Handloom and Handicraft

Puppetry craft is one of the richest heritages of India. The puppetry was originated around 4000 years ago. In ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, there is also a mention of this art. Puppetry is one of the important parts of Indian theatre history. It is close to the heart of the people. Before the revolution of the cinema theatre become famous, Puppetry was the only source of entertainment. Puppetry has been used as a source of mass communication for, social awareness, moral values, and traditional subjects and also for public opinion building. Puppetry has been the most influential source of communication in rural India. It gives personal and intimate appeal with familiar content and uses local dialects. Puppetry is also called by different names in different regions. In India, many types of puppets are made from a wide range of materials, depending on their form and intended use. There are different types of puppets like String puppets, Shadow Puppets, Rod puppets and Glove Puppets, ...

India is home to a distinct range of handmade Embroidery work with different styles and history. Every region has its own style as per their own culture. Zardozi work is also part of traditional handmade embroidery. Zardozi is unique and identifiable gold and silver embroidery done on different fabrics. Zardozi is a Persian word in which “zar” meaning gold and “dozi” meaning embroidery. This distinct art of Lucknow has also received Geographical Indication. Zardozi has a long historical background. In India, this craft has been in existence from the time of the Rig Veda. It has been brought to India by the Mughal in the 12th Century. During the Mughal period, it was called “Shahikaam”. Artisans used to work with pure silver wires coated with real gold, which was known as Kalabautan. This art used to male royal garments with gold and silver threads as well as pearls and precious stones. This embroidery used to complement velvet and rich silk fabric during the Mughal era. Art was very c...

Bastar is one of the tribal districts located in the southern part of Chhattisgarh. Bastar has a huge natural forest area and only tribal region in India where 70% population are various tribal communities. The total forest area under the Bastar district is 7112 sq. km which is more than 75% of the total area of the District. Diverse Tribal communities are Gonds, Abhuj Maria, Bison Horn Maria, Bhatra, Habla, Darda Maria, etc. are part of the total population. Among all tribes, Gonds are the largest group of Tribal communities in central India. Being covered with forest area and diverse tribal communities; Bastar is famous for its distinct culture and heritage. Each tribal community has its own culture and way of living. They have developed their own dialect and differ from other communities in Language, food habits, tradition, costume and have diverse worships forms of god and goddesses too. There are also many tribals who are residing in the deep forest and are unaware of the changin...

Coconut is one type of resourceful fruit and has a high economic value. Coconut is one type of multipurpose fruit whose entire tree has many benefits for humans that include from the roots, leaves and fruit itself. Coconut trees have many benefits. Apart from used as raw material for Coconut oil and food, the coconut shells also have potential economic values but are rarely processed further. Coconut shells are leftovers from coconut. Coconut craft is primarily practiced where coconut is grown in abundance. Making craft from coconut shells are not new as coconut shells were ordinarily used for fuel, beverage container, Substitute for a spoon, etc. in south India. With time there is an improvement in tools, people skills, and knowledge that leads to making varieties of products and decorative articles by cutting or carving coconut shells. Coconut craft is mostly manufactured in south Indian states where one can find a high number of coconut trees. The Indian States like Kerala, Tamil N...

Gujarat has the world’s largest Salt Desert in the Kutch region and it used to be only famous for salt manufacturing. But it has also a unique culture and craft created by diverse communities. Each community of Kutch is identified by distinct traditions, customs and crafts. Kutch Handicrafts are traditional crafts that include weaving, dyeing- printing and embroidery. Famous Handicrafts of this region are Kutch Embroidery, Ajrakh Printing, Bandhani, Leatherwork, Printed Terracotta, Wood and lac turnery, Bell Making, Silverwork, Namda-Felted rugs, etc. The embroidery is one of the main sources of income for the artisans of Kutch nowadays. Despite embroidery is the most traditional method, it is still very popular. Kutch Embroidery Kutch embroidery is purely made by hand. Embroidery is the method of ornamenting a piece of cloth with needlework, different colors of threads and with fanciful details. The uniqueness of this craft is the use of colors combined with different sizes of mirror ...

Indian art has the richest treasure of Traditional Paintings. Each region of India has its own way of expressing their beliefs. Madhubani Paintings are one of the earliest forms of Indian Paintings. This art is an expression of day to day experiences and beliefs which is carried by symbolism, simplicity, and beauty in Traditional Art. There is a living tradition in the art field of Bihar that is called Madhubani painting which enlightened about the social structure, as well as the cultural identity of Bihar. The styles of painting have been changing from generation to generation. Madhubani is a district of North Bihar situated at a distance of 190 kilometers from Patna city, Where artwork has evolved and reached its level of fineness. This place is famous for its indigenous tradition or dying art like Wall Paintings, Canvas Painting, floor paintings, and decorative crafts. Wall-painting and the floor-painting are very vintage traditions within the Mithila region. People express their a...

Blue pottery is a very well-known and exceptional art of Jaipur, Rajasthan. As we hear Bihar the first name of the art comes in our mind is Madhubani Paintings, in the same way, Blue pottery comes when we hear Jaipur. Blue Pottery grabs the attention of many people due to its distinctive style and art. The distinguishing factor which makes the craft of Blue Pottery different from any other pottery technique being practiced around the world is that it is the only pottery technique that does not use clay. Also, the blue color used in it makes it distinct in appearance. Originally blue and turquoise green colors were used on a white base. The Blue Pottery is centuries old but surprisingly it is not originated in Jaipur. There is a history behind it. The art was primarily introduced by Mughals. Blue pottery art travelled to India with Mughals who introduced and flourished it. It came to Delhi via Kashmir and then it settled down at Jaipur in the 17th century. Before it was used only in mos...

Handloom is the second Largest Employment generation sector after agriculture. Handloom has been a traditional occupation for women who produce clothes for family members. It is also a source of livelihood, especially in industrially backward States like north-eastern region (NE region) of India. A similarity in the north-east region is that weaving is practiced by all tribal groups mainly in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and in Assam. Interestingly, Women are the real heroes as they are responsible for weaving, unlike the rest of India, where men predominated the weaving profession. The North-east region is doubtlessly a hub of handloom and handicraft in India. There are lots of unidentified crafts in the north-east part. People of the north-east rich cultural heritage that makes the region all the more exceptional. Crafted goods and magic weaves are not only made for their own use but are also a means of livelihood for numerous artisans scattered all over the region. These pr...