I have a fair idea about the ancient art of terracotta, being from Bengal where it was used for building beautiful temples with intricate carvings in the mediaeval ages and where it is still among the most popular handicraft traditions, with a thriving cottage industry churning out items ranging from ethnic jewellery and exquisite idols to huge Bankura horses and decorative pieces of various kinds.
The Bankura horse, produced in Panchmura village, can be as tall as 6 feet or more and is famous for its grace, elegance and artistry. But I didn't know about the terracotta horses at Ayyanar shrines of Tamil Nadu, which are similarly larger than life and magnificent, if not more.
Many villages in Tamil Nadu have shrines dedicated to Ayyanar, a folk deity worshipped and revered as a protector and guardian. Gigantic terracotta statues of Ayyanar, his associates, and figurines of animals like cows, bulls and horses – components of a full terracotta army -- are common features of these shrines, which are usually situated on the border of the villages. Terracotta horses are offered at those shrines by villagers as a gesture of expressing gratitude to the divine powers for ample rains, or a good harvest, or for fulfilment of any such wishes, I came to know during a recent guided tour of Crafts Museum near Pragati Maidan, organized by a newly launched walk group called The Random Delhi.
Standing in front of the replica of an Ayyanar shrine on display at the courtyard of the museum and admiring the massive and awe-inspiring clay figurines, I was thinking how diverse our country is, and still, how you can always find a common thread running through various cultures and traditions. Bankura horse also has the same religious significance as Ayyanar horses. Villagers, mainly in Rarh region of Bengal which includes Bankura district, used to offer them to Dharma Thakur, Manasa Devi (goddess of serpents) and other popular local deities to express their devotion and for wish fulfilment.
Speaking of commonalities in the art form, I found a lot of similarities in the outward appearance of Bankura horse and Ayyanar horse, of course from a layperson's point of view. However, there are differences too. Bankura horse has a long neck and short legs, which are among its distinctive stylized features and which give it an erect posture and straight gait. However, a Bankura horse looks like an abstract piece of art while Ayyanar horses seem more life-like (the stories say Ayynar, the protector-deity, patrols the village on horseback after darkness falls).
After an engaging two-hour walk at the Crafts Museum, guided by Shashank and Manju, two enthusiastic youngsters who have started The Random Delhi grou, we were on our way out when our eyes fell upon a few more terracotta figurines, on display at the crafts demonstration area of the complex. Sitting beside the artworks was a middle-aged man with a gunslinger moustache. As we started talking to Mr Ramaiya Thangaiya, we found out that the 65-year old craftsman has been the main artiste in the team which worked for creating the Ayyanar shrine at the Crafts Museum premises! The world is small, indeed.
Ayyanar figurines range in height from less than a metre to over 6 metres. Most of the times, the various parts of the body of a statue are made separately and later joined together and baked in a kiln of straw, dried cow-dung and mud. Thangaiya showed us the photo of his kiln, or what may be called the potter's workstation.
The veteran artiste from Malaiyur village in Pudukkotai, Tamil Nadu, had displayed his pottery work in various countries such as South Korea, Greece, Japan and France. He had an album of memories of his trips, award ceremonies and meetings with celebrities (including former US first lady Michelle Obama) ready at hand to show us. Thangaiya said he has been visiting Delhi for more than two decades and his work has received appreciation from all quarters. His passion for his art was evident in his visiting card, which he handed over to us. It read ‘R. Terracotta Thangaiya’.
Art, music, culture and aesthetics connect people all over the world, he noted. “My art has taken me to so many parts of the world. They liked my work. Their media publicised my craft. I learnt to speak in English and even delivered a speech before a foreign audience,” Thangaiya said, with quiet pride and confidence.
Terracotta (the word has been derived from Latin terra cocta or baked earth) has indeed been one of the common threads across many ancient civilizations. Terracotta statues were found in the ruins of Mohenjo-daro, ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, Greece, Rome and China, to name a few. And speaking of horses, the famous Terracotta Army in Shaanxi, China, depicting first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army, has 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. These terracotta horses were created to appear exactly like the real war horses of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) – each part meticulously carved. A Chinese travel website says that there are six teeth in the mouth of each horse, to highlight that they are three years old and in their prime.
Horses have been recognised as a symbol of vitality, power and speed since time immemorial. In Vedic tradition too, the Ashwamedha yagna or horse sacrifice ritual used to establish the king's power and his conquests of other kingdoms. The special relationship between man and horse manifests itself through traditions and crafts such as Bankura or Ayyanar horses.
Trivia: Bankura Panchmura Terracotta Craft recently received a Geographical Indication registration and a special logo of its own.
The Bankura horse, produced in Panchmura village, can be as tall as 6 feet or more and is famous for its grace, elegance and artistry. But I didn't know about the terracotta horses at Ayyanar shrines of Tamil Nadu, which are similarly larger than life and magnificent, if not more.
Many villages in Tamil Nadu have shrines dedicated to Ayyanar, a folk deity worshipped and revered as a protector and guardian. Gigantic terracotta statues of Ayyanar, his associates, and figurines of animals like cows, bulls and horses – components of a full terracotta army -- are common features of these shrines, which are usually situated on the border of the villages. Terracotta horses are offered at those shrines by villagers as a gesture of expressing gratitude to the divine powers for ample rains, or a good harvest, or for fulfilment of any such wishes, I came to know during a recent guided tour of Crafts Museum near Pragati Maidan, organized by a newly launched walk group called The Random Delhi.
Standing in front of the replica of an Ayyanar shrine on display at the courtyard of the museum and admiring the massive and awe-inspiring clay figurines, I was thinking how diverse our country is, and still, how you can always find a common thread running through various cultures and traditions. Bankura horse also has the same religious significance as Ayyanar horses. Villagers, mainly in Rarh region of Bengal which includes Bankura district, used to offer them to Dharma Thakur, Manasa Devi (goddess of serpents) and other popular local deities to express their devotion and for wish fulfilment.
Speaking of commonalities in the art form, I found a lot of similarities in the outward appearance of Bankura horse and Ayyanar horse, of course from a layperson's point of view. However, there are differences too. Bankura horse has a long neck and short legs, which are among its distinctive stylized features and which give it an erect posture and straight gait. However, a Bankura horse looks like an abstract piece of art while Ayyanar horses seem more life-like (the stories say Ayynar, the protector-deity, patrols the village on horseback after darkness falls).
After an engaging two-hour walk at the Crafts Museum, guided by Shashank and Manju, two enthusiastic youngsters who have started The Random Delhi grou, we were on our way out when our eyes fell upon a few more terracotta figurines, on display at the crafts demonstration area of the complex. Sitting beside the artworks was a middle-aged man with a gunslinger moustache. As we started talking to Mr Ramaiya Thangaiya, we found out that the 65-year old craftsman has been the main artiste in the team which worked for creating the Ayyanar shrine at the Crafts Museum premises! The world is small, indeed.
Ayyanar figurines range in height from less than a metre to over 6 metres. Most of the times, the various parts of the body of a statue are made separately and later joined together and baked in a kiln of straw, dried cow-dung and mud. Thangaiya showed us the photo of his kiln, or what may be called the potter's workstation.
The veteran artiste from Malaiyur village in Pudukkotai, Tamil Nadu, had displayed his pottery work in various countries such as South Korea, Greece, Japan and France. He had an album of memories of his trips, award ceremonies and meetings with celebrities (including former US first lady Michelle Obama) ready at hand to show us. Thangaiya said he has been visiting Delhi for more than two decades and his work has received appreciation from all quarters. His passion for his art was evident in his visiting card, which he handed over to us. It read ‘R. Terracotta Thangaiya’.
Art, music, culture and aesthetics connect people all over the world, he noted. “My art has taken me to so many parts of the world. They liked my work. Their media publicised my craft. I learnt to speak in English and even delivered a speech before a foreign audience,” Thangaiya said, with quiet pride and confidence.
Terracotta (the word has been derived from Latin terra cocta or baked earth) has indeed been one of the common threads across many ancient civilizations. Terracotta statues were found in the ruins of Mohenjo-daro, ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, Greece, Rome and China, to name a few. And speaking of horses, the famous Terracotta Army in Shaanxi, China, depicting first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army, has 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. These terracotta horses were created to appear exactly like the real war horses of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) – each part meticulously carved. A Chinese travel website says that there are six teeth in the mouth of each horse, to highlight that they are three years old and in their prime.
Horses have been recognised as a symbol of vitality, power and speed since time immemorial. In Vedic tradition too, the Ashwamedha yagna or horse sacrifice ritual used to establish the king's power and his conquests of other kingdoms. The special relationship between man and horse manifests itself through traditions and crafts such as Bankura or Ayyanar horses.
Trivia: Bankura Panchmura Terracotta Craft recently received a Geographical Indication registration and a special logo of its own.
Learned a lot! A well written piece with journalistic distance maintained throughout between the author and the text..... I really admire!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and for the kind words :)
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