Scenario Of Indian Handicrafts At Present

The Genesis Of Indian Art And Crafts Are Crafted Very Deeply And They Are Capable Of Influencing The Generations Passing By. The Present Scenario Of Indian Handicrafts In India Owes Much To The Rich Craft Conventions Of The Past. Most Of The Crafts From The Past Continue To Flourish Due To Their Utilitarian Nature, Their Availability To The Common People, And Popularity In Domestic And Foreign Markets.

There Is A Great Demand For Rich Brocades And Zari Work. The Repertoire Of Saris Ranges From Banarsi Amru, Tanchoi From Surat, Paithani, Patola, And Kancheevaram To The Cotton Saris From The Tribal Regions Of Bihar And Madhya Pradesh Etc, To Enchant The Modern Indian Woman. There Is A Profusion Of Materials Available To The Consumers These Days. One Can Get A Variety Of Garments Made Of Different Silks And Mixed Fabrics.

Richly Embroidered Garments, Woven Shawls And Household Items Are In Vogue These Days. Mainly Craftsmen From Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, North Eastern States Etc Create These Products. There Is A Flourishing Market For Pherans And Tablecloths From Kashmir. Woolen Shawls From Himachal And North Eastern States Too Are Popular.

Products Like Bed Sheets, Table Mats, Napkins, Household Furnishings Etc Made Out Using The Various Styles Of Textile Printing Ranging From Tie And Dye, Block Printing, Hand Printing Etc Are In Great Demand Now A Days.

India Has An Obsession With Gems And Jewellery Since Ancient Times When India Was Referred To As The 'Golden Bird'. This Enthusiasm Is Strong Till Date And India Has Developed As A Huge Importer Of Gold In The World Wide. A Variety Of Local Jewelry Traditions (of Different States) Are Present In India With The Modern Day Gem And Diamond Cutting And Polishing Industry. The Present Day Jewellery Tradition Of India Is A Fine Example Of Assimilation Between Traditional And Modern Designs And Techniques.



The Increasing Demand For Indian Jewelry And Gems Has Made This Craft Tradition Into A Full-Fledged Large Scale Organized Industry, Which Is Growing By The Day. Gems And Semi Precious Stones Are Not Only Used In Making Jewelry, But For Medicinal Purposes. People Wear Them Under The Prescription Of Astrologers, As It Is Strongly Believed In India That Gems And Semi Precious Stones, Affect Ones Future And Destiny.



Carpet Weaving Industry Is The Largest Export Oriented Craft Industry From India. Not Only There Is A Great Demand For Costly Silk Carpets From Kashmir, Which Has Become The Status Symbol In Traditional Indian Homes, But There Is Also Demand For Woolen And Non-Woolen Carpets. A Various Kinds Of Floorings And Conventional Durries Are Flooding The Markets These Days And Decorating The Floors Of Indian Homes.



There Is A Huge Domestic Market For Indian Handicrafts A Hoard Of Utilitarian Craft Items Such As Bedcovers, Sheets, Cushions, Curtains, Silverware, Bags, Metal Furniture, Mats, Boxes, Cabinets, Papier-Mâché, Toys, Utensils, Garden Pots, Terracotta Items, Wood Furniture, Brass And Tablemats,Durries, Products, Cane, Jute And Coir Items, Carpets, Rugs, Leather Products Etc. Most Of The Units Producing Utilitarian Craft Items Have Attained The Status Of Small-Scale Industry.



The Demand For Decorative Items Such As Traditional Wall Hangings, Silver Cutlery, Brass Pots, Embellished Wooden Sculptures, Marble And Wood Inlay Work, Silk Carpets, Wrought Iron Furniture And Decorative Pieces, Traditional Paintings, Enameled Furniture, Stone And Wood Carvings, Metal, Wood And Stone Sculptures Etc Is Also On The Rise In India And Abroad.The Popularity Of These Handicraft Products Is Increasing In The Domestic Markets Due To The Increasing Demand For Traditional.

BANKURA GHORA

A Horse Is An Animal Who Represents Energy And Movement, Known To Mankind For Ages. The Horse Is A Companion And An Useful Animal For Various Purposes And Has Been Used Extensively To Drive Chariots, Carts And As The Cavalry Force Along With Its Rider In Battles Of Yore. Swift And Reliable, The Horse Is Revered And There Have Been Many Famous Horses Known To Have Even Saved Their Riders Life. Such Is Their Loyalty. In Bankura District Of West Bengal The Horse Is Depicted As An Art Object With Some Ornamentation. Bankura Ghora Online Has Become An Symbolic Figure Of Bengal Art & Culture And Also For Bakura Region It Is Mainly Famous For This Particular Indian Handicafts.IT Is Also Known By An Another Name “Bankurar Ghora” In Local Language. The Government Of India Uses It In Its Logo For All India Handicrafts. Such Is The Magical Spell Of The Horse Depiction. It Is Found At Many Homes Across India And Abroad in Drawing Rooms And Gardens Or Lawns. The Existence Of The Bankurar Ghora Online Immediately Livens The Space. Made Up Of Terracotta Or Burnt Clay, The Horse Is Either Mud-Brown Or Black In Colour. Elephants Are Also Made By The Craftsmen Or Karigar, But The Horse Has Got More Prominence And Popularity. The Bankurar Ghora Online is Produced Mostly In The Panchmura Village Of Bankura District. The Various Regions Where The Kumbhakars Or Potters Manufacture This Bakura Horse Along With Other Illustration Like The Elephant Are Rajagram, Sonamukhi And Hamirpur. Also At Biboda, Kamaridha, Bishnupur, Jaikrishnapur,Nakaijuri And Keyaboti. The Popularity Of The Icon Has Led To Its Being Made In Metal And Wood.

The History Of The Bankurar Ghora Online Is Interesting. It Was Initially Used At Village Rituals As A Symbolic Sacrifice. This Is Done To Appease Village Gods And Goddesses For Fulfillment Of Wishes. The Horses Stand Tall And Erect With Lively Long Ears. They Wear The Chandmala On The Forehead. The Horses Crafted For Worship Purposes Are Usually Not Hollow But Solid. Dharmathakur Who Is Regarded As A Form Of Hindu Deity Surya Rides On A Seven-Horse Chariot.

The Brick And Terracotta Temples Of Bengal Built During The 17th And 18th Century Depict Animals, Birds And Humans Along With Floral And Geometric Patterns As Part Of The Temples As Plaques Or Medallions And Also As Narratives On The Walls Of The Temples, Of The Epics, The Puranas, Radha-Krishna And Everyday Scenes Reflect The Expertise Of The Artists And The Refined Taste Of The Patrons.

The Bankurar Ghora Online Are Made By The Use Of A Tool Called The Ucha, A Semi Circular Piece Of Bamboo. Balya Is A Stone Tool, Used For Beating, Also Pitna, A Wooden Beater. Bamboochiari Is Used For Decorating The Figures. The Potters Wheel And Kiln Are Also Used. The Parts Of The Horse Or Elephant Are Made Separately On The Wheel And Later Joined To From The Horse. The Ears And Tails Are Made In Moulds And Fixed On The Body On Grooves. The Figures Are Kept To Dry A Bit In The Sun, Then Kept Inside To Dry Fully And Again Heated Outside And Then The Figures Are Coloured With Natural Colours. The Pigments Are Mixed With Water And Applied. The Colours Are Fixed In The Kiln.

Shola Pith The Unique Craft Of Bengal

Sholapith Indian Handicrafts Is One Of The Most Significant Handicrafts Of The State Of West Bengal. Sholapith Craft Of West Bengal Recognized As One Of The Best Example Of Elegance, Exquisite Beauty And Superb Craftsmanship. Sholapith Indian Handicrafts Form An Significant Part Of The Major Religious Rituals In West Bengal Region. The People Engaged As Sholapith Craftsmen Are Known As Malakar. The Actual Cultural Significance Of Sholapith Craft Is To Classify The Products According To Their Uses. According To The Recent Studies, It Reveals The Production Process Of Sholapith Indian Handicrafts. The Implements And Raw Materials Used In It And Technological Aspects Associated With These Products.The Data Are Collected Through Observation, Semi-Structured, In-depth Interviews And Group Discussion. The Data Were Textual And Contextual Type I.E. The Former Is From The Documents And The Latter Is From The Studied Areas.
Sholapith Indian Handicraft Or Shola Pith (also Referred To As Shola And Indian Cork) Is A Dried Milky-White Spongy Plant Matter Which Can Be Pressed And Shaped Into Delicate And Beautiful Objects Of Art. Thermocol Is Artificially Made, Sholapith Is Much Superior To Thermocol In Terms Of Malleability, Texture, Luster And Sponginess. Shola Grows Wild In Marshy Waterlogged Areas. The Biological Name Of Shola Is Aeschynomene Aspera Of The Bean Family. Herbaceous Plant, Which Grows Specifically In The Marshy Areas Of Bengal, Assam, Orissa And The Deccan. The Sholapith Is Manufactured From The Cortex Or Core Of The Plant And It Is About 1.5 Inches Across.
Sholapith Indian Handicrafts Traditionally Were Used In Embellishing Hindu Deities And Headgear’s For Brides And Grooms For A Conventional Bengali Wedding Ceremony. The People Associated With Sholapith Indian Handicraft Are Known As Malakar, It Means “Garland Maker”.The Reason Is To Make Garlands Made From Shola For Idols And For The Noble Class. Nearly 5,000 Artisans Are Involved In This Sholapith Craft. Craftsmen Spend Several Months On A Piece To Meticulously Curve Out The Details.
In West Bengal This Indian Handicraft Is Mainly Found In The Region Of Bardhaman, Hoogly, Nadia & Murshidabad Region Depicts About The Shola Crafts Are Flowery Designs, Decorative Head Wear Of Deities, Garlands, Exquisite Figures Like Faces Of Gods And Goddesses, Elephant Howdahs, Peacock Boats, Palanquins And So On. All Are Craft Of Sholapith.
The Idol Makers Of Heritage Place Of Kumortuli Who Traditionally Produced Clay Idols Have Taken To Making Idols Of Sholapith And Fiberglass. The Height Of The Idols Can Vary From 4 To 9 Feet. These Are Mostly Meant For Indian Community Puja Organizers Abroad. During Modern Times Sholapith Handicrafts Have Found A Huge Range Of Application In Home Décor, As An Artistic Objects. Today, Products Of Shola Are Exported To Different Countries In The World Too As Home Decor India.