Traveling across the central Indian plains, I discovered the unique art of gourd crafts – handmade objects carved from various gourds. This craft is also a global phenomenon. Research suggests that gourds are the oldest domesticated plants, and when you travel to rural villages, they are often seen hanging in huts. Farmers use them to protect and store seeds, promoting seed sovereignty. The diversification into urban-friendly crafts is relatively recent. Farmers traditionally use gourds as vegetables and water containers, their natural properties keep water cool during long journeys.
In Madhya Pradesh, I encountered eco-friendly loofahs Made from delicious gilki or torai, also known as sponge gourd. Once mature and dried, these gourds that grow on vines are turned into useful household items. Artisans and farmers in Tamil Nadu, and organizations such as Meghalayan Yuga in Delhi and Krishi Kala in Karnataka, support these gourd crafts, empowering women artisans to create colorful vases, ornaments, lamps, birdhouses, magazine holders, pots, and musical instruments like the sitar. Tambourine. The art of gourds reinforces the intangible cultural heritage they symbolize.
To display the seeds
While the lamps or artefacts themselves are not too difficult to replicate, it is the journey from the gourd farm to the workshop that is long. (Photo: Artisan Jagatram Diwangan)
In Bastar, Chhattisgarh, gourds are made in Tuma or Tumba lamps, mostly Head craft. “Ghia” (bottle gourd) and pumpkin varieties are intricately carved to create attractive lamp decorations and lanterns. Jagatram Devangan, an award-winning artist who has been making Tuma lamps since 2005, stressed the need for government support, especially in packaging, as local sales are generally low and artisans have to travel to cities to perform. His main income comes from exhibitions and fairs – such as Saras and Surajkund – where he exhibits his work. He has trained more than 100 women and raises gourds from farmers who intercrop with maize.
When asked about the challenge, he said, ‘It is not difficult to replicate the lamp or artwork itself, it takes a long time to travel from the gourd field to the workshop. The harvest happens once a year, and we have to wait for the produce to dry. Ideally, one lamp takes one day to complete, depending on the designs and patterns we want to make.”
Harvest to craft
In the era of eco-friendly fashion, gourds offer a sustainable alternative to plastic and synthetic products. (Photo: Swasti Pachauri)
The crafting process requires patience. After harvesting, farmers pick dried gourds and soak them in hot water to remove mold and skin using copper or steel scrubbers. Artisans then remove the seeds and flesh and polish the gourds, turning them into decorative items or utility products, including jewelry made from small gourds. Like many artisans, Jagatram faced challenges during the COVID-19 lockdown but received government support and loans. “I got government support and loans during the Covid-19,” he said.
A universal wonder
Diversification in gourd craft has led to the use of vibrant red, brown and green oil paints, which give these objects a uniform beauty. The art of penmanship. Worldwide, especially in parts of Africa and the Americas, artists use gourds to depict folk tales, turning them into cultural symbols. I met Graham Ottoson in Ithaca, USA, who runs a sustainable farming business called “Gourdlandia”. Growing gourds along with marijuana, which acts as a natural insect repellent, the initiative also produces the African wine kettle variety and long dipper gourds, which are commonly used in lamps, vases, bowls and musical instruments. During cultural festivals and Thanksgiving, gourd crafts are popular.
Artisan Jagatram working with Chhattisgarh gourds.
In the era of eco-friendly fashion, gourds offer a sustainable alternative to plastic and synthetic products. They transform from humble vegetables to beautiful decorations while empowering agricultural livelihoods and strengthening goals. Sustainable consumption and production.
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