Mysore wood inlay to get major boost

Mysore, May 20 (UNI) Handicrafts Marketing Extension Centre Assistant Director S C Devaramani today said the art of Mysore wood inlay work is expected to receive a boost under the cluster development programme of the Union government.

He told UNI here that though the proposal is still in preliminary stages, the cluster development entails enhancing the scale of production in areas where there was a concentration of artisans of a particular craft.

The Ministry of Textiles and Handicrafts has identified various crafts and established more than 600 clusters for various handicrafts all over the country, he said.

Establishing a cluster for a particular craft entails government funding to the tune of Rs 60 lakhs, including machines, and building and are generally located where there was a good concentration of artisans engaged in the production of a particular craft, said Mr Devaramani.

The proposal was likely to take a shape in due course as wood inlay artisans in Mysore churn out products outstanding class that meet international standards.

He said the Mysore inlay work was a speciality of the region, which came to the fore during the regime of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The art of laying ebony, rosewood and teak with ivory was a major industry in those days and the mausoleum at Srirangapatna was a good example.

The first major firm engaged in a mass production of wood inlay works was etablished in 1870 by the name of Yusuf and Sons and was patronised by the Royal Family of Mysore.

It was proposed to have clusters to encourage mass production of sisal fibre work in Chamarajanagara, Terracotta at Doora village in Mysore taluk, Sandur of Banjara embroidery, lacqueware at Channapatana, Banna (colour) fibre works at Anegundi, Banjara Emroidery at Bijapur. Cluster development helps in capacity building of the artisans to meet the challenges of the market and global competition through technical intervention such as technology upgradation, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials, providing for the welfare of the artisans community as a whole, he said.

UNI