Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji’s visit to Kanpur last week was marked by a unique gesture from the Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra (RSK), IIT Kanpur. In a memorable moment, ceramic designer Ms. Shailly Sangal, along with potter Shri Shankar Prajapati, had the distinguished honour of presenting an exclusive handcrafted ceramic vase to the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The gift was designed and created under the guidance of Prof. Satyaki Roy, who beautifully blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design sensibilities at the RSK, IIT Kanpur.

Through the Design Development initiative, IIT Kanpur works with more than 100 potters from the Kanpur region, upskilling them in new technologies, helping build kilns that allow low-temperature glazing, and providing a platform to showcase their art. The technical inputs from the IITK team have enable the potters to improve the quality of their creations.

The vases reflect the collaborative synergy between design expertise and artisanal skill, symbolize the spirit of innovation and show the culturally rich Bithoor of past treading into future. While one vase has historic temples and Ganga strotam engraved on it, the other one brings out the rich flora and indigenous variety of fruit trees of Ganga katri area, that also holds its future. The pair of vases was crafted by Shanker Prajapati of the historical town  of Purana Bithoor near Kanpur and the art work was performed by Shailly Sangal and The Ganga Strotam was engraved on the vases by Shanti Devi of Nankari village, a local calligrapher in Devanagari script. The vases were then packed using handmade paper, a languishing artform ofKalpi that RSK is working on revival. A base decorated with beautifully carved conches sculpted by Shanu Prajapati went into a special designer box created by Faiqa with a quilted bag to hold the entire ensemble crafted by RSK trainees.

The Design Development Centre of RSK aims to work with local crafts and help artisans adopt improved techniques, and adopt the sustainable craft practices which were once prevalent. RSK was represented by Prof. Sandeep Sangal (Principal Investigator), Mrs. Rita Singh (Project Executive Officer), and Dr. Monika Thakur (Senior Research Analyst) as the gift was handed to the Hon’ble PM.
RSK, IIT Kanpur, is honoured to have received this opportunity to showcase the creative excellence of its team through such a prestigious gesture. This inspiring moment reaffirms the institute’s commitment to nurturing artisan talent and bridging tradition with modern design through the RSK Design Development Centre.