Kala Ashram, Adilabad

Founded

1979

Founder

Sri Ravindra Sharma

Area

About 2 acres

Location

Tantoli Road, Adilabad

Best time

Diwali exhibition season

About the ashram

Sri Ravindra Sharma set up the ashram in 1979. He knew the culture and rural economy of the Adilabad area closely. Over the years he trained more than a hundred artisans across some fourteen traditional crafts, and he continued this work until his death.

His idea was simple: village skills such as pottery, woodwork and metalwork carry real science and technology, and they deserve a place alongside modern methods rather than being replaced by them. The ashram still follows that line, pairing old techniques with newer tools where it helps the craft survive.

What to see

Most visitors come to watch artisans at work and to understand how each object is made. The museum is small but worth an unhurried look. Its collection includes:

• Carved wooden deities used in local worship
• Ceremonial headdresses of the Gond community
• Ornaments traditionally worn by Suthari women
• Household vessels and cooking utensils
• Musical instruments once common in the villages

What the ashram works towards

Its stated aims are to keep Indian craft heritage alive, to improve the design and finish of heritage products so they can find buyers, to bring science and technology into traditional practice, and to live and work in step with nature.

Best time to visit

The annual Diwali exhibition, where potters from the region show much of their year's work, is the liveliest time to come. Work is on show, makers are present and the campus feels busy. Outside the festival you can still visit, but it is wise to check ahead so that someone is available to show you around.

Adilabad pairs well with a trip to the Kuntala and Pochera waterfalls if you are travelling in the months after the monsoon. We can plan the route and transport for you.

Also nearby