Dariapur Village located just 05 kms from Chandni Jaltungi has been turning out some of the most exquisite pieces of Dokra Art for the last 120 years. At present, there are 133 artisans at Dariyapur who practise Dokra craft as their primary occupation. Dokra is a 5000 year-old non-ferrous metal casting technique for producing figurines, animals, deities and jewellery.
It is believed that the forefathers of today’s artisans at Dwariyapur originally belonged to the former princely Bastar state in prsent Chhattisgarh. They migrated to what is now Dhenkanal district in Odisha and then on to Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia and Bardhaman – they were scattered all around. In Purba Bardhaman district, they settled in Dwariapur.
The state government in association with UNESCO, has developed a Rural Craft Hub at Dariyapur where tourists can see and buy some of the exquisite Dokra Art pieces produced here. There is a Community Museum in the village too, which showcases the Dokra tradition of Dariapur.
