India has been always famous for its handcrafted items. Every state and Union Territory of our country is famous for some kind of handicraft. Some parts are even famous for more than one.
Indian handicraft items depict a perfect combination of traditions, beauty & hard work. Over the years, these artisans have perfected the art of making handicrafts and have been passing that art down the generations.
Each type of handicraft is backed by a whole era of culture and traditions, which one cannot simply know by looking at the art but have to go into an in-depth study to be even able to get a hint of it.
In this article, we will see a brief on some of the most loved and widely appreciated kinds of handicrafts. Whether you are an Indian or a foreigner, everybody likes to collect these as souvenirs whenever they visit a different place.
Wooden Handicrafts
There probably isn’t any other material like wood. Almost everything can be made with wood as its raw material. Pieces made from wood also make excellent handicraft gift items.
Wood is used to make various kinds of simply carved gift items, carved and painted pieces, or stone studded showpieces. Wood is used to make every thinkable handicraft gift item and showpieces.
Marble Handicrafts
Marble has been used to make handicrafts since centuries. Shrines, animal figurines, paintings, stationery, clocks, vases, and pots are some of the most common handicraft items that are crafted from marble.
Today, with the advancement in technology and machinery, marble can be transformed into almost anything. Kishangarh in Rajasthan is the biggest marble market in the whole of Asia.
Brass Handicrafts
Brass is an exceptionally sturdy, yellowish golden material which has been used to make handicrafts since times unknown. Brass is famous for its strength and durability, making it a perfect choice for any item that one wants to last long.
Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh is known as Pital Nagri or the Brass City. God idols and animal figurines are the most famous handicraft gift items that this city has to offer.
Meenakari Handicrafts
Meenakari is a Persian art that was brought by the Persians to Varanasi during the Mughal era in the early 17th century. Meenakari is the art of colouring the surface of the metal by infusing bright colours for an added appeal.
Today, jewellery, jewellery boxes, utensils, stationery holders, and paintings are some of the most widely sold meenakari handicraft gift items which are loved by Indians and foreigners alike.
Jaipuri Prints
Jaipur is the land of the royals and everything here droops it. Jaipur is famous for many things and one of them is the Jaipuri prints. Hand blocking has been practised in Jaipur since centuries and continues to till date.
Cloth printed with such designs is used in the making of sarees, bedsheets, quilts, jackets, and kurtas.
Just like our country’s tagline says – Incredible India – we truly are incredible. Every corner of this country has a hidden treasure of culture, traditions, and values that it wishes to carry forward to its future generations.