Shell To Art, The Tumba Way

The inconspicuous and unobtrusive Tumba (dry bottle gourd) is not only shaping a new craft in Odisha but also creating a rural economy for tribal growers of Rayagada district. The man and the brain behind adding value to the shells, Himanshu Sekhar Pandia, is also moulding a new breed of artisans in the region. Diana Sahu finds out more

- Diana Sahu

RY bottle gourds, or Tumba in local parlance, never go waste in Rayagada. Traditionally, Kondh farmers of the district used dry gourd shells as containers to drink water, 'mandia jau' or even the local brew but today, these shells are statement pieces of fine art in urban households.

The contemporary twist is the contribution of Himanshu Sekhar Pandia, a Rayagada-based master craftsman. He not only introduced Odisha to tumba craft and built a tribal economy around it but has also been training tribals and non-tribals in it for close to two decades through his Prerana Art and Craft centre. The craft was included in the state's official list of handicrafts by the department of Handloom, Textile and Handicraft last year, thanks to Pandia's unrelenting efforts.