Bhaskar Parichha
Raja Parija is among those few who have a huge passion for photography and comparable interest for the crafts of Odisha.He had been writing on the crafts for some years now in various magazines. A senior OAS officer who is much-sought after when it comes to arts, crafts and related occasions, he has recently come out with a book on the world-famous Pipili appliqué works.
‘Celebrating Colours’ is a stunning volume and perhaps the first-ever comprehensive book on this secular craft of Pipili.The book is multidimensional .Running into a hundred odd pages it has all that one wants to know about this unique craft at one go. Although a coffee-table book and aimed at larger publicity for the foreign tourists who come to the golden triangle of Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar, yet is an impeccable album for everyone who is keen on this gorgeous craft.
As he writes in the introduction, ‘Celebrating Colours is a result of two-year long trail of researching, photographing and writing. I have tried to trace the history of appliqué craft and its evolution in Odisha.It explains the process, designs, utility, decoration and fashion.’
With a Foreword by Snehangini Chhuria, Odisha’s Minister for Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts ,the book is divided into easily graspable chapters – how Pipili became the appliqué hub, how superior is the dexterity of the craftsmen , how this craft has got place in today’s fashion and so on . Then there is the Pipili map and other essential information. Places around Pipili too get a mention which can help the tourists to move around.
This book has another purpose – to help the present and future generations acquaint themselves with this distinctive art form that has existed since the Mughal times. Incidentally, many of those who live out of this craft are Muslims. Moreover, here is a place where the craftsmen belong to a different faith and yet bring into play all their skills to turnout products that are used by people belonging to another faith.
If change is the reality of life, any living art form would be subject to such transformation. So, as Parija says, in its millennial voyage, appliqué craft may have under gone many ups and downs, yet the essence and novelty of the craft has neither diminished nor lost. That is a revealing piece of information. Any craft which loses its quintessence is bound to fall on the wayside. Luckily, the Pipili appliqué craft has survived that onslaught.
One good improvement that has happened to the Pipili appliqué is its adaptation to modern designs. If you find the appliqué design on imaginatively fashioned garments, saris, and household accessories, the motifs too are hugely embraced by the style-conscious urban women. Thankfully, the Bhubaneswar-based NIFT has been working in a two-way process: bringing the craftsmen and the students on a common platform to showcase and promote ground-breaking designs of this craft.
The quality of the photographs and the thematic presentation add glamour to the book. With hundreds of carefully chosen photographs stuffed into the book, you don’t have to rummage around to be familiar with this exceptional craft.
Readers, both foreign and Indian, who are interested in crafts of Odisha – particularly the Pipili appliqué works- will find the book a handy guide .It is a sort of ready reckoner for holidayers, serious tourists and traders alike. The book will stimulate the curiosity of those who spot out this craft en route to their trip to Puri.
Raja Parija’s earier book on the filigree works of Cuttack entitled ‘Silver Splendor of Millennium City’ and the present volume on the appliqué craft is sure to propel him to write more books on the myriad crafts which Odisha always takes pride in.
Celebrating Colours
By Raja Parija
PageMaker Publication,
117, Bapuji Nagar,Bhubaneswar- 751009
2018
Price Rs. 1499
