Traditional Furnace Prepared by Digging a Pit in the Ground

24-Mar-2026

This photo depicts the traditional Dhokra art furnace used in Karge-Rege village of Ranchi district, Jharkhand. This furnace is not built into a structure like normal furnaces, but rather it is prepared by digging a pit in the ground. First, a round pit is made in the ground, and then it is strengthened by plastering it well with cow dung and mud. After it dries, a small hole is made at the edge of the furnace so that oxygen keeps going inside and the fire keeps burning continuously. Clay molds are heated in this same furnace, and the process of melting the metal is also completed here, which is an important part of the Dhokra art creation process.