The Process of Making Dhokra Products

Refining the locally available mud for making the mould is a first step in the process in dhokra craft

The mud is then mixed with rice chaff. This mixture is used to make the moulds.

The mould is shaped by hand using the mixture made of local clay, and rice chaff.

The mud mould are put to dry in the open areas outside the house.

The mud mould is further dried under the open sun until it hardens.

The mud mould needs to be fully dry before it can be covered with tar.

Water is filled in the container, in which the molten tar is slowly poured. The tar acts like a wax when cooled.

Molten tar heated till boiling point is used like wax to model the desired design of the dhokra item.

The tar is slowly poured into a container with water. The molten tar is not directly subjected to the water below.

It is passed through a cotton cloth, which helps in keeping the tar away from any impurities like sand particles or stones.

The mud mould is further wrapped up in tar threads.

The tar which acts like a wax in thread form, is twisted in the desired shape and design.

A layer of tar comes on top of the mud mould on which an intricate design is etched by hand using a small metal piece which is like a blade.

Small intricate designs, which are mostly inspired from nature around the artists are designs are first made in tar and later glued onto the mould.

Once the mud moulds is wrapped up in tar threads, smaller designs or motifs made from tar are glued onto the layer.

This is point when intricate motifs that are made are mostly birds, small insects, animals etc.

Layers of tar threads are creatively used to decorate the outer portion of this container

A mixture of mud and rice chaff is prepared by artisans to cover the tar layer.

This layer ensures that no leakage occurs when the molten metal is poured inside the mould.

Artisans often hammer down old metal containers into pieces, to be used in the casting process.

The broken pieces of scrap metal have to be weighed on simple hand held weighing scales, depending on the size of each dhokra item, before they undergo the firing process.

Broken metal scrap pieces are placed inside the mould, before they can be cast.

Due to the high temperature inside the pit, the metal pieces melt and take the shape of the mould.

Once filled in, the final mould is formed with another layer of the mixture made of mud and rice chaff.

The molten metal can be seen inside the mould during the casting process.

After the first firing, the tar inside the mould melts, and flows out.

It is collected in a container for further use.

Once the clay is broken, the dhokra items are ready to be polished.

Apart from containers, dhokra figures are made after moulding the clay into assorted animal, bird or human shapes according to the creativity of the artisan.

Tar is shaped into desired designs before it is covered with clay.

A small tar figure of a quaintly elongated Lord Ganesha emerges, once shaped.

Grinding the cast dhokra piece is a part of the finishing process. It is done manually by the artisans.

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