Handicrafts of Rajasthan

Handicrafts of Rajasthan

 

👉The state of Rajasthan is home to a rich and varied cultural heritage. The people of Rajasthan are known for their handicrafts, which include textiles, metalwork, woodcarving and painting. Rajasthani craftsmanship is one of the most colourful and intricate in India.

 

👉Rajasthan's textiles are renowned for their intricate designs and vibrant colors. The cotton fabrics used in Rajasthan's textiles are some of the finest in the world. The traditional art of weaving cotton textiles is a centuries-old tradition in Rajasthan. The state is also famous for its brocades, a type of fabric made from colourful cotton threads.

 

An example of Handicrafts of Rajasthan

👉Rajasthan is well known for its metalwork. The state is home to some of the most skilled metalworkers in India. The state's metalwork is characterized by its intricate designs and beautiful colors. Many of Rajasthan's traditional artifacts, such as brassware and copper pots, Excavations, at Kalibanga reveal that Rajasthan had been an important centre of the ceramic industry whereas excavations at Rängmahal revealed the use of woven fabrics of both coarse and fine quality.   The other excavations have also own light on the handicrafts such as painted and glazed pottery, bead industry, bangles and tools etc.

 

👉The clay modelling art has it antiquity to the days of the Indus Valley culture at Kalibanga. The use of Lahanga dates back to the Kushan period. Similarly, the use of odhani as an upper garment on the head can well be attested by a number of post Gupta (5th-6th century A.D.) period. The period from 12th to the 17th century was mainly occupied by internal rivalries among Rajput princes and clashes with the formidable Mughals. Hence, there was hardly any time to think of patronising the craftsmen involved in the development of handicrafts in Rajasthan. But the subsequent social intercourse between the two, the atmosphere changed.

 

👉The traditional handicrafts of Rajasthan have started to feel the impact of Muslim art and culture. . Starting from Jaisalmer and going down to Udaipur every king patronised art, culture and literature in all its state and rewarded artists, craftsmen and men of literature.  Blankets of Jaisalmer, ivory items, marble statues, blue pottery, ornaments and jewellery of Jaipur, sanganeri and bagroo prints, shoes and ladies shoes, badlas and chunaries of Jodhpur, phad printing and gota work of Nathdwara, moonga and doria sarees of Kota.

 

👉Maharaja Man Singh, a great lover of art, was credited with bringing the artists to start this industry. Jaipur and Jodhpur were the two most famous centres of manufacturing jewelry and other fanciful handicrafts. Jaipur School of Art established in 1866 has been responsible in bringing out the new designs in pottery making. As a result, Jaipur pottery is known for its excellence throughout the world. In 1820 A.D. Maharaja of Alwar invited Karim Ahmed to make a fine binding for a famous copy of the Gulistan of Sheikh Sadi, This master piece has a pretty border in coloured outline with painted leaves of the book in different designs in gold pattern.  

 

👉Ain-I-Akbari reveals the presence of skilled workers in the palace of Mughal king Akbar. The artist included were makes of braids in gold and silver for sword belts, engravers, sculptors, lapidaries and painters. These very artists taught their art to other skilled workers which later on were patronized by the Rajput rulers in their States. Traditional Rajasthani handicrafts survived and flourished because they were seen as a material symbol of Rajasthani's unique cultural ethos. With the initiative of the Govt. these crafts survived with the establishment of the All India Handicrafts Board in New Delhi and the Rajasthan Small Scale Industries Corporation in Jaipur. The Small Scale Industries Corporation of Rajasthan has created a sense of security of work among the artisans and augmented their incomes. Some of the handicrafts are as follow:

 

Textile and Embroidery: Cloth is the basic requirement of human beings. People began to cover their body first with the tree leaves then with skins of the animals and finally with the clothes. Since then designs and material used to give an attractive look. The special class of weavers called Chipas operates in the textile trade and contributes to its promotion. The traditional method of printing has been retained but the improved method have also been adopted. Rajasthani prints are in high demand for their attractive design and simplicity.

 

👉Jaipur, Sanganer, Bagroo, Jodhpur and Udaipur are the major canters where textile printing is at an excellent level. The prints are lasting and have glowing colours with artistic designs. Embroidery is a minute needle craft wherein interesting and artistic designs are made on the cloth with subtle combination of colour. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Kota embroidery work is a superb quality. The designs of the embroideries expressed even in popular clothes are truly fascinating. The interesting designs on the odhanis of Rajasthan greatly attract the customers.

 

👉In their production, not only mirrors are used, but also beads, shells and metal parts. Folk motifs such as mango, lotus, peacock, elephant and camel are used on the fabrics. Floral, fauna designs and natural scenery are embroidered upon the cloth and they produce a marvellous design to look at. Masuria sarees of Kota with their beautiful zariborder, the pagree and pech of Jaipur and Udaipur, tie and dye sarees of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Sanganer, block printing of clothes in Barmer, Sanganer,Jaipur, Jodhpur and Chittor.  

 

👉Woollen clothes of Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur are very famous. Rajasthan produces approximately 50% of the total wool produced in India and hence it is a great wool centre of India. There are mills for processing and cleaning in Churu, Bikaner and Ladnun. The art of khari-overprinting in gold is practised in Sanganer by the Chhipas. Sanganeri prints are famous and supplied to leading fashion centres of the world.

 

Gems and Jewellery: Rajasthan is a famous centre of gems and jewellery. About 32000 workers that are engage in this sector cut and polish gems in such a manner that it brings out their brilliance, shine and lustre of gems and precious stones worth crores of rupees are sent from here to all parts of the world.   Lapidary is an art of cutting of precious and semi-precious stones in an artistic way to give them a shining design and angular lustred shape. Jaipur lapidaries polish, cut and slice gems according to international standards and tastes. Their skills, art workmanship for excels the workmanship of lapidaries of Europe, connected with jewellery work is the work of setting and fixing the gems. The drilling of gems is done with the help of bows. Gems are cut in various shapes. Garnates are cut in round shape. Roseshape is also famous.

 

👉In Jaipur, there is a gem testing laboratory, equipped with the most modern scientific instruments. There is a training school for gem-cutting. Jaipur deals in rubies, pearls, emeralds, corals, saphires, hessonite, cat's eye or lahsunia and tourmaline. It is a very good source of earning foreign exchange and attracting tourists.

 

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