A small nondescript named Zura and its neighbor Nirona carry the fame of crafting one of the most melodious creations from the dry and arid lands of Kutch. These bells were tied to the necks of their cattle and each bell had a distinct sound for identifying one's cattle. Look at what the Khamir's website has to say about how the art form has evolved.
Ancestors of copper bell makers sold their products to the local communities. Maldharis Bharvads and Rabaris (pastoral communities) were their major clientele and shared a very close relationship with the bell artisans. The Bharvads and Rabaris would sit with the bell makers describing the sound that their cattle recognize. The bell makers set the sound and tone till his client felt convinced of the sound. The bells come at a very high price and carry a life-time warranty. If there is any change in sound or the shining fades, then the copper bell artisans refurbish it free of cost. Almost all the live- stock was adorned with their bells thus providing a very good market.
We set eyes on these melodious bells while at Shaam e Sarhad and decided to pay a visit to the village to see the actual process of making these bells. Zura is located on the way back from the Rann of Kutch to Bhuj a few kilometers to the right. (Nirona is little far ahead) You can also reach this place from Nakhatrana. The villages do not carry any elaborate signboards, so look out for milestones. When we reached the place, it was evening and getting dark. All the households carrying on the work of making copper bells were closed and we thought of going back, when a small boy took us to one of the households carrying this work and it turned out to be the house of a national award winning artisan, Luhar Valimohamad Saleman.
Its not only about the art and the hard work that goes into making these melodious creations that travel far and wide, it was also about the hospitality of these simple village folks who not only opened their doors to us much after they had closed down but also took pains in explaining the entire process and treated us to a wonderful cup of tea on a chilly Kutch evening. The people of Kutch are extremely warm and cordial and treat their guests very well and take pride in their art. Appreciate that a lot.
Ancestors of copper bell makers sold their products to the local communities. Maldharis Bharvads and Rabaris (pastoral communities) were their major clientele and shared a very close relationship with the bell artisans. The Bharvads and Rabaris would sit with the bell makers describing the sound that their cattle recognize. The bell makers set the sound and tone till his client felt convinced of the sound. The bells come at a very high price and carry a life-time warranty. If there is any change in sound or the shining fades, then the copper bell artisans refurbish it free of cost. Almost all the live- stock was adorned with their bells thus providing a very good market.
Old timers often refer to the bells by their original names such as chota paila, paila dingla, do dingla rather than the sizes. These names are the local currency equivalents for which bells could be bought at the time.
We set eyes on these melodious bells while at Shaam e Sarhad and decided to pay a visit to the village to see the actual process of making these bells. Zura is located on the way back from the Rann of Kutch to Bhuj a few kilometers to the right. (Nirona is little far ahead) You can also reach this place from Nakhatrana. The villages do not carry any elaborate signboards, so look out for milestones. When we reached the place, it was evening and getting dark. All the households carrying on the work of making copper bells were closed and we thought of going back, when a small boy took us to one of the households carrying this work and it turned out to be the house of a national award winning artisan, Luhar Valimohamad Saleman.
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| The final step of making indentations |
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| He puts his heart into giving the bell the right sound |
It is quite a tedious work to make these bells. Both men and women folk of the household participate equally to give these bells the melodious sounds it produces. It starts from a rectangular piece of scrap metal shaped into a cylindrical form, and then the top portion and the loop of the bell are attached. Then comes the polishing part that comes by coating the bell with a mud paste and dipping into dough made from cotton and wood paste. Then comes the process of baking it in a wood kiln. When the coating comes off, the bell has taken a colour of burnt golden color and is ready for the final and the most important process of giving it the right kind of sound. A locally available wooden stick is inserted for ringing the bell.
The hands of the expert craftsmen then make indentations along the bottom portion of the bell to give it the desired sound. While we were looking at the process of making these bells, we could see Luhar Mohmad not being satisfied with the sound until it sounded very sweet and melodious. Each artisan can recognize sounds made by the bells crafted by his hands even though the bells may land up at in any part of the world.
There is lot of innovation into the designs being made by these artisans. These bells can take the form of a key-chain to a duppata holder to intricate wind chimes with various designs or it can be a stand alone bell with various sizes. They make for very unique souvenirs, which all our friends and family loved.
Its not only about the art and the hard work that goes into making these melodious creations that travel far and wide, it was also about the hospitality of these simple village folks who not only opened their doors to us much after they had closed down but also took pains in explaining the entire process and treated us to a wonderful cup of tea on a chilly Kutch evening. The people of Kutch are extremely warm and cordial and treat their guests very well and take pride in their art. Appreciate that a lot.
