It was on my third visit to Kutch that I discovered Nirona. As we walk through its dusty lanes, it felt like a typical Indian village with small beautiful houses, its people curious about the newcomers! My first stop was the Copper Bell House at Nirona headed by Mr Husen Luhar. I was invited by the Gujarat Tourism Board to experience the Rann Utsav.
Nirona is a special village and I realized it with my first stop at the copper bells of Mr. Husen. He is a grandfatherly figure who told me he started making bells at the age of 12! He is in his 70s now! Their family have been making copper bells for at least 7 generations.
I have seen bells so many times without ever being in awe of it! But I was in complete awe when Mr. Husen started weaving his magic. There are no joints in the outer structure or the crown of the bell. It is fitted in together by joining various pieces!
After the crown of the bell is done, it is wrapped in a paste and then placed in a brick kiln. This part is done by the women of the household. Once the bell comes out the most interesting part begins. The clapper is attached but the initial sound is quite bland.
Then Mr Husen starts hammering the bell and the sound changes! I could and hear and see it right in front of my eyes. As he would hammer, the sound would change. He has different sounds for cows and buffaloes. Some of his bells sound like birds chirping and all because he hammers them in a certain way!
The whole family has a way with sound. Faruk Luhar loves to play morchang. I also tried my hands at it and I was such an utter flop at it.
The icing on the cake was the smallest kid in the family hammering a musical instrument and enjoying the sound! It feels like sound making is in the air and even babies pick it as they grow!
Our second stop was the Rogan art center and the third at the lacquer but those are tales from Nirona for another day!
PS. I was invited by the Gujarat Tourism Board for Rann Utsav
PPS. This is the slowest start to year, as this is my first post in 2018. I vow to do better for the rest of the year.
Great to read about copper bells. Thanks for all pics and videos.
Thank you Rupam!
beautiful traditional post
Thank you!
Those bells are magical!
Yes indeed Lady Fi!
I enjoyed the video. Still amazed at how that sound could have been made!
Thank you Shweta!
Really nice post…loved the first pic a lot Mridula. the copper bells look lovely….saw it first on Twitter and i came back here to read it 🙂 Never been to Gujarat..hope to someday…
You will like it whenever you go!
Bells sound like chirping birds! It’s amazing!
Beautiful pictures of bell artworks(?)! And enjoyed the videos.
Was looking for your posts… Really missed reading the regular doses, now fine with this article 😀
Thank you so much Sindhu for your constant support!
Beautiful and nostalgic.. It took me back to my childhood time I used to visit my village and those simple families involved in such type of wonderful artworks. Sitting and watching fascinatedly as they did their work. I now long to go back to those times..
I can only imagine your childhood in those beautiful lanes!
Something to look out for my next trip to Kutch.
Yes Ruby I too went on my third trip!
Lovely designs . India has its natural talent in each and every part of the nation but unfortunately they could not sell their talent .
I agree, we need to get better at marketing our handicrafts!
I had visited same place in year 2015. I had visit town where very few family’s had expertise in Rogan art. You can find in only kutch. Our PM Narendra.modi has gifted one of the article from this family to US president Barack Obama.
Yes I visited the Rogan Art at the Khatri household too!
An amazing post, I never went to Gujarat. Looking forward to a trip there and will definitely have a visit to Nirona.
You will enjoy the Kutch region!
Loved the blog and thanks for sharing this information. its good to see this much talent of our indian people..keep it up keep going..
Thank you Riya!