Empowering the Dokra Artisans through the Accessibility of Financial Resources for Survival of their Indigenous Technology – A Study of West Bengal, India

Handicraft industries that continue to play an significant role in rural industries in the survival and development of rural people from developing countries, such as India. Indigenous enterprises that have a clear connection with indigenous territory depend predominantly on local capital and give the rural population employment. The art of casting with wax lost technology, also known as Dokra art, is an old art in India and seems to have existed since the earliest days of settled culture in the subcontinent in an uninterrupted tradition. The ancient Dokra art craft of Dariapur village of Burdwan district and Bikana village of Bankura district of West Bengal (India) is not an exception of this concept. It is very difficult to maintain this ancient Dokra art and design on the market in a competitive environment today, with the fashion and luxury industry taking maximum share. But only the love and admiration of these craftsmen for their work make comparison with modern society possible. The paper attempts, by illustrating the numerous problems associated with this craft, to research the subsistence and socioeconomic conditions of Dokra workers from those two villages, with the aim of preserving their heritage in the future and concentrates on the accessibility of financial resources so that they can sustain a proper livelihood.