Thatheras utensil-manufacturing craft makes it to UNESCO list

The craft of manufacturing brass and copper utensils, which are of utliatarian and ritualistic value, by the Thatheras community of a town in Punjab, has been inscribed on UNESCO's 2014 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A decision to this effect was taken by UNESCO at its ninth session of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) for the safeguarding of Intangible Heritage at Paris, a press release here said.
The craft of Thatheras of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar in Punjab constitutes traditional techniques of manufacturing utensils which are of both utilitarian and ritualistic value, using copper, brass and kansa (an alloy of copper, zinc and tin).

The inscription of the element on the Representative List will tangibly contribute to the visibility of the intangible cultural heritage in general by lending recognition to the skill of the Thatheras that have been orally transmitted for generations upon generations so far, the release said.
Its Inscription could contribute to encourage dialogues with other communities worldwide that practice traditional metal craftsmanship to manufacture handcrafted products that are both useful and beautiful.
The crafting process carried out by the Thatheras has a unique ethnic and historical identity with an oral tradition that underpin their skill. The very name of the community - 'Thatheras' is identical with the name of the element.

The metals used are recommended by the ancient Indian school of medicine, Ayurveda.
The crafts colony was established during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1883, the great 19th Century Sikh Monarch, who encouraged skilled metal crafters from Kashmir to settle in the heart of his kingdom in Punjab.
Jandiala Guru has become an area of repute due to the craft of the Thatheras.