Invited artists demonstrate traditional technologies

The invited traditional artists of indigenous techniques from five States gave live demonstration of various important jobs like Salt Making, Mustard oil, Irrigation, Iron Smelting, making idols etc without electricity or any other modern technology. The artists not only gave demonstration they also explained the technique and its history. On this occasion, Soma Kiro (Programme Coordinator) briefed about the benefits of traditional technologies and explained in detail ‘Tirhi’ and ‘Edullumota’.

 ‘Tirhi’ is actually a traditional technology through which the oil from different oil seeds are expelled. Now-a-days all kinds of oil expelling is done in modern factories. Even then a very simple technology of manually operated oil press is found in some parts of the country. Tirhi is made from two rectangular long wooden slabs which is fixed through a level one upon another.

 The seeds from which the oil is to be expelled are threshed and steamed. After that the seeds are filled in the small bark baskets. At a time at least 3-4 filled baskets are put at the centre in between two wooden slabs and the pressure is made from the upper slab which allows expelling oil from the seed basket. Such technology is still in existence among the Rajwars of Sarguja, district of Chhattisgarh.

 Edullumota is a traditional water lifting device, widely distributed in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The farmers of this area are depended for irrigation on canal, well, tank and streams. This technology is depended and works on man & animal power based technology. In this technique the mechanism is simple but interesting as water lifting container called ‘Guna’ works under backward and forward motion. The Guna tied with a rope attached to yoke through the wooden wheel become in force while motion of the animal forward & backward, while moving backward the water container open automatically due to water pressure and closed in forward motion automatically. Even today this indigenous technology of irrigation is very well adopted by the rural farmers of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.