[Karna Meher while felicitated with National Award 2010 by the President of India for excellence in Natural Fiber Craft] |
Tussar is a fibre that is being extracted
from the cocoon of a moth called kusa (Antheraea mylitta and Antheraea proylei). Unlike silk the
texture of tussar is coarse and brown in colour. In India this worm grows in
the forests on the ka (Arjuna) and Maniketaka trees.
This fibre is thicker than that of silk. In Odissa tasar is
called matha or kusa. The tribal collect the
cocoons of the tussar and sell it in the market for a living. Here at
Barpali there lives a community by the name Kusta Meher’s whose prime vocation
is to weave tussar handloom fabrics.
First of all the cocoons are boiled in water to
make it softer, than they extract the tusar fiber out of it manually
with hand while rolling-out the thread on the lap. This is the most
difficult job of the whole process. There is no modern machine or the
instruments to do it. The worker need to maintain the thickness of the thread
while rolling out the yarn on the lap.
This is Karna Meher of Barpali, a
kusta weaver by caste who is innovating artifacts from kusa fiber This is an
indigenous art form which has been innovated by his own self. It would be
justified if the term “invention” is substituted for the word innovation. It is
a first of its kind craft work, that was never ever attempted by anyone else.
Karna Meher has been honored with
the National Award for his Excellence in Natural Fiber Craft for the year 2010
by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 9th November 2012 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi for
his kusa craft work titled “Dolarasa”.
Karna Meher able to showcase the view of Lord Krishna playing colours with
Radha and other gopikas while swinging on a doli. He made this artifact by using the filament of the tussar. To make this artifact a platform has
been created. A gate has been installed on the stage from where the swing has
been hanged. Lord Krishna and Radha were placed in it. At the pinnacle of the
gate Sun God appears vividly. On the either side of the gate two watchful
soldiers have been posted. While at the base of the platform gopas and
the gopikas are playing musical instruments and the colours. At the pedestal
the figures of cows and calves have been placed which forms an integral part of
a gopi society. On the pedestal a scene of the Hindu mythology of Lord
Krishna killing the multi headed serpentine Kalia (kalia Dalana) has
been created.
[Dolarasa - the master piece that bagged the National Award for the year 2010] |
Karna has worked relentlessly for six hours
every day for 14 months and 18 days to create this master piece. The filament
of the tussar has been used to make this artifact This artist prepared a
special adhesive by grinding the raw soaked rice with the water of the cooked
rice (called peja in Oriya) to bind the kusa fiber together.
[a close-up view of the pedestal of Dolarasa] |
[Un-stitched pajama] |
He has innovated a technique to weave a paijama directly
on a khat-khati i.e. handloom machine without the application
of any stitching in a sewing machine.
WhatsApp # +918249314972
E.Kiran Mohan(The Writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Main Road, Near SBI,
At/PO : Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh,Odisha, India
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (M.D)
Main Road, Near SBI,
At/PO : Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh,Odisha, India
Great work by Karn Meher!!! Kiran dada, thanks for capturing and sharing the information with the world.
ReplyDeletegood job
ReplyDeleteAsish Chirania:
ReplyDeleteI'm proud to be a Barpalian :)
Congratulating and an essential effort taken up to bring up indigenous artist through the medium of blog.Looking forward for more hidden talents in this town and more updates of Karan Meher's art works.
ReplyDeletei think Karan meher is more an artist then mere craftman.A series can be written on his innovations.his way of working,method of collection of material,planning for making work,how he works,how much time he spends in making an work should come out......looking forward for deepest curating and articulation on his work.Best wishes
ReplyDelete