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India’s Craft Traditions Introduction Crafts and handicrafts have long been a part of India’s history, and also provide a means of employment for many people. The diversity in cultures throughout India means that there are many different craft forms throughout India, each one distinctive and unique. The beginnings of handicraft in India can be traced back to the first settlements on the subcontinent. The history of Indian handicrafts goes back to almost 5000 years ago. There are numerous examples of handicrafts from the Indus Valley Civilisation. Crafts have been mentioned in Vedas and Upanishads as well, and even religious scriptures, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharatamention handicraft workers.In the Mauryan age, we find great development in the field of sculpture. In this period more than 84,000 stupas are said to be built in India, including the famous Sanchi Stupa, which has beautiful stone carving and relief work done on it. Numerous sculptures from Bharhut, Mathura, Amravati, Vaishali, Sanchi etc. show female figures adorned with a display of jewellery, which continues to inspire contemporary jewellery making. Since the early years of the subcontinent saw the arrival and rise of three prominent religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, most craft work from the early periods was more focussed on religious ideals. The Omkareshwar Temple and MahakaleshwarJyotirlingaare prime examples of this. During the Kushana period,jewellery, sculpture, textile making, leather products, metal working etc. were the main handicrafts that assimilated foreign influences and used them in accordance with the Indian setting. The Gupta Age saw rapid advancement in the field of handicrafts and art forms. The murals at Ajanta and Ellora bear testimony to this .

India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

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Page 1: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

India’s Craft Traditions

Introduction

Crafts and handicrafts have long been a part of India’s history, and also provide a means of

employment for many people. The diversity in cultures throughout India means that there

are many different craft forms throughout India, each one distinctive and unique. The

beginnings of handicraft in India can be traced back to the first settlements on the

subcontinent.

The history of Indian handicrafts goes back to almost 5000 years ago. There are numerous

examples of handicrafts from the Indus Valley Civilisation. Crafts have been mentioned in

Vedas and Upanishads as well, and even religious scriptures, such as the Ramayana and the

Mahabharatamention handicraft workers.In the Mauryan age, we find great development

in the field of sculpture. In this period more than 84,000 stupas are said to be built in India,

including the famous Sanchi Stupa, which has beautiful stone carving and relief work done

on it. Numerous sculptures from Bharhut, Mathura, Amravati, Vaishali, Sanchi etc. show

female figures adorned with a display of jewellery, which continues to inspire contemporary

jewellery making.

Since the early years of the subcontinent saw the arrival and rise of three prominent

religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, most craft work from the early periods

was more focussed on religious ideals. The Omkareshwar Temple and

MahakaleshwarJyotirlingaare prime examples of this.

During the Kushana period,jewellery, sculpture, textile making, leather products, metal

working etc. were the main handicrafts that assimilated foreign influences and used them in

accordance with the Indian setting. The Gupta Age saw rapid advancement in the field of

handicrafts and art forms. The murals at Ajanta and Ellora bear testimony to this .

Page 2: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

In ancient times India exported handprinted cotton textiles to the West as well as the Far

East, which contributed greatly to India being referred to as ‘sonekichidiya’. Under the

Mughals Indian crafts touched great heights.

Local patronage diminished with the weakening of Mughal rule. The colonial era

discouraged trade in Indian crafts, which were now challenged by cheap, imported,

machine-made goods.

The importance and relevance of craft in Indian society was slightly marred due to the

British colonisation, but due to the efforts of many people, such as Mahatma Gandhi,

traditional craft slowly made its way back into modern day culture. Today, while it may not

be a big source of employment, it is a source of pride for Indians, and a strong identity with

the cultural heritage of India.

Crafts

Indian craft traditions have witnessed and survived many attempts of eradication through

external powers. However, instead of being diminished by foreign culture, Indian craft

would blend it in with itself, resulting in many crossovers throughout the years. Such

cultural mix-and-matches can be found throughout India, especially in cities such as Delhi

and Hyderabad.

Page 3: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

A Bronze mask, possibly used for theatrical purposes, as an example of ancient Indian

craftsmanship.

Medieval craftsmen flourished in fieldslike pottery, weaving, wood carving, metal working,

jewellery etc. The contribution of the Cholas and the Vijayanagara Empire in the field of

bronze sculpture, silk weaving, jewellery, temple carving is unparalleled. The Mughal period

was one of the golden periods in the history of Indian art, craft and culture. The Mughals

brought with them a rich artistic heritage from Central Asia. The Mughals introduced

craftsmanship techniques like inlay work, glass engraving, carpet weaving, brocades,

enamelling etc.

Perhaps the best display of Indian craftwork comes from temples scattered throughout the

Southern part of the subcontinent, which were inspired by Dravidian culture. Temples such

as the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai,the Kapaleeswara Temple in Chennai, the

Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, The Thillai Nataraja Temple in

Chimbaram, all in Tamil Nadu, and the Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati have some of the

most elaborate craftwork found in India, worked into their magnificent sculptures.

Page 4: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

Bronze Nataraja, with dancing Shiva

The Indian handicrafts industry is highly labour intensive, cottage based and decentralised

industry. The industry is spread all over the country mainly in rural and semi-urban areas.

As an industry, it is a major source of income for rural communities, employing millionsof

artisans, including a large number of women.

Page 5: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

Textiles

Textiles are a large part of India’s history. Indian textiles were found even in the tombs of

the Egyptian Pharaohs, and they were a sought-after export to ancient Greece and Rome. It

was, in fact, the suppression of Indian textile workers by the British that was one of the

earliest catalysts for the freedom movement in India. That is the reason Mahatma Gandhi

made hand-spun Khadi a symbol of the Indian independence movement. Even today,

millions of craftspeople all over India produce extraordinary traditional textiles with

widespread domestic and international appeal.

Some fibres commonly used in textile weaving are cotton, silk, wool, or a mixture of the

three, along with embroidery with precious metals such as gold and silver. Block printing is

practised all over Western and Central India. Marco Polo, the medieval Venetian navigator,

was very impressed by the quality of the fabric and the expert work done by the craftsmen

in ancient India. In his journals on his visit to India, he said that “Embroidery is here

produced with more delicacy than anywhere in the world”.

The origins of muslin- now called jamdani- are not very clear, but its status as an industry is

mentioned in Chanakya’sArthashastra. It is also mentioned in Sanskrit classics of the Gupta

Era. In the Mughal Period, possibly during Jahangir’s reign, figured or floral muslin came to

be known as jamdani. Today the main centres of jamdani weaving in Uttar Pradesh are

Tanda and Varanasi.

Several parts of India have interesting dyeing and weaving traditions. Ikat, which involves

resist-dyeing of yarn before weaving, is one such, for whichPatola in Gujarat, Pochampally in

Telangana and Sambalpur in Odisha are well-known centres. Ikats can be single (warp or

weft-dyed) or double ikats, which are more challenging and more complicated. The

Pochampallyikat saree from Telanganawas the first traditional Indian craft to receive the

status of geographical indication (GI) protection.

Kota in Rajasthan is famous for the fine translucent muslins called Masuria malmal.

Chanderi and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh are known for their distinct sarees, the latter

Page 6: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

being an especial effort encouraged by Rani AhilyabaiHolkar, the then Queen of Indore.

Paithani sarees – centred in Paithan (near Aurangabad, Maharashtra) have evolved from a

cotton base to a silk base.

The art of Jamawar weaving was brought from Persia to Kashmir where it flourished during

the Mughal period.

Banaras or Varanasi is a centre for brocade sarees and dress material, the famed Banarasi

saree, traditionally woven in Banaras and the neighbouring areas of Chandauli, Bhadohi,

Jaunpur, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh. Among silk weave designs, the Baluchari sarees of West

Bengal are famous. Tamil Nadu is home to some of the best known cotton and silk saree

weaves, possibly the foremost among them being the exquisite Kanjeevaram silk sarees

woven in the temple town Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, as well as weaves from Coimbatore

and Madurai. Mysore in Karnataka produces nearly 70% of all the mulberry silk produced in

India, while Assam’smuga silk is produced from a silkmoth named after the state –

Antheraeaassamensis.

A Kanjeevaram silk saree with traditional peacock motif border done in gold and silk thread

Page 7: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

Woollen fabrics are also woven in different parts of India. Kashmir is known for its Pashmina

shawls. Kullu shawls and caps with check patterns use motifs that have been identified with

Buddhism, while different Naga tribes produce diversely patterned woollens.

TextilesDecoration: painting, printing, dyeing, embroideries

Kalamkari, whose name traces its originsto the Persian word kalam meaning pen and

karigari meaning workmanship, is an art that involves hand block printing apart from

painting. The two main styles are Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam- both based in Andhra

Pradesh.

Tie and dye is widely practised and known by different names across India. Bandhini in

Rajasthan, Bandhej in Gujarat and Sungidi in Tamil Nadu are some examples of tie-and-dye.

Batik printing has been revived in India at Shantiniketan and Chennai. Applique work is

practised across India, with Pipli in Odisha being particularly well known for it. In

Punjab,phulkari embroidery is practised even today.

Zardozi, or gold thread embroidery, is based largely in Uttar Pradesh, as is Chikankari, which

is traditionally delicate cotton embroidery on pastel-hued cotton, especially muslin. Kantha

is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in

Karnataka.

Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork, including work by the Rabari tribes of Rajasthan and

Gujarat, and Banjara embroidery and mirrorwork by the Lambada tribes of Andhra Pradsh

are particularly renowned for vibrant, beautifully patterned designs on garments and other

fabrics.

Page 8: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

Pottery

Right from the times of the Indus Valley Civilisation, we find a rich craft tradition and a high

degree of technical excellence in the field of pottery. Harappan craftsmen not only catered

to local needs but also traded with the outside world via sea routes.

Metalwork

The oldest bronze images in our country date back to Mohenjodaro (2,500BC). In ritual

items made of bronze, the best is a sculpture which represents the visible forms of the deity

to be worshipped. Tamil Nadu is one of the famous bronze or casting regions. Stylistically,

the images belong to different periods like Pallava, Chola, Pandyan and Nayaka and the

images that are now produced belong to one or the other of these styles. Different casting

techniques are followed by metal craftspersons all over the country.

India has a rich tradition of different styles of folk painting too. Coloured powder is used in

drawing a rangoli in Hindi (known variously as alpana, mandana, chowkpujan, chita, etc. in

other Indian languages) on the ground without adhesive or glue, as the art work is not

meant to be permanent, but done afresh each day. Kolam is a floor design made by women

at the entrance of their homes with white rice powder in Tamil Nadu. Such decorations are

usually more elaborately executed during religious festivities and celebrations.

Artists in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan make wooden temples with doors that can be opened up to

reveal elaborately painted stories of historical and religious importance. Warlitribals of

Maharashtra decorate their house walls with paintings depicting village life and activities.

Mithila paintings are popularly known as Madhubani from the district of the same name in

Bihar. JharanapataChitra of West Bengal is a long vertical paper scroll used to tell stories

from religious epics. Odisha’s Pattachitra depicts stories from the poemGeetGovind.

Page 9: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

Jaipur is a city famous for traditional blue pottery items made by local craftsmen.

Larger cities have grown as a source of income for the tertiary sector, which deals with

services more than raw products. Cities have seen a decline in their traditional output with

increase in industrial output, and today most handicrafts are restricted to villages and

smaller cities. However, many large cities are still famous for their contribution to

handicraft.

HandicraftCentres

Metal ware and Bronze sculpture: Major manufacturing units are located in Moradabad,

Sambhal, Aligarh, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Delhi, Thanjavur, Jagadhari, Pembarthi (Telangana),

Kamrupi(Assam) etc.Bidriware from Bidar in Karnataka is prized for its fine filigree work.

Wooden artware and sculpture: Major manufacturing units are located in Saharanpur,

Nagina, Hoshiarpur, Srinagar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mysore, Behrampur

etc.Channapattana in Karnataka and Kondappally in Telangana are known for colourful

Page 10: India’s Craft Traditions · is a local Bengali tradition of embroidery, while Kasuti is a fine embroidery style prevalent in Karnataka. Tribal embroideries and mirrorwork,

wooden toys.

Channappattana Scooter in colourful polished wood

Embroidered items: Manufacturing units are located in Kutch, Jaisalmer, Baroda, Lucknow,

Jodhpur, Agra, Amritsar, Kullu and Srinagar.

Marble and stonecraft: Mahabalipuram near Chennaiis famous for stonecraft including

artifacts, statues and daily use objects. Agra and Rajasthan are renowned for beautiful

marble inlay work using semiprecious stones and stone chips.

Paper Crafts: Kashmir and Jaipur are known for papier mâché items like jewellery and snuff

boxes, decoration items and even small pieces of furniture.

Terracotta: Terracotta units are located in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.

Hand printed textiles and scarves: Amroha, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Farrukhabad and Sanganerhave

manufacturing units making textiles.

Zari Products: Zari and zari products are manufactured at units located at Surat, Agra,

Varanasi and Amritsar.