Aloki's premises buzzed with a crowd full of genuine enthusiasm  — a welcome sight for any event in Dhaka. This was the second appearance of the Dhaka Makers event at Aloki on Gulshan-Tejgaon Link Road, with the view of supporting and nurturing the rich arts and crafts culture of Dhaka. Workshops were organised that helped people reconnect to rustic Bengal, and also to come closer to nature.

Masterclass on making tepa putul

Attended mostly by students, expatriates, and various professionals based in Dhaka, the masterclass touched upon the cultural significance and roots of the distinctive clay dolls synonymous with Bengal and taught attendees how to make their very own dolls.

Photo: Shaer Reaz

Once a mainstay of village fairs and the traditional Bengali mela, the ancient art of making these clay dolls faces a significant threat as the artisans that make tepa putuls are slowly losing the kind of prominence and reverence they once enjoyed — giving way to mass-manufactured plastic and metal toys for children.

"In making this kind of dolls, all you need are your fingers and some small items like bamboo sticks," said Shaon Akand — artist and coordinator of the workshop — of the five thousand-year-old practice of making tepa putuls and similar terracotta crafts, dating back to the antiquity of the Indus Valley civilisation.

Photo: Shaer Reaz

Sunil Pal, regarded as one of the finest tepa putul makers in the country and hailing from Sirajganj, is a master craftsman who has more than 50 years of experience in the craft. By making playthings out of the earth itself, the age-old traditional clay dolls are sustainable art as much as they are toys for children to take delight from — at once a cultural icon of the subcontinent and a reminder of our sustainable, environment-friendly manufacturing methods.

With untrained fingers lacking the masterful techniques of Sunil, the attendees tried their best to follow along and make their own tepa putuls — showing the significant effort required to truly master a craft from thousands of years ago, but in the process igniting a new-found appreciation for the tepa.

Microhabitat workshop

A captivating workshop titled "Microhabitat:Terrarium Crafting Workshop" offered attendees a hands-on experience in creating their tiny ecosystems within glass jars – the workshop, led by Nature Design Studio founder Partho Sadik, aimed at helping city dwellers reconnect with nature and find calm in the middle of the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Photo: Shahan Kamal

The ambiance at the workshop was no less than a meditation retreat for nature enthusiasts – participants revelled in the joy of crafting their microhabitats, surrounded by other nature lovers, jars filled with aqua soil, active charcoal, netting, lava rock, moss, and the unique Ambius Nanabeti plants.

As a practical class, instructors provided the necessary ingredients and guidance on assembling the miniature ecosystems, fostering a sense of community among participants.

Partho Sadik highlighted the workshop's relevance in an era where urbanisation distances people from nature. Sadik said, "Microhabitats can serve as a bridge, reconnecting individuals with the natural world – I am optimistic that participants will use it as a springboard to explore the broader realm of terrariums."

Photo: Shahan Kamal

Dhaka Makers 2's 'Micro Habitat' workshop is not just about making terrariums – it was a way to learn the craft of creating a calming miniature retreat for city folks in their own homes. The workshop's success comes from making people see the beauty in tiny ecosystems, encouraging them to discover more about this fascinating hobby.