Bankura Panchmura Dhokra Terracotta Horse Craft

Bankura district is famous for the Bankura horse — a stylised clay horse with an upward-tilted snout and geometric decorations that has become an iconic symbol of Bengal's folk art — produced in Panchmura village by hereditary Kumbhakar (potter) caste artisans alongside terracotta elephants, owls, and decorative lamps sold at craft fairs and exported as collectibles. Panchmura also produces Dhokra (lost-wax bell-metal casting) figurines alongside the terracotta tradition, making it a dual craft cluster for two of Bengal's most distinctive folk traditions. Bankura district's tribal Santali community maintains traditional customs of jungle farming, sal leaf plate making, and the Tusu harvest festival celebrated in January with community offerings at river banks.