Neelamani Devi | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1938-09-01)1 September 1938 (age 87) Thongjao Keithel Leikai,Thoubal District,Manipur, India |
| Died | Thongjao Manipur |
| Occupation | Master potter |
| Known for | Pottery arts |
| Spouse | Naorem Shyamjai Singh |
| Parent(s) | Kharaibam Devasingh Singh Kharaibam Ongbi Sanajaobi Devi |
| Awards | Padma Shri Tulsi Samman Award National Award for Master Craftsman Samaj Kalyan Seva award Lions Karmayogi Award |
Neelamani Devi is an Indian craftswoman and master potter fromManipur.[1] Her creations have been the theme of two documentary films;Mittee aur Manab by renowned filmmaker,Mani Kaul, andNilamani: The Master Potter of Manipur, byAribam Syam Sharma.[2] The TV Series,Mahabharata also featured her works on one of the episodes. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of thePadma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to the art of pottery making.[3]
Neelamani Devi was born to Kharaibam Devasingh Singh and Kharaibam Ongbi Sanajaobi on 1 September 1938 at Thongjao Keithel Leikai,Thoubal District in the northeast Indian state ofManipur and received the early lessons in pottery making from her mother.[2] She lost her parents during childhood, but with sponsorship from theKhadi and Gram Udyog Mandal, continued her studies at Somthal Pargana, Bihar and completed her training in 1960. Her career started as a demonstrator at the Directorate of Industries of the Government of Manipur, but left the job and returned to her village to startPottery Training Cum Production Centre in 1966. There, she trained the local women in pottery making which is known to have helped them to earn their livelihoods.[2]
Devi has traveled in India and abroad with her works; she has been a member of the Indian delegation who participated in theFive Indian Artisans exhibition and demonstration at theMuseum of Ethnography, Sweden, as a part of the Festival of India.[4] She also participated in exhibitions and demonstrations at several places in Japan such as theHyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art,Kobe, (The Art of the Adivasi), Tobacco and Salt Museum, Tokyo, Tougen Museum,Shirane andYamanasi,Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore, and Mithila Museum,Tokamachi andNigata (Indian Adivasi Art Exhibitions).[4] In 1986, renowned filmmaker,Mani Kaul, made a documentary film on Devi, titledMittee aur Manab andAribam Syam Sharma followed suit in 2003, with his non-feature film,Nilamani: Master Potter of Manipur,[5] made forDoordarshan, Guwahati.[6] One of the episodes of the Indian TV series,Mahabharata and the first three episodes ofMahabharata TV series made by French Television featured her pottery creations.[5] The details of her work have also been documented in print in a book,Other Masters : Five Contemporary Folk and Tribal Artists of India, published in 1998 by the Handicrafts and Handlooms Exports Corporation of India.[7] The book is a prescribed text for academic studies atUniversity of Goa.[8]
Devi received two awards in 1986, theNational Award for Master Craftsman with a Certificate of Honour from the Government of India andTulsi Samman Award from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.[4] During 2005–2006, she received two more awards,Samaj Kalyan Seva award during her trip to Sweden and theKarmayogi Award from theLions Club International.[2] The Government of India honoured again, in 2007, by including her in theRepublic Day honours list for the civilian award of thePadma Shri.[3]
