Artisans at work on the stone carvings that can be seen on display along the national highway between Samantarapur and Uttara Square. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 4: A transformation is taking shape in the city and its suburbs. The metamorphosis is happening through traditional art. Several exclusive showrooms of traditional art forms such as stone carving, patta chitra and metal art coming up in the area that has become a hub of artistic creations.

Traditional artists hailing from old art families as well as fine art practitioners emerging from the state’s various art colleges have found their share of success in the merger of entrepreneurship and art by establishing their workshops here.

Be it the stretch between Samantarapur and Uttara Square, foothills of Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves or further down the road leading to Khurda, artisans are busy making stone sculptures, patta paintings, bell metal and other traditional art and craft projects for special orders to be exported outside the state or to sell to tourists coming to the city. Bulk orders from local corporates or affluent families have also given a boost to these artists.

The Samantarapur-Uttara Square stretch on the Bhubaneswar-Puri road, known as Gangotri Nagar, has become a major centre for artists. It is estimated that collectively, these art showrooms generate a business of around Rs 15 crore a year. Nearly 50 workshops and studios of award-winning artists, including that of Padma Bibhusan awardee and stone-carving guru Raghunath Mohapatra, are situated in the area. Showrooms promoted by the big players on this stretch of NH-203 are making their own statements with the display of their artwork. Other local art hubs including Khandagiri and Jayadev Vihar add another Rs 5 crore to the industry.

“When I bought this piece of land in 1974, no artist was here, but later, many of my students came and started living around here. At present, many non-artist entrepreneurs are cashing in on the collective presence of artists here by opening a showroom hiring local artists,” Mohapatra told The Telegraph.

There are over 300 traditional artisans around the Samantarapur-Uttara stretch, Gangotri Nagar and Dhauli. Tourists on their way to Puri and Konark and foreign buyers from Japan, China, southeast Asian nations and even people from Argentina and Brazil are now coming here to collect or order sculptures.

Nearly 100 artisans working at various studios and workshops of famous artists and master craftsmen are based at Gangotri Nagar alone. Three Patta chitra artists, Bijay Kumar Parida, Bhramarbar Nayak and Rabindranath Sahoo, are national award winners.

“Stone carving is immensely popular. We are also getting specific offers to paint Patta chitra work on themes such as Buddhism. Non-resident Indians are coming up with new ideas and want them reflected in our work keeping authentic patterns intact. There is also a demand of palm-leaf based carvings as they are becoming popular abroad,” patta chitra master artist Bijay Kumar Parida said.

However, artists say the unavailability of raw materials make it difficult for them to meet bulk orders. A resident of Gangotri Nagar and art connoisseur Suryanarayan Das said: “During a visit of former tourism minister Debiprasad Mishra two years ago, we had given a proposal for making this stretch an art cluster so that tourists coming to Dhauli can have a quick look at the art nearby and the artists could develop a pool of raw materials.”

Usha Padhee, who till yesterday held additional charge of handloom, textiles and handicrafts department, said: “We have already started a process to ensure stones and other materials are available for artisans in and around the city. Regarding formation of specific craft clusters on the outskirts, we will definitely take steps as many award winning artists and entrepreneurs are there to showcase their products.”

The tourism department is planning to include the Dhauli foothills in its rural tourist map. The rural tourism circuit will include spots such as Dhauli, Pipili, Dasia Bauri Peetha, Raghurajpur and Dandamukundapur.

Apart from traditional artists, a handful of trained fine art professionals have also established themselves in the city. Their success, however, has years of toil behind it.

“Life is full of struggles for fine art degree-holders, who do not have a traditional art background. They are not counted as artisans and hence do not enjoy the benefit government schemes the way traditional artists can,” said Saroj Bhanja, well-known sculptor who runs a studio at Kolathia, near Khandagiri.

“It would be helpful if fine art practitioners in the city are brought together and a craft village is formed for them so that those fulfilling a certain criteria can grow,” he said.