Hyderabad: Craftsperson community at Nampally reviving near-extinct age-old craft

Hyderabad: Many indigenous crafts are on the verge of extinction, but there are some that are treasured and transferred to the safekeeping of the next generation. One such example is this small craftsperson community in the heart of the city at Nampally. Just beside Exhibition Grounds, a whole lane has its sides lined up with […]

Hyderabad: Many indigenous crafts are on the verge of extinction, but there are some that are treasured and transferred to the safekeeping of the next generation. One such example is this small craftsperson community in the heart of the city at Nampally.

Just beside Exhibition Grounds, a whole lane has its sides lined up with tall bamboo sticks. The moment you enter this lane, you will see men, women and even children working with either bamboo sticks or palm leaves.

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They make blinds for windows, backdrops for weddings, baskets and other decorative items. These artisans have been living and working in the area for over 20 years now.

The workers of dexterity live in small huts made of the same bamboo sticks and they cook and wash on the road right across their houses. More often than not, their whole family is involved in making these items.

Geetika, a 15-year-old who lives in one of these bamboo shacks with her parents, says, “Everyone who lives here has been doing this since they were kids. My forefathers used to make these and now my father also does. I have also been doing this for a few years now.”

When asked if she goes to school, she smiles and says yes. Most kids in the community go to school. However, education is not given much importance as most of them grow up to follow their parents and become artisans molding different natural material into daily-use commodities.

And they have no doubt whether these eco-friendly products will stand up to competitors in plastic.

“These days even in big malls, they are using cloth and paper bags. The government is also saying that we should use less plastic. We just hope that people will understand the importance and how hard we work and pay us the price for that,” they say.

Strenuous & and time-taking

Making a blind for one window will take three days. The whole process is strenuous and time-taking. “We bring the wood from Falaknuma and cut it into pieces. Then, these pieces are turned into smaller pieces according to measurements given by the customer. Once that is done, the blind is weaved using rocks and ropes. Then we stitch them with a cloth. You can choose a colour and we paint that colour on the blinds,” explains a worker at Geetika’s shop.

Apart from selling their own artefacts, most of them also buy wooden baskets made in Assam from markets and sell them. One can order and get these products made according to requirement. A few metres away from the lane, one can see sugarcane juice vendors and other shop-owners using these bamboo baskets as dustbins and not the typical plastic ones. This community of craftspeople is not only keeping their craft alive but also rubbing off eco-friendly ways on others.

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