Dhamrai

Dhamrai has cast metal for a long time and a small number of families still work the lost-wax method here: a figure is modelled in wax over a clay core, coated in more clay, fired so the wax runs out, and molten bronze poured into the void, with the mould broken to release a single unrepeatable casting. The workshops produce Hindu deities, animals, lamps and decorative pieces, and they are open to visitors who want to watch the stages. The town is also known for its Rath Yatra, a chariot festival in which a large wooden chariot is pulled through the streets each summer; the original was destroyed in 1971 and a replacement was built and is used again.

History

Two stories explain the name: one links it to a Buddhist Dharmarajika of Ashoka's time, supported by a stupa found at Savar about 10 miles away, the other to five companions of the Sufi saint Shah Jalal who settled here in the early 14th century and, after eating a stray cow, blessed its childless owners, Dhama Gope and his wife Rai Goalini, naming the place after them. Dhamrai later formed a zamindari estate of the Dhar family (Wikipedia, Dhamrai Upazila).

What's there

• Lost-wax bronze casting - moulds broken to release each single piece.
• Family workshops - the few households still working the method.
• The Rath Yatra chariot - the rebuilt wooden chariot pulled in summer.
• Cast figures and lamps - the range the workshops produce.

When to go

November to March for travel; the Rath Yatra falls in June or July. Half a day. Workshops work weekdays and casting happens on a schedule, so ask when you arrive rather than expecting to see a pour.

Before you go

Only a handful of families still cast and finding a pour in progress is luck. The workshops are working places, not set up for visitors. The highway out of Dhaka is congested and slow. There is little else in the town.

Nearby

Dhaka is south-east; Manikganj and Baliati lie west.

Key facts