The bell metal industry in Sarthebari area took a leap forward during the 19th century when the skill of Pushparam Kohar, a master artisan whose creation “Jati Kahi” can still be seen in British museum in London.
(A) Historical Background :
The Bell Metal industry of Sarthebari, is one of the traditional artisan based industry of Assam, famous for its artistic bell metal products. Historical records indicate that during seventh century A.D. the king of Kamrpua Kumar Bhaskar Barma presented articles made from bell metal from Sarthebari as a gesture of goodwill to King Harshabardhan of Kanauj in present day Uttar Pradesh. This incident finds a mention in History of Assam by Sir Edward Gates. Thus it can be inferred that this craft was flourishing since the seventh century, if not earlier and its products were not only popular amongst the commoners but also equally popular among the royal families.
In the pre independent period, the scrap bell metal and necessary cash for other consumables were provided to the artisans by “Mahajans” of Rajasthan and Bengal. The artisans were paid only for the labour charge for the articles made at rates fixed by “Mahajans” after deducting the penalty for loss in weight.
In the year 1930, a cooperative society viz. “Asom Samabai Kohar Sangha” which was registered under the Assam Cooperative Societies Act 1912. The cooperative society started supplying raw material and cash for consumables in advance to the artisans and fixed wages for laborers for different articles to be manufactured by them, and thereby ending the domination of “Mahajans”.
In the year 1957-58, Industries Department, Govt. of Assam established a rolling mill of five ton capacity at Sarthebari. However, due to lack of skilled manpower to run that rolling mill as well as due to high running cost of the rolling mill, the mill remained unutilized.
(B) Range of Products :
The main articles produced in Sarthebari Bell Metal craft can be divided into the following three categories :
(i) Utensils :
The utensils manufactured includes products like different types “kanhi” (dish), “bati” (bowl),” ban bati” (bowl with stand), “ghoti” “Koloh”(water vessel).
(ii) Utility Items :
The utility items manufactured include “bota” (used for offering prasad and betel nut), “sorai” (used for religious purpose and to offer gifts to respected person), “tema” (box to keep ornaments & betel nut).
(iii) Items used for Musical and Religious Purposes :
Apart from the utensils and utility items the artisans of the cluster also produces different types of Tals (Cymbals) used in religious ceremonies and as musical instruments in folk and traditional dances of Assam, Idols of different gods & goddesses made by cutting bell metal sheets and painting them. Besides these items, decorative items like flower vase. Lamp stands, decorative clocks etc is also made in the cluster as per demand.
(C) Raw Material :
Scraps collected from different parts of the region are converted to bell metal in rerolling mills located in Guwahati and Sarthebari in private sector. The other important raw material required is charcoal which is extensively used for manufacture of different articles.
(D) Technology, Tools & Equipments :
The technology used in the cluster is traditional technology which has been in use for centuries together. The scarp is melted in crucible called “Muhi”. The molten bell metal is poured into the moulds called “Aak” and converted to a thick circular lump called “Guti” or “Pitha”. These pithas or “gutis” are taken to re rolling mills to obtain sheets (“fali”) and circles (“chak”) of required thickness. The sheets and circles are then converted to different articles by cold forming process.
The artisans of Sarthebari mainly use hand tools like Niyari (Anvil), Chalti, Sara (Tong), Kun (Hand operated lathe). Khonta (File), Hammer etc are used in manufacture of different articles from bell metal. No machine is used in the manufacturing process except the use of rolling mills in manufacture of sheets.
(E) Employment :
The total number of artisans engaged in the bell metal industry in Sarthebari area is Approximately1507 nos. The craftsman is called a “Kohar” or “Oja” he owns the tools and equipments in such establishments. The work place is called a “Sal”. In one “Sal” an “Oja” is assisted by five to six “Bhagias” or assistants. The entire earning from a “sal” is divided amongst the “Oja” and the “Bhagias” in the ratio 1.5: 1.0.
Besides the artisans, there are other persons who are indirectly employed in the industry. They include suppliers of charcoal, sellers of broken/scrap bell metal & other inputs and agents who are engaged in marketing the products across the north eastern states and other parts of the country.
(F) Marketing :
The handicraft items produced by the artisans of Sarthebari are sold not only in the state of Assam but also in the entire north eastern states including two foreign countries viz. Nepal & Bhutan. The cymbals (Tal) are not only used in the Namghars (places of worship) in Assam, but they also have extensive used in Buddhist temples. As a result, these cymbals made in Sarthebari are sold in large numbers in places like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and even in countries like Nepal and Bhutan where there is a large Buddhist population.
Brass Metal craft is located almost all parts of the state apart from Hajo in Kamrup district of Assam. The brass metal industry was highly developed throughout Assam in the past. The skill of artisans who worked on metals in the past is well proved by the existing remains of a copper temple at Sadiya and copper plates issued by the rulers. Copper and brass cups of Goalpara district known as Kansas are products of Assam of great significance. There are more than 300 familes directly involved in this craft.
The story of Fireworks industries dated back to 100 years. Late Lakshiram Pathak of Majorhati, was the founder of fireworks industry in Barpeta , he started his industry after going through a Bengali Book on Chinese fireworks, published in 1885. The industry slowly grew to fame and was honoured by the then Assam Government at Shillong for producing good quality of fireworks. The industry was also patronized by Queen Victoria who awarded the industry with a Gold medal along with two bighas of land at Bilortari Hati, Barpeta. After Pathak’s death, the industry was inherited by Narahari Pathak who continued to run the industry in its traditional methods for making Fireworks. Gradually more and more people started taking interest in the art of making fireworks and many entrepreneurs like Monoranjan Pathak of Brindaban Hati, Nalini Pathak & Achinta Pathak of Majorhati, Amarendra Pathak, Niren Pathak, Gopajit Pathak and Deep Pathak of Bilortarihati established firework industries separately.
At present there are only 5 (five) units engaged in manufacturing of various products of firecrackers. As per the record of DICC, another 41 (forty one) units registered as SSI and no record of any production activity.
This is a household product and located nearby residences. Apart from the hired labour , the family members of the units extend their help to produce some secondary products like making Bamboo Charkha, producing jute ropes, paper roll making, etc. The work sheds, store and processing rooms are very small.
Around 100 employees directly involved in the manufacturing of fireworks ativities and these people are from the surrounding areas of the units. Engagement of persons normally high during the pre-festival seasons.
The production is mainly dependent on various festivals, mostly during Durga puja to Dipawali period. It is general tendency to procure raw materials and others to capture the market.
As the firecracker units of Barpeta are very small in size, they prefer to use traditional hand tools like hand pounding machine ( dheki/ural), kerahi , hammer etc.
Assam is the 3rd largest jute producer in the country and jute production is concentrated in the districts of Darrang, Barpeta , Goalpara , Dhubri , Nagaon & Morigaon. On an average Assam produces 117000 MT (average 650000 bales, 1 bales = 180 kgs) of Jute per year.
Assam has an installed capacity of 72 MT of raw jute per day i.e annual requirement of jute at 100% capacity is about 21600 MT. According to informal market information, 81.5% ( approx- 95400 MT) of jute is exported to outside the state.
A programme on " Diversification of Jute product" were initiated way back in 1992-94 in association with National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD), Kolkata. During the period , a large number of artisans have been provided adequate training , design and marketing support. Some of the major products are Jute bags, braided articles, Cap/Hats, table mat, foot mat, carpet, loom base jute-cotton fabrics, etc. major clusters of Jute products are found in the districts like Dhubri (Alamganj, Bogolumari . Gauripur, Chala Kura Char , etc), Morigaon, Nagaon, Tinsukia ( Margherita), Goalpara, etc. As on date , more than 1000 craftsmen are directly engaged in this sector.
(a) Bamboo:
India is one of the richest countries in bamboo population with about 75 genera and 136 species, out of the total 1250 species of bamboo grown in the world. The North Eastern region alone hosts about 90 species under 13 genera. Bamboo has enormous potential which has only been partially harnessed. There are atleast 1500 recorded uses of bamboo. The major production of bamboo in Assam is now being utilized by the paper industries, used as local building material and for production of handicraft items, etc. The Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in its two mills at Jagiroad (Morigaon) and Panchgram (Hailakandi) have annual requirement of 8 lakh MT of raw bamboo.
Despite its versatile utilities, bamboo in Assam is currently faced with a number of problems like low productivity, over exploitation of available stock, gregarious flowering, etc.
Bamboo is cultivated widely in Assam and every household grows bamboo . Bamboo, a highly versatile resource of Assam has gained considerable importance in the socio-economic life of people of Assam for the variety of uses they cater to.
Altogether 38 naturally growing species of bamboo are recorded in Assam of which Bamboosa mastersei is restricted in distribution to Dibrugarh district. Bamboosa Cacharensis , Dinochlora Compactiflora , D.india are restricted to Barak valley. Chimnobabusa Griffithiana and Oxetenanthera Parviflora are restricted in distribution to Dima Hasao. Bambusa Rangaensis grows wild in the Ranga R.F of Lakhimpur district. Bambusa Vulgaris is the introduced species cultivated throughout Assam as an ornamental plant. Bambusa Jaintiana and Melconna Arundiana are the species reported only from Assam.
There is no exclusive bamboo forest in plains of Assam, bamboo groves are found mostly along the edge of Reserve forest. But pure Bamboo forest occur in Dima Hasao and Karbi-Anglong districts predominant with Melocanna Baccifera and Chimnobambusa Griffithiana. Commonly cultivated species are Bamboosa Balcooa ( Bhaluka), Bamboosa Tulda ( Jati Bamboo), Malocanna Baccifera ( Muli Bamboo), Dendrocalamus Hamiltonii ( Koko Bamboo ) and Dendrocalamus Gigianteus ( Moklam Bamboo).
Bamboo base craft is now mainly a household industry and occupies an important place among the handicrafts of the State. It provides a subsidiary occupation to the cultivators and full-time occupation to the highly skilled artisans who produce only fine decorative baskets, furniture and mats, etc. on commercial scale.
The making of bamboo products is mainly a rural industry. It is commonly pursued by the agriculturists in their spare time as a subsidiary occupation. Its heavy concentration in the rural areas may primarily be attributed to the availability of bamboos in the villages and the very high demand for various bamboo products, such as , mats, baskets, fishing contraptions, etc., in every rural household. The essential equipments required for the industry are dao and knife which are invariably found in every family. The manufacturing activities are generally carried out outdoor and all the members of the family,both male and female, take part in it. However, the male members of the family predominate. Most of the products, manufactured in such household, are meant for domestic use and only a small percentage of the products are sold in the markets. The professional artisans who follow this trade as a whole time occupation sell their products in the markets.
Japi,the headgear which is produced on commercial scale, are of various designs and sizes. The japis ornamented and embroidered with different designs were indicative of the dignity and social status of those who used them in the past. Although use of such Japis is no longer in vogue now,the embroidered and ornamented Japis are still considered as precious possession by the rich and poor alike. Many varieties of 'Japis' such as 'Halua Japi, Pitha Japi', Sorudoiya Japi, 'Bordoiya Japi', 'Can Japi; etc.,are produced in the undivided districts of Nalbari , Kamrup, Nagaon, Darrang, Sivasagar and Lakhimpur. Nalbari and its neighbouring villages such as Kamarkuchi, Mughkuchi, etc., deserve special mention in respect of manufacturing of 'Fulam Japis' (decorated bamboo umbrellas). A village named Japisagia situated at a distance of about 5 kms. from Tezpur in Sonitpur district is famous for Japi production. In the Nagaon district, the best 'Japis are made at Kandali,Uriagaon,Jagi and Kathiatoli.
Bamboo mats of various types are also manufactured on a commercial basis in the undivided districts of Nagaon, Darrang and Cachar. Large scale commercial production is reported from Karimganj district where mats are locally known as 'dhara', jharia or darma and thousand of people are engaged in this craft. In the district of Karbi-Anglong ( Bokajan) , Nagaon ( Phokoli gaon) , Goalpara ( Borbila) and Barpeta (Koyakuchi) such mats are produced from Bamboo. Bamboo mats are extensively used for various purposes like construction of temporary walls and sheds, big pandals, roofing of country boats, dwelling houses, screens, etc. Besides domestic uses, mats are also being used for manufacturing of Bamboo mat ply board.
The other marketable product is Murrha which is extensively found i Nagaon , Goalpara and Karbi-Anglong district.
There are 480 units undertaking cane and bamboo works in 26 districts of Assam with an investment of Rs.371.34 lakh, employing 2212 people
(b) Cane Craft:
There are 14 species of cane grows in cane brakes in forests of Assam. Calamus Flagellum, Calamus Floribunadus, Calamus Latifolius are found widely distributed throughout Assam. Plectomia Assamica and Plectomia Bractealis are endemic species.
The making of cane products is an important and growing cottage industry of the State which abounds in cane. Extrication of the throny cane from the thick jungles is a difficult task. The forest authorities grant leases to the Mahaldars to extricate cane from forests. The tolls and implements required for the industry are mainly dao and knife and it is an only in the making of furniture that few hummers, pliers or princes, etc., are required. The industry requires a certain amount of skill even in producing articles of day to day use but the production of the furniture and other products of artistic value calls for a high degree of skill. In the manufacture of cane furniture, undivided Cachar district enjoys a special advantage over other districts of the State in so far as skilled artisans are concerned. The craft has commercial production in almost all the important urban areas of the State and produces various types of furniture and sundry articles like boxes, cradles, cane-stool (murrha), office trays, tiffin baskets, bottle carriers, bicycle baskets, waste paper baskets, cane chairs, Sofa, etc.
The potentiality of making bamboo and cane products on commercial basis is quite considerable in the State. There is a good demand for its products within and out side the country.
(c) Sitalpati:
Sitalpati, a kind of mat, is perhaps the most notable and popular product among the handicrafts of Assam. Unlike other kinds of mat woven in North-East India, Sitalpati is more expensive. The word 'Sital-pati' means coolmat. The makers are usually Kayasthas in caste, not a traditional craftspeople caste. The raw material is the Murta cane (Maranta dichotomus). The murta plant grows , on marshy and water logged areas and is found in abundance in choked up tanks and damp hill slopes. The production of sital pati is purely a household industry. Generally, men prepare the cane slips, while women do the weaving work. The highest concentration of artisans pursuing this craft is noticed in the district of Cahar, Karimganj and Goalpara. The villages renowned for the production of sital pati are Katakhal, Kaliganj, Karimpur, Basigram , Sridurgapur in Barak valley and Dubapara in Goalpara district.
The manufacture of ‘sital pati’ involves many complicated processes. The most difficult part of it is, the preparation of fine cane slips fit for ‘pati’ weaving. First of all, the canes to be used for obtaining requisite slips are washed in water mixed with some amount of washing soda. After washing, these canes are kept in the open sun for drying. These are then divided into equal halves lengthwise, with the help of a bill-hook. These divided halves are again sub-divided into four splits of equal length and breadth, and the ‘boka’ (soft inside portion) from slips is chopped out with the help of a ‘chip’ (chopping tool). This process is locally known as ‘aushani’ (planing). The next operation known as ‘nawkhani’ (sizing) in which all the pieces of the splits are sized to equal breadths throughout the whole of their length. Weaving of ‘pati’ is generally done in twill or check pattern with slight variations here and there. Colouring of the splits is done by indigenous methods. White (ivory) colour is obtained by boiling the splits in water, wherein other ingredients, such as ‘bhatar phen’ (boiled rice juice), ‘amrapata’ (hibicus safdariffa) and tamarind leaves are mixed. For black colour, the splits packed into bundles are wrapped up with mango barks and kept under the mud for about 7 days. In order to obtain red colour, the cane splits are boiled in water mixed with ‘mezenta’ (a kind of chemical dye-stuff). The different designs produced by the ‘patikars’ of Assam are the following (local nomenclatures) : 1. Fulpata (flower leaves with creepeers), 2. Dalani, 3. Cup-plate, 4. Taj Mahal, 5. Aeroplane, 6. Tree, 7. Birds, etc. More than 2000 artisans directly involved in Sital pati craft .
There is no official record of date introduction of Water Hyacinth in Assam, some accounts trace back its introduction to 1926. There might be some reasons that the British government had to promulgate an Act called “ The Assam Water Hyacinth Act, 1926 (Assam Act-III)” w.e.f 26th May,1926.
There are two types of Water Hyacinth available in Assam ,viz: (1) Long type & (2) Dwarf type. The long type is available mostly in stagnant water like Beel/Pond/Lake, while the Dwarf type is available mostly in paddy fields.
Water hyacinth is normally available in beels , road side ponds etc . In Assam, there are two major river systems: Brahmaputra and Barak and beels are situated along the tributaries of these two river systems. In Brahmaputra valley, there exist a total of 1,030 beels covering an area of 92,693 hectares; out of which 306 beels (31,214 ha) are located in central Assam, 409 beels (29,383 ha) are in lower Assam and 315 beels (32,016 ha) are in Upper Assam. On the other hand, there are about 167 beels with an area of 8,122 ha in Barak valley. Presently these beels are under threat from many factors like pollution, reclamation, habitat degradation, water hyacinth, etc. These threats cause loss of important biodiversity of indigenous and migratory flora and fauna. The ecological degradation of beels started with the arrival of the water hyacinth a century ago. Rampant growth of this fast-growing weed obstructs the penetration of sunlight, inhibiting planktonic growth and contributing to eutrophication by slowing down water currents and depositing debris at the bottom.
Raw water hyacinth is abundant in Assam and presently used for the following:
Depletion of Cane in the forest areas has hampered the traditional cane & bamboo sector of the North Eastern Region. Irregular supply of cane and high cost of procurement have adversely affected the craftsmen in their cane based activities. Introduction of processed raw material from water hyacinth has thus facilitated an alternative and viable option. This weed can be weaved like cane and hence its potential for use in basketry, bags, furniture and decorative items is enormous. Such a costeffective alternative helps the traditional craftsmen to be more competitive where their skill can be blended to reap benefits of the modern market.
NEDFi started promotion of water hyacinth in August,2008 in a small way. Over a period of one year NEDFi has experimented with different product techniques and has also facilitated in skill-building of around 500 artisans. The product segment has also been standardized after incorporating the feedback of the domestic as well as international market.
Because of its abundance, water hyacinth provides good scope for its use in production of various types of baskets and containers. Countries like Thailand , Malaysia and Indonesia are producing beautiful products based on water hyacinth and it has a niche market because of its natural fiber. State Government is also setting up a Common Facility Centre on Water Hyacinth at Morigaon to provide extensive training, provide design inputs and promote marketing facilities for upcoming artisans. The usual products are now being produced in Assam are , varieties hand woven bags, lamp shed , baskets, Sofa , varieties of loom base Mats, etc.
The Arecanut palm is one of the important commercial crops of Assam. Though the betel nut is used widely in various forms yet the sheath attached to the leaf of areca nut tree is not used for any productive purpose except as partitions in the village area. It is a hard material and has good tensile strength and is available in abundance in most parts of Assam.
Arecanut sheaths (Tamulor Dhakuwa) can be utilised for manufacturing disposable plates and bowls. Such plates are being produced in South India since the last 7 years and sold commonly in the market . Dhriti, an NGO, has been working on these products the Assam since the last 3 years. Presently 39 units have been promoted by Dhriti in Barpeta, Baksa, Bongaigoan, Karbi-Anglong, Jorhat and Golaghat districts of Assam.
The products manufactured are plates and bowls of different shapes and sizes, made out of arecanut sheaths. These disposable utensils can be used for serving food. Some of the highlights of these products are as follows:
There are more than 70000 hectares of arecanut plantation in Assam. Around 10 sheaths fall from each areca nut plant every year. Thus there is abundant raw material available to produce these plates. The following table shows the raw material potential in Assam. Availability of raw material is given below:
| S.N. | Particulars | Quantity area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total plantation of Areca nut in these Areas (in Hect) | 70542 |
| 2 | Total no. of Areca nut trees | 105813000 |
| 3 | Approximate no. of sheaths per tree | 10 |
| 4 | Total no. of sheaths available | 1058130000 |
| 5 | If 30% of this resource (areca nut sheaths) can be tapped | 317439000 |
| 6 | No. of sheaths required in each unit per year (example) | 100000 |
| 7 | No of manufacturing units that can be set up | 3174 |
Source: Dhiriti, Barpeta
The plates can be produced easily using a heat-press machine which is available in India. The entrepreneurs need to collect the raw material (areca nut sheaths), sun dry them and store them before production. The sheaths can be stored for 9-12 months without damage.
This product is an excellent substitute for thermocol and plastic plates which has huge demand in the market. A marketing company formed by Dhiriiti named Tambul Plate Marketing Company (TPMC) provides 100% buy back guarantee of products to all producers.
Assam has more than 48000 unregistered Jewellery units and more than 2.5 lakh artisans directly involved in this sector. The traditional Assamese Jewellery are found in Barpeta ( 40 units), Jorhat ( 40 units) and Ranthali (450 units) in Nagaon district. The main problem of this sector is shortage of Raw materials.
The principal centres of pottery industry were found at Tezpur,Chotea ,Viswanath chariali, Becheria, Haleswar and Salmara in undivided Darrang district, Charalgaon, Kumargaon, Putani Dharamtul and Nonoi in erstwhile Nagaon district; Joynagar,Chatla, Kalain,Rangauti, Matijuri, Bishnupur and Sibootttar in undivided Cachar district : Dibrugarh,Madarkhat, and Chabua in Dibrugarh district; Margherita and Tinsukia in Tinsukia district; Fakirganj, Gauripur, Asharkandi, Rupsi, Satyapur, Rokakhata, Dubapara and Marnai in undivided Goalpara district and Guwahati, Sualkuchi, Hajo, Rangia, Barpeta, Chaygaon, Pathsala, in the undivided Kamrup district.
The state of affairs of the pottery industry in the State is not very encouraging. Local pottery has mostly been replaced by the superior clay or porcelain goods , metal utensils, plastic goods imported into the State from outside. The profits of the industry are also small and most of the traditional potters have left the trade and shifted to other lucrative occupations. Only few areas in the State the craft is being practiced. The famous locations are Asharikandi in Dhubri district, , Hajo ( Chonmaguri) in Kamrup district , Majuli in Jorhat district, etc.
Now-a-days , dried tea bushes are being used for production of various decorated products including table top. These were found predominantly available in upper Assam region and have a very good market. More than 200 artisans now directly involved in this craft.
Wood carving is found extensively in Sonitpur district. The artisans produces various type of wooden Rhino, Elephants , decorated pieces of wall hanging etc. Around 100 artisans now depend on wood carving activities.
Traditional candle making units are available in all parts of the state based on available raw materials of IOC Digboi and NRL. The concept of production of decorative candle making started few years back and more than 200 artisans now directly involved in making decorative candles in Assam.