Handicrafts of Rajasthan

The royal state of Rajasthan has been bequeathed with a wealth of traditional arts and crafts that has made this region a treasure trove for numerous products such as ethnic silver jewellery, miniature paintings, wooden furniture and marble stone articles, to name just a few. Every area of Rajasthan weaves its own traditional story of handicrafts that is unique from those of any other place. From Bikaner, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bhilwara and Udaipur to Jodhpur, Alwar and Kisangarh- each region has its own distinctive heritage of diverse handicrafts.

The Rajasthan handicrafts have always been a part of the social fabric of state. From the time of the royal kings who patronized the artisans to the modern times where the locals have maintained their family craftsmanship skills, Rajasthan has always been a thriving centre of arts and crafts.

The various handicrafts that are particular to Rajasthan are:

Miniature Paintings
The miniature paintings of Rajasthan have their own distinct style and regional characteristics but the one thing that is common to all of them is their intrinsic beauty and classic elegance. While the Udaipur and Jaipur miniatures can be recognized by their fine brush strokes, Bundi and Kotah miniature paintings are known for their scenes of battle and hunting scenes. These paintings are often done on handmade paper. Phad paintings are the famous folk paintings, executed on cloth, from Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Jewelry
Rajasthan being the world's largest center for hand cutting of gems, is India's important source for precious and semi precious stones like; Ruby, Emerald, Garnets, Agate, Amethyst, Topaz, Lapis lazuli, Carnelian, etc and the region is quite famous for its exquisite craftsmanship on gems and jewellery. From lacquer and filigree work, to delicately cut precious stones and exquisite enameled & silver jewelry- everything is available. Kundan jewellery-a style of inlay setting of unpolished diamonds and other stones and Meenakari or the art of enameled gold jewelry, are both exclusive to Jaipur. The thewa work of Pratapgarh is highly exquisite and popular where designs are enameled in gold on a glass base. The base used is generally green or red in color.

Blue Pottery
Exclusive to Jaipur, this unique craft doesn't use clay but rather crushed quartz to make beautifully shaped pottery items such as flower pots ashtray, tiles, lamp shades, jars and various accessories and interior items with their distinctive shade of blue.

Textiles
Heart-warming textiles, dyed in the bandhani or tie & dye style reign supreme in Rajasthan. This involves knotting the material and dipping it in color to form delicate bandhej patterns. The concept of hand block printing on textiles is also popular that is a traditional form of imparting motifs and color on fabric, mostly cotton.

Leather Craft
Leatherwork in Rajasthan is mainly in the form of jootis in which the leather is tanned and dyed and made into incredibly soft yet remarkably sturdy footwear. The jootis are beautifully designed with embroidery and/or sequin work that make the jootis highly stylistic. You can also find items made up of camel skin in the form of lampshades, vases, perfume vials and photo frames in Bikaner.

The variety of Rajasthan art and crafts make shopping in Rajasthan a very pleasurable experience where you can never get enough of it. The shops and markets of Rajasthan are stuffed with fine works of premier craftsmenship that are waiting to adore your living quarters. So shop to your heart's content for the specialized handicrafts of Rajasthan when you tour Rajasthan with us.

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