Padma Shri for 74yo Moradabad artisan who kept brass carving alive

Meerut: Chiranjee Lal Yadav was only a teenager when he began carving brass in the crowded bylanes of Moradabad, learning the delicate art of naqqashi — or hand-engraving — from an old master his father knew. Fifty years later, at 74, his hands still steady and his tools still traditional, Yadav has been awarded the Padma Shri — not for transforming the trade, but for refusing to let it disappear.Sitting in his modest workshop, he spoke softly about what the award meant. "I'm thankful," he said, "but I'm also worried. This work is disappearing. Very few people want to do it now."Yadav trained under artisan Amar Singh for three years before taking up his first job in the early 1970s, earning Rs 60 a month. At the time, it was enough to live on, but after marriage he realised it wouldn't be sufficient, so he began training his wife, Swanni Devi, in the same craft. "After marriage, he asked what I would do sitting at home," she said. "I worked with him for decades. I only stopped four years ago — my fingers hurt now."Over the decades, Yadav never moved away from hand tools. Even today, he works four to five hours a day and earns between Rs 8 and 10 lakh a year through orders placed by government emporiums and private buyers. While he is illiterate, his son, Khub Singh Yadav, registered their firm two decades ago, handles documentation, and helps with the business side of the work.Khub Singh, also trained in naqqashi, is proud of the premium their work commands but is candid about the struggle for relevance. "Machine-etched brass sells more because it's cheaper," he said. "Our work is slower, but each piece is different — there's a story in every one. The govt needs to open up more platforms for us."Moradabad, often called Pital Nagri for its rich brass-working tradition, still exports metalware in large quantities, but the kind of work Yadav does — detailed, hand-carved, ornamental — has steadily shrunk in demand. He is among the few remaining artisans known for training apprentices in the traditional guru-shishya model.Yadav has received the national merit award (2008), multiple state honours, and the Shilp Guru title — one of India's highest honours for craftspersons. But for him, the work is still about continuity rather than fame. "This is not just a job — it's our identity," Yadav said. "I don't know how long it will last, but as long as my hands move, I'll keep doing it."