The name Arth was born in the small town of Swamimalai, situated on the banks of river Cauvery in Tamil Nadu. The temple town is famous for its bronze metal statues made of ‘Panchalogam’ (literally translated as Five Metals). An alloy of copper, lead, zinc, tin and gold, Panchalogam is used in the making of Hindu idols.
Each mould can be used only for a single casting. It was a rather time consuming process. For instance, the piece that had caught my eye took around 18 days to make. What a steal it was at Rs 6000!
A quick swipe of the credit card, and I walked out of the store with my gorgeous purchase in hand. From the initial reluctance at the price to excitedly prancing towards the cash counter, what had changed, I wondered? It was no more a mere a pretty product on display; it was a handcrafted possession. It had significance now- an expression of age old culture and tradition painstakingly shaped by the hands of experienced artisans. I was able to better appreciate and indulge in the craft now. From here grew the name Arth, which is the Sanskrit word for ‘meaning’. Arth is our effort to bring beautiful crafts and their story to the fore.
On a travel trip to Tamil Nadu, I stopped by Swamimalai to explore its handicrafts and meet the local artisans. I walked into a workshop-cum-handicraft store and ambled around the display of exquisitely handcrafted statues. My eyes fell on one rather beautiful piece. A quick glance at the price tag of Rs 6,000 made it seem rather expensive. Disappointed, I placed the product back on its shelf. Why would a local store price its products so high, I wondered.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, the store manager graciously invited us to tour around the production unit. We spent the next hour watching and marvelling at the various production stages – artisans preparing individual moulds, deftly handling the cauldron with the molten metal alloy, casting the moulds, tediously chiselling and meticulously filing the casting.
Each mould can be used only for a single casting. It was a rather time consuming process. For instance, the piece that had caught my eye took around 18 days to make. What a steal it was at Rs 6000!
A quick swipe of the credit card, and I walked out of the store with my gorgeous purchase in hand. From the initial reluctance at the price to excitedly prancing towards the cash counter, what had changed, I wondered? It was no more a mere a pretty product on display; it was a handcrafted possession. It had significance now- an expression of age old culture and tradition painstakingly shaped by the hands of experienced artisans. I was able to better appreciate and indulge in the craft now. From here grew the name Arth, which is the Sanskrit word for ‘meaning’. Arth is our effort to bring beautiful crafts and their story to the fore.
This is wonderful.. Wish you good luck
ReplyDeleteHope to see Arth going ways :) Good Luck ma frnd.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
ReplyDelete