Cluster Detail
Jammu & Kashmir     Kathua     Panchayat Mangloor


 

 

 

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 Panchayat Mangloor Cluster:-


Panchayat Mangloor Cluster falls under Jammu & Kashmir State in Kathua district.


The Panchayat Mangloor cluster is able to form 232 plus Artisans & 20 SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day.


Cane and Bamboo:-

 

Cane and bamboo are the two most commonly-used materials in daily life in Jammu & Kashmir.Products ranging from household implements to construction of dwelling houses to weaving accessories to musical instruments are made in bamboo.No mechanical devices are used in the craft, which is mainly a household industry.Besides basket-weaving, bamboo is used chiefly in the construction of houses and fencing.The craft traditionally provides part-time employment to cultivators in the lean season, although, increasingly, full-time artisans engaged in commercial activity can be found now.

 

Bamboo is deeply rooted in local folk traditions. Bamboo is used extensively owing to its great tensile strength and relative cheapness. In Jammu, where bamboo grows on the Shivalik range of hills along the Jammu-Pathankot highway in Kathua district and the adjoining Dhar-Udhampur road, village artisans have been traditionally crafting attractive utility items out of bamboo for use by the rich and poor alike. A wide range of products are made: bamboo splint baskets of various shapes and sizes, bamboo trays, and boxes of different sizes. The present generation of bamboo artisans are focusing increasingly on the dictates of modern life and urban markets. The items made thus include are furniture, fruit and vegetable bowls, ladies' bags, and table lamps.

Willow rushes that grow in abundance in marshes and lakes in Kashmir are used to make quaint and utilitarian objects, ranging from shopping baskets to lamp shades. To increase the life span, unvarnished products should be sprayed frequently with water, particularly in hot, dry climates, as this prevents them from becoming brittle.

 


Raw materials:-


Madhya Pradesh being rich in raw materials has a large variety of beautiful products.The hill and the plain people, each have their own styles & designs.Apart from making baskets, cane & bamboo are also turned into furniture items, comparatively more modern innovation.Materials made of Cane and Bamboo are one of the very oldest of men creations, done by joining grass with grass and interlacing leaves with the minimum tools.It was considered clean for religious purposes.One of the finest examples of craft skills in Madhya Pradesh is its cane work.The raw material, profusely available in its lush forests, provides the industry with its strength and sustenance.

 

 

Process:-


The whole stem of cane and bamboo is cut with a hacksaw and split longitudinally into various sizes by a billhook.The cane is heated on a slow fire, generally with a kerosene lamp for flexibility.The objects can be made in two different forms: coiling for baskets; and weaving for mats.In coiled basketry, foundation of the basket is built first by coiling a cane round a central core.It is built up spirally and gradually the width is increased until desired height is attained.The coils are joined together by sewing strips which can be attached in two ways: each stitch passed over the new portion of the foundation coil.Figure of eight is made i.e., the stitch passes behind up, over and under the preceding coil and right over the new coil.Thus coil material is sewn with the strips and a basket is made.The ornamentation of the baskets can be done with attaining lace, paper and shells.

The craftsmen cut the bamboo into sizes of desired length with the help of cutting tools called Dao.Bamboo length cut as per thickness with the help of different kinds of knives.The material thus ready is used for making frame of an article or furniture where as pencil cane is used for designing and binding purpose.The thick cane is used for making frame of an article or furniture where as pencil cane is used for designing and binding purpose.The cane is bend in the desired shape for a furniture or article by process of heating with blow lamp.The ends are joined with adhesive and nail and the joints are binded with strips of pencil cane. The items produced in cane & bamboo are cleaned with sand-paper and polished with varnish.

The production of cane and bamboo articles involves the cutting of whole stems with a hack saw and slicing them into splits of various sizes using a bill hook or dao.Slicing is done longitudinally along the length of the densely packed fibres and a fairly smooth operation, requiring only the requisite amount of moisture in the culm.A kerosene lamp is used to heat the cane before it can be bent into shape.


Techniques:-


There are various stages that go in the production of cane products, beginning with the collection of raw material from the forests.To obtain a smooth surface, the upper layer of raw cane is scraped off.The long cane sticks are cut into smaller pieces that are followed by splitting the cane to obtain thin strips.Cane can be further split, making it as thin as required.The split cane is now bent using a blowlamp that may cause some burns on the surface; these are removed by rubbing with sandpaper.Following this, the cane can be woven based on the design of the articles being fashioned from it. After the finishing touches have been provided, the products may be dabbed with a coat of varnish before being dispatched to the market.


How to reach:-

 

Kathua is well connected by rail and road with major cities of the country. The district head quarter is about 88 Kms. from Jammu, 390 Kms from Srinagar, about 500 Kms. from Delhi and 25 Kms from Pathankot. It is connected to Jammu, Srinagar, Pathankote, and Delhi through National Highway 1A (NH-1A). Regular Bus Services are available for Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Katra, Delhi, Pathankote, Chandigarh, Shimla and all other major cities of Punjab, Himachal Paradesh, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan. The nearest rail head is Kathua connected with major cities of the Country and is located at Govindsar, 7 Kms from the City Chowk, Kathua.

 


About Implementing Agency



Jammu & Kashmir     Kathua     Gram Udyog Hastkala Kendra