Long road ahead for revival of thatheras

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 14

It’s been five years since the UNESCO featured the thathera community in its intangible heritage list, yet the traditional handmade and crafted utensils are struggling to find market.

Once a thriving community based in Jandiala Guru, the thatheras today find themselves in a desperate need for revival. A few, like city-based artist Smiley Chaudhary, are reaching out to the community to ensure the survival of the age-old craft genre that once was a part of lifestyle and culture of Punjab.

“A few decades back, there used to be 300-400 families of thatheras functional in and around Amritsar. These traditional handcrafted utensils made from brass and copper used to be part of a girl’s dowry and a staple in every household. Today, only seven of the families are still continuing the work, with minimal machinery and tools. Most have migrated after selling off their equipment or shifted to other professions. It’s unfortunate that such a beautiful handicraft is facing a dismal future,” says Smiley.

The artist has been working with artisans for conservation projects and is currently heading the Revival for Survival project by FICCI FLO that aims to bring Thatera craft to a global platform.

“We are working on a very limited scale currently with almost zero resources. The basic idea is to first reach out to the artisans, who are still making utensils and give them some understanding of contemporary design and aesthetics so that their products suit modern tastes. We have collaborated with a Hong Kong-based retail online portal that features traditional handicrafts from India. We have also come up with a line of contemporary products like utensils, décor pieces and accessories that feature this craft form so that at least they get visibility,” shares Smiley.

But the road ahead for revival is hard and full of bumps. “One utensil or a bag made from metal using thathera technique takes at least a week or more because of the detailing and the texturing that is unique to the craft and done completely through beating the metal with hands. We want to introduce some advanced machinery to help these artisans, but first we need to create a market for them,” she says.