Crafts: Dhokra, Bell Metal and Others
Bastar Dhokra (lost-wax casting), bell metal, wrought iron, wood, terracotta, Kosa silk, Godna and Rajwar clay relief: Chhattisgarh's crafts and GI tags.
Prerequisites
- Tribes of Chhattisgarh: most crafts belong to specific artisan or tribal communities of Bastar and Surguja
- Folk Dances: the bison-horn head-dress, drums and stilts are craft objects too
- Minerals, Energy and Industry: the cottage and village industry side of crafts
The Hook: A Horse Made Without a Mould You Can Reuse
In Kondagaon, a Dhokra artisan rolls beeswax into threads as thin as noodles and winds them around a clay figure of a horse. She covers it in clay, heats it until the wax runs out, then pours in molten metal. When the clay is broken, the horse is there, and the mould is gone forever. Every piece is one of a kind. In 2008 this craft became one of Chhattisgarh’s first Geographical Indications (GI).
How is Dhokra made, which other crafts does the state have, and which of them carry GI tags?
Why it matters: Prelims asks “Dhokra is associated with which technique / district / community”, plus GI-tag matching. Mains GS-IV and the Essay paper use crafts for questions on tribal livelihoods, cultural heritage and “vocal for local”.
Dhokra (ढोकरा) and Bell Metal
The Technique: Lost-Wax Casting
Dhokra uses the lost-wax (cire perdue) technique (मोम क्षय विधि / लुप्त मोम विधि), one of the oldest metal-casting methods known. The bronze “Dancing Girl” of Mohenjo-daro was made by the same principle.
graph LR
A["1. Clay core
shaped by hand"] --> B["2. Wax threads
wound on the core"]
B --> C["3. Outer clay coat
with a channel"]
C --> D["4. Heat: wax melts
and drains out"]
D --> E["5. Molten brass or
bell metal poured in"]
E --> F["6. Cool, break the clay,
finish the piece"]- The wax is a mix of beeswax and tree resin (dhuna), drawn into fine threads that give Dhokra its typical thread-work surface.
- Metal: mostly brass (copper + zinc) or bell metal (कांसा, copper + tin), often from recycled scrap.
- Because the mould is broken, no two pieces are identical.
Where and Who
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main centre | Bastar region, above all Kondagaon, also Jagdalpur and nearby villages |
| Community | Traditional metal-caster communities, known in Bastar as Ghadwa (घढ़वा); in Ektal (Raigarh district) the Jhara casters make a related style |
| Typical products | Deities (especially forms of Danteshwari), elephants, horses, bulls, tribal figures, lamps (diya), bells, jewellery |
| GI tag | “Bastar Dhokra”, applied by the Chhattisgarh Hastshilp Vikas Board in 2007, registered on 22 April 2008 |
| Famous artist | Jaidev Baghel (जयदेव बघेल) of Kondagaon, the best-known Dhokra master, nationally honoured |
Other Crafts of Chhattisgarh
| Craft | Where / who | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Wrought iron craft (लौह शिल्प) | Bastar, especially Kondagaon; the Lohar (blacksmith) community | Lamps, deities, animals and tribal figures hammered by hand from iron, often from scrap. GI: “Bastar Iron Craft” (registered 2008–09) |
| Wood craft (काष्ठ शिल्प) | Bastar; Muria and other tribes | Carved Ghotul pillars, doors, panels, masks and combs (Muria young men carve combs as love tokens). GI: “Bastar Wooden Craft” (registered 2008). Masters: Pandi Ram Mandavi (Padma Shri 2025), Ajay Kumar Mandavi of Kanker (Padma Shri 2023) |
| Terracotta (मृण्मय / माटी शिल्प) | Kumhar potters; Nagarnar (Bastar) is well known | Clay horses and elephants offered to village deities, pots, lamps |
| Bamboo craft (बांस शिल्प) | Bamboo-working communities across the state | Baskets, supa (winnowing fan), fish traps, furniture; the Sulur flute and Gedi stilts |
| Kosa silk (कोसा) | Champa (Janjgir-Champa), Raigarh, Chandrapur and others | Chhattisgarh’s tussar (कोसा) silk weaving. GI: “Champa Silk Saree and Fabrics” |
| Godna (गोदना) | Tribal and rural women, notably in Surguja and Jashpur | Traditional tattoo art, now also painted on cloth and paper as Godna painting. The Ramnami Samaj of the Mahanadi belt tattoo the name of Ram over the whole body |
| Rajwar clay relief / wall art (भित्ति चित्र) | Rajwar community of Surguja | Painted clay reliefs and jali screens on house walls. Sonabai Rajwar (village Puhputra) turned it into celebrated art |
| Tumba craft (तुम्बा) | Bastar | Dried bottle-gourd shells carved and painted, used as water vessels and lamps |
| Cowrie and bead craft | Bastar | Cowrie-shell ornaments and head-dresses (including for the Gaur dance) |
GI Tags at a Glance
| GI | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bastar Dhokra | Handicraft | Registered 22 April 2008 |
| Bastar Wooden Craft | Handicraft | Registered 22 April 2008 |
| Bastar Iron Craft | Handicraft | Registered 2008–09 |
| Champa Silk Saree and Fabrics | Handicraft (handloom) | Kosa silk of Champa |
| Jeeraphool rice | Agricultural | Aromatic rice of north Chhattisgarh (Surguja), GI 2019 |
| Nagri Dubraj rice | Agricultural | Aromatic rice of Nagri (Dhamtari) |
Analysis: Crafts, Livelihoods and Heritage (Mains GS-IV)
- Livelihood. Crafts give non-farm income to tribal and artisan families in Bastar and Surguja, where farm incomes are low and seasonal.
- Knowledge systems. Lost-wax casting, iron smelting and forging, and forest-based materials (wax, resin, bamboo, gourd) are indigenous technical knowledge passed down within families.
- Identity and ritual. Many objects are ritual first and commodities second: votive horses and elephants, Ghotul pillars, combs, Godna marks.
- Institutions: the Chhattisgarh Hastshilp Vikas Board (the GI applicant for the Bastar crafts), state emporia, craft clusters, national schemes for artisans, and the “One District One Product” approach.
- Challenges:
- Rising prices of brass and beeswax, and scarce firewood for firing
- Middlemen take most of the margin; artisans earn little
- Young people leave for wage work; skills shrink
- Cheap machine-made imitations sold as “Dhokra”; GI enforcement is weak
- Health risks from fumes and heat in open casting
- Way forward: GI enforcement and authentic labelling, e-commerce and direct sales, design support that keeps the tradition, cooperative raw-material banks, and pensions or awards for master artisans.
Memory Tricks
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Dhokra: technique (lost-wax casting) | Bell metal: alloy of copper and tin | |
| Bastar Dhokra: Kondagaon, Ghadwa casters | Ektal Dhokra: Raigarh district, Jhara casters | |
| Wrought iron craft: forged, Lohar | Dhokra: cast, molten metal poured | |
| Champa: Kosa silk (GI) | Kondagaon: Dhokra and iron craft | |
| Sonabai Rajwar: clay relief, Surguja | Jaidev Baghel: Dhokra, Kondagaon | |
| Pandi Ram Mandavi (2025): Narayanpur, wood and Sulur flute | Ajay Kumar Mandavi (2023): Kanker, wood carving |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- Dhokra is made by the ________ casting technique.
- Bell metal is an alloy of copper and ________.
- The Kosa silk GI of Chhattisgarh is registered as “________ Silk Saree and Fabrics”.
Answers
- Lost-wax (cire perdue)
- Tin
- Champa
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about Bastar Dhokra:
- It is made by the lost-wax casting technique.
- Each mould can be reused to make identical pieces.
- It received a Geographical Indication tag in 2008.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Match List-I (Craft) with List-II (Centre or community):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Kosa silk | 1. Rajwar community, Surguja |
| B. Wrought iron craft | 2. Champa |
| C. Clay relief wall art | 3. Kumhar potters, Nagarnar |
| D. Terracotta horses | 4. Lohar community, Kondagaon |
(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 (b) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3 (c) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (d) A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1
Answer and explanation
Q3. Which of the following is NOT a registered GI from Chhattisgarh?
(a) Bastar Wooden Craft (b) Jeeraphool rice (c) Bastar Iron Craft (d) Bastar Kosa Saree
Answer and explanation
Q4. Pandi Ram Mandavi, awarded the Padma Shri in 2025, is known for:
(a) Pandavani singing (b) Panthi dance (c) Bastar wood craft and the Sulur bamboo flute (d) Dhokra casting in Raigarh
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Explain the lost-wax technique of Dhokra and why Bastar Dhokra was given a GI tag. (100 words)
Technique: clay core → beeswax-resin threads → clay coat → heating drains the wax → molten brass/bell metal poured → mould broken. Every piece is unique.
Why GI: a distinct regional style (thread-work surface, Bastar deities and animals), a traditional community of casters (Kondagaon, Jagdalpur), and a link between product quality and place. Registered on 22 April 2008 on the application of the Chhattisgarh Hastshilp Vikas Board.
Value: GI protects against imitation and helps artisans claim a premium.
Q2. “Tribal crafts of Chhattisgarh are both a heritage and a livelihood, but neither is secure.” Discuss and suggest measures. (200–250 words)
Intro: Bastar’s Dhokra, iron and wood crafts, Champa’s Kosa and Surguja’s Godna and clay relief are living heritage and an income source.
Heritage value: indigenous technical knowledge, ritual meaning (votive figures, Ghotul pillars), identity; three Bastar GIs (2008–09).
Livelihood value: non-farm income in tribal districts, women’s work (Godna, bamboo), tourism links.
Threats:
- Costly raw materials (brass, wax), scarce fuel.
- Middlemen and low artisan share.
- Machine-made fakes; weak GI enforcement.
- Youth migration; skills not passed on.
- Loss of ritual context when products are made only for markets.
Measures:
- GI enforcement and authenticated labels; GI-linked branding.
- Direct markets: e-commerce, state emporia, craft fairs.
- Raw-material banks through cooperatives.
- Design and training centres that respect tradition.
- Recognition and pensions for master artisans (Padma awards to Bastar craftsmen show what visibility can do).
Conclusion: Crafts survive when artisans prosper; heritage policy must therefore be livelihood policy.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dhokra technique | Lost-wax (cire perdue) casting; mould broken, each piece unique |
| Dhokra centre | Bastar, especially Kondagaon; also Ektal (Raigarh) |
| Dhokra community | Ghadwa (Bastar); Jhara (Ektal) |
| Bell metal | Copper + tin (कांसा) |
| Brass | Copper + zinc |
| Bastar GIs | Dhokra (2008), Wooden Craft (2008), Iron Craft (2008–09) |
| Kosa GI | Champa Silk Saree and Fabrics |
| Rice GIs | Jeeraphool (2019), Nagri Dubraj |
| Wrought iron | Lohar, Kondagaon, hand-forged |
| Terracotta | Kumhar, Nagarnar; votive horses and elephants |
| Godna | Tattoo art; Surguja; Ramnami Samaj |
| Clay relief | Rajwar, Surguja; Sonabai Rajwar |
| Dhokra master | Jaidev Baghel, Kondagaon |
Key Takeaways
- Dhokra = lost-wax casting in brass or bell metal; centre Kondagaon, Bastar; GI “Bastar Dhokra” (2008).
- Bell metal is an alloy (copper + tin); Dhokra is a technique. Do not mix them up.
- Bastar’s three handicraft GIs: Dhokra, Wooden Craft, Iron Craft. Kosa’s GI is Champa Silk Saree and Fabrics.
- Other crafts: terracotta (Nagarnar), bamboo, Godna and Rajwar clay relief (Surguja), Tumba (Bastar).
- Masters: Jaidev Baghel (Dhokra), Sonabai Rajwar (clay relief), Pandi Ram Mandavi (2025) and Ajay Kumar Mandavi (2023) (wood).
What’s Next
- Notable Artists of Chhattisgarh: every artist and award in one place
- Tourism and Heritage: craft villages and museums for visitors
- Art and Culture of India: lost-wax bronzes from the Harappan Dancing Girl to Chola bronzes
- Economy and Schemes of Chhattisgarh: state support for artisans and village industry