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...

  Telia Rumal is a handcrafted product which originated in Andhra Pradesh back to the early 19 th Century. Telia Rumal means ‘Oily handkerchief’.Telia Rumal is made by the double ikat weaving process. Telia Rumal is currently practiced in several villages of Nalgonda district of Telangana which traditionally used to do at Chirala, Andhra Pradesh. The word Ikat means to bind or knot, as the yarn that goes into the weave is tied and dyed before being woven. In single Ikat fabrics, either warp or weft is tie-dyed and woven with the other thread (weft or warp) of solid color. In double Ikat, both warp and weft are tie-dyed according to a pre-determined pattern and then woven to create a design on the fabric.   This craft involved a detailed process in which the warp and the weft are tied and dyed according to a predetermined design. The yarn is dipped into an oily solution before the weaving. This oil property of Rumal makes it distinct from the Pochampally ikat sari and ...

 India is home to a different kinds of Durries where each region has its own style and designs. Durries are made manually by skilled artisans in their own traditional styles on the loom. Navalgund Durries are also woven Durrie in the Dharwad district of Karnataka. Navalgund Durries are also known as “Jamkhanas” in the local Kannada Language meaning floor mats which are used as floor coverings for decorations. Navalgund Durrie is a woven floor covering made of twisted cotton yarn that is used on certain occasions like weddings, personal ceremonies, religious gatherings, etc. Navalgund Durrie is made out of cotton which is known for its excellence in quality of its structure, originality of colors and form. This craft was initiated by Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, Karnataka. In the 16th century, during a battle between Deccan Sultanate and Vijayanagar Empire, Artisans migrated from Bijapur to the Navalgund of Karnataka. Navalgund means Peacock in Kannada as this place was famous for this...

Chanderi sarees are traditional, fine and luxurious looking sarees from Madhya Pradesh. The name of saree is named after the town called Chanderi where it is produced which is a town in Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh. This town has 30,000 populations, in which around 3500 looms are actively working and 60% of this population is directly or indirectly dependent on the Chanderi handloom business. Artisans have carried out this traditional culture for centuries. Chanderi cluster is best known among all clusters in India for its handmade sarees made from silk and cotton with Zari woven work. It is said that the name of Chanderi sarees is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. It is believed that in the 13th or 14th Century a large number of people migrated from the Lakhnauti region in Bengal to Chanderi following the Sufi saint Hazrat Wajihuddin. These migrated started weaving Chanderi fabrics. Emperor Akbar and Maharani of Baroda, Maratha rulers have also praised this fabric and used ...

Tangaliya weaving is practiced in the Surendranagar district of Gujarat. It is a unique art with dotted splendor and is also known as Daana weaving. The name Tangaliya is derived from the word Tang (leg) means a lower part of the body as Tangaliya was traditionally draped around the waist. This indigenous craft has a history of around 700 years rooted in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The Dangasia (Shepherd) community of this region has knowledge of the Tangaliya weaving technique. Weaving used to carry out in 26 villages by this community. The distinctiveness of this weaving is twisting extra weft while weaving created on both sides of the fabric which creates beautiful dotted geometrical patterns and forms. As artisans say Tangaliya originated with the love story of a young boy from the Shepherd community and a girl from the weaving community. The boy fell in love with a girl from the weaver community and married her but displeased his family and they didn’t welcome this couple. T...

  Toda embroidery is a distinct style of embroidery of Toda tribal community of Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu. It is locally known as ‘Pugur’, which means flower.  The embroidery is so fine that fabric looks like woven cloth. Both sides of the embroidered fabric are usable. Tribe forwards this unique style of embroidery from generation to generation. Toda people are proud of this unique heritage. Toda embroidery is part of their daily life as they wear thick traditional garments with hand embroidery. More than 300 Toda women are dependent on this profession. They are very expert in embroidery on the surface of plain cotton material. The local term for the embroidery work used by artisans are ‘kuty’ or ‘awtty’ meaning stitching and ‘kutyvoy’ means the embroidered piece. The embroidered shawl is called “Puthukuli” in local terms. Young Toda girls learn this craft by observing the works done by the elders of the community. As a custom of the community , dead body is alway...

  Kashmir is a heaven in the world not only for its natural beauty in the form of lakes, valley and meadows, etc. but also for the handicraft prepared by Kashmiri Artisans. Among all handicrafts, Pashmina shawl is one of the prominent handicrafts in India. Pashmina, the name comes from the Persian word Pashm which means “Wool” and the meaning of Pashmina is “Made from Wool”.  It is known for its fineness, warmth and softness in fashion. Pashmina shawls are developed by hand spinning and hand weaving to give them long life which may go up to 25 years. Pashmina shawl has also received Geographic Indication in India.       The Pashmina wool comes from different breeds of Cashmere goat; such as the changthangi or pashmina goat from the Changthang Plateau in Ladakh region, malra from the Kargil area in the Ladakh region, the chegu from Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas of northern India, and the chyangara or Nepalese pashmina goat from Nepal.  Cashmere ...