Finally, after a long break, here I am with my next post on the beautiful craft of our country. I have already written about the Carpets/Kaleen makers of KASHMIR before also http://wp.me/s3K6oK-kaleen But, last month on my trip to Gulmarg and Srinagar, I finally got the golden chance to witness carpet making in front of…
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Year 2016 is passing by on fast forward mode. I’m occupied in multiple projects at this time and I apologize for the gap of 3 months in writing a new post. I had been travelling, exploring new crafts and nature. In August, I got the chance to travel down to Coorg (Karnataka). It was the…
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At some point of time, we all need some inspiration. The time when you need to run away from the noise around. In last few months, I visited some beautiful locations in Himachal Pradesh; 9 days long trek to Buran Pass & 2 days in Gushaini. October is the month of Autumn, Summer is all…
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Dhokra, A craft of ancient origin ; is the name given to the folk form of lost wax metal casting practiced in the tribal pockets of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Chhattisgarh has a finely developed art of making lost wax cast ritualistic and utility objects. This art is famous as Dhokra.…
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Poush is the 9th month of the Bengali calendar. It is the first month of Winter Season. Poush Mela is an annual fair that takes place in Shantiniketan. The fair starts on the 7th day of Poush for the full 3 days. It is been said that, Devendranath Tagore with twenty followers accepted the Brahmo creed…
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The month of Ramadan is going on. The Muslims all over the world are on fast. Few days back, I took an auto ride in my city. The driver was Muslim “Mr. Ebrahim Khan“. He was wearing a beautiful Bohra cap, that inspired me to write this post. The Bohra cap derives its name from…
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Ganjifa tradition of Sawantwadi is almost three hundred years old. However, the technique of executing round playing cards did not originate from Sawantwadi. Scholars believe that the game of large size circular playing cards was first invented by the Malla Kings of Bishnupur (Bengal) in the 8th Century AD. Jaipur, Orissa and Cuddappa in the…
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In 12th century, several centers in the south, on the western and eastern coasts of India became renowned for their excellent printed cotton. On the southeastern coast the brush or kalam (pen) was used, and the resist applied by the same method. In the medieval age, printing and dyeing of cottons was specially developed in…
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Nights of my weekend goes in reading about the traditional handicrafts of India. Tonight, I read about the craft of knotted carpets “Kaleen” from Kashmir. Kashmir’s location on the Silk Route of Central Asia ensured a steady stream of artistic and cultural interaction with various trading communities – Persian, Chinese and Mediterranean who passed through it.…
Read MoreRecently, I came across an article in one of the online magazine. The article reads out the present state of Handmade Industry In India. Mayank Mansingh Kaul ( Textile Designer from NID Ahmedabad and consultant to the Planning Commission on the taskforce on Cultural and Creative Industries) passionately debunks a lot of myths about the state of the “Handmade Industry”…
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