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Traditional Crafts as Livelihoods Pandavad and Budni Villages, Madhya Pradesh

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Sonal Pandey Tiwari Brishbhanlali Raghuwanshi

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Sonal Tiwari is an Assistant Professor in
Department of Landscape Architecture,
School of Planning and Architecture (SPA),
Bhopal. With master’s degree from Centre
for Environmental Planning and Technology
(CEPT) University, Sonal’s doctoral research
is on traditional livelihoods of Narmada
basin and dynamics of riparian landscapes
and livelihoods.
Shikha Patidar is a practising architect in
Bhopal, an Associate Member of Indian
Institute of Architects and visiting faculty at
SPA, Bhopal. Shikha has worked extensively
on culture and architecture of Madhya
Pradesh and has published many papers
on vernacular settlements in national and
international conferences.
Brishbhanlali Raghuwanshi is an Assistant
Professor in Department of Architecture,
SPA, Bhopal. With master’s degree from
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee,
her research includes work for sustainable
development through vernacular
architecture with innovative approach to
integrate traditional knowledge and modern
technology.
Mapping Living Traditions 59
Traditional Crafts as Livelihoods
Pandavad and Budni Villages,
Madhya Pradesh
SONAL TIWARI, SHIKHA PATIDAR and
BRISHBHANLALI RAGHUWANSHI
ABSTRACT
River Narmada is believed to be the lifeline of central India and is
worshipped as the Mother River, providing numerous resources and
wealth to the people of the region. Urbanisation has degraded the
riverine ecosystem and has threatened the existing means of indigenous
livelihoods. The region has seen a major land use change from forests
and grasslands to farmlands. Focussing on the southern bank of River
Narmada, two indigenous livelihoods that are vulnerable in today’s
context have been identified, namely the lacquer toy makers and leaf cup
and plate makers. These livelihoods are declining and hence there is a
need to conserve this indigenous cultural knowledge of forest resources,
in order to maintain the sustainable economy of the region.1
INTRODUCTION
Decreasing forest cover and changing landscape of the region are the
major causes, in addition to other reasons, that have resulted in degraded
ecosystems and decline in traditional livelihood practices. Intensive
farming and new industries have replaced various traditional livelihoods
for daily wage labourers. Conserving these livelihoods is significant for
saving the traditional indigenous economy and the wisdom associated
with it. Indigenous knowledge is a pluralistic approach to conservation
and management of resources. Conservation of these traditional
60 Mapping Living Traditions
economic livelihood practices provide both, long
term local observations and an institutional memory
for understanding ecosystem change, restoration,
governance and sustainable economy.
Experts opine that indigenous economy is an indicator
of a healthy and thriving ecosystem. Livelihoods
among ethnic communities in India are a complex,
dynamic and multi-dimensional phenomenon (Singh, et
al. 2009). Riverine forests are an important renewable
natural resource generating livelihood requirements for
more than 25% of the world’s population (Anon 2011).
As the forests deplete, so are the associated indigenous
livelihoods. The ethnic people are constrained to
earn their livelihoods from forest resources. There
are multitude of studies on traditional knowledge
and livelihood support of forest resources, focusing
on specific aspects like Non-Timber Forest Produces
(NTFPs) (Islam, et al. 2015). The studies of NTFPs
show that the cognitive abilities of the ethnic people
in extraction and consumption of forest resources to
meet their day to day livelihood needs in terms of
fuel wood, fodder grasses etc. Other resources are in
Pandavad and Budni Villages located on northern bank of river, with proximity to the forests
the form of small timber, edible fruits, vegetables,
oilseeds, fibres or floss, dona pattal (leaf cup and
plate), herbal medicines, rural handicrafts, pickles,
tooth brushes, lacquer, cattle feeds, thatches, honey,
wax, mahua2 (tree), wine, fish poison, gums, resins,
tussar silk, beedi (thin cigarette) leaves, insect
repellents, fencing material, brooms, wildlife products,
bamboos, medicinal plants and ritual artefacts. Due
to urbanisation and fast developments, the traditional
knowledge on the use of forest resources by the tribes
is dwindling (Islam, et al. 2015).
Madhya Pradesh is centrally located in India and
is known for its tribal habitats in forest areas.
Hoshangabad town is located on the southern bank of
River Narmada in central Narmada region of the basin
and has seen a major loss of forest areas to farmlands in
the past few decades. The expansion of the urban area
into suburbs has happened in past few years. The rich
teak forests and plains sheltered different indigenous
communities and their trade, and the shrinking forests
are posing a threat to them. With the loss of forest
areas, the numerous tribes such as Ojhas, Baigas and
 Mapping Living Traditions 61

Bhils settled in the region, are struggling hard for

their survival due to the changing landscape. Detailed
documentation and study of architectural, social-
cultural and economic aspects of livelihood clusters of
lacquer toy makers in Budni Village and dona pattal
makers in Pandavad Village in Madhya Pradesh has
been undertaken. Both the communities are dependent
on dry deciduous forests for their resource base.

LACQUER TOY MAKERS IN BUDNI

Budni crafts persons, who have been practicing the

craft of lacquer making for generations, belong to
the Vishwakarma community. The presence of these
families indicate a landscape with nearness to rich
forests with abundance of softwood trees and lacquer
hosts. There was a time when these lacquer toy makers
found their place in every Indian household in the form
of rolling pins, wooden toys, combs, tricycles and other
such objects. The origin of this craft is probably based
in utilitarian, yet aesthetically appealing items (Gaatha
2013). Lacquer toy making was practiced in different
parts of India like Idar, Sankeda, Kutchh, Junagadh,
Varanasi, Chennapatana, Birbhum, Ratnagiri, Mysore,
Sheopur as well as in East-Asian countries like China
and Philippines. The sellers made items like images of
gods, utility articles like pen holders, pen racks, wall
hooks, rolling pins, tricycles, toys for children, rulers
and containers for incense sticks holder in beautiful
colour combinations.
Lacquer toys are made for all age group. In Indian
families, there are many ceremonies where these
toys hold an important role like during child birth, a
coloured lacquered jhoola (cradle) is gifted, a muthi
(teether) that a child can press with gums is painted
with natural dyes, when the child start walking, a thela
(tricycle) is gifted and other such occasions. In these
ceremonies, toys, clothes and other items are gifted to
the mother and the new born by her parents and these
toys hold great ceremonial values. Children play a
lot with kitchen sets, including choki balan (rolling
pin), cups and plates and other toys like lattu (wooden
spinning top), firkin (paper toy pinwheel) and abacus.
All these toys are playful and innovatively designed
and are unique to a particular time and place.
Pile of wood of eucalyptus and dudhi
lacquer coating is applied. After drying, wax coating
of chapadi (resin) and burnishing is done to bring
smooth shiny finish. The piece is then cut off the lathe
and the toy is ready. Earlier, the lathe machine was run
manually, but now its run by diesel power introduced
few years back. Tools used are lathe machine, axe,
chisel and emery paper. Wood used is extracted from
the Dudhi3 tree, however in case of scarcity, this wood
is replaced with alternatives like Kerria4, Sal5, Nilgiri or
Eucalyptus and Babul6.
In the present-day context, it has been noted that this
traditional craft is not prospering to its capacity and the
reasons are discussed:
Availability of raw material: Lacquer craft requires
both natural and artificial raw material. Degraded and
reduced forest area has led to shortage of natural raw­­­
material leaves, wood and lacquer. Shrinking forest
areas and decreasing number of Dudhi trees pose a
threat to this forest dependent livelihood. Nilgiri is an
alternate but is not as lustrous, aesthetically equivalent
and has a shorter life span.

The entire family is engaged in the manufacturing

of these toys, where men work on lathe machine and
women help in decorating the objects. The toys are
made up of softwood, seasoned before making the
objects and then cut to suitable length and desired sizes.
Wood is turned on lathe machine and then coloured Lathe machine with toys
62 Mapping Living Traditions
Wooden tricycles
Increasing cost of natural raw materials: Lesser
availability and increasing price of natural material
makes the product expensive. Influx of cheap plastic
toys and rising prices of wood has left the crafts
persons with low returns on their expertise and hard
work (Gaatha 2013). As a result, plastic toys have
replaced traditional wooden toys, but the ceremonial
Shop selling wooden toys
values of lacquer toys in Indian houses can never be
replaced.
Reducing number of natural dyes: Lacquer is the
scarlet resinous secretion of a number of species of
lacquer insects, of which the most commonly cultivated
species is kerria. In India, the most common host trees
are Dhak or Palash7, Ber or Indian plum8 and Kusum
or Gum Lac9. Decreasing number of host trees has led
to increased prices of lacquer. Kewra or Screw Pine10
leaves for making natural lacquer colours that were
used for polishing of the wooden products, have been
replaced by oil paints.
DONA PATTAL MAKERS IN PANDAVAD
A pattal is a traditional plate made from the leaves of
a Sal tree. These plates are circular in shape and made
by stitching five to six broad dried leaves with a twig
whereas a dona is a concaved shaped bowl made by
only two leaves. Dona pattal makers belong to the Ojha
community. Leaves of Butea11, a woody climber, are
hand plucked and are also used to make bamboo cane,

mat, baskets and handicrafts like musical instruments
and toys. People of other communities also use Palash
and Mahul12 leaves for making leaf cups and plates.
There is an old story that a woman sold datun (teeth
cleaning twig) and dona pattal in every house for daily
consumption. She was greeted and was served tea as
these were important products and were used in daily
activities. The products were considered pure, clean
and hygienic. These were also used for puja (worship)
and other important ceremonies. This is a sustainable
and environment friendly system as these dona pattal
are discarded after single usage and since these are
made from leaf, it takes less time to decompose and
turn into manure.
Generally, the entire family is engaged in making
of dona pattal, where men and few women leave
early morning to nearby forests to collect leaves and
bamboos on their back. Women make dona pattal at
home and these days, they are made in moulds, with
a thin layer of plastic sheet on it for waterproof and
longevity. This traditional craft is also facing serious
threats for survival as discussed:
A household of Ojha community where the verandah is used for working during the day and the inner area is used for sleeping in the
night
Mapping Living Traditions 63
New materials: Thermocol industry has adversely
affected the dona pattal makers. People find it more
fashionable to use new materials and are available in
different shapes. Now, these traditional plates are not
used for daily purpose and are sold in the market on
special occasions like festivals and marriages. Dona
pattal got replaced by brass, that eventually has been
replaced by stainless steel.
Low prices and easy availability of other materials:
Thermocol cutlery, cups and plates are the prime
materials replacing dona pattal. As these are cheap,
people prefer using it only once, instead of recycling
and since these have a plastic layer for waterproofing,
they are non-biodegradable. Researcher suggested
eating hot meals in thermocol plates may have harmful
effects on health.
Reduction in number of trees: Butea climbers have
reduced in number due to deforestation. The profit
margin is very small as compared to being entirely
depend upon this trade. Over harvesting has led to an
impact on the plant density and regeneration (Mishra&
Teki 2007). It has been noticed that the harvesters are
64 Mapping Living Traditions
Drying of leaves by stacking and hanging them in the sun
also damaging the plants, leading to an adverse effect
on plant growth. Sometimes the collectors cut the entire
trunk instead of plucking leaves, thereby damaging
the plant. The forest area in the region has reduced in
the past decades, thereby leading to fewer livelihood
opportunities. Small shelf life of the product and
storage difficulties has also led to reduction in the profit
margin, limiting the supply to only nearby areas on
marginal costs.
CONCLUSION
Indigenous knowledge systems and traditions are not
much in practice now and also the system of transfer of
knowledge from one generation to the other is getting
lost. Modern lifestyles do not allow people to perform
the activities in the traditional manner. Lacquer toy and
dona pattal makers had a strong network within the
society and there was no role of traders initially as the
items were sold directly to the family members. These
crafts persons took a lot of pride and dignity for their
work but due to changing lifestyle, their relationships
with the society is lost and the traditional livelihoods
are fast declining. Study shows that the number of
families practicing the craft have reduced drastically.
Both the communities heavily relied upon nearness
to the natural resource base. A loss of the craft
also threatens the indigenous knowledge system of
coexistence with flora and fauna. This suggests a
need for development of region- cum- ethnic specific
strategy for restoration of the sustainable usage
mechanism. This has become unstable due to the
burgeoning livelihood demands, leading to precarious
condition of some preferred species. Shortage of raw
materials and lack of unsustainable extraction policies
threatens the resource itself, further leading to its
increased prices. There is a tough competition of these
handmade products against machine made products
such as thermocol, styrofoam and plastic. There is lack
of awareness among people about the existence and
nature of these indigenous livelihoods and also the
people practicing it are not aware of the policies and
scheme to strengthen their trade.
The state forest policy aims at conserving and
protecting the forests. It allows for Nistar system13
that fulfils the forest based needs of the local people
for fuel, bamboo, poles and hal-bakkhar (equipment
for ploughing the soil). The villages within a radius of
five kilometres of the forest are allowed extraction and
 Mapping Living Traditions 65

with the reduction of this forest area, the remaining
forests are under pressure by many forest dependent
communities. Rural poverty in India is considered to
be linked with the lack of access to cultivable land or
with its low productivity. Changes in the collection of
gathered items from common property resources such
as forests, goes unnoticed and are not even presented
in the national accounts. However, around 100 million
people living in and around forests in India derive their
livelihood support from the collection and marketing
of NTFPs. Thus, the issue of rights and access to, and
income from, the NTFPs is the basic to sustenance and
livelihood for the forest dwellers (Saxena 2003).
In the light of the present studies, is can be stated
that there is a need for improvement of natural
resource base quality and quantity. In this case, more
forest area with richness of concerned species is
required. Development of region-specific community
biodiversity registers may help identify further species
of cultural significance. There is a need to evolve
participatory strategies for multiplication of the species,
using hi-tech tools and techniques. The empowerment
of households with adequate capacity building for
eco-friendly sustenance on natural resources is the need
of the hour. Improved condition for storage is a value
addition process in order to improve returns from the
harvest of forest resources. Reacquisition of wastelands
and farmlands and development of better co-ordination
between villagers and state forest department will help
increase the forest density and encourage conservation
campaigns of state government.

Bibliographic References
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Notes
1
The article is based on field survey
conducted in Pandavad and Budni
Villages in Madhya Pradesh in October
2017.
2
Scientific name Madhuca latifolia Jacb.
3
Scientific name Wrightia tinctoria.
4
Scientific name Kerria japonica.
5
Scientific name Shorea robusta.
6
Scientific name Acacia nilotica.
7
Scientific name Butea monosperma.
8
Scientific name Ziziphus mauritiana.
9
Scientific name Schleichera oleosa.
10
Scientific name Pandanus odorifer.
11
Scientific name Butea superba.
12
Scientific name Bauhinia vahili.
13
Nistar means the concession granted for
removal of specified forest products like
wood from forest coupes on payment at
stipulated rates. The rates are fixed by the
forest department for the specified forest
produce in consultation with the district
collector.

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