On my frequent travels to villages across the country, the one thing that strikes me is the influence of art and craft, nature and everything handmade in their everyday lives. From the use of the Neem stick to clean your teeth, to eating in crafted brassware, to playing hide and...
Gujarat has always held a special place in my heart for the wealth of architecture, handloom and crafts that the state houses. From the intricate Kutchi embroidery to the unusual Rogan painting on fabric to the myrid colours of Bandhani and Ajrakh coming alive in the form of saris and...
The craft Bidri gets its name from the town Bidar in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. The craft originated in ancient Persia (in 14th-15th century, considered as a mix of Turkey, Persia and Arabic countries) and was brought to India during the Bahamani rule in Bidar. While in Persia, gold...
As early as the twelfth century, the art of puppetry flourished in Andhra Pradesh, narrating stories of divinity, sometimes taking the divine dimensions itself. Stories from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were performed and went on for several nights. The puppet shows had something for everyone – divine epics for...
Patachitra is a term used for a style of wall painting, manuscript painting, palm-leaf etching, and painting on cloth, both cotton and silk. The name comes from ‘patta’: dried palm leaf or pieces of cloth on which these paintings are made. Orissa’s villages are the centres of the famous Pattachitra...
The sound and music of a Toda love song from the lush green lands of Nilgiri fills the air with soothing harmony. The vast spread plateaus of Tamil Nadu, are occupied by the pastoral community of Todas, settled since centuries. A style of life simple and organised, yet sophisticated defines...
Dhokra, which is non-ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique is one of the earliest known methods of metal casting. The craft dates back to pre- historic times of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa civilizations. Dhokra/Bell metal is an alloy of nickel, brass and zinc that lends an antique appeal to...
