Ghurni
Encyclopedia
Ghurni is a neighbourhood
of Krishnanagar in Nadia district
in the India
n state
of West Bengal
. It is the centre for the production of clay
doll
s, often referred to as Krishnanagar clay dolls.
.
It can be reached from Kolkata
by either train (100 km (62 mi)) or bus (118 km (73 mi)). Krishnanagar City is part of Kolkata Suburban Railway
on the Sealdah
– Naihati
– Ranaghat
– Krishnanagar line. Journey time is 2½ hours and one can return the same day. Cycle rickshaws are available for travel within the city.
against Siraj ud-Daulah
in the Battle of Plassey
. He was a patron of the arts, including literature and music, and supported the production of clay dolls. In 1728 he brought families of potters from Dhaka
and Natore and settled them in Ghurni, then a village.
-based newspaper Deccan Herald
writes, “We have clay dolls, toys and even clay sculptures in different parts of India. But there has been nothing to match the clay doll artisans of Krishnanagar in the Nadia district of West Bengal. The creations of these artists are displayed in most of the handicraft museums of the world. In India, we have a large display of these dolls in the Shankar’s Doll Museum
in New Delhi. One look at the clay dolls and we are amazed at the reality with which the artist has displayed the character of the model. A horse rearing to gallop to a placid dog licking its lips after a hearty feed.”
Krishnanagar clay dolls are unique in their realism and the quality of their finish, ‘...they truly represent a breakaway from the traditional form. Fruits, fish, insects, animals, birds, and of course the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses, and even the ubiquitous Donald Duck and other popular comic strip characters, faithful copies of real-life, down to the minutest detail. Realistic recreations of everyday life, work, mood and character- farmers, weavers, rag pickers, basket makers, umbrella makers - are yet other specialties of Krishnanagar dolls.’
Exhibitions of Krishnagar dolls have been held in London, Paris and Boston. Ghurni clay models have won medals and certificates at international exhibitions.
and Rabindranath Tagore
. Based on his clay models bronze
castings were made and have found pride of place in Washington DC and Moscow and were inaugurated by Bill Clinton
and Mikhail Gorbachev
, respectively.
culture and loss of their patronage have adversely affected them. They are finding new patrons amongst NRIs
, many of whom are acquiring clay models in large numbers.
Tastes are also changing. Even ten years ago, the demand was for clay models of the great poets and traditional icons such as Rabindranath Tagore
and Kazi Nazrul Islam
. Now, they are losing out. The demand has shifted and so have the artists to the ‘hottest pin-up idols of cricket’, Sourav Ganguly
, Sachin Tendulkar
and Rahul Dravid
. Even saints and religious leaders like Ramkrishna Paramhansa
, Baba Loknath, and Sai Babas
, have lost out in popularity to these cricketers.
The flourishing market abroad of fibreglass
models, have forced some of the clay modellers of Ghurni to change the base material of their craft, although they lack the infrastructure for making fibre glass models. Fibreglass is more durable and easy to mould.
The number of master craftsmen
is decreasing as members of the younger generation are switching over to more lucrative trades or more paying professions. In 2007, the number of master craftsmen staying at Ghurni dwindled to 10, most of them aged.
water from 2006.
Women at Ghurni have formed co-operative societies with financial assistance from the funding agencies for the culture of ornamental fishes. Apart from their decorative value, these fishes fight mosquito
-borne diseases and there is a potential export market in countries such as the USA, Japan and China.
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
of Krishnanagar in Nadia district
Nadia District
Nadia district is a district of the state of West Bengal, in the north east of India. It borders with Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Bardhaman district to the west, and Murshidabad district to the north....
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. It is the centre for the production of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s, often referred to as Krishnanagar clay dolls.
Geography
Ghurni is located at 23.25°N 88.34°E on the banks of the Jalangi RiverJalangi River
Jalangi River , is a branch of the Ganges in Murshidabad and Nadia districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Jalangi and the Mathabhanga flow into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly and strengthens its lower channel, the Hooghly....
.
It can be reached from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
by either train (100 km (62 mi)) or bus (118 km (73 mi)). Krishnanagar City is part of Kolkata Suburban Railway
Kolkata Suburban Railway
The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata . Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India....
on the Sealdah
Sealdah
Sealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...
– Naihati
Naihati
Naihati is a town and an important railway junction station on the Indian Railways network, in the district of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.-Geography:Naihati is located at...
– Ranaghat
Ranaghat
Ranaghat is a city in the district of Nadia, West Bengal, India. It is situated 74 kilometres north of Calcutta. It is known for its handloom industry, various types of flowers and sweet dishes. The town has spread up along its borders in all corners recently. People from the nearby places do come...
– Krishnanagar line. Journey time is 2½ hours and one can return the same day. Cycle rickshaws are available for travel within the city.
History
The old name of Krishnanagar was Rewe. In the early 17th century Bhabananda Majumdar founded the royal family of Nadia. Later, Maharaja Rudra changed the name to Krishnagar. In 1757, Maharaja Krishnachandra (1710–1783) helped the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
against Siraj ud-Daulah
Siraj ud-Daulah
Mîrzâ Muhammad Sirâj-ud-Daulah , more commonly known as Siraj ud-Daulah , was the last independent Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The end of his reign marks the start of British East India Company rule over Bengal and later almost all of South Asia...
in the Battle of Plassey
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
. He was a patron of the arts, including literature and music, and supported the production of clay dolls. In 1728 he brought families of potters from Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and Natore and settled them in Ghurni, then a village.
Clay dolls
In an article, the BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
-based newspaper Deccan Herald
Deccan Herald
The Deccan Herald is a leading English-language daily newspaper distributed in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is published by the Printers Private Limited and has a number of editions in Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Gulbarga....
writes, “We have clay dolls, toys and even clay sculptures in different parts of India. But there has been nothing to match the clay doll artisans of Krishnanagar in the Nadia district of West Bengal. The creations of these artists are displayed in most of the handicraft museums of the world. In India, we have a large display of these dolls in the Shankar’s Doll Museum
Shankar's International Dolls Museum
The International Dolls Museum is a large collection of dolls in Delhi, India. It was set up by K. Shankar Pillai, a political cartoonist. Housed in the Children's Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, accessed through a separate entrance, a winding staircase, leading up to a foyer. The...
in New Delhi. One look at the clay dolls and we are amazed at the reality with which the artist has displayed the character of the model. A horse rearing to gallop to a placid dog licking its lips after a hearty feed.”
Krishnanagar clay dolls are unique in their realism and the quality of their finish, ‘...they truly represent a breakaway from the traditional form. Fruits, fish, insects, animals, birds, and of course the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses, and even the ubiquitous Donald Duck and other popular comic strip characters, faithful copies of real-life, down to the minutest detail. Realistic recreations of everyday life, work, mood and character- farmers, weavers, rag pickers, basket makers, umbrella makers - are yet other specialties of Krishnanagar dolls.’
Exhibitions of Krishnagar dolls have been held in London, Paris and Boston. Ghurni clay models have won medals and certificates at international exhibitions.
Bronze casts
Some of the Ghurni artists have studied in art colleges in France and Italy, but theirs is a talent passed down through generations. Kartik Chandra Pal prepared clay models of statues of Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. Based on his clay models bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
castings were made and have found pride of place in Washington DC and Moscow and were inaugurated by Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, respectively.
Changing times
The clay modellers of Ghurni have fallen on bad days. The decline of feudal zemindariZamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
culture and loss of their patronage have adversely affected them. They are finding new patrons amongst NRIs
Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin
A Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
, many of whom are acquiring clay models in large numbers.
Tastes are also changing. Even ten years ago, the demand was for clay models of the great poets and traditional icons such as Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
and Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
. Now, they are losing out. The demand has shifted and so have the artists to the ‘hottest pin-up idols of cricket’, Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his...
, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
and Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Sharad Dravid , is a cricketer in the Indian national team, of which he has been a regular member since 1996. He was appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team in October 2005 and resigned from the post in September 2007. Dravid was honoured as one of the top-five Wisden Cricketers...
. Even saints and religious leaders like Ramkrishna Paramhansa
Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna , born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay , was a famous mystic of 19th-century India. His religious school of thought led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Mission by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda – both were influential figures in the Bengali Renaissance as well as the Hindu...
, Baba Loknath, and Sai Babas
Sai Baba of Shirdi
Sai Baba of Shirdi , also known as Shirdi Sai Baba , was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint....
, have lost out in popularity to these cricketers.
The flourishing market abroad of fibreglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
models, have forced some of the clay modellers of Ghurni to change the base material of their craft, although they lack the infrastructure for making fibre glass models. Fibreglass is more durable and easy to mould.
The number of master craftsmen
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
is decreasing as members of the younger generation are switching over to more lucrative trades or more paying professions. In 2007, the number of master craftsmen staying at Ghurni dwindled to 10, most of them aged.
Other achievements
Ghurni is one of the wards of Krihnanagar municipality which has started receiving piped arsenic-freeArsenic poisoning
Arsenic poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the element arsenic in the body. Arsenic interferes with cellular longevity by allosteric inhibition of an essential metabolic enzyme...
water from 2006.
Women at Ghurni have formed co-operative societies with financial assistance from the funding agencies for the culture of ornamental fishes. Apart from their decorative value, these fishes fight mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
-borne diseases and there is a potential export market in countries such as the USA, Japan and China.