A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated (mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations. Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.
About Paralakhemundi Cluster:-
Paralakhemundi Cluster falls under Orissa State in Ganjam district.
The Paralakhemundi cluster is able to form 60 plus Artisans & 25 SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day. Paralakhemundi Cluster is famous for Cane and Bamboo, Grass, Leaf, Reed and Fiber Crafts.
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Cane and Bamboo:-
Cane and bamboo are the two most commonly-used materials in daily life in Orissa.Products ranging from household implements to construction of dwelling houses to weaving accessories to musical instruments are made in bamboo.No mechanical devices are used in the craft, which is mainly a household industry.Besides basket-weaving, bamboo is used chiefly in the construction of houses and fencing.The craft traditionally provides part-time employment to cultivators in the lean season, although, increasingly, full-time artisans engaged in commercial activity can be found now.Bamboo products are in evidence everywhere in Orissa..There are innumerable types and shapes of the bamboo basket, varying with the use to which they are put.The men of the household usually weave the bamboo baskets.Each district has its own distinctive style.In general, conical baskets are used as carrying baskets and square or round bottomed ones are used for storage.An example is the Orissa. bamboo basket from Ganjam.This has a square base that is capped inwards so that the corners of the square act as a support and it has a wide mouth.It is used for storing betel nuts.The Bodo bamboo basket is made with the help of a mould, which is used to get the shape of the neck and the mouth.From the neck to the bottom, brown paper is made into a cone and put into the basket so that its tip touches the bottom.Sand is filled inside to retain the shape of the cone and the weaving follows the shape of the cone.Dolls and toys are also made with cane and bamboo.Apart from human and animal figures, toy shotguns and musical instruments are crafted.Umbrella handles made of bamboo are a speciality and have designs of leaves, creepers, plants, rings, and crosses etched on them.A special variety of bamboo known as the muli is used for the handles.
Raw materials:-
Orissa being rich in raw materials has a large variety of beautiful products.The hill and the plain people, each have their own styles & designs.Apart from making baskets, cane & bamboo are also turned into furniture items, comparatively more modern innovation.Materials made of Cane and Bamboo are one of the very oldest of men creations, done by joining grass with grass and interlacing leaves with the minimum tools.It was considered clean for religious purposes.One of the finest examples of craft skills in Orissa is its cane work.The raw material, profusely available in its lush forests, provides the industry with its strength and sustenance.
Process:-
The whole stem of cane and bamboo is cut with a hacksaw and split longitudinally into various sizes by a billhook.The cane is heated on a slow fire, generally with a kerosene lamp for flexibility.The objects can be made in two different forms: coiling for baskets; and weaving for mats.In coiled basketry, foundation of the basket is built first by coiling a cane round a central core.It is built up spirally and gradually the width is increased until desired height is attained.The coils are joined together by sewing strips which can be attached in two ways: each stitch passed over the new portion of the foundation coil.Figure of eight is made i.e., the stitch passes behind up, over and under the preceding coil and right over the new coil.Thus coil material is sewn with the strips and a basket is made.The ornamentation of the baskets can be done with attaining lace, paper and shells.The craftsmen cut the bamboo into sizes of desired length with the help of cutting tools called Dao.Bamboo length cut as per thickness with the help of different kinds of knives.The material thus ready is used for making frame of an article or furniture where as pencil cane is used for designing and binding purpose.The thick cane is used for making frame of an article or furniture where as pencil cane is used for designing and binding purpose.The cane is bend in the desired shape for a furniture or article by process of heating with blow lamp.The ends are joined with adhesive and nail and the joints are binded with strips of pencil cane. The items produced in cane & bamboo are cleaned with sand-paper and polished with varnish.The production of cane and bamboo articles involves the cutting of whole stems with a hack saw and slicing them into splits of various sizes using a bill hook or dao.Slicing is done longitudinally along the length of the densely packed fibres and a fairly smooth operation, requiring only the requisite amount of moisture in the culm.A kerosene lamp is used to heat the cane before it can be bent into shape.
Techniques:-
There are various stages that go in the production of cane products, beginning with the collection of raw material from the forests.To obtain a smooth surface, the upper layer of raw cane is scraped off.The long cane sticks are cut into smaller pieces that are followed by splitting the cane to obtain thin strips.Cane can be further split, making it as thin as required.The split cane is now bent using a blowlamp that may cause some burns on the surface; these are removed by rubbing with sandpaper.Following this, the cane can be woven based on the design of the articles being fashioned from it. After the finishing touches have been provided, the products may be dabbed with a coat of varnish before being dispatched to the market.
Grass, Leaf, Reed and Fiber:-
Grass Leaf Wok in Moringa seeds, Moringa Leaf Powder,Moringa Oil, Indian Origin Herbs, Herbal Extracts, Essential Oils, Tree Seeds, Bamboo seeds, Forest seeds Moringa oil, kaunch seeds, Eucalyptus oil, Amla oil, Tulsi Oil, Rosemary oil, Agarwood oil, Rose oil Mentha oil, Mint Oil, Tagetus oil, Ajowain Oil, Chamomile Oil, Annie seed oil, Lavender Oil.Boats and outriggers are also prepared which involves lot of manual labor and skilled art. Today there is great demand of fashionable coconut jewelry along with decorative items such as masks, bags, candle stands, purses etc.The subtropical region of Asia, specially India, Bangladesh and China is most popular for Jute. Jute craft is most popular in this region and is derived from the fibre of a reed like plant. The warm humid climate of West Bengal with plenty of rainfall is best suited for this plant. The plant grows to a height of 3-4 meters and takes upto six months to mature. Jute is the second most popular natural plant fibre and is available in abundance.Once the plant is ready for harvesting, it is cut very close to the ground and left in the ground for a day or two when the leaves fall off. The cut plant is then absorbed and dipped in water to separate the fibre from the plant. This process is known as retting. The, thus separated Jute is dried and given various forms. The fiber is knit into threads. Sometimes the threads are weaved to make rags and cloths. The cleaned fibre, the threads and the rags all are used to make beautiful craft products like the bags, rags, carpets, hangings, footwear, coasters, jewelry, show pieces, etc. Some very fine quality jute is also used to make furnishing material and dresses.
Raw Materials Used :-
The villages of Orissa are full of Palm trees, coconut, date and Palmyra. Palm is the major source of raw material for preparing baskets and related products. Other raw materials like bamboo, cane, grasses, fibers and reeds are also used in making baskets, thatch, ropes, mats and many other things.
The jute fiber comes from the stem and ribbon (outer skin) of the jute plant. The fibers are first extracted by retting. The retting process consists of bundling jute stems together and immersing them in low, running water. There are two types of retting: stem and ribbon. After the retting process, stripping begins. Women and children usually do this job. In the stripping process, non-fibrous matter is scraped off, then the workers dig in and grab the fibers from within the jute stem.Jute bags are used for making fashion bags & promotional bags. The eco-friendly nature of jute makes its ideal for corporate gifting.Jute floor coverings consist of woven and tufted and piled carpets. Jute Mats and matting’s with 5 / 6 mts width and of continuous length are easily being woven in Southern parts of India, in solid and fancy shades, and in different weaves like, Boucle, Panama, Herringbone, etc.Jute Mats & Rugs are made both through Power loom & Handloom, in large volume from Kerala, India. The traditional Satranji mat is becoming very popular in home décor.Jute non-wovens and composites can be used for underlay, linoleum substrate, and more.Thus, jute is the most environment-friendly fibre starting from the seed to expired fibre, as the expired fibres can be recycled more than once.
The practical course is to introduce modernization of technique and improve the skills and make the worker capable of enhancing his productivity and his earnings so as to enable him to meet at least the basic necessities of life and come out of the clutches of poverty within reasonable time.
How to reach:-
Berhampur is the principal city of Ganjam district. It is an important rail head on the east coast railway line. All express and super-fast trains have their stoppage at Berhampur station.Berhampur falls on the National Highway No.5 which has recently been developed to a four lane express highway. There is frequent bus service from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other parts of the state as well as from nearby state of Andhra Pradesh. It takes nearly four hours from Bhubaneswar to reach Berhampur.