Keonjhar: For hand-made aluminum dishes, Atoper village in this town has earned a name for itself. People from different parts of Odisha were frequent visitors to this village on a daily basis to buy hand-made dishes.
The situation however, has changed drastically since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown it brought along with it. The hammers of the artisans have fallen silent and the deafening sound created due to the clash of metals has all but disappeared. Sales have also dropped as there are not many visitors to the village.
Hand-made dishes are still preferred by many as they help the food retain its unique taste, said artisan Prasanna Sahu.
No doubt the job of making dishes and other kitchen utensils is tedious to say the least. The artisans have to sit for hours in front of a glowing oven hammering away on aluminium sheets to give them different shapes.
However, they opined that they do not get the real value of their work and products. They also complained that the lack of raw materials like aluminium sheets and coal are forcing them to give up the craft they have been indulging in for generations. So many families are switching to other means of livelihood as utensil-making is no longer a profitable proposition. Only some senior artisans continue to ply in the traditional business.
“Despite the scorching heat, we continue to work in front of the oven for lengthy hours. The flames increase the heat manifold. We collect old aluminum from various places. Then we melt them in pots and make aluminum plates. These plates are then given shape of kitchen wares by striking them with hammers,” informed Prasanna.
The artisan however lamented the lack of government support for their craft.
Few months back people would come to our villages to buy the dishes. Due to the COVID-19 fear that has stopped also. Now we visit weekly markets in nearby districts and states like Jharkhand to earn our livelihood. The COVID-19 situation has left us nowhere,” Prasanna said. “It is high time the government takes notice of our plight and help us,” he added.
PNN