ডোকরা (Dokra)
Dokra is a non-ferrous metal casting tradition using the lost-wax (cire perdue) process, practiced by the Dhokra Damar tribal communities across West Bengal (particularly Bankura, Purulia, Dariapur), Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. The West Bengal tradition is distinguished by its use of clay cores wrapped in wax thread to build up the model — unlike the solid wax carving method used elsewhere. This wire-wax technique produces the characteristic linear, textured surface of Bengali Dokra. Objects range from small figurines of horses, elephants, and deities to lamps, decorative vessels, and jewelry. The technique represents one of the world's oldest continuous metal-casting traditions, with direct lineage to artifacts dated to 2500 BCE (Mohenjo-Daro dancing girl). The community is nomadic in historical practice; settlement has created both stability and cultural disruption.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed. Several state-level recognition programs.
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