Arts Of India

The art, culture, and heritage of the state of Gujarat rank as one of the richest and most fascinating in the country. The unique and diverse cultural heritage of Gujarat attracts several tourists all-round the year.  The city has witnessed several significant historical events. Gandhinagar, the state’s capital, and Ahmedabad, the largest city of the state abounds with historical art, architecture, and other references, and hence, are among the most frequently visited places.  Kutch Embroidery Being the signature art of the tribal community of Kutch District, this embroidery stands out as one of the most remarkable influences on the embroidery traditions of India. The women group of the district illustrate their brilliant craftsmanship in form of net embroidery using threads of silk. Cotton fabric is highly preferable; however, nowadays, Kutch embroidery is also crafted over silk and satin fabrics. Several kinds of stitches, such as double buttonhole, square chain, running sti...

Dugg Duggi   :   Dugg Duggi is a type of rattle, mainly for infants and babies to attract their eyes and develop their sense of hearing through the jingling sound it makes. It resembles the instrument  Damru  played by Lord Shiva, which is vigorously shaken left and right to produce the sound. Traditionally, it was made of wood and leather but nowadays paper is used. The paper is soaked in water to soften and then the core is formed which is later covered with paper and colour. A string is wrapped in the middle with two small balls tied at both ends. These balls, when shaken, hit the core to make the sound. Dolls : India has a huge variety of traditional dolls. They come in different shapes, colours, made up of different materials, and so on. Traditional dolls of India can be classified into four major categories.  Wooden Dolls:   Most of the traditional dolls are made of wood. Almost every nook and corner of the country has a variety of wooden dolls. Some ...

Sikki crafts have their origin from the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of India. It is the art of making craft items out of Sikki grass which is considered to be auspicious by the natives of Bihar. These are weaved into various items like ornaments and certain daily used essential items. In earlier times, the qualifications of women in these areas were judged by the amount of knowledge and skills they had in making Sikki crafts. It is considered as one of the most beautiful arts made from beautiful golden grass which makes the crafts highly attractive.  The Sikki grass has a golden tint and grows in the marshy areas near water bodies during a particular season. The grass is cut and then dried in sunlight when it reaches a certain height.  How Are The Crafts Made?  The Sikki crafts are made with Sikki grass and along with it, other two kinds of grass called Khar and Munj are added. The sikki is coiled around the Munj, giving the craft its basic shape and then colors are...

Through art, paintings, dance, folk music, festivals, and fairs, Bihar reflects its glorious past and rich cultural heritage. From paintings to visual arts, the themes mostly illustrate myths and legends of the Hindu religion. The folk paintings exemplify the Hindu deities, such as Lord  Rama, Sita,  Lord  Shiva, Parvati , and so on. Ancient stories involving the Gods, Goddesses, sages, and legends are found to be depicted in the meticulously designed handicrafts. Bihar houses several Buddhist Monasteries, and hence, the state is also known as 'The Land of Buddha'. Arts and Handicrafts of Bihar Sikki Art Mostly found in Bihar, and other middle-eastern states of India, this gold-tinted grass is considered auspicious by the natives. There are hardly any rituals or holy ceremonies where Sikki grass is not offered to the deities. However, women are skilled to utilize these grasses to craft several beautiful items. After cutting the flower heads, Sikki is dried, which results ...

India abounds in natural fibres and on this independence day, let us celebrate our resources and our skilled artisans and craftsmen who make art out of them. Jute : One of the most affordable natural fibres, Jute symbolises antiquity and cultural heritage. Bangladesh, Pakistan, are China are some of the producers of Jute, with India being the largest producer and exporter. The fibre is woven to produce a large number of necessary items as well as luxury home décor products which are high in demand. Gunny bags, chair coverings, carpets, hessian cloth, handbags, and ropes are a few examples of such products. Bamboo Fibre : Being one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, bamboo fibre products form exceptional modern textiles. For prompt growth, bamboo does not require any chemicals, and hence, is often termed as an environmental wonder.  The versatile property of this fibre makes it an essential raw material in the textile industry. Various kinds of attires, bathrobes, and towel...

The Versatility of the Fabric The versatility of khadi fabric makes it even more popular today as it has the unique property of keeping the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer. Another unique quality about the fabric is that the more you wash Khadi, the better it looks. Khadi does not easily wear out and has a shelf life of at least four years. Attractive designer apparel is made by doing handwork on khadi garments. Both Cotton and Silk Khadi have gained immense popularity amongst people. Weaving of Khadi Not only in India, but Khadi also holds a long history in some of our neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan. The fabric is known for its versatility and sustainable fashion.   It is hand-woven and hand-spun in cotton, wool, or silk. The journey from Cotton to Khadi passes through several stages. Farming and Cleaning At first, the local artisans and weavers directly pick the cotton, which is used for khadi fabric from fields and then separates the fibres from cot...

Produced by plants, animals, or geological processes, natural fibres can be used to weave or craft composite materials. Papers can also be matted out of them. The property of each fibre depends on its respective orientation. A variety of beneficial day-to-day items are made from natural fibres, which in turn provides employment to several rural artisans.  Different states of India are engaged in the production and utilization of different types of natural fibres. For instance, the production of sisal is mostly done in Maharashtra, screw pine in Kerala, palm leaf in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, bamboo largely in North-Eastern states, cane and khajurleaf in West Bengal, pineapple leaf fibre in Meghalaya, Shitalpati in Assam and Meghalaya and so on. Natural fibres are also cultivated and crafted into utility products all across the globe. Mexico, for example, is known for Henequen products, Australia, China, and New Zealand deal in wool, while silk is primarily found in China and India. A H...