Hand-carved wooden dolls of West Bengal are another famous craft. In earlier days, wooden dolls were made in the districts of Howrah, Bankura, Purulia, and West Midnapur but now Natungram in the Burdwan district is the chief producer of wooden dolls. Burdwan is known for its historical bequests. This little village is a hub of skilled artisans where men take the responsibility for cutting, carving, and chiselling the wood into shape; women look after the painting part, create various motifs and intricate designs, colour the wooden dolls, and even their children are also helping their parents in doll-making.

Since 200 years, the artisans of Natungram have been practising the craft of wooden dolls following the theme of owls, raja-rani, and other figurines of deities and animals. These artisans believe that the wooden owl is also an essential part of an ancient and indigenous traditional art form in Bengal. You may find wooden owls in many Bengali households which are meant as objects of good fortune. But these days, many things have changed from new motifs, and design, to new patterns, more vibrant colours, and carving wood techniques has been introduced. Earlier craftspeople were dependent only on traditional crafts for their livelihood but in recent years many modern lifestyle products have been launched including owl lamp shades, chairs, toy cars for kids, laptop tables, owl watches, and other items of decorations as well. With the growing demand, the artisans at Natungram switched to making wooden furniture, which they sell in far cities like Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai. Even with the help of government and social enterprises, artists get the opportunity to attain many handcraft exhibitions to sell their new products. It really helps to increase their income level.

The village consists of 62 families involved in making wooden dolls, furniture, and other household items. All the members of the family helped each other in the making process. Interestingly, The common family name of all the artisans is Bhaskar, meaning sculptor and Bhaskar is their earned surname as well Sutradhar, meaning storyteller, as they tell different stories of ancient mythology which reflect through their art.

Making process –

Standalone pieces or pairs of dolls, or furniture in Natungram are made of sponge wood, metal, palm leaf or jute, etc. Logs are sawn from the nearby forest, brought to the village, and it is kept in a well-ventilated place for drying purposes. They prefer seasoned wood to prevent cracks. A chunk of wood is chopped and shaped according to the size of the products. The tools used for this craft are – a handsaw, hammer, drill and chisel. They use soft wood like gamar wood, mango wood, and meghani wood.

Fine strokes with the hammer are made on the chisel. It is then smoothed with a file and painted. The facial features are added in the end. The carved piece of wood is rubbed with sandpaper to soften the surface. Then it is either coloured using chemical paints or polished with wax or oil to give it a shine. Raja rani and other figurines are fully decorated with intricate designs and different vibrant colours. The price of the product depends upon the quality of the wood.

Apart from the wooden handicrafts, if you go around the village, you will find more artists who are crafting different products like bamboo jewelry, Kantha stitch, etc.

Natungram is located in Burdawan district, 4km from Agradwip station. Also, it takes 4hrs by road from Kolkata. This quaint little village is home to many artists who are not just simple but are internationally recognised for their art & craft. The place is ideal for a little escape from city life.

Winter is more comfortable to explore the village on foot. Most artisans offer to stay in their own houses. Besides, you can book the guest house for a stay. Dilip Sutradhar is the coordinator (9333386501). They charge 1k each person for food & stay.