BHUBANESWAR: There’s finally a ray of hope for the dying silver filigree or ‘Rupa Tarakasi’ of Cuttack. The famed handicraft of thin silver wires has finally received the geographical indication (GI) tag, four years after an application was filed by the Odisha State Cooperative Handicrafts Corporation.
Chennai-based GI Registry under Ministry of Commerce and Industry - the national body for GI registrations - on Friday registered an application for Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (silver filigree), recognising it as a product unique to Cuttack and safeguarding the interests of local artisans. The tag will now ensure premium pricing for the silver filigree products produced by Cuttack artisans.
According to historians, the origin of Cuttack’s silver filigree is ambiguous but it has been proven that as far back as the 12th century, craftsmen working with silver existed in the city. The craft received patronage under the Mughals, thus strongly linking it to them as source of origin. The registry states that the intricate designs and fine craftsmanship of silver filigree of Cuttack is unique to the city and not seen in other silver clusters in the country or the world. Further, the three dimensional nature of the products made in Cuttack give it a realistic finish and make it unique to the cluster.
Products made in the Cuttack cluster are Durga Puja ‘medhas’ and jewellery including the unique ‘Dama’ chain. The chain is an intricate mesh-like feature that is woven into each other to create an infinite loop. This continuous set of loops are woven into pieces of jewelry. Unlike the rest of the products created in Cuttack, the Dama chain is only made by women.
Researcher Anita Sabat said the GI tag will bring Cuttack’s filigree to prominence, open up the market for the product and provide platforms to artisans to sell them at a premium price. The tag comes at a time when the number of filigree artisans in the city has drastically gone down in the absence of patronage and with the younger generation refusing to take up the work. Even the Tarakasi Karigar Cooperative is now lying non-functional.
From 1995-96 when there were 3,079 filigree artisans in Cuttack, the number decreased to just 612 in 2019-20. Each artisan earns between an average of Rs 8,000 to 15,000 throughout the year apart from the Durga Puja period. The current product hubs are Buxi Bazaar, Tulasipur, Nayabazaar and Chandni Chowk.
Artisan Biswanath Dey, who is credited to have created several silver tableaus and jewellery for Goddess Durga, said while such a status is a welcome measure, the government should ensure filigree products are promoted well not just within the country but abroad, and artisans get a regular flow of work.
Earlier, the silver filigree craft of Karimnagar in Telangana had received the GI tag in 2006. Unlike Cuttack, the craft in Karimnagar is believed to have started in the 19th century.