Tamta's the Traditional Copper-Smiths of Central Himalayas (A Study in Historical Perspective with Special Reference to Almora, Uttarakhand)

The township of Almora was established by the Chand dynasty of Kumaun, Almora was further developed during the colonial rule. The origins of Tamta the copperware craftsman of Kumaun region of Uttarakhand can be traced back to 16th century AD, when the Chand rulers transferred their capital from Champawat to Almora. The traditional copper smiths of Champawat, originally from Rajasthan were brought along with the royal court in Almora to mint copper coins for the state treasury. The craftspeople engaged in making copperware in the hills of the Himalayan region are known as Tamtas. The Copper technology here probably goes back to the Second Millennium BCE and iron to the early First Millennium BCE. The coppersmiths of Almora, known as tamtas (tamrakatakas) are believed to be the descendants of ancient coppersmiths. Copper ware is one of the traditional crafts of Almora and some of the excellent coppersmiths. It is necessarily required that the dignified status in society and economic gain must be provided to the craftsmen like Tamtas to conserve their wisdom for that they must be recognized and supported by the government. There is still an opportunity to cherish the importance of products made by the Tamtas and to conserve hard earn traditional wisdom. This sector requires the advocacy of the government for flourishing and enhancing its product in the market.