Reviving ‘Tarakasi’ (filigree) craft

Bhubaneswar: From the earliest civilizations to the ancient times, ‘filigree’ is a long-lost form of art. Most striking for its brilliance, delicate detailing and fine craftsmanship. Its distinctive process involves a peculiar technique that has attracted the fancy of millions since thousands of years.

Tiny beads and twisted threads come together to form delicate patterns. The hands of master craftsmen neatly weave fine silver wires into spirals, curls and jaals. Once a drop of molten silver, piece by piece, laboriously and patiently, elegant designs take shape.

As we talk, this ancient art form is battling for its survival in the hands of a few craftsmen families in Cuttack, Odisha. The number of families practising this art is decreasing with time, and why not? They have their reasons!!! With them at the back-end of this value chain, they saw no one leading from the front.

The art has been surviving through the existing reach and relationships of these artists and few merchants. Strictly speaking their reach is very limited.

Clearly, the industry’s inability to enhance awareness and create access models are becoming key obstacles in getting its lost glory back.

Love for the art…intent to do something for their home state…staying connected to the roots…

These are the reasons why Nisha Agrawal from Cuttack and Ashish Pati from Bhubaneswar came together with a purpose to revive the art and to ensure the soul of this art is truly expressed and its worth appreciated.

Little over a year back, they created India’s first online platform dedicated to the Cuttack-based art of filigree. They called it ‘Silver Linings’. Though the art is very old in Odisha, Silver Linings has opened a new chapter, for all to remember and cherish.