Thatheras are Hindus and Sikhs who make brass and copper utensils as their traditional occupation in India. They are a community of artisans that specialize in metal art and jewelry. Many of them also cultivate the land in Bihar.
The city of Jandiala Guru, commonly known as Jandiala, is located in the Amritsar district of Punjab, India. The town sits on the Grand Trunk Road and has an altitude of 229 meters (754 feet). Under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1883), the great Sikh Monarch of the 19th Century, where skilled metal crafters from Kashmir settled here and helped to establish a crafts colony.
The craft of the Thathera of Jandiala Guru involves making brass and copper utensils in Punjab. They are believed to be beneficial to health as the metals used for this craft, copper, brass, and certain alloys, are believed to be used in their products. Beginning with a traditional technique, cooled cakes of metal are flattened and then hammered into curved shapes, creating small bowls, rimmed plates, and larger items such as large pots for water and milk.
Using tiny wood-fired stoves, buried in the earth, are used to heat the plates while hammering and shaping them. The spoons are then manually finished by polishing them with traditional materials such as sand and tamarind juice. Designs are made by using the spoon as a tool to make tiny dents into the metal. Metalwork is not just a means of making a living for the Thatherians. Basically, it defines their family structure and kinship networks, work ethic, and status within the town's social hierarchy.
The process of manufacturing utensils is passed down orally from father to son and is used for rituals and utilitarian purposes on special occasions such as weddings and in temples. The process of manufacturing is passed down orally from father to son.
Before, Thathera people claim to have been Rajputs from Rajasthan who abandoned their traditional occupations to manufacture silver and gold coins in Haryana. As they immigrated from Rajasthan in the 19th century and established themselves in Rewari, today, there are 52 clans in the Haryana Thathera such as Barawashli, Anant, Godomot, and Ramgarhia as the main clans. However, these communities are still preserving thathera in the area.
Thatheras are Hindus and Sikhs who make brass and copper utensils as their traditional occupation in India.
The city of Jandiala Guru, commonly known as Jandiala, is located in the Amritsar district of Punjab, India. The town sits on the Grand Trunk Road and has an altitude of 229 meters (754 feet).
Under the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1883), the great Sikh Monarch of the 19th Century, skilled metal crafters from Kashmir settled here and helped to establish a crafts colony.
They are a community of artisans that specializes in metal art, business, and repairing utensils. Many of them also cultivate the land, and in Bihar, many are jewelers. The 'Thathera' are known as 'kansari' in Odisha, where the main ones are the Maharana and the Mahapatra. They are mostly involved in making metal artisan works such as brass, bronze, aluminum, and copper.
The craft of the Thathera of Jandiala Guru involves making brass and copper utensils in Punjab. They are believed to be beneficial to health as the metals used for this craft, copper, brass, and certain alloys, are believed to be used in their products.
Beginning with a traditional technique, cooled cakes of metal are flattened and then hammered into curved shapes, creating small bowls, rimmed plates, and larger items such as large pots for water and milk.
Using tiny wood-fired stoves, buried in the earth, are used to heat the plates while hammering and shaping them. The spoons are then manually finished by polishing them with traditional materials such as sand and tamarind juice.
Designs are made by using the spoon as a tool to make tiny dents into the metal. Metalwork is not just a means of making a living for the Thatherians. Basically, it defines their family structure and kinship networks, work ethic, and status within the town's social hierarchy.
The process of manufacturing utensils is passed down orally from father to son and is used for rituals and utilitarian purposes on special occasions such as weddings and in temples. The process of manufacturing is passed down orally from father to son.
Thathera people claim to have been Rajputs from Rajasthan who abandoned their traditional occupations to manufacture silver and gold coins in Haryana. They immigrated from Rajasthan in the 19th century and established themselves in Rewari.
Today, there are 52 clans in the Haryana Thathera. Barawashli, Anant, Godomot, and Ramgarhia are the main clans. This community is strictly endogamous. According to the Bihar Caste system, Thatheras are Backward Castes.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-brass-and-copper-craft-of-utensil-making-among-the-thatheras-of-jandiala-guru-punjab-india-00845) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thathera) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jandiala_Guru) |Subject=Art, Craftsmanship and Practices |Country=India |SDG=(08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production }}