Kansa gives momentum to Bell Metal artisanry

Kansa: A Resonant Testament to Odisha’s Bell Metal Legacy

Kansa is not merely a book—it is a ceremonial invocation. A bilingual, layered publication that dares to reframe Odisha’s Bell Metal craft not as a static artifact of heritage, but as a living, breathing continuum of memory, labour, and sonic ritual. It is a work of cultural strategy, poetic reclamation, and civic imagination—anchored in the belief that heritage must be inhabited, not just archived.

Reclaiming the Maker’s Voice

Historically, the Bell Metal artisan has been exiled from the aesthetic and symbolic relationship between object and origin. Kansa intervenes in this rupture. It does not fetishize the gleam of the final product; instead, it dwells in the forge, the rhythm of the hammer, the sonic landscapes of the workshop. Through the crisp editing of Sibdas Sengupta, evocative illustrations of Satyabhama Majhi and the engrossing photo essay by Kirti Kumari, the book becomes a tactile archive—where tools are not just implements but extensions of memory, and sound becomes a language of lineage.

This is a radical act of narrative justice. The publication repositions the artisan not as a peripheral technician but as a cultural protagonist—whose biography, gestures, and silences shape the very ontology of the craft.

A Picture Book of Movement and Meaning

Kansa is structured as a picture book, but its ambitions are far more expansive. It is a choreography of research, dialogue, and community negotiation. It invites artistic intervention not as embellishment but as epistemic challenge—asking: What does it mean to know a craft? Who gets to narrate its history? Where does the identity of the maker reside—in the object, the process, or the memory of touch?

This publication is not content with documentation. It seeks transformation. It opens portals for civil society, cultural institutions, and policy actors to engage with Bell Metal not as a dying tradition, but as a site of living heritage and future-making.

Groundbreaking Stewardship: MGM Foundation and OCO

The emergence of Kansa is inseparable from the visionary groundwork laid by the MGM Foundation and Odisha Crafts Odyssey (OCO). Their efforts transcend preservation—they activate heritage. MGM Foundation’s commitment to cultural regeneration and community-led storytelling has enabled Kansa to become more than a book: it is a civic instrument, a pedagogical tool, and a poetic mirror.

OCO, with its deep engagement in fieldwork, artisan dialogue, and dissemination strategy, has ensured that the voices within Kansa are not just heard—they are honored. Their model of outreach is not extractive but relational, building trust and co-ownership with craft communities. Together, MGM and OCO have catalyzed a new grammar of heritage—where policy, art, and lived experience converge.

Odia Asmita in Action

In the context of the government’s push for Odia Asmita, Kansa offers a grounded, authentic model of cultural action. It does not rely on slogans or token exhibitions. It builds a narrative ecosystem—where artisans are seen, heard, and centered. This is the kind of work that must be amplified: through dissemination, deep engagement, co-creation, and sustained dialogue with communities.

Civil society must rise to this moment. Universities, cultural foundations, and media platforms should treat Kansa as a civic compass and a blueprint for heritage-led development. Let this book travel—into classrooms, policy roundtables, and ceremonial spaces—where the story of Bell Metal can be retold with dignity and depth.

Toward a Poetic Economy of Craft

Ultimately, Kansa is an invitation to inhabit a poetic economy—where craft is not commodified but communed with, where the clang of metal is not noise but ancestral rhythm. Where the artisan is not invisible but indispensable.

This is not just a book. It is a beginning. A beginning shaped by the hands of makers, the vision of stewards, and the quiet power of cultural continuity.