Handicrafts, paintings, pickles, flower pot are some of the beautifully-crafted gift items prepared by the rehabilitated family members on the occasion of the New Year.Tata Steel sources said that each one of the family members contributed partly to the effort of creating the gift hampers. They have created self help groups (SHGs) and started producing various products. This unique effort is to promote “Brand Kalinga Nagar”.
The tribals families are making a humble attempt to revive ikons, which the Souras refer as ‘annital’. Anni meaning to write, tal is derived from Kintal (wall).
The paintings depict the interdependence of man, nature and the supernatural forces. he paintings are by the trainees of ethnic craft unit established at the Tata Steel Parivar colony at Gobarghati.
Similarly, the pickles were manufactured by Divyajoti SHG, formed by rehabilitated tribal women from Kalamatia. They started the workshop in Sansailo. After taking loan from State Bank of India, these tribal women have started their pickle factory.
The company has provided them with a trainer to prepare hygienic pickles and jelly.
While 10 women prepared four quintals of pickles in the first month, they have now a target to produce 60 quintals of pickles in the first year to repay their loans from the bank. This apart, the stone sculptures are also an instant hit.
The sculptors here have gone into a detail regarding the quality of stone, its maturity, texture, colour and other things.
The stone ~ locally called as Khadi Pathar ~ is cut by moving a series of wedges about 5 to 7.5 cm deep.
These wedges are driven carefully with heavy four kg hammers, resulting in the rocks breaking apart with clean edges. Temple is the popular motif for the stone artists here.
As a part of its responsibility for the rehabilitated persons for its steel plant in Kalinga Nagar, Tata Steel has started providing training to the rehabilitated persons in various categories.
This gift hamper is one of the efforts in that direction, a company sources said.