Coming on Indian clothes, people here are very fond of wearing heavy dresses. In ladies saris are a common trend. It is worn in almost all the country with the variations in design and. And they are named after a particular place like bananas, kanjiwaram etc. they are worn on almost all occasions and are included in the daily dress of married women. At the times of wedding women can be seen clad in the saris. Then comes the famous pajama-kurti, it’s a dress generally for girls and is especially famous in some parts of north India and in the central India. For males the general dress is pant-shirts and the trousers and in the southern peninsula dhoti is generally popular.

Indian people are generally well behaved and they greet each other while meeting and they have great respect for their guests. “Atithi devo bhava” means guest is God, is what they say about there guests. Since it is in their customs they are usually social and easily interact with people. They like to live in joint families though the trends are changing now days.

India is famous for its old temples and one can travel through all the country to see them as they are everywhere and some of them are very old and has the art of the ancient India in them. The temples of Ajanta, Elora, and Khajuraho are epitome of temple art. If you ever travel to there, you must see the temples of India. Besides there are many places one can go. There are hill stations, there are deserts, and there are beautiful valleys.

Festivals are the part of the daily life of people. They celebrate all festivals with the same energy, whether they are Hindu festivals like holi, diwali or, Muslim festivals like Eid or Christian festival Christmas. Almost all the year festivals are celebrated and every locality has its own festivals.

Indians are known for their food culture. They love food and they make a lot of experiments with it. In all parts of India foods have different types and they are named after it like Punjabi, Bengali, south Indian, north Indian and whatever the type be spices are common in every one of them. Some foods are prepared in the fire of wood, some in the simple kitchen and some others in the microwave. Recently microwave cooking is emerging fast as it takes less time to prepare food.

Indian Ayurveda is one thing, which has made its name world wide. There, all sorts of diseases can be cured with the help of it. And it is getting world wide applauds. It also provides help in metal diseases and keeps the mind calm. All ayurveda is based on the drugs in their natural form without any chemical added and the combination of those drugs help in curing.

VISIT : http://www.indianmirror.com

The culture and ethnicity is visible all through the country. This is very obvious on travelling India throughout. At the most amazing part is the variations in communities in different locations of India. They have their individualistic approach to customs, attire and even in the various rituals. It is awesome that there is a tribe in Indian culture that devours burned dead human meat. Very obviously, the culture of India is as subtle as it is gory.

Animal sacrifices to appease gods, garland with silver and gold ornaments as gifts to gods go on to show the diversity of celebrating god’s power. Long days, even months of pujas are offered to the rain gods to bless with good corps and harvest is such example. Constantly travelling India and mixing with people show how diverse Indian culture can be. Everyone is aware of the various festivities like Deepawali, Dusshera, Holi etc.

People of different castes and creeds, get together, to celebrate diwali and id thus strengthening the brotherhood. Does this show there is enmity? The fairs that are held during these festivals bring people from distant places just to see the celebrations. In India, occasions like kumbh mela and such holy pilgrimages sees lakhs of worshippers toiling hard to get the blessings of the gods. Many are there who are travelling India to understand how there is such a mixing of people who never knew each other.

Another factor that has always amazed people from outside is the Indian crafts. Unimaginable creations from basic material like earth are crafted to produce handicrafts whose popularity is quite high. Many states have encouraged these craftsmen. The rich culture of India has been known to the whole world since long. But in the near future, people are looking at the basic culture of India. Like the popularity of Indian crafts, people from western countries are looking towards India for spiritual wisdom. In the years to come, India will stand up as a mean of showing the beacon of light of spirituality as well as scientific progress.

With a number of mausoleums and forts India provides an array of architectural attractions. Visiting these sites should be on any visitor’s itinerary in India. Among the first stop should be the magnificent Taj Mahal which is a monuments that built by Emperors to show his love to his treasured wife.  It is located in Agra. It’s master piece of Indian craft and design. It is lined will well carved walls, elaborate jewels and reflection pool making it a must visit spot for any tourist.

Indian festivals of art are renowned the world over. The reason is made more obvious in the ancient caves of Ajanta and Ellora. These two caves were constructed between 600 to 1000 AD. They were initially carved for the purpose of serving as Jain and Hindu monks into the mountainside. They are found in the Maharashtra state and are located 100 kilometers apart. The tow caves depict amazing craftsmanship and many believe this is the origin of Indian art.

Three hundred miles in the north of the capital New Delhi is the refuge of the famous Tibetan Buddhist monk the Dalai Lama. Among the cultural activities carried around this area is performing arts of Tibet that is held every April. Tourists get to sample the traditional acts of dance and music. Visitors can later visit the Art museum in kangra. Travel India to see the numerous artifacts, costumes, manuscripts, sculpture and coins on display.

Major parks and sanctuaries have been established in order to protect the all important species of animals found in this subcontinent. Among the animals that are distinctively found here include the Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, exotic birds and monkeys.

The country is also home to incredible woodlands and forests. You also get to visit the tropical rain forest found in the foot of the Himalayas. The garden in India has been revered since time in memorial. Even though they are not as common like they used to be magnificent gardens can still be found in India. The Darjeeling tea gardens over and amazing view.  Make a point of sampling Indian food to make the experience truly enriching.

Different cultures have its own rites and rituals to perform and are followed with great interest and excitement. All the festivals celebrated in India got equal value and people of all religions even take part being thrilled and spread the message of happiness amongst their friends, relative and family members. It is a land of diversity whether based on historical, geographical or even cultural depth. People from every part of this country offer equal importance to strengthen the transformation led by the modern culture. Indian culture involves celebration of all colors of heritage even in the field of music, art, philosophy, drama etc.

Some of the famous Pilgrimage Places in India are the Mahabalipuram (which is named as World heritage Site by UNESCO), Vaishno Devi which is situated in North India, Mathura and Vrindavan where Banke Bihari Temple, Madan Mohan Temple and Shahji Temple are famous in attracting tourists all round the world. Besides, there are also many other places that holds the divine meaning of ancient age and culture. Some of them are Golden Temple of Amritsar, Jagannath Temple of Puri, Haridwar which is world famous for Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela and Kamakhya Temple of Guwahati for idolizing Devi Kamakhya. Even people visit to other sacred places of Muslims and Buddhists. The dargah of Ajmer Sharief was made in tribute of Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. It is also renowned as Dargah Sharief, which is open for offering prayers by the people of all religions. Moreover, Bodhgaya, Lumbini, Kushinagar and Sarnath are four famous sites where people across the globe visit and preserve the religious faith.

http://www.indianmirror.com

Every nation has its origin and history and India is no exception. The 200 hundred years riddled with slavery has a huge impact on the cultural and social economic character of this magical country. The first inhabitants of India were very diverse in the way they lived their lives. However the foreigners have also contributed a great deal to this cultural diversity. If you are traveling India these cultural remnants can still be observed today.

Among the things that strike any first time visitor to India as soon as they alight the plane is the sheer number of people in this subcontinent. Due to this factor, India has become one of the fastest developing nations in the world. In addition the country has also emerged as a favorite tourist’s destination due to diversity in Indian arts and Indian food attractions that it offers. Among the most famous landmarks in the world and found in India is the Taj Mahal. Furthermore there are various monuments that are an epitome of the countries glorious history.You will find the British and Mughal architectures in the northern part of the country. They were built by indigenous rulers. The western coasts architecture has a Portuguese influence.

Most of the monuments have been given a face lift and the remaining ones turned into ruins. They have been maintained and preserved due to the historical importance attached to them. Nature has blessed India with pristine mountains through the magnificent Himalayas. The provide nature lovers with camping and climbing pleasures. The gushing glaciers, snow peaks, serene rivers and beautiful valleys are some of scenes that dot the mountains. To Indians the mountains are the home to the Gods. Their beauty and alluring quality cannot be overstated.

Goa is an island famed for its backwaters, rivers, reserved wildlife, sanctuaries, beaches and Indian crafts. Here you can indulge yourself in buying souvenirs and memorabilia to take back home. You will find some of the best beaches in Kerela Andaman, Lakshdweep and the Nicobar region. The area is so popular that you need to make hotel reservations six months in advance.

Because of the geographical diversity the country is rich in flora and fauna. Some of the world’s rarest species can only be found in this subcontinent. Among them is the Asiatic lion, one horned rhino and the Indian tiger. One thing that brings people to India is the spirituality and the search for inner peace. Indian Customs also attract hundreds of visitors each year.

Craft-document

A very interesting and differently approached project
in which a team of 4 from NID and a team of 5 from
the village-Anganee, near Renukoot, interacted and explored various design
possibilities in bamboo as a material. Their expert skill
in handling the material and our ideas were
combined together , to help  increase their standard
of living .Showed us a new direction towards life

• Delhi – Agra – Delhi
• Delhi – Jaipur – Agra – Delhi
• Delhi – Ranthambhore -  Delhi
• Delhi – Corbett – Delhi
• Delhi – Nanital -  Bhimtal -Nanital – Delhi
• Delhi – Mussorie – Delhi
• Delhi – Rishikesh – Shivpuri- Delhi
• Delhi – Shimla – Delhi
• Delhi – Agra – Bateshwar – Agra – Delhi
• Delhi – Bharatpur – Agra – Delhi
• Delhi- Dumdama Lake – Delhi
• Delhi – Fort Uchagaon -D elhi
• Delhi – Sariska Palace – Siliserh – Delhi
• Delhi -Kasauli – Delhi
• Delhi – Parwano – Delhi
• Delhi – Ranikhet – Delhi

Welcoming Committee

The Embera Indians were in Panama before Columbus “found” them and began the down fall of their culture.  I went on the shore excursion today to Pararu Puru, the village that is the furthest down river.  It is about a 2 hour bus ride over potholes with a little road in between.  The dugout canoes were waiting for us and 4 coach loads of guests piled in with our Indian drivers.   The canoes are motorized and can really get up some speed.  The local musicians were there to greet us and send us off.  Nothing like waving good -bye to a group of half naked men in loin cloths-a great start to the day!

The day was bright and the river calm as we made our way past a couple of villages to our destination.  We passed children playing in the river, families fishing for dinner and several other boats heading out to get provisions.

The Embera used to be a self-sufficient nation who hunted and raised their own food.  Then the government in its infinite wisdom made a national park of their lands.  Suddenly they were not permitted to hunt or grow crops.  So in 1998 the Embera opened up their villages to tourists and continue to host them to lunch and offer their crafts for sale.  The chief decides which village is visited on any given day and it must be done in cooperation with the chief.  No drop ins allowed.  The chief does not permit any handouts to the children because he wants them to learn that hospitality is a way of life for the tribes, not something they rely on for freebies.

This is like visiting the pages of a National Geographic magazine.  The men dress in beautiful beaded skirts, very short skirts, or simply a loin cloth.  The women wear short colorful skirts and nothing but jewelry around their neck.   The little ones are simply naked.

Sticker Boy

Each family offers their crafts in a market setup.  The men carve and the women weave baskets and do bead work.  The baskets they make are stunning and so tightly woven by hand that they will last to be passed down with your estate.  Depending on the size and design the baskets/plates/bowls can take months to finish.  Of course I contributed to the local economy and purchased a bowl for my cabin to liven things up and have a place to toss our keys and badges.  I also purchased some beaded earrings (no surprise to those who know me) and necklace for all of $8.  Even Michael was impressed.  That may be THE Christmas present for 2009.

Me and the Gang

I will plan to revisit the Embera before I leave the Canal route, hoping to see a second village and contribute yet again to their economy.

1. Make sure to hire the services of a good travel agency who can provide detailed travel plan and budget estimate, organize pickup and drop in different states, have reliable drivers, good vehicles and a good network across the nation and have quality staff who are well versed with quality customer service training and have set up service quality standards.
2. Once you recieve your detailed travel plan and budget estimate, cross check the hotel services on the website  and travel time from one location to another. Many good travel organizers will personally co-ordinate with you and make sure to answer all your queries before you start to travel.
3. India is a lovely place where in every state you can try variety of cuisines and buy different ethnic handicrafts and enjoy festivals in every season.  Before you travel, ask your travel organizer to provide all the details and you can plan accordingly.
4. Make sure to keep your cash and traveler’s cheque at safe place.
5. If you have to organize weekend programs or events for a team in your organization, then prepare a checklist and hire services of good travel & event organizers.

This Mela is held every year from 1st Feb to 15th Feb every year at Surajkund Mela ground which lies in the district of Faridabad, located on the Delhi – Agra National Highway. It starts around 09:30 am and closes at 5:30 pm.

It is better to spend an entire day here to admire traditional ethnic Indian craft items and enjoy the cuisine of different states and listen to the folk songs and enjoy the ambience of open air theater.

Here you can buy several items at affordable price. You can buy ethnic fabrics with embroideries or weaves of different states – kantha, phulkari, chikankari, ikat, patola, bandhini, Kanjeevaram, chanderi and much more. You can pick up traditional fabrics and weaves styles and incorporate in western style garments.

Or decorate your home with beautiful stone or wood carving work or metal work or madhubani painting or jute craft items or sea shell decoration items. You will also discover colorful bangles or silver oxidized jewelry for yourself.

To discover the handicraft of different states India, it is worth visiting this mela once!! You can also combine this tour with Taj Mahal tour!!

At this moment I am exactly doing rangoli.

Rangoli is called painted prayers of India.

I am doing rangoli since I was a kid. When I was a kid we had a raised platform in the courtyard especially made for rangoli. We used to buy permanent paints (samples used to come in small amounts) and used to take 2-3 days to make rangolis all over house at different places. We never used to get tired. I still do it but now with flowers or powder colours.

All over India rangoli is done at different festivals or even on everyday basis and has different names such as Alpana in West Bengal, Kolam in south etc.

from Bangladesh

please click to enlarge to see stepwise alpana

Here are some sites with beautiful patterne , info & how-tos…

Animation of a rangoli design.

Some beautiful rangoli designs.

Tips and rangoli designs.

more rangoli patterns.

Tomorrow is diwali and I wish I had more time to do this post on my favourite art & craft but…  (maybe…no Iwill definitely do a region wise post again on this topic),   (& if my fellow bloggers have done a post on same topic  I would add their links later.)

via: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

These are Beads of India.

Yes, beads were the first craft material I was enamoured of when I was a kid. Mom had a coffee tin box full of different kinds of beads and I just liked to play with them.

And when I got married a few ethnic things of beads came as part of my dowry gifts. Gujarat is famous for its rich beads craft (moti bharat). I will bring here my moti bharat pieces but a little later.

Today these simple lovely products from an Indian handicraft  store – Beads of India.

hand jewelery from beads

a fringe

fashion bag

I was not paying any attention to ongoing Lakme Fashion Week spring summer 2008, Mumbai until I saw this photo feeling a little heaviness around my vocal chords!

It is a rarity, the kind of scene I have not seen before! A fashion designer brought with her kantha artisans on stage to take a bow . I have developed sudden admiration for fashion designer from Kolkatta; Agnimitra Paul who celebrated kantha embroiders in such a beautiful way. (Such things are long over-over due from fashion industry)

Just to celebrate kantha artisans, here are few random kantha work images and how-to and award-winning artisans’ work.

How to do kantha work step by step. More here.

What is kantha embroidery and history.

A few award winning creations and the artisans.

Kantha work pillows at Pottery Barn.

The modern twist to Bidri work is simply stunning.

The art of inlaying silver in a dark metal is called Bidri.

The designers Suryaprakash Gowda and Vikram Sardesai are among those who define modern Indian lines.

                                Bidri candle stands

                                     Bidri plates       

These Indian designers based in Bengaluru, with their dedicated team under the name of Design Core India take lacquer work, stone inlay and Bidri work from traditional Indian handicraft and adapt it in such a way that the final product becomes breath-taking!

                       Bidri candle holders and trays

                             Bidri Keychains

Elegance of these stone inlay work is indesciable →

                               stone inlay plates

                                stone inlay plates

While you are on their website do not miss lacquer work . Their recycled products are a different story altogether. I am doing that but a little later.

To know actual process of Bidri work (in detail) and links to traditional Bidri work keep reading…

Bidri is metal decorative objects ornamented with a type of Indian inlay work with silver. The basic material used is an alloy of 94% zinc and 6% copper.

The handicraft derives its name from the town of Bidar, in Karnataka. Except Bidar, Lucknow and Murshidabad are also very important centres of Bidri manufacture.

Each Bidri piece is cast separately from ordinary soil made malleable with castor oil and resin. A mold is formed and the molten metal alloy is then poured into it. The surface to be adorned is smoothened with files and scrappers. Then the artist rubs the piece with a bit of copper sulphate to obtain a temporary black coating on which to etch the design and the free-hand pattern to be inlaid is chiseled out with a metal stylus. The craftsman hammers fine silver wire or flat sheeting into the engraved area.On buffing, the entire surface, including the silver inlay, glows evenly. You cannot see the pattern as yet.

Now the Bidri item is ready for the final step of making the surface permanently black so that the silver inlay design will stand out in bright contrast against the dark background. There is a particular type of soil found in the inner depths of ruins which are three hundred years old, in buildings where neither sunlight nor rain has fallen for hundreds of years. This soil, when mixed with ammonium chloride and water, produces a very special paste which is rubbed onto the heated Bidri article.

The paste darkens the body of the piece, but has no effect on the silver inlay. As the paste is rinsed off, the design springs dramatically into view, the shining silver resplendent against the black surface. Finally oil is rubbed to deepen the background and show off the polished silver in contrast. Craftsmen do this work traditionally by the use of five types of tools. No machine is used and is solely done by hand.

With proper maintenance, Bidri items can be kept bright and beautiful indefinitely. Use silver polish to shine the silver inlay. Then rub pure vegetable oil over the entire surface. Water will not harm Bidri piece but soap and salt should be avoided as they can spot the thin black surface.

Traditional bidri work you can see here and here.

‘Bhung’ or mud hut a traditional construction in Kutch is an engineering wonder.

Here are the mud houses or bhungas and glipses of people of Kutch.These traditional circular homes withstood the devastating earthquake (2001). They are also considered cyclone proof. They can be constructed with local material.

The colourful and one of the extremely rich in crafts region of Gujarat (India) is Kutch. Many communities and tribes in this region have their own distinctive styles in textiles, embroidery and handicrafts. Each community and tribal group has its own lexicon of motifs and embroidery stitches.

                                      Bharwaads

Rabaaris are the ones who decorate the insides of their mud-and-thatch huts with ‘lippankam’ or mud-mirror work; the Bharwaads are seen in their exquisitely embroidered dresses and clothes; the Meghwaals decorate the exteriors of their mud huts with alluring patterns; the nomadic Jaths whose subgroups include the graceful Fakirani Jaths, live in huts made of coloured reeds. And you can see a group of Jath women walking along the road in their brightly coloured and beautifully embroidered costumes.

                                      Meghwaals

What makes the `bhungas’ so strong?

Their circular design and the steely mesh of mud plaster and twigs make them resist any wind pressure and quake. The `bhungas’, which ‘even a king would envy’ for its elaborate design and artistic elegance, have a light dome-shaped bamboo and thatched roof and a circular wall plastered with mud, twigs and dung.

Their thick walls keep the interior cool when the temperature rises to 46 degrees celsius in summer and warm when it drops to two degrees in winter.

Above image is part of permanent exhibitionin in the Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig in Germany.

bhunga out of clay and reed

                mirror work embroidery,     hand woven jute rug

                                         Rabaaris

I had to bring these enduring images of Kutch & Bhung before I do a post on lippankam and other crafts!

(Images courtesy BAPS charities,   Michael Sheridan, craftsinindia,

I do not know of any Indian festival without at least one element of design entwined into it. Rakhi is no exception. In fact it is so laden with crafts and designs that with changing fashion and market new avatars of rakhi keep coming.

The sister ties a rakhi on the right hand of brother and brother is thus bound with love to protect the sister. The history of rakhi is told here.

Today, rakhi is also market and convenience driven.

I live in a metro city. So the work and distance to my brother’s place had me tie rakhi to him on Sunday already. But my daughters tied rakhi to my husband (his sister stays too far away, on her behalf) today.

The Chinese are always so eager to penetrate any and every market. They are already into our rakhi festival. Indian markets are full of made in china rakhis.

Our film industry does not remain far behind. In kid’s rakhi there is always an element of advertisement. Hanuman rakhis, Jadu or Ganesha my friend rakhis (films released or to be released) become the most popular too.

Rakhis originally made with colorful threads have taken many embellishments with it. From beads, jari and zardosi to stone, diamonds and even swarovski crystals and gold, silver designs are woven with threads. In the small scale industry of rakhi making, now big gold and diamond brands also want to have a say.

Generally brothers sport rakhis but in few casts (Marwar-Rajasthan) woman too wear rakhis. Today we too are tempted to wear rakhis.  Not only we sisters get promise of protection we get fabulous gifts from brothers too. 

A few; Types of rakhis.

And if you are smitten by rakhi, you can make one on your own: a few DIY projects for how to make rakhis.

                               thali (dish) decoration with rakhi

(Rakhi images courtesy chennaibazaar, homeindia, indiagiftsportal).

These are carved wooden jharokhas (windows).

In past you could see these jharokhas in lot of Indian homes, in villages, in palaces, everywhere. Now they are mostly used inside the house as wooden frame or just as decor pieces.

                   accent pillow- balang

                                            Table linen

bandhej scarf and beach wrap

Traditional Indian handcrafted work on cotton is real eye candy. Each region of India has much to offer. This is from Tilonia, Rajasthan.

                block prints table linen and duffel bag

 The Barefoot college in Tilonia assists local artisans in marketing their products in India and around the world.

                          accent pillow-applique work

            accent pillow in balang pattern embroidery

These applique work, block-printing, bandhej and balang pattern embroidery work from artisans are available in their online store .

 accent pillow in applique work