From Kapdaganda embroidery to Lanjia Soura motifs, face masks are getting an ethnic facelift in Odisha. As the Covid-19 health pandemic snatched away their livelihood, tribal artisans across the State have shifted to creating handwoven “cultural” masks to not just keep their craft alive but also meet the rising demand for the safety gear.
In fact, masks are helping tribal artisans revive their income after their business took a huge hit during the lockdown. So, while Dongria Kondh tribals are embroidering tribal motifs central to their community on handwoven cloth Kapdaganda, Santhal artisans are weaving Santhali alphabets, creating beautiful pieces of face masks that are not just environment friendly but reusable unlike the N95 or surgical ones. The initiative to produce tribal masks was started by ST and SC Development, OBC and Minorities Welfare Department in May in order to generate livelihood for tribals and provide them an opportunity to use their craft creatively in the lockdown. The department directed the tribal museum unit of SCSTRTI to identify tribal communities with distinctive art and textiles.
Accordingly, ethnic designs of Dongria Kondh, Lanjia Soura, Santhal, Gond, Kulis, Oram, Bhottada and Dharua tribes were selected to be produced on masks. Initially, 400 masks of each tribe were prepared and sold through the Adisha outlet of Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation at Bhubaneswar, which were an instant hit with people. Since May, at least 2,000 pieces of ethnic masks have been sold at Adisha. Among them, Kapdaganda masks woven by women of Dongria Kondh tribe in Rayagada were the most sought after. The masks, made from coarse off white cloth, are embroidered with Dongria designs in red, yellow, green and orange threads and sold for around Rs 300 to Rs 350 each. These masks cost more than regular ones because of the intricate handwork that every artisan does. The Kapdaganda masks are produced by members of three Dongria Kondh women SHGs in Bissamcuttack, who were weaving Kapdaganda shawls till the pandemic hit.
A second generation Lanjia Soura artist of Rayagada Jinesh who paints Idital motifs on cotton masks, says he makes around Rs 100 to Rs 150 per mask he produces and adds that because of rising demand of ethnic masks he has got work during the lockdown period. “Now that everyone wants a designer mask, we have been getting calls for Idital prints to be either painte d o r stitched onto masks. There is also demand for masks with Gond paintings. Since masks will be a part of our everyday lives now, demand for ethnic ones will only rise after lockdown is lifted”, he said. The masks can be used for at least four to five months after regular wash, he claimed. Director of the department Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar said the ethnic masks are not just functional but also an identity associated with various tribes and its people.
In the future, steps will be taken for product diversification to boost the livelihoods and income of tribal communities along with promotion of their art and culture. Apart from the ST and SC Development Department, designers and clothing brands including Fab India are turning to tribal artisans of Odisha to produce hand painted and embroidered masks with traditional motifs. Jayashree Mishra, a citybased designer, said this is a great way to support tribal artisans to recover from the losses that they have suffered due to the pandemic so far. Such traditional crafts can only survive if the artisans adapt to market needs. Jayashree has been working with Kotpad weavers of Koraput to produce masks dyed in natural colours.