Dhokra (also speltDokra) is non–ferrous metal casting using thelost-wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been used inIndia for over 4,000 years and is still used. One of the earliest known lost wax artifacts is thedancing girl ofMohenjo-daro.[1] The product of dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form. Dhokra horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images, measuring bowls, and lamp caskets etc., are highly appreciated.[2] The lost wax technique for casting of copper based alloys has also been found inChina,Egypt,Malaysia,Nigeria,Central America, and other places.
There are two main processes of lost wax casting: solid casting and hollow casting. While the former is predominant in thesouth of India the latter is more common in Central andEastern India. Solid casting does not use a claycore but instead a solid piece of wax to create the mould; hollow casting is the more traditional method and uses the clay core.[1]
The first task in the lost wax hollow casting process consists of developing a clay core which is roughly the shape of the final cast image. Next, the clay core is covered by a layer of wax composed of purebeeswax,resin from the treeDamara orientalis (more properlyAgathis dammara), andnut oil. The wax is then shaped and carved in all its finer details of design and decorations. It is then covered with layers of clay, which takes the negative form of the wax on the inside, thus becoming a mould for the metal that will be poured inside it. Drain ducts are left for the wax, which melts away when the clay is cooked. The wax is then replaced by the molten metal, often using brass scrap as basic raw material. The liquid metal poured in hardens between the core and the inner surface of the mould. The metal fills the mould and takes the same shape as the wax. The outer layer of clay is then chipped off and the metal icon is polished and finished as desired.[1][3]
Dhokra Damar tribes are the main traditionalmetalsmiths ofOdisha andWest Bengal. Their technique of lost wax casting is named after their tribe, hence Dhokra metal casting. The tribe extends fromJharkhand to West Bengal andOdisha; members are distant cousins of theChhattisgarh Dhokras. A few hundred years ago, the Dhokras of Central and Eastern India traveled south as far asTamilnadu and north as far asRajasthan and hence are now foundall over India. Dhokra, or Dokra fromDwariapur andBikna, West Bengal, is extremely popular. RecentlyAdilabadDokra fromTelangana got Geographical Indicator tag in 2018.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
| Cuisine |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance |
| ||||
| Music |
| ||||
| Handlooms and handicrafts |
| ||||
| Observations andfestivals | |||||
| Arts | |||||
| Other | |||||
