Elements
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00002057 Country Bhutan ICH Domain Traditional craft skills Address Dagana Dzongkhag (district) is one of the remotest Dzongkhags in the country. The Dzongkhag comprises of 14 Gewogs (block). The total area of Dagana Dzongkhag is approximately 1,389 sq. km with a population of 18,222 as per the 2005 census. People in Dagana derive their daily sustenance from farming activities. The elevation ranges from 600 m to over 3,800 m above sea level. The Dzongkhag falls within the temperate zone in the north and subtropical in south with hot and wet summers and cool and dry winters. 79% of the total area in the Dzongkhag is under forest cover with tree species such as Champ, Arguray, Chirpine and Sal. The present documentation is undertaken from Norbuling village, previously known as Lodambha which currently falls under Trashiding Gewog. However, the art is known to be practiced in all the indigenous communities especially eastern Dzongkhags (districts) apart from the scattered Lhotshampa settlements. The best granite called Kuring (Hard black stones) can be found only from the river bank. Any other hard stones can be also used to craft Jato for millet as it needs smaller in size granites.Year of Designation 2022
| Description | Jato is a grinding stone made from hard stones mined from the river valleys. Not all stones can be used in making the element. There are two types of grinding stones. The best quality granite is called Kuring (black hard stone). The grinding stone for maize is usually big and rough and grinding stone for millet is smooth. The grinding stone for millet can be any hard big in size stones. Grinding stone for maize is obtained from the cliff of the river valley. It is a thick circular flat stone where the lower part of the element is usually bigger than the upper part. The inside surface is rough to grind maize while the Jato for grinding millet has smooth surface inside and the shapes are similar yet the size is usually smaller than the grinding stone for maize. The use of Jato dates back to time immemorial. People in the villages used the element in grinding maize and millet. It was also used for bartering essentials items when economic status was so limited. They made the element depending on the order of the customers then and now it has declined due to the emergence of electronic machines/varying gadgets. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Owning Jato does not really have any remarkable significance yet it can mean a little ahead then in managing livelihood of the day as those who did not own it came to grind their grains. Now almost all households have the elements but used very rarely as most own the modern grinding gadgets. The element is used to grind maize and other grains. |
| Transmission method | It is not exactly like a father to son job. It can be learned to craft by any men willing or interested in. It is learned by observing someone carving it practically. The skills of the element is being learned by any interested men, yet the culture of crafting element has deteriorated due to the emergence of modern technologies and machines. According to the informant from Dogag under Goshi Gewog, he learned to craft the element by watching his neighbour making it. To complete a set of Jato it took him one week. It is not exactly a father to son job but son of the informant from Norbuling, Lachuman Bomjan, has learned to craft just as his father. The culture of making the element is still prevalent but not in abundance and they make it when they get orders. The stone is collected from river bank. Crafted to form a required shape using five different types of tools. If the granite is big, hammer is needed to craft the element. Make a hole on the upper part of Jato is made to insert handle using a tool called chinu (local dialect). The handle can be a smooth piece of wood or a metal rod. The best quality stone to craft the element is called Kuring (black stones carried by river as river loads). |
| Community | Making of Jato is prevalent in a village called Norbuling under Trashiding Gewog. Previously the village was known as Lodambha. The present craftsman Mr. Lhachumon Bomjan is the only one or one of the practitioners or the upholder of the dying tradition in the vicinity. He learnt the art and the skill from his father and had been crafting for last more than decades. He crafted not only for himself but also made contributions to the needy community members and neighboring villages in his gewogs. The prevalence of the element is due to the location as the raw material is collected from the river valleys. Thus, the element saw its existence as the village is located near Dagachu and easier to collect the raw materials for the element. Data collected by: Ms. Kunzang Wangmo, Teacher, Daleythang Lower Secondary School, Dagana |
Keyword
Information source
National Library and Archives of Bhutan
https://www.library.gov.bt/archive/Materials related to
Photos
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PI00006800
Jato (Traditional Grinding Stone) crafting tools
Jato is a grinding stone made from hard stones mined from the river valleys. Not all stones can be used in making the element. There are two types of grinding stones. The best quality granite is called Kuring (black hard stone). The grinding stone for maize is usually big and rough and grinding stone for millet is smooth. The grinding stone for millet can be any hard big in size stones. Grinding stone for maize is obtained from the cliff of the river valley. It is a thick circular flat stone where the lower part of the element is usually bigger than the upper part. The inside surface is rough to grind maize while the Jato for grinding millet has smooth surface inside and the shapes are similar yet the size is usually smaller than the grinding stone for maize. The tools shown in the picture are the various tools used to craft Jato.
Bhutan 2022 -
PI00006799
Mr. Lhachumon Bomjan, Jato (Traditional Grinding Stone) Craftsman
Jato is a grinding stone made from hard stones mined from the river valleys. Not all stones can be used in making the element. There are two types of grinding stones. The best quality granite is called Kuring (black hard stone). The grinding stone for maize is usually big and rough and grinding stone for millet is smooth. The grinding stone for millet can be any hard big in size stones. Grinding stone for maize is obtained from the cliff of the river valley. It is a thick circular flat stone where the lower part of the element is usually bigger than the upper part. The inside surface is rough to grind maize while the Jato for grinding millet has smooth surface inside and the shapes are similar yet the size is usually smaller than the grinding stone for maize.
Bhutan 2022 -
PI00006798
Jato (Traditional Grinding Stone)
Jato is a grinding stone made from hard stones mined from the river valleys. Not all stones can be used in making the element. There are two types of grinding stones. The best quality granite is called Kuring (black hard stone). The grinding stone for maize is usually big and rough and grinding stone for millet is smooth. The grinding stone for millet can be any hard big in size stones. Grinding stone for maize is obtained from the cliff of the river valley. It is a thick circular flat stone where the lower part of the element is usually bigger than the upper part. The inside surface is rough to grind maize while the Jato for grinding millet has smooth surface inside and the shapes are similar yet the size is usually smaller than the grinding stone for maize.
Bhutan 2019