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The Handicrafts of North India, comprising the
states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and the Union
Territory of Chandigarh, represent a cultural pluralism that never hesitated to adopt,
adapt and absorb new ideas during the ups and downs of its long history when its culture,
norms and tradition have been continuosly evolving, shaped by its many experiences within
itself, and influences from outside, nevertheless, remained bound by an undercurrent of
unity.
BASKET WARE
Punjab, Haryana and parts of Rajasthan, Himachal
Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have been thriving on agrarian economy through the ages
and this factor has naturally reflected in their handicrafts, particularly in basketry.
The abundant availability of bamboo, rattan cane, reeds, grasses, notably munj i.e.
Saccharum munja, palm leaf, date leaf and other similar items of vegetable world made
basketry a popular household craft.
In Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &
Kashmir and also northern parts of Punja b and Haryana falling in the foothills of the
Shivalik,. Beacause the plenty growth of bamboos, the bamboo craft is deeply rooted in
local folk tradition. The product includes tokras, tokris, oval shaped containers with
lids and chhikus etc. In Kashmir 'Kangri' the handmade warming euipment is made with an
earthen bowl wrapped in a net of bamboo slips. In Haryana & Punjab , the munj and its
varieties are commonest and most useful of all fibrous products. There are many varieties
of basket ware, produce in the areas of North India.
IVORY CARVING AND INLAYING
Ivory being very precious, its carving and inlaying
was confined to a few places in North India. Jaipur in Rajasthan and Amritsar, Hoshiarpur
and Patiala in Punjab, been the important centres of this costly craft. Of these Jaipur
has now emerged to be most flourishing to make ivory figurines of gods and goddesses and
mortals, animals and birds, mythological deities, chessman, boxes, combs, paper cutters ,
dagger hilts and the ivory bangles worn by Rajasthani Women.
Amritsar has been the biggest centre of ivory
handicraft in Punjab, where the art of ivory carving was adopted mainly to carve lovely
combs for dressing the long hair enjoined to the sikh community by Guru Gobind Singh, the
tenth Guru of the sikhs, also to make models of Golden Temple Temple, the images ofHindu
Gods and Goddesses and portraits of sikh royalty and aristocracy. Hoshiarpur was also
famous for its ivory. The kind of articles produced were numerous but may be classed under
the general heading of boxes, paper knives, chessmen, figures of men and animals, combs,
bracelets, rings, walking sticks and dagger handles etc.
Bikaner in Rajasthan, is another example where
palaces doors were inlaid with ivory.
Inlaying is still popular craft of Hoshiarpur,
however, ivory has been replaced by plastic inlay which looks like ivory white. Plastic
laying is the substitute of ivory.
TEXTILES AND EMBROIDERY
The North India has remained a source of fine
textiles , where the craft of handweaving with distinctive styles emerged according to
regional, environmental and cultural influences, and also on the basis of the fibre used -
cotton, wool, silk or mixed fibre etc. Cotton has remained the most important fibre for
weaving. Cotton is used to make numerous varieties of cloths, but generally the pattern of
weaving adopted follows four styles. Firstly, there are plain cloths, either woven with
single thread or with two, three or four threads according to the requirement according to
the required stoutness of the fabric, from the thinnest malmal or eksuti to the thickest
dari. Secondly , are the cloths with a longitudinal stripe, thirdly, are cloths with
various diagonal patterns and fourthly are those fabrics which are not woven merely by
passing the shuttle across and across in a straight line but which exhibit in their
texture damask or pattern.
Khes is generally woven in pieces
which are sewn together to make a chaddar or upper wrapper. It is produced by three kinds
of weaving : (1) the pattern is all in lines or checks and runs either straight down or
streight across the webs. (2) the pattern may be either plain or check, but the thread of
the weft entwined alternately with those of the wrap, (3) where the pattern of diamond
shapes are produced by interweaving the threads of warp and weft creating diamond shaped
designs.
He next series of cloths are generally light in
texture and soft, made for turbans, safa, dastar and pagri and also dhoti. While the
cloths listed above are made at several places of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and lower
parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Among the traditional wool-weaving , Kashmir is
famous for its superb work followed by Himachal Pradesh. The true jamavar shawl is a
celebrated production involving much labour as numerous shuttles or Kanis of coloured
threads are used, hence this shawl is called Kani Shawl. The other varieties of shawls are
like talim, kairy etc.
Kullu, Mandi & Chamba are shawl producing areas
of Himachal Pradesh. He shawls here areade in several designs : angular geometrical motifs
grouped in straight horizontal lines, bands and strips : bumba, a kettle-shaped design
with coloures woven in between; chatham, a big cross tipped by tiny crosses at both ends;
trishul, the trident from four corners crossing in the centre and the swastika. Gaddis of
Chamba weave pattu in black and white checks. Dohru is a warm coloured weaving worn mostly
by women. Gudmas are the blankets woven with colouredstripes.
After the hills, Amritsar is another inportant
centre of woolen handlooms.
Rajasthan is famous for the craft of tie and dye,
known as bandhani. This technique offers myriad opportunities of designs including flora
and fauna, geometrical patterns, do-rookha or two different coloures on either sides,
lahariya or stripes of colours running diagonally.The another famous craft is
block-printing. Bed-spreads, curtains, saris, tablecloths and the typical Rajasthani
ghagras are embellished with block printing.
'Phulkari' , meaning 'flowered work' is most popular
in Punjab & Haryana. The warmth and richness of colours, the bold patterning and the
patient hard work which go into the embroidery work of phulkari make it symbolic of the
women of Punjab and Haryana. A very coarse homespun texture, the Khaddar, is used as
ground cloth in phulkari and a simple stitch done entirely from the back in silken threads
is applied to work out the patterns. BAGH differs from phulkaribecause in the motis are
spread all over in an integrated pattern withoit leaving any space. Bagh is also known by
the name of Sar-pallu in Haryana.
Chamba is famous for its embroidered RUMALS which
are generally exchanged between the bride's and bridegroom's parties. In the folk
embroidery of Chamba religious motis, particularly the rasa-lila of Krishna found
embroidered in various colours. The art is also practised at Kangra.
In Kashmir, in addition to the shawls with
loom-woven pattern, needle-worked shawls called AMLIKAR are also produced, in which the
ground-work is a plain pashmina piece and the pattern is entirely due to minute and most
elaborate needle-work in Pashmina thread all over the whole surface.
In Rajasthan the sense of folk embroidery is deeply
rooted in folk imagery, done dominantly in primary colours of full saturation, followed by
secondary hues mostly in contrating combinations which represent a visual ocean of
juxtaposed coloures. The borders of the ghagras in Northern Rajasthan are embroidered with
motifs of animals like lions, camels, horses; birds like peacocks, parrots and plant
motifs. In Jaisalmer mirros are sewn into the embroidery to give a sparkling effect.
Jaipur is famous for Zari, Gotakinari and Salma-Sitara work.
LEATHER WORK
In North West India skins of buffalo, bull, camel,
cow, sheep and goat have been generally used for tanning. The ordinary jutti is either
pointed in shape. In latter case it is called gol-panja, chota-panja. One of the
distinctive forms of shoes is the salem shahi .
In Rajasthan, jutti also known by the
names of mojaris or pagarkhiyas, are crafted to be very durable. Mojdis is the kind of
shoes is made at Jaipur, mostly with intricate embroidery on velvet. Similar work is done
in Bikaner.
The Bishnois residing in northern Rajasthan and
Southern Haryana and Punjab have contined to wear the traditional embroidered juttis.
Similar work, but with slight variation in design and embroidery, is done at Patiala,
Abohar and Mukatsar.
The leather juttis of Udhampur, near Jammu,
embelished with gold and silver threads, are mostly beautiful specimens of this craft.
Many utility articles of leather, all embellished with ornamental embroidery, are made at
various places in Kashmir, particularly the handbags and the travel kits. PABOO is the
special boots used in Ladakh fully protect the feet from the severe cold of high hills. A
number of articles like coats, caps, stoles, handbags, purses, gloves etc. are also made
in Kashmir from the fur of various animals.
In addition to foot-wear, leather has been used in
North India for anumber of other purposes. Sirsa in Haryana, has been famous for making
leather vase for holding water of a Huka, ornamented with stripes of green, Kimukht
leather and studded with little nails of silver.
CARPETS AND NAMDAS
Cotton daris have remained a folk level production
in every household in the villages of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu Kashmir and lower
parts of Himachal Pradesh. The wrap for the dari is laid by fastening one end of the
thread to a bamboo fastened at one end of the loom, and leading it to and fro between it
and another bamboo at the other end. The thread is carried from the lower side of the
bamboo at one end over to the top side of the bamboo at the other, thus producing a web of
which the threads cross in the middle. The threads of the wrap are kept compact and even
by striking between the lines of the wrap with a kind of folk having a wooden handle and
iron teeth and called a Kangi or Panja.
Panja daries are also produced on
commercial scale at Nakodar in Punjab and areas of sirmour in Himachla Pradesh. At Ambala
is produced a kind of dari called dolra which is made of coarse old cotton. Commercial
production is also going on at Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Panipat, Jaipur and Bikaner.
In addition to Panja Dari, carpets or fine floor
coverings are also being produced in North West India and it had its beginning during the
Mughal Supremacy. A numbers of shawl weavers from Kashmir, who had settled in Amritsar
transferred their skill to weaving carpets and specialized in a design known as mouri,
seems to have been derived from central Asian town of Merv. In Rajasthan, as well as in
Punjab, the craft of weaving carpets got impetus during the Mughal rule. The carpets
produced here have both woolen and cotton foundation.
In Kashmir too, the craft was introduced from Persia
and Central Asia. The popular designs are Bukhara, Tabriz, Asfahn, hurason etc. all based
on the names of Central Asian Carpets centres. Namdahs is used as mattress in cold
regions. It is made of rectangular, circular or Oval, with embroidered designs of flora
and fauna motifs. Jaipur and Bikaner also produce Namdahs made of Sheep's wool. Chakma and
Ghogi, nearly similar to numdahs, are made at Malpura, not from Jaipur.
WOOD WORK
The presence of jungles in Jammu Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, parts of Punjab & Haryana and also some parts of rajasthan like Kota, jaipur,
Banswara and Udaipur, made wood available in abundance to its natives of their secular and
religious needs.
The wood work of North-West India may
be classified into several categories : architectural wood-work, lacquer-work, turnery,
Kamangiri, furniture, carriage-building, boat-building, musical instuments, toys etc. In
Himachal Pradesh, the oldest temples of artchitectural wood-carving in places Chatrabi and
Brahmour. Although much of their past glory has vanished, yet their minute chiselling and
skilful sculptural decorations show the height of imaginative power achieved by the
craftsmen of the past, and also they bear a testimony to the resistant deodar, that has
withstood the decay for a period running into centuries.
In Punjab & Haryana, the chaukat or door frame,
which invariably used to be rectangular, consisted of Lintel, jambs (baju), and still, and
was constructed of separate beams. The chaukats of Hindu houses also had a figure of
ganesha carved in the centre of its Lintel, Similarly Kashmir had a reputation of fine
architectural wood-work and according to Rajatarangni , king Harsha had built a twelve
storeyed wooden palace amidst what today is the city of Srinagar.
Although wood was not easily available in Rajasthan
but the tradition of architectural carving was practised in the area of Bikaner and
Shekhwati; where ornately carved wooden doors were used both for domestic and religious
buildings, particularly in the mansions of the bankers.
The present day craftsmen in the region have
diverted their traditional skill to make modern utility items like furniture, trays,
bowls, cabinets, screens, lamps, vases, table tops, picture frames and also decorative and
functional toys. Kashmiri craftsmen apply their deft fingers on the soft toned elegant
walnut which with its close grain and even texture, facilitates application of exquisite
craftsmanship. In Punjab, Hoshiarpur and Kartarpur produce fine wooden furniture. At
Amritsar is made fine chess and its figurines in sandalwood which is imported from South
India. In H.P. Shimla is famous for its wooden toys. Jaipur in Rajasthan, has now become a
centre for modern furniture, which is generally lacquered.
POTTERY
The potter or Kumhar was an important member of the
community, both in the villages and the towns. In former days he had to work on a heavy
wheel, made of clay mixed with bits of cotton, wool or other material to bind it, and
later on a wheel made of wood. The apparatus was known as chak. Now a days potter's wheel
is available driven by electric motors. While the material used and the technique applied
for making pottery is similar in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and jammu
& Kashmir, the products differ from place to place, both in form and character. In
Rajasthan at Alwar, where almost sheer body pottery, known as Kagzi or paper pottery is
produced. In Haryana the craft is practised at several places including Jhajjar, Rewari,
Bahadurgarh and Pinjore. Not very long ago series of fancy shaped water vassels, plates,
cups, pipe bowls etc. in well burnt pottery were made at Rohtak in badami or pale reddish
brown colour. The glazed pottery is also produced here these days.
At Ludhiana (Punjab) were made vases and jugs,
mostly as copies of classical and semi-classical vases of burnt clay. At Hoshiarpur were
made water cauldron or large degcha of very well burnt pottery. In Jammu & Kashmir,
mostly for water storage and vessels for cooking. In Kashmiri houses a clay pot called
matti is used for warming water Glazing is also done on domestic articles at several
places., but in this class blue art pottery of Jaipur is most famous. It seems to have
been introduced in the beginning of the 19th Century. The colours chiefly
employed are blue and green but shades of red, yellow, brown and black have also been
successfully introduced. In Kashmir high gloss colour pottery with dark brown, bright
yellow, deep blue, dark-grey and pale white shades is used to make murtbans, bows, huka
stands and also cookery articles.
METAL WARES
Metal has remained one of the most important utility
objects in North-West India from time immemorial. Metal is used in various forms : for
making religious images; items for performing rituals; objects of utility and arms and
weapons. Making of religious images is an ancient craft. The craftsman is required not
only to know the methods and technique applied in casting but also to have the complete
knowledge of the characteristics , symbolism, iconographic paraphernalia attached to a
diety, the prescribed promotion of limbs and their relative measurements.
Metalsmiths of Amritsar have a
reputation for making engraved metal doors, Kalashas and Chhattars for the temples,
sculptures of Vahanas or vehicles of various Hindu deities and for fine repousse work done
on the shirines and Gurudwaras. At Hoshiarpur, Batala, Jandiala and Phagwara are made
metal utensils. Haryana, Rewari & Jagadhari are famous for their brass utensils of
innumerable shapes. At Rewari are also made decorative metalware including figures of
animals and birds.
Engraved brassware is the speciality of Jaipur.
Jaipur engraving is done in three styles : Chiken, Marori & Bichi. Beautiful brass and
copper lamps are also made in Jaipur, in addition to wide ranging items including picture
frames, jewellery boxes, fruit bowls, tabletops, vases etc. |
