Souvenirs with Stories - Arts and Crafts from India Part I

Embroidery work from Gujarat

Every decade needs its own manual of handicraft. -Liberty Hyde Bailey

With progress and mass production, we lose out the traditional essence of a place – its local art and craft. And this has been true for centuries. Back in the late 19th century, people in Europe, at the peak of industrial revolution, started the Arts and Crafts movement to preserve the traditional arts of a place. Situations got dire, world wars saw a loss of native arts but most survived, because need and supply were still localized, and art still thrived as a hobby and blossomed into an industry for décor and souvenirs.

Tarakaama (silver thread work) from Odisha

Fast forward to today, 21st century - age where global demand and supply are not localized anymore, hobbies barely find a slot in most of our busy calendars to survive (forget thriving); handicraft and handloom fabric were already competing with pocket friendly mass production, “minimalistic lifestyle” and the online bazaar; Art institutes, not only running out of pupils for the next generation, but are also running out of hope of keeping the traditional flare alive.  And hence probably what Liberty Hyde Bailey said is truer now, than when he had written it, mostly to remind us of what we have lost, what we might lose, and why regional arts and crafts need to survive. And now with COVID19 forcing everything to a standstill, places getting battered with storms and floods, and so many businesses dying as a result of it all, we can all imagine the extent of distress this year has caused to the surviving Handicraft and Handloom artists, right?

This Odiya Patachittra has been at my place for over 25 years now!

But there is hope! Due to COVID19, with people being locked at their places, most have turned to arts and crafts themselves, with some exploring local artforms more as a result. I am talking about Mandala Art – which has its origins in East India, Tibet and Bhutan, and Madhubani Painting which is from a part of Bihar (ancient kingdom of Mithila in India), Warli painting from Maharashtra and so many more. And to add to it all, recently on the National Handloom day (7th of August), the whole of India came out in support of regional handloom industry on social media, thanks to Smriti Irani (who is India’s current Minister of textile) starting a trend for #Vocal4Handmade on Twitter. And it felt so good to see so many people sharing their love for traditional Handloom products online! Which made me think, why not use this momentum and tell you of different traditional arts of India, so that when we are all able to travel again, we can get souvenirs with stories and help extend the longevity of the manual of handicraft we were handed down.

So today I am sharing with you, a handful of traditional arts from some states of India, that you can take back with you when you travel this huge diverse nation!

Odisha

Kandua Saree from my Mom's Collection!

Since I am from the state of Odisha, let me start by taking your through the state’s culture and timeless artforms that you can not only appreciate but also take back with you when you visit Odisha! Handloom weaving in Odisha or kingdom of Kalinga (what is was called back then) goes back to the days of Gupta Period in India, and Odisha Ikat was one of the precious items of trade with Indonesia for ages. From the ikat techniques, various unique regional fabrics and patterns were created with time and today Sambalpuri Bandha, Kalahandi Habasapuri, Sonepuri Bomkai, Koraput Kopad and so many more traditional fabrics have kept handloom weaving in Odisha alive. And, I would totally recommend getting a Sambalpuri Bandha Saree or Bomkai Silk Saree, especially since they are considered to be the oldest surviving mixed (cotton and silk thread) traditional fabrics of Odisha and still use traditional motifs like flowers, waves, conch shell or wheel etc.

I was gifted this Bomkai Silk Pata Saree recently and it is undoubtedly one of my favourite Sarees ever!

But if you wanted to get just one saree from Odisha, I would say you should own a Khandua Silk Pata Saree above all others. Afterall this fabric is used to dress up Lord Jagannath and has been an integral part of the state’s handloom cluster since 13th century! Bright coloured, pure silk sarees with elaborate yet intricate borders with flowers, animals, temple tops, and sometimes elaborate depictions of Yagya (holy rituals) - these drape you with the essence of Odia culture and history and hence are a must have from this beautiful state! And if you are worried about quality of the sarees, don’t; all the fabrics I mentioned above are GI (Geographical Indicator) protected! You can buy any of these sarees at any Boyonika Store in the state, which are run by the State Government and Primary Weavers Cooperative Society of Odisha. And if you can't wait till your visit, to get one of these weaves, check out Utkalamrita's online store (they work directly with weavers from various regions of Odisha).

Patachittra from Raghurajpur!

And, talking about culture and history, how can I not take you to Raghurajpur and its beautiful Patachittra. Mostly inspired by Hindu Mythology, these paintings have been made in Puri region apparently since 5th century BC and in 2000, Raghurajpur, near Puri was developed as the first Heritage and Crafts village of the state. These paintings are so intricate that they can take months to make, but once etched, they are nothing short of magic! I can’t describe how amazing these are, so I will let the picture above do the job for this one. 

Tarakasi from Cuttack

And from one intricate art to another, Silver Filigree Work or Tarakasi from Cuttack shines as bright as the silver even when it is on the verge of vanishing. Though the origin of Tarakasi is not very defined, Tarakasi sculptures and ornaments have been made in the Cuttack district of Odisha for over 500 years now. And this art deserves to survive and thrive, reason - The pictures above!  

Pipili Applique work

Then there is Applique work from Pipili, Talapatra art, Tara Kaama (silk thread work), and so many more handicrafts that are indigenous to Odisha that I can go on and on. But I really didn’t want to overwhelm you guys, so moving on to the next state…

Gujarat 

My Mom's and my Bhandhani love on display!

Most of my childhood was spent in Gujarat, and I lived in not one, but quite a few places in Gujarat. Hence if I had to pick one or two unique souvenirs from this state, it would be nearly impossible for me. But I won’t overwhelm you either, because once you visit Gujarat – the state will do it for you anyways. If I had to pick something that is an absolute must have from this state, it would be a Bandhani product! Bandhej or Bandhani (tie-dye products) though believed to have been invented During Indus Valley Civilization, has lived on till this date due to artisans in Gujarat and Rajasthan. And even though Bandhanis are found all over the country now, Jamnagar and Kutch actually hold the GI of Jamnagari Bandhani – making the Bheendi (knots) transformed patterned fabric special here. And along with beautiful memories, you can get Bandhani Kurtas, Sarees, Dupattas and Turbans to take back with you!

The stole I am wearing in this picture is a Patan Patola piece.

Another such extremely beautiful handloom fabric from Gujarat is Patan Patola. Considered one of the most complicated Double Ikat works in the world, the Patola products are made only by people of Salvi Community in Patan. I visited one of the oldest Patan Patola factories in Gujarat, which is less than a mile away from Rani Ni Vav, and that place is a museum in itself, to say the least. Patan Patola sarees have been made here since the 11^th century by the same family and they are so unique that back in the 14^th century, even Ibn-e-Batuta (the explorer) took a bunch of them as souvenirs. If this has made you more curious about Patan Patola, you might not have to wait till things go back to normal. Check out - http://www.patanpatola.com/ to know more. 

A Saurashtra Applique Rabari piece..

And if wearables are not what you are looking for, maybe Saurashtra’s Applique pieces with Rabari embroidery might steal your heart. I still remember the very first time we got an applique Toran (door décor) rabari work. When we used to live in Bhavnagar, my mother came to know that our house-help made these Torans. Before leaving the city, she bought a bunch of Torans from her and that is when she had told us embroidery designs in Gujarat are as diverse as the dialects of Gujarati in the state, but she was a Rabari and this art form passed down from one generation to the next in their households. In parts of Saurashtra, Rabari embroidery comes together with the traditional art of putting together patches of clothes in form of colourful design and patterns creating beautiful wall decors, bags, covers and so much more. When you can take back a combination of unique crafts from the state with one product why not grab that opportunity!

Madhya Pradesh

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(Above: Me in my first ever Chanderi Zari Saree!)

After Odisha and Gujarat, if my mom has a lot of sarees from any other state, it is Madhya Pradesh. Afterall this is the state that has been known for its Zari work (Chanderi) even before the Mughal Era. And I own one Chanderi Saree and absolutely love it. But if I had to pick two things definitely worth owning from this state, they would be Maheshwari Sarees and Batto Bai Dolls. Maheshwari sarees are cotton or pure silk sarees with zari or brocade in varied designs. Originating and holding the GI of Maheshwar, old capital of Holkar Kingdom, these sarees are believed by some to have been inspired by Chanderi Zari pattern, but with the weaving technique of craftsman from Surat – resulting in beautiful lite-weight (less thread) sarees that were unique! Dating back to the 18^th Century, these sarees became a sign of Malwa, and Maratha craftsmanship coming together and were not only popularized during the reign of Ahilya Bai Holkar, but it is also believed that she designed the very first Maheshwari saree. We might not get the saree designed by Rani Ahilya Bai, but we sure can get the best of two traditional arts in one, right? And while seeing these sarees being made in Maheshwar should be able to convince you to buy one for yourself, if you do want to learn more about them and get one beforehand check out - https://rehwasociety.org. 

Maheshwari Sarees by Rehwa Society (source)

And when handicrafts meet best out of waste movement one gets something simple and beautiful like Batto Bai Dolls. I had seen these dolls once, long long time ago, but never really knew much about them till this May, when I came across an article about them in Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s Blog. Not very long ago, these dolls were made by Batto Bai in Gwalior and were sold in Melas. Today these dolls, which are primarily made with rags and organic colours, are also sold in Bhopal, but Batto Bai’s family (4^th generation) still makes these dolls and have managed to make these dolls an integral part of Gwalior’s culture. Since these recently got added to my souvenirs list, I wanted to share them with you too!

And…

I actually wanted to write about many more states and many other handicrafts. But I realize I might already have overwhelmed you guys today. So, for now, I leave you with the central belt of India and their artistic weaves and colours. I will continue the souvenir hunt for you guys next time with some more stories.

P.S. - This post is not sponsored.

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