Indian Handicrafts

Indian Handicrafts consist of a wide range of items created by men and women entirely through their hands. In this article, you will learn about Indian handicrafts, Indian Handicrafts history, Indian marble handicrafts, list of handicrafts of Indian states for various products, providing key insights for GS Paper-I Art and Culture section of UPSC IAS Exam.

Table of Content

• Introduction to Indian handicrafts
• History of Indian Handicrafts
• Glassware           
• Handicrafts on Cloth
• Major traditional Regional Sarees of India
• Ivory Crafting
• Terracotta Crafts
• Silver Jewellery
• Clay & Pottery Work
• Bronze Crafts
• Crafts from Metals
• Leather Products
• Wooden Work
• Indian toys
• Stoneware
• Embroidery Crafts
• Floor designs
• Indian handicraft industry problems and strategies
• Government initiatives for Indian Handicrafts
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction to Indian handicrafts:

• Handicrafts consist of a wide range of items created by men and women entirely through their hands.
• Many Indian states have their unique handicrafts that highlighted the artisans’ skill and proficiency.
• Indian artisans handicrafts varied from leather work to metal work to stoneware to Ivory crafting among others.
• The skilled artists utilized their abilities to create a variety of decorative or functional goods.
• In India, handicrafts are valued not only as a means of livelihood but also as an art form to be preserved for future generations.
• Importance of Indian handicrafts lies in the facts that they sustain many tribal and rural communities.
• Indian handicraft market size is more than US$ 3,968.0 Million as of by 2022.
• North Indian handicrafts includes Pashmina Shawls, Leather work, Phulkaris, Bamboo Handicrafts etc.
  • Pashmina Shawls are amongst the most popular Indian handicraft items.
• South Indian handicrafts includes Terracotta Pottery, Ilkal sarees, Sandalwood Carving, Kasuti Embroidery, Rosewood Carving, Bidiriware etc.

Indian handicrafts jodhpur:

History of Indian Handicrafts:

• Indian Handicrafts has existed in India since 5,000 BC when handmade crafts used to focus more on religion.
• Many of the handicraft products has been discovered from sites of Indus-Valley civilisation.
• Ancient Indian handicrafts had emphasised more on metal work, sculpture and woodcarving.
• The Mauryan era emphasised more on sculpture and jewellery whereas Gupta era focussed more on stone carving, weaving, woodcarving, sculpture, and jewellery-making.
• The Mughal era developed many of its own style in leather works, metal works and textile making.
• Indian handicrafts during British rule had seen an unprecedented decline due to machinery produced goods.
  • This was the reason decline of Indian handicrafts in 19th century.
• The decline of Indian handicrafts during the British rule is also attributed to decline of royal patronage given by earlier monarchs.
• The decline of Indian handicraft industry in British period has led to crippling of many handicrafts sectors in India still date.

Glassware:

Glass Making in Ancient Times:

• The ancient Indian epic- Mahabharata was the first to mention about glass making.
• There is no material evidence of glass beads found during the early Harappan civilization.
• The first physical evidence of glass beads appears during the Painted Grey Ware culture in the Ganges Valley around 1000 BC.
• In the Vedic text Satapatha Brahmana– glass is referred to as kanch or kaca.

Glass Industry and Artifacts in Different Regions:

• Archaeological findings have revealed a glass industry operating between 2 BC and 2 AD in Brahmapuri and Kolhapur of Maharashtra.
  • It produced specialized glassware known as lenticular beads.

Lenticular beads:

• The spectacles term was mentioned in the Sanskrit text- Vyasayogacharita.
  • This indicates that the glass industry at that time also produced optical lenses.
• In southern India, glass artifacts were discovered at Maski, a Chalcolithic site in Deccan.
• Other sites such were Ahar (Rajasthan), Hastinapur and Ahichchatra (Uttar Pradesh), Eran and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) have also yielded glass evidence.

Glassware in the Medieval Period:

• During the medieval period, the Mughals incorporated glassware as decorativeelements in their monuments.
  • Example: the Sheesh Mahal
• Glass hukkas, perfume boxes (ittardans), and engraved glasses were famous glass items produced for the Mughals.

Sheesh Mahal:

Glass Industry in contemporary times:

• Currently, the glass industry mainly focuses on glass bangles.
• Hyderabad is famous for crafting “Churikajodas” bangles.
• Firozabad specializes in glass chandeliers and other decorative pieces.
• Saharanpur, in Uttar Pradesh produces “panchkora” or glass toys for children.
• Patna, in Bihar has created unique decorative glass beads called “Tikuli“.
  • Tikuli is still worn by the Santhal tribes despite the diminishing presence of this craft due to industrialization.

Panchkora:

Handicrafts on Cloth:

• Artists may use weaving or wooden blocks for printing cloths with various patterns on different materials.
• Other handicraft technique includes tie and dye techniques such as Bandhani or Bandhej, that are popular in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
  • It is also known as Resist dyeing process as tied portions of fabric do not absorb the dye.
• Laharia:
  • A special tie and dye technique that creates ripple or wave-like patterns.
  • Produced in Jaipur and Jodhpur.
• Ikat:
  • It is also known as resist dyeing method.
  • Yarn is repeatedly dyed by tying it before weaving the cloth.
  • Major centers: Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Kalamkari:
  • Hand-painted fabric using vegetable dyes.
  • Major centers: Andhra Pradesh
• Batik Art:
  • Fabric is permeated on one end with molten wax and then dyeing it in cold to produce multi-coloured cloth.
  • Major centers: Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal
• Tanchoi Weaving:
  • This technique is inspired from Chinese weaving.
  • It was believed to have arrived in Surat, Gujarat, through trading communities.
  • It resembles a fine miniature painting.
• Jamdani:
  • Art of weaving muslin with opaque patterns on a transparent background.
  • Major centers: West Bengal

Major traditional Regional Sarees of India:

Name	Major center	Details
Pochampalli	Andhra Pradesh	Silk and cotton saree with motifs and geometric ikat style of dyeing.
Patola	Patan, Gujarat	Rich handloom sarees
Baluchari	West Bengal	Depicts ancient stories on border and pallu. Silk threads are used specifically.
Jamdani	West Bengal	Muslin with opaque patterns woven on a transparent background.
Tanchoi	Varanasi	A kind of banarasi saree where weaving technique involves a single or double warp with 2 to 5 colors on the Silk fabric.
Chanderi	Madhya Pradesh	Silk, zari and cotton woven together to make a fabric that is lighter than a feather. It is a see–through saree.
Ilkal	Karnataka	Use of kasuti embroidery with chariot and elephant as common motifs.
Tant	West Bengal	Crisp and printed cotton saree
Nauvari	Maharashtra	A single 9-yard sari. It is also known as Kasta saree.
Bomkai	Odisha	Silk and cotton saree with ikat, embroidery and thread work.
Konrad	Tamil Nadu	Fabric has either stripes or checks and a wide border with motifs of animals and natural elements. It is also called a temple saree.
Kosa	Chhattisgarh	A silk saree
Paithani	Maharashtra	Silk saree embroidered with gold thread and use of parrot as motif.
Kalamkari	Andhra Pradesh	Use of pen for painting designs.
Kasavu	Kerala	Saree with thick golden border.
Dabu	Chittorgarh, Rajasthan	It is an ancient mud resist hand block printing technique used on cotton fabric.

Ivory Crafting:

• Ivory carving was practiced in India since the Vedic period.
• It was known as ‘danta,’ referring to the elephant’s tusk which was the source of ivory.
• During the Harappan period, India had exported ivory and ivory-made items like dice to Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and parts of the Persian Gulf.
• A 2 BCE inscription from Sanchi mentions about the guild of ivory workers from Vidisa, who carved sculptures for the Sanchi Stupa.
• An ivory comb was found from Taxila, indicating the popularity of ivory even in 2 A.D.
• Many ivory artifacts from the Mughal period showcases ivory use in combs, dagger handles, and other ornaments.
• The traditional centers for ivory carving in India were Delhi, Jaipur, and certain areas of West Bengal.
  • These regions have crafted things such as caskets, palanquins, and the Ambari Hathi.

Ambari Hathi:

Terracotta Indian handicrafts

• Terracotta means ‘Baked earth,’
• It is a type of clay that undergoes a semi-firing process, making it both waterproof and durable.
• Durability makes it ideal for sculpting and constructing architectural structures.
• It was widely used in pottery and brick-making.
• Examples: Bankura Horse, Panchmura Horse, and the Terracotta temples found in West Bengal’s Bankura district.
• During the ancient Pala period, the Buddhist viharas were the prime examples of terracotta art in India.

Bankura Horse:

Silver Jewellery:

• Among the other methods to craft the Filigree work stands out.
• Odisha is recognized for its silver anklets known as “painri” and “paijam” and ornaments known as “gunchi“.
• The Bidri work done in the Bidri village of Karnataka uses silver to create inlays that contrast against dark backgrounds.

Bidri work:

Clay & Pottery Work:

• It is also known as the ‘Lyric of handicrafts’ as it possesses a lyrical essence similar to a poetic composition.

Early Origins:

• Neolithic site of Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan) reveals highly developed clay pottery existing in 6000 BC.
• Painted Grey Ware pottery associated with the Vedic period (1500-600 BC) was famous for its grey color.

Regional Variations:

• Red and black pottery found during the 1500-300 BC was dominant in West Bengal.
• Northern Black Polished Ware was made in 2 phases- 700-400 BC and 400-100 BC.
  • This periodcoincided with the Mauryan period.
• Remnants of ‘Roulette Pottery’ was found in southern India, specifically Arikamedu near Puducherry.
  • It dates back to 200-100 BCE.

Evolution and Techniques:

• Gupta period (300-600 AD) has introduced new decorative techniques like embellishments, painting, stamping, and molding.
• Indo-Islamic traditions brought glazed pottery.

Painted Grey Ware pottery:

Bronze Crafts:

Bronze Work:

• Metals were mainly used as weapons such as spears and arrows in ancient India, rather than for artistic purposes.
• Metal casting has been useful for craftsmanship for over 5000 years.
• The bronze statue of the Dancing Girl from Mohenjodaro dates around 3500-3000 BCE.
  • It is one of the oldest forms of bronze work.

Bronze Casting and Materials:

• Copper and tin were the earliest non-ferrous metals used and often combined to create bronze.
• The Matasya Purana provides literary evidence of various bronze casting methods.
• Nagarjuna’s Rasa Ratnakar mentions metal purity and zinc distillation.

Bronze Craft Production:

• Uttar Pradesh was prominent in bronze craft, with its centers- Etawah, Sitapur, Varanasi, and Moradabad.
• Decorative items like flower pots, deity sculptures and ritual objects like tamrapatra, kanchantal, and panchpatra are produced.

Tamil Nadu’s Artistic Influence:

• Tamil Nadu focuses in the creation of ancient statues inspired by Pallava, Chola, Pandyan, and Nayaka art forms.

Important centres of Brass work:

Indian Brass handicrafts	Features	Place known for producing it
Gaja Tandava	Shiva dancing in the Tandava position.	Kerala
Rare Jain imagery and icons	Focuses on ancient Jain pilgrim centres in Karnataka.	Karnataka
Dokra Casting	Used for ornaments.	Odisha and West Bengal
Pahaldar Lamps	Copper and brass lamps in different styles and shapes.	Jaipur and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Pembarthi craft	Brass used to adorn Chariots and temples.	Warangal district, Telangana

Crafts from Metals

• There are different ways to cast metal, such as iron, copper, and bell metal, resulting in unique crafts.
• These crafts employ techniques like engraving, embossing, and damascening to create decorative elements on metal.
  • Embossing or repousse produces raised relief designs.
  • Engraving involves scratching and cutting lines into the metal.
• Marori is a well-known technique of Rajasthan, where metal is etched on the base metal and the gaps are filled with resin.
• Badla is a semi-circular or rounded pots made in the Marwar region of Rajasthan using zinc.
• Moradabad is known for its Baarik Kaam accomplished through the Nakasshi or engraving style.
• Tarkashi is a technique involves using fine copper or brasswires to create patterns on finely chiseled grooves on the metallic surface.
  • It is done in Rajasthan.
• Koftagiri of Rajasthan entails inlaying a light metal on a dark surface.
  • Major centre: Jaipur and Alwar.

Marori work of Rajasthan:

Leather Products

• The craft of leather tanning dates back to 3000 BCE.
• Initially, tiger and deer skins were tanned, but later camel skins gained popularity.
• Due to the perishable nature of leather, material evidence of its use during the Mughal period cannot be found.
• Rajasthan is the major centre for leather work, particularly camel leather, used to create bags.
• Jaipur and Jodhpur are famous for leather footwear known as Mojadis.
• Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is another major centre of leather and tanned products.
• Maharashtra is famous for its kolhapuri chappals.
• Chennai and Kolkata are major centers for leather bags and footwear.
• Punjabi juttis uses applique technique to the footwear.
• Bikaner practices Manoti Art, involves the decoration of articles with camel skin.

Wooden Work:

• Furniture production uses various types of wood, including sheesham and pinewood.
• Kashmir is the major centre for wooden furniture craftsmanship since the 13th century.
  • Walnut and deodar wood were extensively utilized in this region.
  • Due to the climatic conditions, artists have mastered the art of constructing wooden houses and houseboats.
  • Woodwork are Kashmiri lattice works such as acche-dar, khatamband, and azlipinjra.
• In Gujarat wooden latticework are used to adorns windows and doors.
• Towns like Brahmour and Chatrahi in Himachal Pradesh showcases woodcarving skills on temples like naghbel, kutheriphool, jali, and dori.

Khatamband:

Indian toys:

• The origins of toy carts can be traced back to the Harappan civilization.
  • Alamgirpur, Ambkheri, Kalibangan, and Lothal have yielded models for toy carts made of copper, bronze, and terracotta.
• Toy cart models have been discovered in early historical sites such as Atranjikhera, Nagarjunakonda, Sambhar, Sonapur, Ujjain, and Brahmpuri.
• Throughout ancient and medieval times, toys were crafted from materials such as clay, paper, papier-mâché, and painted or lacquered wood.
• The Tirupati dolls made of Redwood in Andhra Pradesh.
• Rajasthan’s dolls were made from stuffed toys and decorated with colorful cloth.
• Assam is known for traditional dolls made from pith or Indian cork.
• Southern Indian states specialize in creating toys from different types of wood.
  • Mysore and Chennapatna produce lacquered wooden toys.
  • In Kondapalli of Andhra Pradesh- Ambari Hathi is crafted using a local soft wood– ponki.
  • Etikoppaka toys of Andhra Pradesh.

Ambari Hathi:

Stoneware:

• In ancient times, skilled artisans carved and sculpted techniques to create monuments.
• The artisans used various types of stones ranging from soft-brittle sandstone to patchy red stone and hard granite to create lifelike structures that captured natural postures of people.
• The monuments build during Mauryan Period were based on stones.
• The rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora, the sculptures of Khajuraho, and the Buddhist carvings of Sanchi and Bharhut.
• The monolithic rock-cut temple is found at Masrur in the Kangra district.
• During the Mughal period, there was a shift from stone to marble stonework.
  • The emphasis was on inlay work using colorful stones on marble, known as Pietra Dura Work.
  • Sandstone was used in constructing monuments.
• White marble was used in constructing the Taj Mahal and Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb.
• Rajasthan is a major center for procuring the “Sang-e-Marmar” or white Makrana marble.
• Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh is known for creating articles from dark brown stone known as Sang-e Rathak.

Embroidery Crafts:

• Textile crafts encompass art form known as embroidery, where raised designs are created using threads or wooden blocks.
• Applique or Pipli work is an embroidery art practiced in Odisha’sPipli village.
  • It involves patchwork made from embroidered colorful fabric sewn together to form a single piece, often used to decorate lamps.
• Phulkari means ‘making flowers,’ which employs darning to create vibrant flower-like patterns on cloth.
  • Major centres: Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi.
• Bagh of Punjab utilizes silk threads to embroider flower-like patterns on green cloth.
• The Gota technique of Rajasthan uses gold threads to embroider and create applique-like patterns on fabric.
• Khandela and Jaipur are famous for Zari work.
  • Karchobi is another technique based on Zari, involves sewing flat stitches on cotton stuffing to form zari-like metallic thread patterns.
• Lucknow’s is famous for Chikankari or Chikan embroidery which employs white thread to craft flowers and other patterns on various fabrics such as cotton, polyester, and voile.
• Kashmir is famous for Kashida embroidery also known as Cashmere Shawls.
• Banaras Brocade is famous for its silver and golden zari work on sarees, features floral motifs on silk sarees.
• In the medieval period, Himroomaterial was favoured for royal dresses and shawls in the courts of Muslim rulers.
  • Himroo shawls are crafted in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
• Madhya Pradesh’s Maheswari sarees combine cotton and silk yarns, adorned with golden zari work.
• The Chamba Rumals (handkerchiefs) of Himachal Pradesh has the influence of Chamba Pahari painting and showcases embroidery in shades of green, yellow, and ochre, depicting tales of Krishna.
• Gujarat’s Kutch is famous for mirror work embroidery, known as Shisha, where tiny mirrors are fixed to fabric using herringbone and satin stitch.
• West Bengal and Odisha practice the art of stitching together layers of old cloth, creating embroidered pieces known as Kanthas.
• In Manipur, delicate embroidery using muga silk threads in dark colors adorns the borders of phaneks, traditional shawls worn by women.
• Karnataka’sKasuti, features geometrical motifs created using cross-stitch techniques.
  • It dates back to the Chalukyan era.

Embroidery	Major centre	Features
Zardozi	Uttar Pradesh	Uses combination of gold, silver or copper wire with silver or golden polish and silk threads.
Kashidakari	Jammu and Kashmir	Simple chain stitches involving flora patterns. Human and animals are absent.
Aari	Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat	Created in concentric rings of chain stitch using a hooked needle called the crewel and involve floral motifs.
Mirror work	Rajasthan and Gujarat	Use of small pieces of mirrors of various shapes and sizes, stitched in between colourful embroidery.
Dharaniya	Gujarat	Wall hangings used at the homes
Heer	Gujarat	Bold geometric patterns on silk
Gota	Rajasthan	Small pieces of gold zari ribbon are applied onto the fabric with the edges sewn down to create elaborate patterns.
Rabari	Gujarat	Animal decorations by the Rabari tribe of Gujarat.
Pichwai	Rajasthan and Gujarat	Colorful hangings used as a backdrop to religious idols.
Shamilami	Manipur	Mixes weaving and embroidery.

Floor designs:

• Floor designs are typically created during religious or family festivities.
• They are drawn freehand, commencing from a central dot and expanding outward with concentric patterns comprising geometric shapes and curves.
• Natural materials and non-staining colors are commonly used.
• For white color- dry white chalk, lime powder, powdered marble, or a mixture of rice powder and lime are used.
• The Chowkpurna in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh andthe Aipan in Himachal Pradesh incorporate squares, circles, and triangles as fundamental motifs.
  • The term “chowk” (square) originates from the word “chowki” (seat) of Lakshmi.
• Mandana is practiced in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, term meaning “decoration.”
  • The preparation process involves cleaning the ground with cow dung and occasionally finishing it with crimson red obtained by mixing red earth.
• In Gujarat, Santhias are created to adorn house entrances during important events.
• Maharashtra’s Rangoli designs showcase elegant shapes and motifs like lotus and swastik.
• Kolam designs in South India involvesconnecting an array of dots through lines made using powdered rice or crushed stone on a wet surface, while red geru is used to outline designs.
  • In Karnataka, it is known as Hase, Muggulu in Andhra Pradesh, and Golam in Kerala.
• Mandapa Kolams are large floor designs exclusively drawn for marriage ceremonies.
  • Made with wet rice paste, these Kolams add a sacred touch to the wedding venue.
• The Jhonti in Odisha and the Aripana designs in West Bengal and Assam features motifs of conch shells, fish, serpents, flowers, etc.
  • Materials used- chalk powder and filled with coloured powder or rice paste mixed with alta (sindoor) for red and turmeric for yellow.

Indian handicraft industry problems and strategies:

Problems:

• Low productivity as the sector is informal in nature which disincentivises the labour engaged in handicrafts.
• Unorganized production and poor management leads to high input to low output ratio, thus discouraging the manufacturer.
• Outdated production methods – Artisans may lack the financial capability to upgrade technology or undergo necessary training.
• Information asymmetry such as lack of knowledge of potential market or current status in demand of Indian handicrafts including the demand for Indian handicrafts abroad.
• Causesof decline of Indian handicraftsalso includes inadequate inputs such as lack of quality raw materials or funding due to poor financial inclusion.
• Reasons for decline of Indian handicraftsalso includes India’s fragmented value chain such as lack of market linkages or dominance of middlemen.

Strategies:

• The marketing network of Indian handicraft should be well organised so as to remove the issue of Fragmented value chain.
• The copyright or design registration or GI Tag should be given to handicraft to encourage more production.
• Government and NGOs should inculcate the awareness of marketing and other schemes for artisans.
• Research and development should be done on basis of designs and methodology of handicrafts.
• Publicity of handicraft is required both within and outside the country.
• The local or regional handicrafts should be displayed in retail shops of airports, railway stations, bus stands, commercial centres etc.

Government initiatives for Indian Handicrafts:

• The Government had set-up All India Handicrafts Board in 1992 to provide employment to the artisans.
• Babasahib Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana: the artisans are provided training and exposed to bigger marketplaces for better sale.
• Bima Yojana for Handicrafts Artisans: provides life insurance coverage to artisans of age group of 18 to 60 years.
• Credit Guarantee Scheme: to make available collateral-free credit to the micro and small enterprise sector. 
• Design & Technology Up gradation: to upgrade artisans’ skills, diversify products, develop new design etc.
• Marketing Support & Services: to publicise handicrafts sector, enable the artisans to have permanent sales outlets for their products and promote entrepreneurship etc.
• The famous handicrafts of Indian states are promoted appropriately by government through GI Tag.
• One District – One Product: promotes at least One Product from each District including many Handicrafts.

Conclusion

Indian handicraft items encompass a diverse heritage traditions from the intricate embroidery techniques like Applique, Phulkari, and Kantha to the exquisite stone masonry. The unique characteristics of Indian handicraft industry is that each craft reflects the cultural vibrancy and skill of its artisans. The glory of Indian handicrafts is that the artistry and craftsmanship of Indian handicrafts have stood the test of time, continuing to inspire and captivate people around the world. Problems faced by Indian handicrafts industry articles are many yet Indian handicrafts export business has increased manyfold due to government interventions.

Ref: Source-1

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