handicrafts
From waste to wonder – Odisha’s eco-friendly cow dung toys
At a time when plastic and rubber toys rule the market, artisans in Ganjam district are crafting them in the traditional way. From dolls to animal masks and vegetable shapes, the toys come in various forms and sizes.
Substitute for clay to ‘fortify’ Karnataka’s Bidri art
Did you know that the famous Bidri products were traditionally made with clay from a 15th century fort? Now scientists at IIT-Madras have come up with a chemical alternative to help artisans sustain the craft while preserving the monument.
All that glitters in Antia village is indeed gold
The centuries-old use of golden grass in making crafts is financially empowering the women of Jajpur in Odisha. A GI tag and aggressive marketing can improve things further.
Deaf-mute Kashmiri woodcarver’s work leaves world speechless
Woodcarver Muhammad Yusuf Muran of Srinagar is known to be the man with golden fingers. His Midas touch on his family’s 200-year-old craft amplifies Kashmir’s handicraft heritage.
Heaven’s the limit for Kashmir’s Khatamband ceiling woodwork after years in near-hell
A luxury of the medieval elite, the handcrafted and eclectic craft of wood-carved ceilings almost died out in the face of political and economic exigencies, but a few artisans keep Kashmir’s 400-year-old legacy alive.
How Manipur’s rural women are weaving wonders from Kauna weed
Organic baskets, mats and other decorative handicrafts made of kauna grass grown in the marshes of the Imphal valley are providing a sustainable livelihood to women and their families.
Are handlooms in rural India only capable of weaving poverty?
We need to reflect why once handlooms wove joy, culture and incomes but today weave only poverty, unable to sustain livelihoods of people in our villages, except for a few outliers
Naga villagers revive traditional crafts and weaves
Villagers of Diezephe near Dimapur have revived their traditional crafts and weaves by adapting to market demands and by using modern tools, and have found themselves an ecofriendly livelihood
Toymakers of Chitrakoot struggle with declining demand
Cultural changes and urbanization have led to a shrinking market for Chitrakoot’s wooden toys and a decline in the number of traditional toymakers, yet a few carry on, hoping for the best about the craft’s future