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Rajasthan
offers a breathtaking variety of arts & crafts that make it
a state with a distinct identity. Jaipur- the capital of
Rajasthan is famous across the world for its semi precious
and precious stones & gems. Absolutely astounding and unique
in concept, colour and workmanship, the art and handicrafts
of Rajasthan are beyond comparison. Be it jewellery,
painting, furniture, leatherware, pottery, metalcraft or
hand-printed textiles, each object has a penetrating and
irresistible appeal.
Carpets And Durries
The Rajasthani carpet is but a true expression of the
workers' simple philosophy, his sensitive perception of
nature and its changing moods convincingly translated into
the craft. Carpet industry of Jaipur has surpassed many
other centers in terms of extremely fine craftsmanship on
wool and silk. An amazing variety of carpets is Persian,
Kashmiri and Mughal styles can be fetched at real affordable
prices. A Durree is a cool, light rug. Rajasthani durries
are smooth and closely woven. Pastel shades and a sparse use
of geometrical and vegetable motifs are popular. Jaipur is a
thriving centre for carpets and durries today.
Block Painting
Very close to Jaipur is Sanganer, the name synonymous today
with the finest block printed cottons.
While the ‘Bagru’ prints are famous for floral designs in
dark vegetable colours, the ‘Barmer’ prints are known for
their bold geometric patterns, called 'AJRAKH'.
A special process of tie-and dye creates the stylized wave
pattern, or ‘laharia’. The patterns symbolize water
waves.Turbans and ‘odhnis’ with ‘laharia’ patterns are
generally used on festive occasions, especially Teej.
Bandhani is a complicated and skilled work of ornamenting
the cloth with combination of colours. Jaipur and Jodhpur,
the main centres of this speciality have produced many
bandhej workers who excel in their jobs.
Stone Carving
Jaipur is the centre of marble carving in Rajasthan. Here
artisans create marble images of the deities as well as
domestic utensils such as bowls for grinding spices and
kneading dough.
Pottery
This is an ancient craft and is one of the oldest in
Rajasthan and many schools of pottery are scattered in
different parts of the state. Blue pottery of Jaipur is the
most exquisite and best known. It owes its origin to Persia.
It was introduced in Jaipur in the mid 19th century during
the reign of Raja Ram Singh and today, the descendants of
the very first potters still practice the craft. Alwar has
been known for its double cutwork pottery known as “kagzi”.
It is made of a thin layer of clay and needs a high degree
of skill. Purely decorative, the pottery of Bikaner uses lac
colours embellished with gold to give a glittering finish.
Blue Pottery of Jaipur is unique in appearance. The art of
glazed pottery came to India through Persia. The materials
used are Multani clay or 'fuller's earth', quartz, raw
glaze, and sodium sulphate. The best pieces are hand painted
with conventional floral or arabesque patterns and sometimes
with figures of animals.
Paintings
Rajasthan’s role in the development of Indian art has
been very important. From the 16th century onwards there are
many schools of paintings like the Mewar school, the Bundi -
Kota Kalam, the Jaipur, Bikaner, Kishangarh and Mewar
schools. Influenced by the surroundings, these medieval
paintings have their own unique styles - the hills and
valleys, deserts, palaces and forts, gardens, court scenes,
religious processions and those highlighting scenes from the
life of Lord Krishna were the recurrent themes of these
paintings. Use of vibrant colours, bold lines, two
dimensional treatment of figures and entire composition
distributed in compartments are some of the unique features
of these paintings, popularly known as ‘phad’ paintings.
Puppets
Puppetry is an ancient, popular form of folk entertainment.
The string puppet in Rajasthan are called katputlis, or
marionettes. The riveting histrionics of the puppeters, like
the full-throated songs of the Mirasis, Langas and
Manganiyars belong to old passtimes, epomizing a
traditional, leasurely pace of life. No village fair, no
religious festival and no social gathering would be complete
without them. The traditional puppeters were from the
wandering communities of the Bhatts. They move from village
to village with their box of katputlis, accessories and
dhoklas during the festive seasons, returning to their
villages to cultivate their small patch of land during the
short rainy season.
Leather Work
Even the brand names in the shoe industry like Nike and
Reebok couldn't replace the ever-popular mojaris made of
camel hide over the feet of the Rajasthani people! Also
known as juttees, these shoes come extraordinarily
embroidered. Embroidered camel hides shaped into hats,
stools, belts, purses and a number of items.
Gems and Stones
Jaipur is the world’s largest gem cutting centre and
therefore the best place to pick up strings of garnets,
amethysts or quartz at prices so low that they are difficult
to believe. Here you could buy the stones like rubies,
emeralds and diamonds.
The traditional silver jewellery-chains, bangles, belts,
anklets, earrings are manufactured by bangle makers all over
Rajasthan. To make it the collector’s items, the jewellery
is studded with glass, stones and painted with a rich patina
of colours too.
Jewellery
Jaipur’s Johari Bazaar has row upon row of shops selling
handcrafted jewellery. Loose, precious and semi-precious
stones are crafted together into an excellent range of the
country’s most dramatic settings in gold. Kundan, a style of
inlay setting of unpolished diamonds and other stones and
Meenakari or the art of enamelled gold jewellery, is the
specialty of Jaipur. |
