola, Dubi and Tabla, spoke to OdishaBytes about their plight.

The hardships and meagre income notwithstanding, the artisans are not willing to give up the family tradition. An artisan Paresh Das said, “The art has come down generations, we have learnt it from our elders and cannot let it die like this.”

The families manage their livelihood by making and selling these hand-made traditional music instruments. The demand for these instruments has come down drastically as people prefer modern ones, he said, adding, but this cannot stop them from carrying on the tradition

“As the sale of these instruments is much less, we are forced to pursue other works to sustain our families and at the same time, we keep some part of the day free for making the musical instruments,” he said.

Explaining the process of preparing the mridang,  a woman artisan Subasini Das said it takes 4 to 5 days to give shape to one piece and all family members have specific work. The main component of these instruments is called Kirana. For this, a mixture of iron powder and genguti stone powder is prepared. Later, the mixture is combined with gum prepared from cooked rice which is then applied to the centre of both sides of the mridang and madala. On the top of dubi and tabla, it is put in a circular manner and allowed to dry.”

The other components required for making the instruments are the hide of cow,  monkey and goat. The other materials like mati khala (a special elliptical pot made of clay with both sides open), special coloured threads and sliced bamboo branches are brought from West Bengal.

After all the hard labour, they earn around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 an instrument, Paresh said.

The demand for these instruments is more during Baishakha and Bhadraba months when they sell about 60 of them and manage to earn around Rs 24,000.