A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated(mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster, such producers often belong to a traditional community, producing the long-established products for generations.Indeed, many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.

About Phongjojao Cluster:-

Phongjojao Cluster falls under Manipur State in Thoubal district.

The Phongjojao cluster is able to form 200 plus Artisans & 9 SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day. Phongjojao Cluster is famous for Wood Carving (Furniture), Cane and Bamboo.

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Cane and Bamboo:-

From time immemorial Tripura has carved out a name for itself in the field of Handicrafts.The Gifted artisans produce wonderful objects of crafts from simple material like cane, bamboo & wood. There rare artistic skill has not been streamlined in the manufacture of exquisite household pieces. Tripura's unique topography and the gracious nature bestowed their choicest blessings on the hereditary artisans of Tripura.With the passage of time, there have been changes in the demographic character of the state.But in each phase of her history, Tripura has shown remarkable inner strength of assimilation of synthesis, while retaining her own traditional heritage.With the original distinct tribal motifs were added the skills of Manipuri and Bengali artisans who came subsequently to settle in this land.

Cane & Bamboo occupy a distinctive place in the life of Tripura. From cradle to grave, there is hardly any occasion, complete without the use of cane & bamboo. Today the magnificent skill of artisans has been directed to produce of a wide range of more than 200 exquisite products. Presently, about 10,000 skilled artisans are engaged in production of various handicrafts in the state.The state government has already initiated steps in this direction, in view of the vast potential of the industry to grow, both in domestic as well as international markets.The state also welcomes private enterprise in this field.

Cane/ Bamboo handicrafts of Tripura are acknowledged to be among the best inthe country, due to their beauty, elegance and exquisite designs.A vast range of items are produced, including Furniture, Panels and Partitions, Table & other Mat products, Lamp Shades etc.Bamboo and cane Ornaments are also very intricate and exquisite in nature.Bamboo and cane ornaments are not available in any other part of the country as well as abroad.Tripura handicrafts are also being exported to various countries.The natural, durable and attractive bamboo not only makes mats, baskets and other handicraft but is also used for high-grade packaging, decorative panels, curtains and window blinds.The bamboo window blinds, in fact, not only give a classic touch to the interior decor of a room but keep it cool as well.Bamboo craft is based on its specific weaving techniques.

Raw Materials used :-

Cane and Bamboo are very important things for any products.Cane and Bamboo are basic materials.Cane and Bamboo are neccessity things.We can create any products from Cane and Bamboo.

Techniques and Tools:-

The hollow stems, or culms, of the bamboo plant divide at the internode to form cylindrical, boxlike structures.The canes can be split longitudinally into pliable, even lengths, seasoned bamboo being used except in basketwork.Unseasoned bamboo is easier to work than dried or soaked material, and it has the added advantage for basketwork of shrinking slightly as it dries.The tools required for basketwork include a sharp knife or shears for trimming, a bodkin for opening holes in tight weaves to insert new canes, and a beater or commander to settle horizontal lines.For most other uses, bamboo must be seasoned, and woodworking tools—saws, drills, rasps and hammers—are required to work with the dried and hardened material.Conventional woodworking joints are used, e.g. butt, tenon, mortice and mitre joints; these must be modified to compensate for the hollowness of bamboo.For joining sections of bamboo lengthwise, wooden dowels are glued inside joints and are then drilled and pinned with pegs.When a butt joint is employed, the end of the stud is filed to match the profile of the cross-piece.Joints are often reinforced by binding with split bamboo.Bamboo may be shaped by heating and bending over a form.

Processing of Bamboo for Weaving:-

Green skin of the bamboo Culm is removed by scraping off its green surface with the help of a blade. Force is applied evenly along the culms surface to ensure uniformly colored bamboo.

The upper edge of the culm section is flattened to facilitate stripping.A sharp knife is used to cut evenly around the edge.The culm section is divided into slivers of an equal width.The number of slivers depends upon the diameter of the culm. Cutting is done carefully from the edge downwards along the length of the culm.The slivers are then completely separated to form individual pieces.

Slivers are striped into fine layers.The knife is held with the blade horizontally against the upper 1/3 of the cross section sliver.First cut is made by nipping the blade into the sliver.Then the blade is placed 0.5 to 1 mm away from the first layer.After repeating the process for a required number of times, the layers are peeled off.The thickness of the layers depends upon the need of the intended woven product.
Layers are separated into fine strips by using both the hands.The strips may be lighter or darker in color from one another.They are arranged accordingly.

The bamboo strips are then dyed and bleached with the help of various materials such as dyes, sulfur, hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals.Soaking, boiling, washing, air drying etc. methods are used for the purpose.

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Wood Carving (Furniture):-

Saharanpur is well known for its perforated lacy craft. Items are made of sisam, dudhi and sal. The woodcarvers create magic on the articles they prepare. The talent of wood carving is passed from generations to generations. Furniture is designed in a skilled manner having mehrab, jail and grapevine motifs. Carvers carve their imaginations on these articles and sometimes the carving is beautified with the stone inlay on ebony wood. The colour combinations used are attractive and present each item in a very pleasant manner.

Even today the front door of each household, which is considered a sacred threshold, has intricate wood carvings of Hindu deities and auspicious motifs like the hamsa/ mythical swan, padma/ lotus, poornakumbha /cornucopia, kaamadhenu and patterned floral motifs.

Other carved wooden items include small shrines and deities, low carved stools for marriages, carved fans for the deity, fertility couples and various small ceremonial containers. The carved panels of deities fixed to either end of a metre-long pole were the other ceremonial items. These panels are called kavadi and afre carried on the shoulders of a person to fulfill the vow to Lord Murugan or Karthikeya. Household kitchen instruments in wood such as grinders, vegetable cutters and serving ladle holders are items given in dowry.

Lathe-turned and lacquered toys in bright colors and at affordable prices are popular all over the state. Carved wooden toys, dolls and elephants exhibiting the skills of the artisan are also made.

Wood Carving’s Raw Materials:-

Basic Material : Bhurkul or gular wood, mango wood, green bamboo, shisham wood
Colouring Material : Alta, turmeric.

Basic Material : Doodhia wood, lac, lac stick, oil, old cloth, coloured paper.

Basic Material : Remnants of cloth, bamboo, rags, paper
Colouring Material : Dye colours

Basic Material : Punki wood, tamarind seeds, lime glue, brush, water colour, oil colour, red sanders wood

Basic Material : Cloths, colours, waste material for stuffing, coloured papers, clay

Wood Carving’s Process:-

The wood as per the size of the form to be made is cut from the block. The piece is cleaned and smoothened. The design of the toy to be made is traced on this piece. Extra wood is chipped off according to the design. Fine strokes with the hammer are made on the chisel, which is placed on the area to be shaped. It is smoothened with a file and painted. The painting starts with coloring various body parts. Next the dresses with specific designs are marked out by fine strokes of the brush. The facial features are added in the end.Sugga (parrot) are the wooden toys fixed on the marriage mandap. The mosara, (central part), charkhi and sugga (parrots) are made by the same process These are joined by bamboo killi (screw). The marriage post is coloured with yellow (turmeric), red (alta) and green colours.

The lacquering is done by pressing the lac stick against the revolving article. Oil is also applied at the same time for giving the better polish. Leaves of a kind of flowering cactus are used for polishing. The articles are either in single colour or in bands of different colours. The complicated designs and colour schemes are effected by manipulating the lac turnery and using the multifarious techniques.In Jaipur, the toys are made out of old cloth dyed afresh and stuffed with waste material. When they are gaily decorated with coloured paper and tinsel they look very alive especially with their expressive faces.

Rag dolls are made out of remnants of cloth usually thrown away. These are painstakingly collected and dyed into different shades to work out a variety of colour schemes. The eyes and mouth are indicated by black line . In case of a Rani doll, the clothes & body are fully decorated.

Wood Carving’s Techniques:-

Each wooden piece that is cut to make an item is subjected to a process of slow heating to draw out all moisture. Every single limb is separately carved and joined to the body with adhesive paste of tamarind seeds, and later passed through a coating of lime glue. The painting with colours is done by very fine precision with brushes made of goats hair. Water and oil colours are both used. Lacquering is done on a lathe, hand or is machine operated. For turning slender and delicate items, hand lathe is considered suitable. In the lac turney method, lac is applied in a dry state that is the lac stick is pressed against the woodenware to be lacquered. While the latter keeps revolving, the heat generated by friction softens the lac, making the colour stick. Lacquer ware toys are produced in this way. It is with remarkable skill that the craftsmen manipulate the stick where several colours are used. Some of the lacquered pieces are painted with a brush.

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How to Reach:-

 
The road network is quite efficient in Manipur. National Highway 39 connects Manipur with major cities like Guwahati , Dimapur, Kohima, Schilchar in the northeastern part on India.