Agra Cluster
Agra Cluster
Agra Cluster
GROUP MEMBERS:
Juhee Singh
Madhusmita Tiwari
Pavitra Srivastava
Payal Patra
Shama Praveen
Supriya Maheshwari
Tanu Singh
Vatsala Tewari (MFM-III)
Declaration
We, hereby declare that the document titled Cluster Project: Stone Carving in
Agra is the sole creation by us and all the information contained in this report is
the result of our own observation and work and the due acknowledgement has
been given along with, the reference to the sources. No part of this work has been
submitted in support of any application for another degree or qualification to this
institute or any other university or other institute of learning.
Juhee Singh
Madhusmita Tiwari
Pavitra Srivastava
Payal Patra
Shama Praveen
Supriya Maheshwari
Tanu Singh
Vatsala Tewari
(MFM Batch: 2015-2017)
Acknowledgement
We are indebted to all those individuals who helped us in completing our Cluster
Project. The source of learning has been way too many and a complete list of
individual references would become encyclopedic. We want to express our
deepest gratitude to Mr. Rajesh Kr. Chaudhary, Associate Professor, FMS
department, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Rae Bareli, for assisting us
to Agra and sharing his experience and knowledge throughout the time, without
whose help the project would not have gotten any shape and it would be
impossible for us to complete it. In addition, we are very thankful to Mr. Ashok
Kumar, the manufacturer and Supplier of The Ashok Kumar Taj Maker, Panchkuiya
Nalband Road. Finally, we would express our gratitude towards Mr. Amitava
Chowdhury, Centre Coordinator MFM, NIFT Rae Bareli, for facilitating our Cluster
Project. Our special regards to Mr. Venkat Subramaniam for his extended
guidance. And lastly, we would thank each other in our group for the constant hard
work and support during the project.
Juhee Singh
Madhusmita Tiwari
Pavitra Srivastava
Payal Patra
Shama Praveen
Supriya Maheshwari
Tanu Singh
Vatsala Tewari
(MFM Batch: 2015-2017)
Abstract
The artwork on stone is a combination of carving, inlaying engraving, sculpture and
undercut (art of making multi layered decorative items out of one single piece of stone,
hollowed from inside). Designs are made by cutting the stone and varying fine patterns
on it. In fact, stone-cutters and sculptors work hand in hand. The base material of work
is marble, gorara soapstone and occasionally palewa or khorai. Marble is basically
brought from the quarries of Makarana, Rajasthan. The choicest work from Agra can be
seen in black and white marble from Rajasthan, or even Alabaster of Italy, with semiprecious materials such as Cornelian, Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx Agate and Shazar
laid into it. Use of inexpensive shells instead of semi-precious stone make for reasonably
priced gift items. The famous inlay work of Agra reflects the mosaic work used in Taj
Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. At present, this work is limited to the traditional brick-andmortar, however with the numerous marketing opportunities present, this project was an
effort to understand the craft, and the current major issues that are hindering its
flourishment. Implementing modern marketing techniques and related techniques in the
handicrafts sector would go a long way in solving the communication problems of the
artisans.
Overview
1. Primary Objective
To understand the stone craft and traditional methods of marketing
To understand the awareness level of artisans regarding online selling.
To understand the willingness of the artisans regarding online selling.
2. Secondary Objectives
Understanding the problems faced by the artisans related to marketing.
Defining feasible solutions in the problem areas concerning the local artisans.
3. Conclusive Research
Through structured, non-disguised questionnaire.
5. Sampling
Focus Group
6. Sampling Population
Artisans of Panchkuiya, Agra, UP
7. Sampling Size
100 artisans
Wood Craft:
Wooden articles in India range from the ornately carved to the absolutely simple. One
can find toys, furniture, decorative articles, etc. bearing the art and individuality of the
craftsman. India is known particularly for its lacquered wood articles.
Stone Craft:
The intricately carved stoneware made of marble, alabaster or soapstone, etc., inlaid
with semiprecious stones carry on the heritage of Indian stone crafts. Basically, an art of
manufacturing objects by combining pieces of rough natural stones.
Wooden Artwares
Handprinted
Textiles & Scarves
Embroidered
goods
Soft
Mache
Kashmir, Jaipur
Terracotta
Marble &
StoneCrafts
Papier
Crafts
Imitation
Jewellery:
Leather Goods
Madhya Pradesh has a rich tradition of stone craft. Gwalior is known for jali (lattice)
work. Animal and human figures are created in Jabalpur and Tikamgarh. The tribal
region of Bastar is well known for sculptures of tribal gods and memorial pillars.
In Andhra Pradesh the main centers of stone craft are Durgi, Allagadda and Tirupati.
These centers excel in making of intricately carved figures of gods and goddesses. The
craftsmen here strictly follow ancient rules pertaining to carving and making sculptures.
Gujarat is known for marble sculptures from Ambaji. Rural areas of Bihar are known for
utensils made from black stone.
Rajasthan has the best marble and sandstone quarries in India. The craftsmen here have
an age-old tradition of carving and making sculptures. The marble quarry of Makrana
has contributed to making of Taj Mahal at Agra and marble from here is also used in
the making of exquisite Dilwara Jain temples at Mt Abu. The craftsmen here follow the
rules laid down in Shilpa-shastra, while creating images of gods and deities.
Jaipur is the center of marble carving in Rajasthan. Craftsmen, not only create figures of
deities, but also make household items like bowls, trays, items for kneading dough etc.
Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaipur are main centers of jali making.
Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Orissa are also famous for figurines and items made from
stone. The craftsmen from Orissa use soft soapstone to make finely carved sculptures of
gods and goddesses.
Uttar Pradesh has many craft centers engaged in making different items from stone.
Hamirpur district is known for statues made from locally available red soft stone. The
raida community of Banaras, is responsible for making a range of marble items include
tableware, plates, glasses bowls, food containers, candle stands, etc. Agra is famous for
its intricate marble inlay work, drawing inspiration from the Taj Mahal. Floral and
geometric patterns dominate designs created here. Popular items include models of Taj,
bowls, boxes, lamps, vases and pitchers. Intricately carved friezes, panels and trellis or
jali work done in exquisite designs is a specialty of this place. Vrindavan and Mathura
are popular for alabaster work. At times alabaster items are studded with precious
stones.
Jhansi region known for a dark brown stone, spotted with yellow. Lamp stands, pastel,
incense stick holders are made out of this stone.
E-Commerce:
Internet has emerged as a one of the promising distribution channel for selling the
handicrafts products. It is estimated that internet will be one of the major channel for the
distribution of handicrafts products through e-commerce. Easy availability on global
basis and cost effective ways have made Internet a good marketplace to buy, sell, and
promote the products.
Agra is located on the banks of river Yamuna, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The
city is famous for its leather craft, marble carving and the legendary Taj Mahal, which
is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Unlike the bigger cities of the country, Agra
still has the old world charm and theres an amazing simplicity about its people. Most of
the inhabitants are involved in the crafts either directly or indirectly. Stone/Marble
carving is being practiced in various parts of the city and around. Panchkuiya-Gokulpura
handicrafts bazaar is one of such areas. The faade of the mohalla disguised by the
shops selling marble products, but as one walks further in, there are homes-convertedinto-karkhanas (workshops) to be where the craftsmen can be seen doing what they do
best carving
The stone crafts of Uttar Pradesh have flourished to a great extent due to the fact that
the Mughal rulers of India have patronized this craft to a great extent. The stone crafts
in Uttar Pradesh reached the zenith of excellence during the Mughal period when the
Taj Mahal was made.
The craft have shown their creative excellence through intricate architectural
masterpieces. These are perfectly chiseled and are decorated with inlay work. Stone
carving on sandstone carry the rich cultural heritage of royal fascination and the variety
that had been explored by the artisans. These outstanding stone crafts are visible in the
intricate curving on the forts and palaces. In the 3rd century B.C., the imperial court of
Ashoka provided a great boost to the art of stone carving. The excavations found in
Mathura and Agra areas verify that the red sandstone of Chunar has been lavishly used
in the stone sculptures. The statues of religious gods and goddesses with excellent
carving, brilliantly created articles of inlay work, stone carvings with embedded
inexpensive shells or semi-precious stones are some of the well-known stone crafts that
are admired in all around the country. The famous among the stone crafts of Uttar
Pradesh is the mosaic work of Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri.
The Fatehpur Sikris Sheikh Salim Chisti Dargah, the marble tomb was built in 1572 by
Emperor Akbar. It was the precursor to an age known as the 'Reign of Marble' for, with
the accession of Jahangir, sand stone gave way to marble, the crafting of which peaked
during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan with the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Marble was used not only in building but also in other ways. Craftspersons used it in
mosaic patterns combined with red sand stone and other colours of marble and
embedded it in cement. They used marble to make intricate jaalis (perforate relief) that
filtered light and they used it most exquisitely for inlay work or pietra dura.
Unique for its translucency, marble from the Makrana region in northwestern India was
used to build the Taj Mahal, as well as many other famous buildings such as the White
House, St. Pauls Cathedral and Sydney Opera House, to name a few.
Various precious and semi-precious stones, jasper, cornelian, topaz, mother of pearl,
turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, jade, agate, and porphyry were shaped and set in shallow
chases carved in the marble. The most frequently used decorative motif was the
arabesque, the ornamentation being in a stylised floral form with geometric interlocking.
Since the time of Shah Jahan, Agra in Uttar Pradesh has remained a thriving centre for
marble work, including inlay. The marble is obtained from Makrana, Rajasthan and the
semi-precious stones come from anywhere over the world. The artisans of today fashion
vases, coasters, table tops, boxes, plates, and trays, models of the Taj Mahal, lamp
bases, flooring, fountains, chairs, water basins, chess sets, and even hookah stands.
The base material of stone craft in Uttar Pradesh is marble softstone/soapstone and
hardstone. The artisans of Agra use machines for cutting, grinding, buffing and polishing
of stone. However, the craftsmen still use chisel and hammer to bring out curved patterns
and designs followed by grinding and polishing. The artisans are broadly called,
Sadakars and Pachikars. The Sadakars create cutting and carving by machines and the
Pachikars create carvings with the chisels.
Agra is one of those places where the great examples of stone craft have been seen
through the architecture of the city. Panchkuiya and Gokulpura in Agra are the places,
where the instances of excellent artistry of stone craft are to be found. Most people of
the areas, mainly the artisans of these areas, earn their livelihood by creating
outstanding artifacts with stones. These stones preferably, Gorara, the softstone that is
easy to carve on and sandstone and Palewa, Khorai, Pallar, Gorari hardstones for
machines, were generally procured from Makrana and Bhilwara, Rajasthan and Jhansi
respectively. Italian Stone, Albaster and Kota Stone are the alternatives to the usuals
alongwith Selum, that is a poor quality soft stone from northern areas of Haldwani,
Uttarakhand.
Stone crafts of Agra stand as the epitome of strength and beauty. The designs of Agra
are world famous for its superb inlay work in marble. The designs are either foliage or
floral intertwined with geometrical patterns. The artifacts created here have been
inspired by the intricate works of Taj Mahal. The items like vases, boxes, lamps, plates,
bowls and pitchers are created with delicately molded shapes and fine carvings.
Intricate friezes and trellis or jali work done in an eye- catching range of patterns is also
specialty of Agra.
The stone craft of Agra include marble boxes, wall plates, table tops, coasters, and
ashtrays inlaid with semi-precious stones and mother of pearl in pleasing mosaic (pietra
dura) designs that is derived from the Mughal monuments and paintings. Even the Gorara
stone carvings, paperweights, and Rubic cube like candleholders, which take four
different sizes, are considered as the intricate craftsmanship of the artisans. Apart from
creating different articles that catch the fancy of the local people and the tourists as
well, the artisans create exclusive items that are placed in the trendy house to suit the
decorative purpose.
Craftsmen in Panchkuiya, Agra carve idols, statuettes and jaalis from various stones,and
specialize in a particular stone. Apart from Gorara, Alabaster is popular in Agra due
to its resemblance to marble. But being an extremely soft stone, requiring only finger
pressure to chisel, it has to be boiled overnight and then waxed to take on the design.
Objects are at a times ornamented with paint and gold leaf overlay. The stones are also
turned into containers. Craftsmen specialize in carving nesting animals-elephants,owls,
tortoises and egg-shaped objects-with the forms carved in floral jaali. Holes are drilled
with a power drill and the insides hollowed out manually with chisels.The smaller animal
is carved out through the jaali so the form has no joints.The piece is buffed to a finish.
Agra stone craft is known for Taj souvenir carvings, statues of the Buddha, Figurines and
nesting animals in gorara, a reddish stone, khorai and palewa that are popular with
piligrims and tourists.
Below is the original manufacturing cost of a few items compared to the cost they are
further sold to whole sellers:
Item
Hathi
Jewellery box
Photo Frame jali work
Taj Mahal- Small
Candle lamp
Powder box
Pencil box
Flower pot
Coloured Idol
Heart shaped paper
weight
Ganesh
Lamp
Chess small
Mini size animals/
objects
100
150-200
150
300
200
200-300
500
500
10
The Products
Flowers, leaves, paisleys and animals are the regular patterns seen in carving but the craftsmen do
make an attempt to try out newer products and combine different materials with stone to evolve their
designs and sensibility. Agarbatti stands (incense stick holders), coasters, statues, trinklet boxes, candleholders, aroma lamp oil diffusers, miniature Taj replicas, vases, ash-trays, figurines, holders, jewelry
boxes, table tops and lamps in varying sizes and designs, comprise their ever-selling product range.
Process
The work is distributed and delegated to each craftsman by an in-charge who heads the contract and
brings in the order from the shopkeepers. Each craftsman specializes in the task he performs. The crafts
person while working on the sajjar pathar first studies the natural design contains in the stone selected
to work upon. The shaping is done thereafter very carefully with chisel and hammers. Water is sprinkled
repeatedly to avoid heat generation. The stone is smoothened by rubbing with sand papers or file.
Dimensions of the figure to be manufactured are marked on a stone slab. Extra edges are removed from
the slab by beating with a hammer. Big pieces of stone are cut vertically into smaller slabs, and rough
sketches are made on it. The article is taken out from the slab with the aid of a saw. This slab is now
converted in the form of the desired figure with a hammer and a chisel. Minor carvings are done by
pointed chisel. A hammer and chisel do further smoothening. Before carving the stone is kept in boiling
water overnight and treated chemically. This smoothens and whitens the surface of the stone. Polishing is
done for the final finishing with sand or carborundum pieces. Several of the carved artifacts are painted.
Others are fitted with the looking glasses, brass fittings etc.In carving an image, the stone carver sketches
a rough outline of the sculpture on the stone - block. The craftsmen, sprinkle water on the stone during
the course of their work because of the friction generated due to the constant chiseling away of the
unwanted material results in the tools heating up. Finishing is accomplished in a variety of ways from
sand-papering, polishing with multani-mitti or clay, oil and cloth.An outline is drawn on hard or soft stone
which is already cut to the appropriate size. Once the outline is incised indicating the shape, the final
figure is brought out by removing the unwanted portions. While for the harder stones this is done by
chiseling out the extra material, with softer stones. This is done by scraping out the same with a sharp
flat-edged iron tool. The cutting is usually done on the Aara machine.
Most of the artisans were involved in craft throughout their life which in turn was their
only source of livelihood.
The artisans are not satisfied with the present system of pricing which is not capable
of supporting their livelihood. (Rs.5 per piece of craft - minimum)
The artisans face lots of difficulties in terms of pricing and availability of raw materials
as there was no fixed schedule or work for them, which makes it difficult for them to
sustain in the extremely increasing competition between the artisans in addition, to the
issues faced by the continuous inhalation of stone-dust which is deteriorating their
health.
The artisans do not receive any government support or backup in terms of financial
and marketing activities. Not any that they know of.
Majority of them believe that they are exploited by the middleman and most of them
agreed with the idea of help groups or initiatives which can improvise their condition
and gradually can give boost to the craft overall.
The main cause for the flourishment of stone craft through e-commerce or any other
modern marketing technique is that, there is very less or negligible awareness about
e-marketing among the artisans and the middleman as well. They do not realize the
edge it would provide over traditional retailing
Out of the 100 interviewed artisans, only 21 knew about Internet and online selling,
and out 0f those 13 emerged to be willing to venture into e-commerce.
marble and according to the order they prepare the order and get paid for the work.
The middle men keep a high margin for him and then sell it to buyer.
Health issues
The artisan of stone carving deal with a lot of health issue because of the dust and germs
created in the process of carving. They even have eye issue as for minor work they work
with needles and even very dim light. They even have risk of injury while dealing with
machines because they dont take any precaution.
Improper work place
The working condition of their work place is not well infrastructure. They work in a very
unhealthy unhygienic working condition. Most of the artisan work from their home or in
the lane of their home.
No adaptation of new design
The main issue of less sale of their productivity is artisan dont know the new design or
are not ready to adapt these new design. The design that they make are outdated and
new design are demanded.
Unaware about the government policy
Many artisans feel like government is not doing anything for them and there is fear from
the government because they feel they wont help them. They are afraid of officials and
they feel they will destroy their work and not let them work because they dont pay
taxes.
Monopoly sourcing
The marble or the stone received by the artisan are given by the middlemen and
supplied by only one supplier. If they dont receive the stone they dont have work i.e.,
they are jobless. Thus no work no money more poverty.
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