Bells, bells, bells

The unique melodic tones that emanate from Kachchh’s metal bells give voice to a centuries-old craft tradition that the Muslim Lohar community brought to Kachchh from Sindh, Pakistan.  These metal bells, burnished in copper and brass, have long adorned the necks of cattle, camels, sheep, and goats which graze in Kachchh’s arid plains.  The bells signify each animal’s status and position in the herd. There are 14 standard sizes which range in length from 2 cm to over 30 cm.  

Only the head of the herd is worthy of wearing the heavy tehra number bell.  Today, the use of Kachchh’s traditional bells has expanded; they hang in entranceways, are combined to make wind chimes, and are used as other forms of festive decoration.  Finely tuned bells are used as musical instruments.  Kachchh’s traditional metal bells are handcrafted by Lohar artisans working in 28 bell making units in Nirona, Bhuj, Nakhatrana, and Ratadia.  

Metal bell craft requires highly refined skills and combined family inputs. First, men shape each bell.  They hammer rectangular strips of recycled metal into a cylindrical hollow.  Then, they weld a dome-like metal crown to the bell’s cylindrical body.  Next, artisans bend and attach a metal strip to the crown so the bell can be hung.  Once the bell is shaped, women dip it in a solution of earth and water.  They cover the wet bells with a mixture of powdered brass and copper. The bell, with its powdered coat, is wrapped in a pancake of local clay and cotton and placed in a kiln to bake. After it is properly baked, the cotton is peeled away and any excess clay is rubbed off.  Each bell is buffed and polished to accentuate its unique metallic lustre that is tinted with shades of yellow, gold, red, and brown.  A ringer, made of a dense wood called sheesham, is attached inside the bell, converting the hollow metal object into a musical work of art.

Artisans carefully hand set each bell’s tone with a tool called an ekalavai, a skill that Kachchh bell makers have mastered.  The quality of a bell’s tone is a reflection of the artisan’s skill and three factors: the size and shape of the bell’s body; the size and shape of the ringer, and the shape and curvature of the bell’s bottom rim. 

The skills needed to shape and tune the bells are difficult to replicate which gives the craft a significant market advantage and contributes to the craft’s success as a local livelihood.  Youth are enthusiastically engaged in the craft and have the potential to spread its practice and influence its future success.  The bell sector is growing however its future growth and sustainability is challenged by inadequate work facilities and technical upgrades, artisan’s inability to access affordable raw materials, a limited product range, and limited marketing and trade skills.     

The sector’s success has resulted in the growth of artisan work facilities. Metal bell making, which was once a home-based craft which was leisurely produced for local markets, is now produced on a larger scale with constant turnover. Today, most artisan units operate mini factory-like workshops.  Due to a lack of necessary capital and artisans’ pattern of daily earning and daily consumption, there has been little investment in bell making work facilities. Workshops are in poor condition and technologies inadequate.  Kachchh’s bell artisans need financial support and guidance to invest in their facilities and new technologies.

Bell metal artisans struggle to access affordable raw materials on which their craft is dependant. Bell making kilns require specially made coal to properly fire the bells. Because there are limited suppliers to this coal, it is sold to artisans at a premium. Artisans must also source brass flake, powder, and borax. They currently purchase these materials piecemeal from local traders. As price is controlled by the traders, these metals are subject to price fluxuations. Kachchh metal bell artisans must consider bulk purchases and alternate sources of raw materials to keep production costs down.

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