Government of India- 154 views
METAL BELLS OF KACHCHH
On the southern edge of the Rann of Kachchh lies Banni, the largest and finest grasslands of Asia. Here, nomadic pastoralism is the primary occupation of the local communities (maldharis). The maldharis derive their name from their livelihood as the keepers (dhari) of cattle (maal). They are the herders of indigenous breeds like Banni buffaloes, Kankrej cattle, Sindhi horses, and the Kachchhi camels. These communities travel with their animals and limited possessions across the countryside for months at a stretch. This rich tradition of migratory pastoralism dates back to almost 500 years when Banni was the centre of this migration, attracting herders all the way from Sindh and Balochistan (in modern-day Pakistan), and even Afghanistan.
Maldhari Community on the move
Maldhari and his grazing buffaloes
The maldharis comprise communities like the Jats, Mutwas, Samas, Rabaris, Bharvads among others. The interactions between these nomadic communities and the well-settled villagers were restricted to economic activities. While they supplied the villagers with products like milk, ghee, wool, leather, etc., the villagers gave them items like woven and dyed fabric, lacquer utensils, footwear, and other such commodities in return. As herders, one of the most practical articles was the bells that were tied around their animals. Each family owned herds which included 20 to 50 animals, and these bells helped the owners identify their animals and assisted the animals to locate each other and not stray from the herd. These copper-coated bells made by the Lohar community found their way to Kachchh when they migrated here from Sindh (now in Pakistan), which was their place of origin.
The process of making a copper-coated bell involved both the men and women of the Lohar family. In the initial process, thin sheets of scrap metal are shaped into hollow cylinders. A dome-like piece of metal is hammered into place on one end of the cylinder, and a strip of metal is attached to it to enable the hanging of the bell. Once this hollow cylinder is created by the men, the women of the family dip it into a solution of earth and water. This mud paste forms a layer which is then coated with a mixture of powdered brass and copper. After this stage, the women make a roti of the mud paste and cotton, wrap the bell in it, and then place it in the kiln to bake. After it is adequately baked the mud and cotton layer is peeled off, and the bell is given a good polish. The men then attach a ringer made of a local wood called sheesham inside the hollow of the bell. Each bell is then fine-tuned according to the herders’ requirements. It is said that even tuning the bell to a particular note calls for a special skill that is found only in a few bell-makers. The most striking part of this process is that all the pieces of metal are hammered and joined by an interlocking system, and no welding or nails of any kind are used.
The process of making metal bells sees contributions from the male and female members of the Lohar family
Traditionally, the bells had different names like chota paila, paila dingla, do dingla, depending on their size. Thirteen sizes of bells were made for different kinds of animals. So, a goat would have a small bell with a high-pitched sound, while a cow would have a larger one with a deeper tone. Even the same-sized bells were customized with different sounds or notes to distinguish between cattle belonging to different owners. Each size had up to five or six variant notes.
Today, these bell makers of Kachchh reside mostly in the village of Nirona in Bhuj taluka. They make bells using the same techniques, but the bells are used not just for herds and cattle; they are so aesthetic that they are now sold commercially as home decor as well.
Buffaloes from Banni wearing a metal bell.
Different sizes of bells are used for different cattle.
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