Handicrafts in Assam Some Special Crafts of Assam Bell Metal crafts: Bell metal craft is one of the hereditary

crafts of Assam. Bell metal is an allo y of copper and tin. A large number of utility items are made out of this metal which has certain distinctive characteristic features of its own as compared to other metals. For example, food kept in the utensils made out of bell metal is n ot spoiled. For Bengali and Assamese families, it is traditional utility cum gif t item. They are in common use in every household because of some religious sent iments attached to it. The main production centres in the state are located at Sarthebari, Titabari and Raha in Assam. Sarthebari is the main commercial centre, in the entire NorthEas t. In this centre there are many cooperative societies of producers of this meta l craft. Most of the units are cottage based. The range of products produced in Assam include a wide variety of utility and de corative items of bell metal. These are locally called as: kahi, bati, ban, bota , bhortal, lota, sarai, ashana, charka, barkahi, hati, khujia bati, malhang, saf ura. The bell metal industry in Assam is using antiquated techniques in the prod uction process which are entirely manual and hence are laborious. Due to the nar row scope for export of bell metal products from India, there is a gradual shift in the production from bell metal to brass metal items. This shift is also due to meet the local need for bell metal items. Cane and bamboo products: Goods produced from cane and bamboo have a distinct advantage over other materia ls like wood and steel. The range of products produced from cane include sofa se ts, chairs of different shapes and types like easy chairs, arm chairs, rocking c hairs, dining chairs, tables of different types like side tables, central tables and basket wares for different uses. The products produced from cane and bamboo have great demand all over the world for hotels, hospitals, casinos, clubs etc. because of their light weight, comfort and low price. The cane and bamboo industry is scattered throughout the state in rural as well as in certain urban areas. Commercial production of cane furniture in the state is mainly concentrated in Silchar, in Cachar district of Assam. The other import ant centres in Assam are Mangaldoi, Nalbari, Jorhat, Golaghat etc. Wood carvings: Wood wares industry in the State is scattered and the production is confined to a few items only. The products made of the wood locally available are limited to human and animal figures, fruit bowls, dragon, and other masks, flower vases an d few other decorative items. Jute craft: West Bengal accounts for the largest share of both area and production of jute, Bihar has the second share followed by Assam. These three states accounts for 90 % of the total production in the country. In Assam, jute is grown mostly in the lower Brahmaputra valley and to some extent in the Surma valley. A variety of pr oducts are made by the artisans of Assam, i.e., jute decorative which include ma terials of home furnishing, dress goods, harts, belts, shoes, table and floor ma ts, hammocks etc. Sitalpati: Sitalpati which means cool spread, is most appropriate of its quality, made from green cane slips. They are also woven along with maroon dyed slips which make a lovely contrast against its own natural golden shade. This mat is made from a r eed which grows abundantly in marshy spots. The weaving is mostly done in twill. Generally the warp is one colour and weft of another. Sometimes two styles are worked together to produce a number of designs. The usual motifs are trees, cree pers, animals, birds, stylized human forms as also geometrical designs. The fine st sitalpati is used in Assam to sleep on, as it is cool for summer nights. Anot her special feature of this is, women do the weaving while men take other proces ses. Number of Handicraft Units and Artisans in Assam in according to 1995-96 census:

Type of units Number of units Number of artisans Household 29,816 97,363 Non Household 544 3,119 Total 30,360 1,00,482 Rural areas 28,103 92,665 Urban areas 2,257 7,817 Number of Handicraft Units and Artisans in Assam according to 1995-96 census Cla ssified under Craft Groups: Major Craft Group No. of Textiles Carpets Other Floor Coverings Other Textiles 20,709 27 122 20,560 68,658 80 355 68,223 Cane & Bamboo 5,031 16,449 Wood 1,090 3,425 Metal 1,679 5,964 Stone 2 6 Straw, Grass, Fibre & Leaf Glass 5 13 Clay & Ceramics 1,350 4,336 Ivory, Bone, Horn & Shells Leather 79 243 Number of Handicraft Units and ssified District-wise: units No. of Artisans

147 1

507 1

Artisans in Assam according to 1995-96 census Cla

Districts No. of units No. of Artisans Kokrajhar 407 723 Dhubri 1027 3419 Bongaogaon 293 927 Goalpara 295 741 Barpeta 3915 14086 Nalbari 4068 8761 Kamrup 7904 129927 Darrang 833 2368 Morigaon 477 1406 Nagaon 2188 8575 Sonitpur 518 1876 Lakhimpur 1415 4727 Golaghat 664 1752 Jorhat 870 2645 Dhemaji 183 576 Sibsagar 223 884 Dibrugarh 728 2736 Tinsukia 452 1301 Karbi Anglog 657 1913 N.C.Hills 387 1571 Cachar 1041 2703 Hailakandi 701 2951 Karimganj 1114 3914 Total Assam 30360 100482 Nodal agencies/ institutions : Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), HOUSEFED Office Complex, S econd Floor, Central Building, Beltola Basistha Road, Guwahati-781006, Assam

Address of Marketing and Service Extension Centre and Bamboo and Cane Developmen t Institute: Marketing and Service Extension Centre, Ward No.4, Promothesh Barua Road, Gaurip ur, Dhubri, PIN-783331, Assam, Ph. no.(03662)81514 Assistant Director (Handicrafts), Marketing and Service Extension Centre, Nehru Park, Jorhat, Assam, PIN-785001, Ph. no.(0376)321846 Office of the Commissioner, Textiles, handloom & Sericulture, Assam Secretariat, Dispur, Ph-(0361)261384 Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Udyog Bhawan, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati-781 021, Ph. no.(0361)550717, Deputy Director (Handicrafts), Ph. no.(0361)550345 Office of the Managing Director, Assam Govt. Marketing Corporation Ltd., Ambari, Guwahati-781001, Ph. no.(0361)543439 Data source : Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), North Easter n Region, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India