Tarakashi
Encyclopedia
Tarakasi is a type of silver Filigree
work from Cuttack
, a city from Orissa in the eastern part of India
.
as the workmanship is similar to that done in Indonesia.
The melting process takes about ten minutes and then the silver is poured into a small, rod-like mold and cooled by submerging the rod in water. The rod is then placed into a machine that will press the rod into a long, thin wire. This tedious and physically demanding process had been done traditionally by hand and took two men to turn the crank. Once the silver is pressed into a flat, workable wire, the wire itself can first be hand carved with intricate designs, or immediately smoldered by a small kerosene fire with one artist directing the small flame with a hollow tube held in his mouth into which he can blow. This process makes it easier for the artisan to mold the wire into the desired frame for the piece before it is cooled. Next the wires are strung together and twisted and shaped into a design by the artist’s precise fingers. Soldering
is done by placing the piece into a mixture of borax powder and water, sprinkling soldering powder onto it and then placing it once again under the small flame. This insures that the detail of the design will stay intact. Once this is done, the artist will then take the warm piece and shape it into its form as an ornament. Techniques such as granulation
, snow glazing and casting are also used innovatively to heighten the effect. Artisan Jagdish Mishra, speaking of the various techniques employed says, "The tastes of the customers keep changing and artists must be up to date with to keep up with emerging trends". Such new methods and experimentation are increasingly being employed to produce highly polished and refined artifacts in keeping with the demands of customers. Platinum
polishing is done to give a more lasting shine whereas fusion of silver
and brass
or other materials is done to create some rather interesting effects.
Chakra and temple are great favorites as mementos. Scenes from the Mahabharata, in particular the still from the Bhagavad Gita
depicting the chariot of Arjuna
driven by Lord Krishna
are quite popular.recently, Bishandayal Jewellers in Cuttack constructed an entire replica of the Taj Mahal out of 55 kg of silver.
The filigree jewelry is particularly rich in patterns. In Orissa, the stress is on arm jewelry, necklaces, toe rings and especially anklets, which are a great favorite. They are considered auspicious as well. Various kinds of intricate anklets, combining use of semi-precious stones are greatly preferred.
Vermillion boxes, brooches, pendants, earrings and hairpins are also in great demand.Vermillion box is must in any Oriya marriage but this tradition now dying out.Waist band made from Tarakasi work were used traditionally in the marriage.Oriya marriages are incomplete without the Tarakasi anklets and toe rings.
dance, one of the classical dances of India originating from Orissa are made from Tarakasi work.These Ornaments adorn the head, ear, neck, hands, fingers and waist of the dancer. The ornaments include a choker, ‘padaka-tilaka’ (a long necklace) , ‘bahichudi’ or ‘tayila’ (armlets), ‘kankana’(bracelets), a belt, anklets, bells, ’kapa’ (earrings) and a ‘seenthi’ (ornament work on the hair and forehead). These ornaments are embellished with natural un-cut stones lined with silver and gold.
Every year, during Durga Puja in Cuttack
, Tarakasi jewelry is used at many pandals to embellish the idols of Maa Durga
. One of the most famous idols is the one at Chandni Chowk, where the entire crown and accessories of Durga are made of silver, popularly known as Chaandi Medha. Other pandals those used Tarakasi are Chauliaganj, Choudhury Bazar,Khan Nagar,Banka Bazar,Balu Bazar etc.
Every year more than 150 filigree artisans are engaged in making backdrop and ornament design. The style was introduced at the Choudhury Bazaar puja pandal with a 250 kg chandi medha in 1956.Following suit, Sheikh Bazaar puja mandap installed a 350 kg Chandi Medha in 1991.In 2004, Ranihat puja committee joined the elite group with a 483 kg of silver filigree backdrop, jewellery and weaponry. In the following year, Haripur-Dolamundai puja committee superseded Ranihat when it installed 500 kg silver filigree.In 2006, the Sheikh Bazaar committee remodelled a new backdrop using 450 kg of silver.Chandini Chowk, Sheikh Bazaar, Alisha Bazaar, Chauliaganj, Badambadi, Ranihat, Haripur-Dolamundai and Balu Bazaar-Binod Behari puja committees are vouching for the filigree work.There is a competition to notch the best show every year among all puja committees in Cuttack.
Filigree
Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork made with twisted threads usually of gold and silver or stitching of the same curving motifs. It often suggests lace, and in recent centuries remains popular in Indian and other Asian metalwork, and French from 1660 to the late 19th century...
work from Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, a city from Orissa in the eastern part of 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...
.
Origin
This highly skilled art form is more than 500 years old and is traditionally done by local artisans on the Eastern shores of Orissa. Presently, the silver filigree workers are largely from the district of Cuttack, where the art flourishes. According to sources, the art may have come to Orissa through its trade links with IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
as the workmanship is similar to that done in Indonesia.
Technique
The filigree artists work with an alloy of 90% or more pure silver. First, the lump of silver is placed into a small clay pot and together the two are put into a bucket full of hot coals. The temperature is regulated through a bellow that is hand operated by a crank.The melting process takes about ten minutes and then the silver is poured into a small, rod-like mold and cooled by submerging the rod in water. The rod is then placed into a machine that will press the rod into a long, thin wire. This tedious and physically demanding process had been done traditionally by hand and took two men to turn the crank. Once the silver is pressed into a flat, workable wire, the wire itself can first be hand carved with intricate designs, or immediately smoldered by a small kerosene fire with one artist directing the small flame with a hollow tube held in his mouth into which he can blow. This process makes it easier for the artisan to mold the wire into the desired frame for the piece before it is cooled. Next the wires are strung together and twisted and shaped into a design by the artist’s precise fingers. Soldering
Soldering
Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the workpiece...
is done by placing the piece into a mixture of borax powder and water, sprinkling soldering powder onto it and then placing it once again under the small flame. This insures that the detail of the design will stay intact. Once this is done, the artist will then take the warm piece and shape it into its form as an ornament. Techniques such as granulation
Granulation
Granulation can refer to:*Granulation is the act or process of forming or crystallizing into grains*Granulation tissue, a product of healing in major wounds;*Granular synthesis, a sound synthesis method;...
, snow glazing and casting are also used innovatively to heighten the effect. Artisan Jagdish Mishra, speaking of the various techniques employed says, "The tastes of the customers keep changing and artists must be up to date with to keep up with emerging trends". Such new methods and experimentation are increasingly being employed to produce highly polished and refined artifacts in keeping with the demands of customers. Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
polishing is done to give a more lasting shine whereas fusion of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
or other materials is done to create some rather interesting effects.
Tradition
Forms of animals, birds, flowers and even miniature handbags and other souvenirs are made in Tarakasi work. The KonarkKonark
Konark is a small town in Puri district in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometers from Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple , built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva-I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is a World Heritage Site...
Chakra and temple are great favorites as mementos. Scenes from the Mahabharata, in particular the still from the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
depicting the chariot of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
driven by Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
are quite popular.recently, Bishandayal Jewellers in Cuttack constructed an entire replica of the Taj Mahal out of 55 kg of silver.
The filigree jewelry is particularly rich in patterns. In Orissa, the stress is on arm jewelry, necklaces, toe rings and especially anklets, which are a great favorite. They are considered auspicious as well. Various kinds of intricate anklets, combining use of semi-precious stones are greatly preferred.
Vermillion boxes, brooches, pendants, earrings and hairpins are also in great demand.Vermillion box is must in any Oriya marriage but this tradition now dying out.Waist band made from Tarakasi work were used traditionally in the marriage.Oriya marriages are incomplete without the Tarakasi anklets and toe rings.
Odissi dance
The jewellery worn in OdissiOdissi
Odissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
dance, one of the classical dances of India originating from Orissa are made from Tarakasi work.These Ornaments adorn the head, ear, neck, hands, fingers and waist of the dancer. The ornaments include a choker, ‘padaka-tilaka’ (a long necklace) , ‘bahichudi’ or ‘tayila’ (armlets), ‘kankana’(bracelets), a belt, anklets, bells, ’kapa’ (earrings) and a ‘seenthi’ (ornament work on the hair and forehead). These ornaments are embellished with natural un-cut stones lined with silver and gold.
Durga puja
The introduction of the Sharadiya Utsav tradition in the city dates back to the visit of Saint Chaitanya in 16th century when the consecration of the idol of Durga by using the mask pattern was conducted in his presence at Binod Behari Devi Mandap.Every year, during Durga Puja in Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Tarakasi jewelry is used at many pandals to embellish the idols of Maa Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
. One of the most famous idols is the one at Chandni Chowk, where the entire crown and accessories of Durga are made of silver, popularly known as Chaandi Medha. Other pandals those used Tarakasi are Chauliaganj, Choudhury Bazar,Khan Nagar,Banka Bazar,Balu Bazar etc.
Every year more than 150 filigree artisans are engaged in making backdrop and ornament design. The style was introduced at the Choudhury Bazaar puja pandal with a 250 kg chandi medha in 1956.Following suit, Sheikh Bazaar puja mandap installed a 350 kg Chandi Medha in 1991.In 2004, Ranihat puja committee joined the elite group with a 483 kg of silver filigree backdrop, jewellery and weaponry. In the following year, Haripur-Dolamundai puja committee superseded Ranihat when it installed 500 kg silver filigree.In 2006, the Sheikh Bazaar committee remodelled a new backdrop using 450 kg of silver.Chandini Chowk, Sheikh Bazaar, Alisha Bazaar, Chauliaganj, Badambadi, Ranihat, Haripur-Dolamundai and Balu Bazaar-Binod Behari puja committees are vouching for the filigree work.There is a competition to notch the best show every year among all puja committees in Cuttack.