Handicrafts refer to crafts involving the creative skills of hands. Indian handicrafts like textiles, pottery and toys have enjoyed immense mass appeal around the world and through the ages. Some of the handicrafts which are produced in India are as follows:
Glassware
Archaeological evidences have been found of a glass industry in Brahmapuri and Kolhapur in Maharashtra which was operational between 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD and produced specialised glassware, called lenticular beads. Also other sites where archaeological evidences have been found of glass are Maski, Ahar (Rajasthan), Hastinapur and Ahichachhatra (Uttar Pradesh), Eran and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), etc. Patna (Bihar) also produces a peculiar kind of decorative glass beads called ‘Tikuli
Tikuli
Cloth Handicrafts
It is of three types viz. Tie and dye, Embroidery and Weaving. Tie and Dye: It is most widely accepted method of printing textiles in India. It is an ancient art form that is still practiced in many parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. This technique consists of two stages: tying sections of a length of cloth (silk or cotton) and then immersing it in colour vats.
| CLOTH HANDICRAFTS | PLACES | DETAILS |
| Lehariya | Jaipur and Jodhpur, Rajasthan | It is a type of tie and dye that results in ripples or wave-like patterns on the cloth. |
| Batik Art | Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal | In this one end of the fabric is permeated with molten wax and then dyed in cold to produce multi-coloured batik saris and dupattas. |
| Paagadu Bandhu Tie and Dye | Andhra Pradesh | Ikat is another Indonesian name for it. In this tie-dye method, the cloth is woven first, then resist bindings are added, and the fabric is coloured. |
| Tehlia Rumal (Resist dyed Textiles) | Andhra Pradesh | Alizarin dyes are used to make the cloth oily, hence it literally means “oily handkerchief.” |
| Ajrakh Printing | Gujarat | It’s a resist-dyed cloth that’s block-printed using natural dyes like indigo and madder. In the Kutch area, it is mostly carried out by the Khatris community. |
| Mata Ni Pachedi (Ritual Cloth Painting) | Gujarat | It literally implies ‘Behind the Mother Goddess,’. The predominant color in this design is red. |
| Thigma–Tie Resist Dyeing | Jammu and Kashmi | To color the woollen material, natural elements are employed, such as soot for grey, apple bars, and onion peels for brown. |
| Jadu Patua Painting | Jharkhand | Patua refers to the scroll on which the Jadu Community’s murals are created. |
| Pichhwai Paintings | Rajasthan | On a cloth or paper, a portrait painting based on Lord Krishna. |
| Dabru Printing | Rajasthan | It’s a one-of-a-kind old mud resist hand block printing method. |
| Muthangi (Pearl Studded attire) | Tamil Nadu | This style of attire is mostly designed for idols. |
| Sungadi (Tie Resist Dyeing) | Tamil Nadu | The traditional tie-and-dye method is known as sungudi. |
| Dhalapathar Parda and Fabrics | Odisha | By Odisha’s Rangani Community. |
| Kani shawl | Jammu and Kashmi | It is woven with Pashmina wool gathered from the underbelly of wild Tibetan and Ladakh mountain goats. |
| Kotpad Handloom Fabric | Odisha | Its patterns are based on geometrical patterns of ducks, hand fans, flowers, palanquins, fish, and animals, among other things. |
| Tangaliya Shawl | Gujarat | It is a hand-woven cloth with a dotted pattern. |