Rajasthan is among the richest states of India.
Each period of its history made if contribution to this fild. The kings and nobles were patrons of hart and
crafts and encouraged the craf t persons.
There was an obsessive desire to decorate their surroundings.
Right from the walls of the forts and palaces, to the
walls of the rural villagers, the desire to add
color
prevailed. Warriors, not only gave elaborate attention
to their clothing and amours, but also ensured that
the horses and elephants that carried them into the
battleground where equally decorated. Ornaments like
jeweled
saddles and intricate silver howdas were proudly displayed
.the women of Rajasthan are famed for there beauty and
it is said that the printed patterns on the women's
skirts are different in village even 30 Kms apart.
Paintings - Shopping
Rajasthan has many schools ol painting having Their
own districts styles, well known among them being Marwar,
Mewar, Hadoti Kishangarh, Dhundhur and Alwar.
The Miniature Paintings of Rajasthan which had
flourished under
princely patronage are still reproduced and descendants
of the original craftsmen continue to produce
miniature
masterpieces, retaining their classic elegance . They
are often made on hand made paper mythological the ms
from Ramayana, Krishna Lila, Ragamala, and Geetgovinda
are commonly used . In the paintings , Vividly
rendered
are hills valleys, gardens, palaces, court scenes and
religious processions.Jewellery - Shopping
Bangles are a special attraction of Rajasthan. Lac bangles
are belie ved to be worn as a sign of good omen and are
available in many colors & designs. Glass bangles,
made in great variety in Jaipur & Jodhpur, are perennially
in demand and are available in most parts of the state.
Kundan and enamel jewellery has been a specialty of
Rajasthan, particularly that of Jaipur. Kundan is the
art of setting precious stones in gold.
The stones are embossed into decorative shapes & patterns
and embellished with delicate enamel ornamentation in
the champeve ( raised field ) technique. The designs
are mostly exquisitely entwined flowers and birds and
sometimes human and animal figures.
Jaipur is well known for its gold and silver
enameling.
This traditional art of Meeriakariis also done in Nathdwara.
The thewa work of Pratapgarh is highly exquisite and
popular, in this technique, designs are enameled in
gold on a glass base. The base used is generally green
or red in colour.
Textiles - Shopping
Heart-warming textiles, dyed in the bandhani or tie
& dye style reign supreme in Rajasthan. The artofbano^an/isa
highly skilled process. Different methods are used to
tie the fabric into small points producing different
patterns like Lahariya, Mothda, Ekdali and
 Shskari. The
best bandhani work comes iikar and Jodhpur, while Jaipur, Pali, Udaipur and Nathdwara are the other
centers.
The women of Rajasthan have embroidering fabrics. Embroidery
practiced in Bikaner is done by counting threads. The
women of Sikar and Jhunihunu specialize in making patterns
of animals. Chain stitch is popular in A!war. Dancing
figures. Flowers and peacocks are the favorite motifs.
Women of Barmer use mirrors, thus enhancing the beauty
of the embroidered piece.
In applique, different pieces of cloth are patched together
to make a multicolored mosaic.. The exotic colours,
shapes and pattern combinations against constrasting
backgrounds catch the eye.
Floor Coverings - Shopping
Rajasthani Namdas are woolen druggets decorated with
embroidery and applique work. Namdas produced at Tonk
are in great demand. Also available are traditional
cotton carpets called Durries which are hand woven with
geometric patterns and repeating colours.
Rajasthan's Floor Covering industry has been
revitalized
to suit the needs of the modern buyer and Rajasthani
Carpets are making headway in markets not only in India
but abroad. |
