16 February 2020, 1:52 pm
A peek into Sikkim?s Dying Art forms
This article has been preserved from The Voice Of Sikkim historical news collection and reflects information available at the time of its original publication.
A peek into Sikkim?s Dying Art forms (Pic Courtesy Temi Tea Estate, South Sikkim)
Pakyong, 16 Feb : Nestled in the midst of the Himalayas lies our small yet majestic state Sikkim, which is home to beautiful arts and aesthetics, but the emergence of rapid industrialization and technological innovations has an impact on our traditional arts and aesthetics resulting in its erasure. Sikkimese handicrafts along with folk songs and dances and other modes of art, personify a rich culture and heritage, and generations of artistic fables they are associated with.
Till earlier this decade, artisans and folk artists were in demand and very well paid. Our Government implemented various schemes to preserve our handicraft sector. With the rise of machine woven fabrics and rapid commercialization of art our arts and handicraft small scale industries is presently lingering around the brink of extinction. Since most of them Millennials are busy shaping the cooperate culture and obsessed with technology we see a major impact in our traditions and cultures.
To site a few examples - Lharipas are super skilled in paintings and carvings in houses, prayer rooms and monasteries an example of excellent craftsmanship, but if this practice is not passed on to the newer generations it may soon be wiped out completely. Lok dohoris and Maruni, Balan, Dhan nach dance form Deusi Bhailo traditions are also struggling to stay afloat.
Modern age is the age of science and reason, art is losing its grip and our gifted artisans, languages deserve an international exposure and also access to global markets.
We have also moved away from our indigenous practices, medicines and eating habits and our lifestyle is becoming unnatural and stressful due to a modern lifestyle, a lot of medicinal plants are said to be found in Sikkim due to our large variations of climate and altitude which treat different ailments. There was immense faith in herbal medicine based on trial and error experience gained continuously from generation to generation but now most of the practices are forgotten. Even though herbs like sisnu (Nettle) is still consumed and is known as nature?s multivitamin and so is titepati (Mugwort) which holds a lot of medicinal implication.
Similar plants and medicinal practices may have been in our culture, which are actually good for our health but we have lost our traditional health mantras over the globalised health and nutrition industries.
More of vocational trainings should be given to art, artisans, handicraft industries, workshops should be conducted at both urban and rural levels to enhance the skill regarding traditional art. Local languages could be made an option for the students to choose as their 2nd language like Nepali and Hindi. These days, people have been so eager in just learning about life sciences that they loose focus and enthusiasm to learn a bit more about their folk songs, dances, poetry, art and culture and also imbibe it in their lives. In order to revive such art forms awareness could be created, not only that workshops can be conducted which can help bridge a gap between old and young population and rural and urban markets, also bringing back a fusion of avant grade and traditional clothes with different traditional motifs can shine, Lharipas could conduct painting classes as an extracurricular activity, heterogenization of art is good but one must not forget their roots.