Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan

The Maharajas and nobility of Rajasthan have for centuries patronized its artists and craftsmen, even importing specialists when none could be found to create the opulent luxury goods they craved. Art and decor seems to permeate the very air of this land and nothing remains untouched, humble mud huts are decorated with as much attention as exquisite palaces and forts, camels and elephants are painted and decorated with bells and finery, houses are painted in cheerful colours, people wear elaborate, heavily embellished dresses and jewellery. Crafts men here have a knowledge of art honed over centuries and stone, clay, leather, wood, ivory, lac, glass, brass, silver, gold and textiles are given the most exquisite forms. Some of the popular crafts are :

Jewellery
Jewellery is a part of everyday life in Rajasthan, the tribal women wear up to five kilos of silver jewellery in the course of an ordinary day, men also wear traditional ornaments such as chokers and earrings. The more famous traditional designs include rakhri, bala, bajuband, gajra, gokhru, jod, etc. Rajasthan is a hub of jewellery designers and craftsmen, precious and semi precious stones are also popular here and many are inlaid in the jewellery itself, the most popular are - emeralds, daimonds, pearls, garnet and agate. Meenakari is the art of enamelling on gold and silver, a craft that the bazaars of Jaipur are famous for. Bangles of every hue and colour are another mainstay of Rajasthan's markets.

Ivory
Ivory is considered auspicious in Rajasthan and it is not uncommon to see women wearing ivory bangles all the way up to their elbows. Rajasthan has its main ivory carving centers at Udaipur, Bharatpur and Jaipur from where ivory carvers once churned out exquisite creations for the royalty. The Bikaner Palace in fact is more famous for its artistic ivory inlaid doors than the palace itself. Miniature paintings are also executed on ivory. Carved ivory artefacts can be purchased in and around Jaipur but the export of ivory in any form from India is strictly prohibited.

Textiles
Rajasthan is famous for its textiles, they come in an attractive range of hand - block prints, tie and dye and embroidered fabrics with mirror work. The art of Khari or over printing in gold is also practiced here. The bandhni or tie & dye work comes from Sikar, Jodhpur, Udaipur. The fine weave of the Kota-doria sarees are sought all over India for summer wear. Gold and silver khari printing, ajrakh, appliqued and embroidered textiles, are some more specialties of this textile industry. Of late, Rajasthani's carpet and durrie industry has been revitalized and the products refashioned to suit the tastes of modern buyers, redesigned into upholstery and bed spreads they are finding many takers.

Blue Pottery
Blue pottery, introduced in India by the Mughals, soon became a favourite of the maharajas of Jaipur, many a cool marble hall in Rambagh Palace has as its centrepiece a bubbling fountain lined with refreshing blue tiles. This art still thrives in the city and a piece of blue pottery is something you wouldn't want to leave Jaipur without.

Teracotta is found almost everywhere in India, but in Rajasthan it sports an individual style, here even the commonplace Teracotta is decorated with mirrors, gota and paint. Molela in Rajasthan excels in sculpted terracotta plaques and icons of Rajput heroes and Hindu deities. Leather-ware, much of Rajasthan including Jaipur has a thriving leather industry and Camel leather is also commonly used. Some of the more famous leather products include jooties (embroidered shoes), handbags, purses, wallets, and many other gift items.

Miniature paintings of Rajasthan have a fascinating and unique style all their own. Influenced heavily by the surrounding this medieval art form usually depicts the hills and valleys, deserts, places and forts, gardens, court scenes, religious processions and those highlighting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna. The most famous schools of miniature paintings include the Mewar school, the Bundi-Kota kalam, the Jaipur, Bikaner, Kishengarh and Marwar schools.

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Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan	Camel Safari in The Thar Desert	Cuisines of Rajasthan
Dance and Music of Rajasthan	Famous Golden Triangle	Rich Culture of Rajasthan
The Land of Maharajas	The Only Brahma Temple

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