19 March 2014

#Do Right - Half (dark)story about unsung heroes of Raghurajpur..........

India is known for it's diverse, multifaceted culture rich in history and traditions.That's why it is undoubtedly called ,"The incredible India".
Cococnut painting-Courtesy:Wikipedia

India has one of the world's largest collections of music,dance,folk traditions,rites and rituals,art,crafts,paintings and writings which are known as the "Intangible cultural heritage" of the nation. Each and every part of the country has some or the other form of art and craft to boast with pride .For example Rajasthan's tie-dye fabrics,puppet shows ,mirror embroidery ,royal intricate designs,Gujarath's Bandhani fabric dyeing,Assamese Cane,bamboo art,silk fabric designs ,on the southern part of India known for exceptional Mural paintings,wood and stone carvings  are a few well known art and crafts far and wide...and then there are a few others who are equally awesome if not extraordinary and plays an integral part of Indian Heritage but go unnoticed and unappreciated.

When The Gods Rest…
Image courtesy:Gaatha.com

One such is a "Wonder" village - Raghurajpur,a small village in Puri district of  Odisha (formerly known as Orissa (state)) which has been declared as the heritage arts and crafts village by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) ,where every villager is an artist and every home is an artist's studio !!..This invisible village is also one of the seven wonders of India...some of the artisans are even National award winners ...

These artistic villagers practice various forms of traditional Odisha arts: pattachitra (Their specialty) , tal chitra, silk painting, stone carving, coconut painting, betel nut painting, papier mache & masks, cowdung toys and ganjappa playing cards. The motifs for these artworks are based on mythology, religion, folklore and erotica.(Courtesy:Doright.in).

These paintings also happens to be the only means of livelihood for these poor,humble ,passionate,hard working artisans.

Just as Debbie Debaun said," Painting is like childbirth.It's a precious gift that is labor intensive and drains one's energy. A natural high comes with creation."
 
Well said !! Needless to mention ,all these art and crafts/paintings involves intricate designs ,details ,creativity which makes them unique and one of a kind .Just like the above saying, each and every work of art therefore demands ample time ,disciplined efforts & necessary resources.A single art work can take about days and months .

 That also reminded me what "William F.Reese" said ,"Painting is damn hard work, no way around it. In fact, if you are having too much fun, you probably aren't paying attention. It is, however, satisfying and fulfilling, especially after an honest effort."

This is exactly the motto of every artisan in this humble village .That being said,price of each and every unique piece of art can range from  Rs.500 to 2 lakhs .....Picture this !!! Picture perfect right ? Common sense ...fair enough ...That's what an exceptionally dedicated,talented artisan deserves. HOWEVER..

                                               INTERVAL- watch this trailer meantime ..

Just like every (almost) movie or a story ,there is a villain here as well ..they are called"THE MIDDLEMEN" ,who buy those masterpieces from them at a minimal amount and sell them at higher price at the market ,making huge profits thereby leaving the artisans with hardly any other choice other than accepting and continuing their work passionately without much fuss  but NOT ANYMORE....Enough is enough !!

It's high time to kick these villains out of the picture and bring the real heroes forward ,to honor the people who deserve the most,to make their life as colorful as their paintings ,rewarding ,appreciating,known and heard ...

Besides,it's not just about their true recognition to the world but also about their survival ...they solely depend upon this income to run their home and passion(art),inspire the new generations to learn and carry on and most importantly they silently contribute to the cultural heritage of India...They deserve more !!

So,that was the dark half story so far ...and this is how we can make a bright happy ending to it :

The Tata Capital's Initiative  called ,"#Do right!" /Half Stories: The Journey of Doing Right is an humble effort of doing right to the right people in different areas of life .(in simple terms).

So,to provide justice to these deserving but ignored artisans,they are building a website exclusively to showcase across the globe, every artist's individual creations,promote and sell without the interference of any middlemen directly to the interested buyers.

What anyone interested in supporting this cause should do is either contribute any amount or atleast spread the words across through social medias or blog like I am doing my bit (being part of IndiBlogger and IndiChange !).....Please do your bit if you can!!.."Sharing is caring"!!..Together we can make a huge difference and make someone's life worth !!

(Today morning I saw this mail from Indiblogger-If you have the time, please submit your post about the artists of Raghurajpur by midnight on the 21st of March. A post on your blog would be priceless to these deserving artists.-> This statement motivated me to write for sure and do my bit.If it can help then I'll  and this is my first submission to Indibloggers - Not sure if it'll inspire others but I really hope it does in some way!!)


“I can't change the fact that my paintings don't sell. But the time will come when people will recognize that they are worth more than the value of the paints used in the picture.” ~ Vincent van Gogh quotes (Dutch Painter, one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionists, 1853-1890)

and I believe it's TIME!!!....Kudos to the Tata Capital's initiative and all those who are supporting this cause !!

It's time Raghurajpur vaasis to drift those dark clouds away and shine as bright as a Sun !! ........God bless !!

Satyamev Jayathey,