Putting Pen to Paper

The craft of making paper with one's hands, which has a long tradition in India, is a highly neglected area today. Several paper-making f...

The craft of making paper with one’s hands, which has a long tradition in India, is a highly neglected area today. Several paper-making factories have shut down and this village industry no longer seems to have any takers," says Sangita Kathiwada of the Morarka Centre for Research and Revival of Crafts (MORCRAFTS). In a bid to generate interest in hand-made paper and revive this dying craft, MORCRAFTS is currently hosting a `Paper Week’ at the NCPA — the third such event in as many years.

"Hand-made paper is environmentally friendly. Besides, the actual act of making paper is very therapeutic. And most important, this ancient craft which originated in China and travelled to India, is virtually on the brink of extinction in our country. If we don’t revive it now, it will die very soon," she says. The fact that there are very few traditional kagzis left in India justifies her fears.

The four-day programme at the NCPA started off with a Papier Mache workshop conduced by Bina Nayak. The two-dayworkshop which concluded yesterday, demonstrated the varied uses shredded paper can be put to. "Papier mache is very sturdy and it can even be used to make cupboards, tables, chair, or even walking sticks," says Kathiwada.

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Neeta Premchand’s lecture on Tazaungdaing, the Burmese festival of lights, this evening, promises to be another interesting experience. The author of Off The Deckle Edge – A Paper Making Journey Through India, Premchand spent a few weeks in Burma and witnessed the celebrations during the four nights of the full moon in the month of Tazaungmon. In Taunggyi in Northern Burma, there is a competition of gigantic hot air balloons made entirely of paper which are sent off into the sky during the festival. "I respect Premchand’s work a lot, especially because she has dedicated her entire life to the revival of traditional paper-making," says Kathiwada on the widely-travelled author.

A slide discussion on conservation of paper objects by Saloni Ghuwalewala adds another dimension to theprogramme. Armed with a Masters degree in Art Conservation from Canada, Ghuwalewala currently practises paper conservation in the city. "Most people don’t even know that paper needs conservation and that it can be done. Also, a paper object can get damaged in several different ways — it is important to detect the problem and check it in time," says Ghuwalewala.

The programme concludes with a discussion on Alexandra Soteriou’s book Gift Of Conquerors – Hand Paper Making in India. The book traces the nearly thousand year-old history of paper making in the country, from the ancient sites in Gilgit and the Himalayas, to Mathura, Agra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Pondicherry. The discussion will be led by kagzis who will examine the relevance of the book to the craft.