Metal Casting of Himachal Pradesh

The tradition of lost wax bronze casting is believed to have been brought to Chamba by immigrant Kashmiri artisans who found patronage at the courts of the Pahari Kings; with time, local stylistic elements were introduced into the crafts. The craftsmen specialized in making idols and the metal used is usually an alloy of brass with 65%copper and 35% zinc. Silver is also included in the casting in a proportion of 10gm of silver to 1 gm of copper; it is also occasionally used to inlay a figurine’s eyes. Traditional metal statues can be seen enshrined at a number of temples in the region including the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, temple of Bansi Gopal, the Hari Rai Temple, Chamba and others. Craftsmen can be seen making the Mohra – votive masks, Idols, Figurines and Bells. Their tools are basic being Soldering iron, Sandpaper, Buffing machines