Will The Copper, Bronze And Brass Craftwork Of Gaya's Kenar Village Become History?

Gaya: You will have heard the name of Kenar Paharpur Panchayat in Wazirganj block of Gaya district while discussing Bihar's traditional cottage industry of utensil manufacture. This village was once famous for handcrafting brass, bronze, and copper utensils. According to experts, this goes back around 400-500 years. Once known as the "settlement of utensil makers", Kenar stands on the verge of losing its glorious history.

There was a time when nearly all of the 150-200 households in Kenar were involved in making utensils. Those days, the village looked like a large factory. Plates, water pots, tumblers, bowls, trays, and cooking utensils made here were sold all across Bihar and neighbouring states, and even in Nepal. Their products were once famous in places as far as Kolkata and Moradabad, say many Kenar residents.

Kenar's Kasera community has been making utensils by hand for generations. In the olden days, only brass, bronze, and copper utensils were made. Artisans would first heat the raw materials in a furnace to prepare ingots, then draw them into sheets and finally, give shape to the utensils. It was a difficult, time-consuming process but gave Kenar its identity.

But with the advent of modern machine-made utensils, the craftsmanship has been gradually disappearing for a while. Handmade utensils could neither match them for price, nor retain loyal customers with their quality.

Due to a lack of capital and government support, Kenar's brass artisans couldn't afford modern machines, and the 500-year-old industry began to decline. Today, these metalworkers either work as labourers or make a living by selling household goods.

Manoj Saw of Kenar says his family had been making metalwork for generations, but he has abandoned the ancestral trade. "Earlier, my father used to make brass, copper, and bronze utensils. After my father's death, I gave up the family business. Now, instead of selling utensils, I sell eggs in Kenar, earning around Rs 300-400 a day," said the egg vendor.

Arjun Saw also used to craft utensils by hand. Today, he sells utensils on a bicycle. Arjun says the situation can change, and Kenar's history can be revived, if only the government makes an effort with the help of rolling machines. "Earlier, I used to make utensils by hand, now I sell them on a bicycle. There is a shortage of money. There is a lack of capital, which has led to this situation. Currently, I only earn Rs 200-300 a day," said Arjun.

Amresh Kumar, the village head, said although Kenar was once famous for its handicraft industry, technological advancement and shortage of capital has ended its prosperity. The utensil market, which was famous throughout the country, has disappeared. Like Arjun, he says the industry can be revived only if the government installs rolling machines here.

"Once, people used to read about Kenar in books. Now, our artisans, who used to make utensils by hand, are reduced to hawking and manual labour. The government should make an effort," said Amresh Kumar.

Ganpat Prasad also agrees. He says Kenar's utensils still go to many parts of the country, but they don't fetch the same prices. Meanwhile, due to a lack of employment opportunities, the youth of Kenar are migrating to other cities. Those who remain, are somehow eking out a living through manual labour, hawking goods, or running small businesses.

So far, neither the district administration, nor the government has taken any initiative to preserve Kenar's the history, which is on the verge of extinction. The Gaya District Magistrate, who admitted to hear of Kenar for the first time from this reporter, said attention will be given to such industries through government schemes. "I don't have much information about the utensil industry of Kenar. It has just come to my attention. If any scheme comes up, it will be considered," said Shashank Shubhankhar, DM, Gaya.

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