The resounding clang of brass metal artefacts is subdued at Budithi, a small village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Once a thriving hub of the traditional bell and brass metal craft, today it has less than 20 surviving units with about 60 artisans who are struggling to save the 200-year-old rural craft from the brink of extinction.
In one of the tiny lanes of Budithi, a pair of feeble hands carves out the black finish on the brass artefacts. They belong to 81-year-old K Apparao, who has a unique way of adding a black coating to the alloy. “It’s a specialised process which requires a skill that can’t be taught. It comes naturally to me. I can’t sit and do much work now due to my age. I barely manage to make one or two pieces a day,” he says.
Apparao’s two sons help, but neither can bring out the finesse in black on the brass metal. The craft saw its peak in the 1990s when international orders would pour in. “We used to supply to countries like Belgium,” recalls Apparao. In contrast, today the orders are limited to Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh where the Crafts Council has stepped up efforts to revive the craft.
“We get some temple orders from Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram. But those are sporadic,” says K Janardhan Rao, the younger son of Apparao.
The craft was registered under Geographical Indications Registry in 2008. The GI tag certifies the geographical area of the craft only to Budithi, Cheedipudi and Avalangi villages in Saravakota mandal of Srikakulam district. Ironically, Apparao and many others like him are not aware of it.
In the early 1980s, the Common Facility and Production Centre (CFPC) was set up to give a boost to the craft. But in 2000, it was shut down leading to several artisan families moving out of their ancestral profession. “Prior to that, our craft had flourished with over 100 artisan families engaged in the making of brass metal craft,” says Janardhan Rao.
The raw material, which is the brass sheet, is procured from Madhya Pradesh and Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh.
“It has become quite expensive and unaffordable for the existing units. Post the pandemic, the prices have shot up. It costs ₹680 per kilogram, which was earlier ₹520. And the demand has only dipped,” rues Janardhan.
The making of the artefacts is a laborious process. Apparao and his sons spend close to 12 hours a day in the workshop. “About a decade ago, a government team had come from Warangal for training in design development. But after that, we haven’t got any support from authorities,” laments Apparao.
An expert in motif designing, Apparao feels that the black coating carvings on the brass artefacts may soon become a rarity . “Our craft is on the brink of extinction. In my family, while my two sons are somehow carrying forward the craft legacy, it may just stop with them,” he adds.
The AP Crafts Council through its Instagram handle has been providing support to the craftsmen by giving them a platform to directly connect with buyers.
