Uanshu Kansari, a 47-year-old Dhokra artisan from Bandhapari who learned the art from his grandparents, was among those affected by this decline. “We had the knowledge and the tools, but no way to make a living,” he laments. He abandoned his craft due to lack of opportunities, having to rely on other sources of livelihoods. However, Vedanta’s Project Adikala marked a significant moment in his career and life. The initiative provided him with support and an opportunity he had not expected to come across again. “Today, my children are in school, and people recognize my art beyond the village. It finally feels like it matters,” he says, even hoping his children will one day take this culture forward.
