VIJAYAPURA: Sitting on the floor of his small shop near the ancient Shahpur Darwaza area of Vijayapura city, Basavaraj Saptalkar is meticulously crafting traditional leather chappals. Entirely handmade, every step of the production process requires enormous skill, and Saptalkar has to take care of every intricacy to give it a perfect shape and size.
“The pair of chappals must look identical, without any variation even in the minute and fine design. Only then will the customer feel satisfied and pay the price,” he said, engrossed in cutting leather strips.
The 52-year-old cobbler is a fourth-generation craftsman of the Saptalkar family and inherited the occupation of making handmade leather chappals. Proud of his skill and perfection, Saptlakar regrets that only six or seven such craftsmen remain in the district who are continuing with this occupation.
He said the footwear is made of pure leather and traditional designs are used. The chappals are largely preferred by farmers and shepherds because of their ruggedness and durability. Each chappal weighs around 1kg if the customer wants heavy and strong chappals, however, lighter designs are also made for men and women. The heavier chappals are made with thick soles and nails and are mainly for farmers and shepherds who need them to traverse rough terrain. Known as ‘Kera’ or ‘Mettu’ in colloquial language, these farmer-friendly chappals are gradually coming into vogue, and attracting fashion-conscious youngsters. Basavaraj said that over the years, the youth have found these traditional chappals attractive and unique.
“I don’t know the reason, but I think young people are fascinated with these chappals because of the strange noise generated while walking, which grabs public attention. Maybe boys want this sort of attention,” smiles Samarth Guttedar, a customer. The software engineer had come all the way from Bengaluru to order a pair of traditional chappals. He said that for some unknown reason, riders who prefer heavy motorcycles like Royal Enfield favour the tough-looking chappals. “Maybe they think the ruggedness of their motorcycles matches the ruggedness of the chappals,” he said.
Channappa Saptalkar, younger brother of Basavaraj, admits their hands are always full as demand is growing, but in the absence of workers, they are unable to meet demand on time. “It is highly skilled and labour-intensive work which requires enormous patience. This very thing is severely lacking in today’s generation. The workers want fast work and quick money,” Channappa said.
He said that about three decades ago, Vijayapura district had over 6,000 families whose vocation was making chappals, but the number is down to just a few. He said a pair of heavy chappals needs at least six days to make, while the lighter ones take around two days.
Basavaraj said that after the ban on cattle slaughter came in, they are finding it hard to find hide, though the tanneries of Belagavi and Bagalkot are supplying enough to meet their demand. Sitting continuously on the floor also takes a toll on their health over a period of time, and the strain begins to tell on their backs. “This is the result of our work,” says Chanappa, showing the lumbar belt he wears for relief from back pain.
Meanwhile, Basavaraj’s son Shankar, aged 20, has also taken up the occupation after completing ITI. Shankar said he is interested in the work, however, he admits he is not sure whether he will continue with it for long. “My father did not force me to learn but certainly taught me the skills. He thinks that if I don’t find a better job, I at least have this skill to earn my living.”
Styles and names
Despite having no specific brand, the chappals come in over 20 styles with some unique names. Popular among them are Magada, Silbar, Manewadi, Gaddimettu, Henaki, Kokanimat and Sampattige Sawal.
The makers don’t know the meanings of some of the names, however, they said that Sampattige Sawal is named after the film starring late Kannada superstar Rajkumar, who wore similar footwear in the popular film.
Labour shortage hits local brand
N Chandrashekhar, Manager, Dr Babu Jagjivan Ram Leather Industries Corporation, said the Corporation is making efforts to popularize the local brand, however, because of the shortage of skilled labour, it is unable to do so.
He said the Corporation has its own shops in some districts and is looking to open more stalls. “We are trying our best to provide training, offer financial assistance and open shops to promote this traditional occupation, but in the absence of interested workers, we are facing difficulty,” he said. He said these traditional workers have to face stiff competition with machine-made leather footwear makers as they
have a variety of designs at low cost.