Bikna Dokra Craft Village

Bikna Dokra Craft Village is a traditional artisan settlement located in Bikna village, about 5 km from Bankura town in Bankura District, West Bengal. It is renowned as a hub for Dokra, an ancient lost-wax metal casting craft practiced by local artisan families. The village features open workshops where visitors can observe the entire crafting process and purchase authentic brass artifacts directly from makers, preserving a heritage craft tradition.

Visitors can expect a small rural village with clusters of artisan homes and open-air workshops. Artisans demonstrate the lost-wax casting process from clay modeling and wax detailing to firing and brass casting. Visitors can walk between workshops, observe craftsmen at work, see finished Dokra figurines, jewelry, and decorative items on display, and interact with artisan families. The setting is simple and rustic with unpaved lanes and traditional workspaces.

Bikna is one of the prominent Dokra craft clusters of West Bengal. Dokra is an ancient lost-wax metal casting tradition with origins traced back over 4,000 years to the Indus Valley Civilization, as evidenced by the Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro. The craft is traditionally practiced by the Dhokra Damar tribal community who migrated and settled in regions of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, preserving the technique through generations.

The village is recognized as a living heritage craft center preserving the intangible cultural heritage of Dokra metal craft. It supports livelihoods of artisan families and showcases tribal art forms depicting folk deities, animals, and daily life. The Government of West Bengal has promoted Bikna as a rural craft tourism destination to sustain traditional craftsmanship and enable direct market access for artisans.