COPPER UTENSIL ART OF UTTARAKHAND

Even today, the sound of utensils made of copper can be heard in the distant valleys of Kharkatmta village of Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand.

- 

After being heated in a fire, when the hands of skilled artisans touch the copper, it gets moulded into various types of utensils used in everyday life. Three families in this village still preserve this wonderful art of copper craft from before independence. Kharkatmta village is known as the village of copper craftsmen. Before independence, copper craftsmen in Kharkatmta and Joshigaon, Devaldhar, Tamtyuda, Bilouna etc. villages used to make traditional useful utensils from copper like pitchers, scales, water filters as well as instruments for worship, religious rituals and musical instruments, trumpets, Ransinghis. Women also used to help them in this work. Then copper craft was considered their traditional enterprise. After independence, this business spread a lot and the craftsmen, carrying their tools, used to go from village to village and repair people's old copper utensils.