By Harrison Hinton

From a general consensus, it appeared that everyone in the group liked the idea of the blacksmith, and his olden ways of making the tools that keep the village running. I myself found that I really enjoyed being around Mohan and his work. His process is very relaxing to me, and it consumes my thoughts as I sit next to him and watch. 

The blacksmith hut is composed of three small blocks of wood to sit on, a block of metal to pound out knives against, the stove and some water inset into the ground in a little cement pool. The stove is heated up with wood straight from the forests, said to burn at a hotter temperature than other species of wood. Once lit, a fan of sorts incased in metal is used to keep the fire hot. This is done by having someone crank a little handle on the exterior of the fan. This was my job as I spent time in the little hut, thinking about Aghora, and wondering if jobs like this will exist in the future. Rebar is then inserted into the stove, and it heat up until glowing orange. Then, through a series of hammerings, the rebar slowly takes shape, and begins to look like knifes, sickles, hatchets, or garden tools. 

As I was sitting in the hut, cranking the handle of the fan, I found myself thinking about how vital, yet easily replaceable a job like blacksmithing is. Without these tools, farmers would not be able to cut the stinging nettle, or be able to  harvest crops from the rich soil. But, unfortunately, black smithing is becoming a dying job. And what I mean by that is there is becoming less and less need for such specialized jobs as machines and manufacturing is easily able to produce the same tools at faster rates. The blacksmith is a very traditional job and this blacksmith has been making tools specifically for this valley for his whole life, and as such, losing his occupation would result in some culture being lost. Some history would be lost as well, as the blacksmith job traditionally has been crucial in providing the village with tools and the means of cultivation and building. Houses here would be much different if the blacksmith has not made some of the early tools used to build the village. If I had to guess, I would assume that most of the village would look like the older houses. Those houses are typically bland, lacking color, as they are made out of clay and stones stacked on one another. That color that the newer concrete houses have provides the little village of Aghora with a brilliant pop of color, and draws someone closer and makes you want to explore further. 

Furthermore, if the blacksmith profession was lost, the “small circle” feeling of the village would be slightly lost, as tools would have to be sought elsewhere, meaning that the circle would grow. And the tools would be less ideal for this particular place. Another reason that the village would lose a “small circle” feeling is that the rebar that the blacksmith uses is the leftover from building houses and whatnot. So there is also a sustainable aspect of the blacksmith nowadays. The system seems to me to be very efficient with that which is given to the village. The resources that are bought or given to the village, are put to use in some form. Whether that be the rebar that the blacksmith repurposes into tools to give back to the community, or the village kids who play with their toys until they break or cannot be used anymore, resources in Aghora are always used to their entirety. 

Preserving the blacksmith trade would mean preserving some history, culture and ultimately the “small circle” feeling in Aghora. However, this begs more questions such as; what other jobs are considered dying jobs? And how will those jobs affect Aghora if not other parts of India or the world? As I turned the handle on the fan, I looked out and saw a lot of livelihoods that might be replaced by development.

Relating back to my other blog post, aiming to answer my questions of what I am able to take away from this trip in regards to “small circle” and sustainable living, and what that would look like implemented into my life in America, I have found an excellent example that thinking about the blacksmith gave me. In order to try to live a more ecologically sustainable lifestyle in America, I wish to take away the idea of using something to its fullest. A stark example of this would be the cutting back of consumption of objects. As social media pushes western consumerism, I find myself believing that the toys, or objects I see on the internet or social media is something that I will use, but once I have it in my possession I never do. This results in a lack of using what I already have until it cannot be used anymore. An alternative would be making smarter, more conscious minded decisions on what I feel I would use, and if it would actually get the use I imagine it will. This is how I can change my lifestyle in America to fit a more sustainable consumption practice, which is one part of a more sustainable lifestyle.

I hope to turn the fan again – that the development of the world won’t erase these lifestyles. Small circles matter.