Bhubaneswar: Bell metal craft reflects Odisha’s rich heritage, said Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo during the unveiling of ‘Kansa: Forging Traditions, Shaping Futures’, a unique book by MGM Foundation and Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio (BEADS) that documents the state’s bell metal craft heritage, here Saturday.
MGM Group CMD Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Dharitri and Orissa POST Editor Tathagata Satpathy and other dignitaries attended the event.
Singh Deo said, “Odisha’s bell metal craft reflects our rich heritage.
Through this book, MGM Group has made sincere efforts to save the dying art and its legacy for future generations.”
Satpathy said, “This initiative may not bring much profit, but it carries immense cultural value.
I urge people to extend at least moral support so that such efforts can flourish.
These rare art forms are fast disappearing, and it’s our responsibility to safeguard them for future generations.”
The comprehensive documentation in the form of a book chronicles the living traditions of ‘Kansa’ (bell metal) craft across 18 villages in Odisha.
It also represents the intensive field research conducted by Odisha Craft Odyssey Fellowship Programme 2024-25.
The book, which documents the practices, techniques, and stories of bell metal artisans, aims at preserving a fading cultural tradition and drawing attention to the urgent need to protect bell metal craft, a dying art form.
As many as 31 master bell metal artisans were felicitated on the occasion.
PNN
