A skilled activity in which something is made in a traditional way with the hands rather than being produced by machines in a factory. Tourists visiting India are often enamoured of its superb handicrafts, as much as its people. India has been known for its customs. When it comes to art and culture, India is among the most culturally rich countries in the world. Handicraft represents Indian’s culture and tradition. The feeling of home is hidden in the small things and the small stories that every item carries with it. The same is the reason behind buying handicrafts. Every piece of craft has a story, a story of the passion of the craftsmen who created it or his inspiration to make it. That’s why craft pieces make the perfect fit for any house. India is one of the leading producers and suppliers of handicraft products in the world. India has been a large producer and supplier of handicraft products for a long time. In Asian countries, handicrafts are as highly wanted as mechanized products in quality and volume and are a major source of their foreign earnings via exports. The artisanal industry is an important source of income for rural communities that employ more than six million artisans, including large numbers of women and people belonging to the weakest sectors of society. The sector is highly creative and produces a large variety of crafts products that are highly consumed and fond of. In India, the creative importance of these craft products is off the roof making sure that it fits in perfectly with the urbanized decor and connects the urban dwellers with their roots. The days of Indus Valley Civilization, artisans and craftsmen have been respected for their excellence in various kinds of handicrafts. That tradition continued well into medieval and colonial times, and flourishes even to this day. List of 10 Handicrafts of India That We must buy.
1) Pashmina shawl
Pashmina is considered the finest craftsmanship in the world which transforms the exceptionally warm and delicate Cashmere threads to opulent accessories. The fleece of Changthangi Goat is known as Pashm. This goat is exotic and is only found there, 15000 feet above sea level in Ladakh – Jammu and Kashmir, making the art of Pashmina even rarer and revered all over the world. This art was favoured with royal patronage. Kings, queens, royal families and nobles all over the world knew Pashmina. In fact, they owned a large number of shawls and scarves. It was in the 16th century when the birthplace of Pashmina – Kashmir – was under Mughal rule, that Pashmina was discovered. Pashmina may refer either to the material or to the variant of the Kashmir shawl that is made from it. Both generic cashmere and pashmina come from the same goat, but generic cashmere ranges from 12 to 21 microns in diameter, whereas pashmina refers only to those fibres that range from 12 to 16 microns. Besides employing literate as well as illiterate persons in both rural and urban areas, it acts as a subsidiary source of income for farmers who remain unemployed during the off-season. The most important aspect is that it should be hand spun and hand woven only. All steps, from combing and spinning, to weaving and finishing, are done entirely by hand by dedicated craftsmen and women. The main production center for Pashmina fabrics is the old Srinagar district. To produce a single Pashmina shawl it takes approximately 180 hours.
2) Woodwork
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. In Rajasthan,wooden figures of Ghangore, a form of Parvathi is worshipped. Tamilnadu has a well developed tradition of woodcarving used for decorating houses and temples. The Tanjore dolls made of wood form a part of the rituals followed here and they are also used for educating small children. The Tirupathi red dolls are meant for sales for the pilgrims. Kondapalli is famous for its toys. Manipuris an important center for Tarkashi, metal thread work, done in furniture. Sankheda in Gujaratis an important center for lathe- worked lacquered furniture. The Punjab regions are famous for their exquisite wooden furniture. Kashmir is famous for its artifacts made of walnut. Chhattisgarh craftsmen specialize in wooden crafts such as doors, window frames, and sculptures. Jharkhand is famous for its wooden toys that are always in pairs. Goa wood carvings are an aesthetic mix of Portuguese and Indian cultures, and the designs are primarily floral, animal and human figures. It is mainly made of rosewood and sandalwood engraved with designs of flowers, vines, birds, and animals. Magnificent female figures are carved from Kumbli wood in Kerala. Karnataka is specialized in sandalwood carving. Rajasthanmaintains a rich tradition of stonecarving even in the common domesticbuildings.
3) Ceramic
Ceramic is considered the most sensual form of all the arts. The tradition of handmade pottery has been prevalent in India since the time of the Harappan civilization. Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and iconic elements of Indian art. This article covers pottery vessels, mainly from the ancient Indian cultures known from archaeology. There has also been much figurative sculpture and decorative tilework in ceramics in the subcontinent, with the production of terracotta figurines being widespread in different regions and periods. In Bengal in particular, a lack of stone produced an extensive tradition of architectural sculpture for temples and mosques in terracotta and carved brick. In Rajasthan, Bikaner is famous for its painted pottery, Pokhran for its geometric patterned pottery, and Alwar for its Kagzi pottery. Jaipur blue pottery is also very famous. Jaipur blue pottery is also very famous.
4) Leather
India is famous worldwide for its leather products. Leather is a prominent industry in India. The main sectors from which its demand is derived are fashion, footwear, furniture, interiors and automotive. While the Indian leather totals upto 13 percent of the world’s total production of skins, around 10 percent of world’s footwear production also comes from India. India’s leather industry is bestowed with skilled manpower, innovative technology, increasing industry compliance to international environmental standards and the support of allied industries. India is the second largest exporter of leather garments and third largest exporter of saddlery and harness in the world. In India, the leather is prepared from the raw-hide skin of different animals like buffalo, goat, cow and sheep. Majorly, buffalo skin and goat skin are used to make leather products that are exported to the other countries. In the past, leather was not only used in the manufacture of clothing and footwear, but also in the manufacture of caps, bags, saddles, shields, etc. Madhya Pradesh is also known for its leather goods such as shoes, bags and clothing. Maharashtra is also famous for its Kolhapuri cocoons. The major production centers for leather and leather products in India are located in the States of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajastan, Kerala.
5) Jute
India is the world’s biggest producer of jute, followed by Bangladesh. Jute is primarily grown in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh. Jute is the second most abundant natural fibre in the world. It has high tensile strength, acoustic and thermal insulation, breathability, low extensibility, ease of blending with both synthetic and natural fibres, and antistatic properties. Jute production is a labour intensive industry. It employs about two lakh workers in the West Bengal alone and 4 lakh workers across the country. Jute can be used: for insulation (replacing glass wool), geotextiles, activated carbon powder, wall coverings, flooring, garments, rugs, ropes, gunny bags, handicrafts, curtains, carpet backings, paper, sandals, carry bags, and furniture. The wide variety of jute crafts includes bags, office stationery, bracelets and other jewelry, footwear, tapestries and many more. The production process in the Jute Industry goes through a variety of activities, which include cultivation of raw jute, processing of jute fibres, spinning, weaving, bleaching, dyeing, finishing and marketing of both, the raw jute and its finished products.
6) Shell
From Conches, tortoise shell and seashell shells crafts are made in India. You can find three types of shells made from shell crafts in India. Different types of products such as bracelets, forks, decorative bowls, medallions, curtains, chandeliers, mirror frames, tablecloths, decorating pots, lockets, lanterns, etc. are products of shell crafts. In specific, shell handicraft locations on the sea such as the Gulf of Mannar, Odisha, Goa etc. are present here and at lower rates in excess. You can also buy shell jewellery and bracelets in West Bengal. It is basically craft making which involves a lot of creativity which will enhance the look of what we do with the shells. Seashell is a gift of nature to man and they are found in a variety of shapes, size and color. It is simply a folk art which is carried out by amateurs, however in some cases, it is also used for business making and the means to livelihood.
7) Brass Crafts
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. A diverse range of brass can be created simply by varying the proportion of these two ingredients. Brass has a yellow color that is somewhat similar to gold. It is also fairly resistant to tarnishing. The discovery of metals made the lives of man easy as the metal products proved to be such a great help for them that they successfully completed some impossible tasks. India is well known for its beautiful brass craft, which covers a wide range of products, ranging from decoration items to utility ware. India, in fact, is one of the largest brass makers in the world. The art of brass craft has been practiced for almost 5 million years. Brass is known for its durability, and this feature adds to its advantage when used as a craft. Various items include the Lord Ganesha figure in different postures, vases, tables, perforated lamps, ornament boxes, wine glasses and many more are widely used in many Indian houses. These craftsmen dealing with brass crafts are known distinctly as “Kansaris”. Advantage of Brass has several characteristic properties that make it the ideal choice for art and craft. Brass is It is a long lasting metal , requires little maintenance and it is similar to gold, gives it a very attractive appearance.
8) Bamboo Crafts
As we all know that excessive use of wooden products can harm our eco system. There is one beautiful and strong supplement of wood which is cane and bamboo. These two are ecofriendly, light weighted, and strong. These have more life than wood, low maintenance, and easily portable. They have unique and elegant styles which are liked by everyone. These two are used to make different items for daily use and for decoration. Although India is famous for its handiwork but the state of west Bengal is pretty much good in their bamboo and cane craft. artisans of northeast India mostly make trays, unique furniture, decorative lamps, fans, hand bags, lamp shades and jewellery. The various other items made from bamboo are baskets, dolls, toys, furniture, mats, tapestries, crossbows, bamboo houses, hats, musical instruments, stools, kurup and khasi umbrella, bridges, smoking pipes, trays, knives, barrels and many more.
9) Phulkari
Sitting on the charpoys (beds woven with jute strings) pulled into the protective shade of a tree, or ensconced against a wall, women in villages and small towns all over Punjab are often busy creating spectacular flower-embroidery on dupattas, shawls or other garments. The word phulkari literally means flowering. It is a form of craft in which embroidery is done in a simple and sparse design over shawls and dupattas. In some cases where the design is worked over very closely, covering the material entirely, it is called bagh. The embroidery of phulkari and bagh is done in long and short darn stitch, which is created into innumerable designs and patterns. It is the skilful manipulation of this single stitch that lends an interesting and characteristic dimension to this needlework. While the stitch itself is uncomplicated, the quality of the phulkari depends upon the size of the stitch. The smaller the stitch, the finer the embroidery. The threads used were of a silk yarn called pat. In the past, the silk threads were brought in from different parts of India, like Kashmir and Bengal. The cloth primarily used and preferred by the women, was the home-spun, locally woven and dyed khadi. It was strong, long-lasting, and cheap and served the purpose of keeping the wearer warm during winters. Another reason was that the embroidery involved the counting of threads while doing the straight darn stitch. The coarse weave made this task easier. First brought to the Punjab state by the migrant population of Jaat, Phulkari is now equally loved across the country. Over time, various techniques and types of Phulkari embroidery have emerged in India, such as Thirma, Darshan Dwar, Chope, Meenakari, and Kaudi Bagh, among others.
10) Zardozi
From the medieval times the art of Zardozi has flourished, reaching its zenith under the patronage of Emperor Akbar. This gorgeous embroidery reveals artistic use of laid stitch with golden thread. It can be seen in wall hangings, chain stitch on saris, caps and other articles with heavy embroidery. As the embroidery is densely performed, designs done are extremely intricate. The gold wire known as zari is the thread used for zardozi embroidery. The making of zari thread is a very tedious job involving winding, twisting, wire drawing and gold plating of thread. The embroidery of zari zardozi is performed in a very interesting manner. Gold wire is carefully revolved around a silver bar tapered at one end. Then they are heated in furnace till gold and silver alloy is formed. The gilt wire, when drawn through a series of holes made on steel plates, comes out glittering as gold. The gold-coated silver wire is then flattened and twisted around silk thread to obtain zari. Zardozi has remained as an appliqué method of embroidery. With one hand the craftsman holds a retaining thread below the fabric. In the other he holds a hook or a needle with which he picks up the appliqué materials. Then he passes the needle or hook through the fabric. After hours of painstaking labor, the result is an exquisite gold-veined work of art. The intricate gold designs are made from silk, velvet, and even fabrics famous in the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, today, artisans use a combination of copper wire, with a gold or silver polish, and a silk thread. This embroidery work is mainly a specialty of Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Delhi, Agra, Kashmir, Mumbai, Ajmer, and Chennai. The art of zardozi was revived along with many traditional methods of embroidery in the middle of this century. Zari work was mainly done in Madras and zardozi in Hyderabad until a few decades ago. Today, Uttar Pradesh is home to this finest work of gold and silver embroidery. This craft has caught on to a larger region of Bareilly such as Allampur, Faridpur, Biharkala, Nawabganj and Chandpur.
