Indian Crafts
India’s deep rooted tradition in crafts can be traced back
to the ancient times when the country, famous for its cotton, was an important
trading centre for mainly textiles and dyes, and ivory. Sailors from the West
and the Far East poured silver and gold into India in return for its
hand-printed cotton textiles and other handicrafts. But it was only under the
early Mughals that Indian crafts touched new heights: the art of textile making
and jewellery was highly developed and new techniques/skills such as velvet
manufacturing were introduced and perfected. Local patronage diminished with
the weakening of Mughal power. The colonial era discouraged trade in crafts.
Indian crafts were now challenged by the cheap, imported and machine made
goods. Gandhi’s ‘Sawadeshi’ movement was aimed at reinforcing the status of the
Indian crafts. After independence, the government’s efforts have been to launch
developmental programmes for the crafts industry, revive many traditional
crafts, identify new craft centres and make people more aware of their
country’s rich cultural heritage.
Indian crafts can be broadly classified as folk crafts,
commercial crafts and crafts associated with religious centres. Folk crafts are
produced by village craftsmen for a limited population or created by people for
their own use. Commercial crafts are produced by craftsmen of a particular
group/ caste working in a centre associated with a specific skill.
Indian crafts are a major tourist attraction of India. The finesse, variety, regional modifications, perfection and eco-friendliness are hallmarks of Indian crafts. These innumerable crafts are result of hundreds and thousands of years of perfectionist endeavour. A visitor traveling India should explore the glorious aspect of Indian craftsmanship.
