Handmade In India: 5 Craft Villages That Are Keeping Ancient Arts Alive

There is a whole different world to explore, if only we find time off from our phone/tablet screen. Internet is full of shopping websites that are easily your one-stop shop for almost everything. So next time you find yourself browsing the world wide web for some pretty Ikkat dresses, beautiful unique potteries and places breathtakingly offbeat, do find time to investigate just a little bit more. You will learn so much about so many artistic villages in India, well known for their special arts and crafts. Here are five popular craft villages in India that you need to start your artsy journey with. 

Pochampally in Telangana

Fans of Ikkat, this is where you need to be. Pochampally is home to some of India's oldest handloom centres. The weaving community of Pochampally are proud of their rich and unique heritage of dyes and fabric. The Pochampally sari derives its name from Bhoodan Pochampally, a cluster of around 80 villages where weaving has been the traditional means of livelihood for over a century. The uniqueness of the sari lies in the ikkat techniques employed by weavers to transfer intricate geometric patterns to weft and warp threads, which are then woven together. The fabrics used are silk and cotton as well as a blend of silk and cotton known as sico. Increasingly natural dyes are being used on these saris. It is interesting to note that Air India air hostesses wear silk Pochampally saris that were especially designed as their uniform. Since ikkat weaving is a heritage craft, it has been given Geographical Indication status.

Raghurajpur in Odisha

Once known as the keepers of Odisha’s ancient pattachitra art, largely due to late Jagannath Mohapatra (winner of President of India’s award in 1965) who lived here, today the village houses artists practising various traditional arts. The presiding deity of Puri, Lord Jagannath and his siblings, go into seclusion for a fortnight, prior to the Rathayatra festival, when the temple remains closed. In the ancient times, the artists or the chitrakar would sell small handmade paintings of the idols to pilgrims who visited during this period. Read more about it here.

Pipli in Odisha

The ancient craft of applique work in the town of Pipli has earned a GI (Geographical Indicator) tag. It dates back to the 17^th and 18th centuries when applique work clothes and decorative pieces were used in the Jagannath Temple in Puri during religious processions. Patachitra, the indigenous traditional painting style of Odisha practiced by an artist community called chitrakars, has also received a Geographical Indicator (GI) tag. The city of Cuttack is famous for its centuries old Chandi Tarakasi, the craft of silver filigree. Metal crafts is another tradition Odisha is known for, especially dhokra metal casting which is synonymous with the traditional craft of bell metal or brass. The tribal art form uses lost wax technique to cast beautiful designs of lamps, boxes, tribal figures and gods.

Chennapatna in Karnataka

Channapatna town in Ramanagara district of Karnataka is home to traditionally crafted toys that are also GI tagged. The town of Channapatna is also known as Gombegala Ooru or Toy Town. The story of the Channapatna toy dates back to the 18th century. The toy made its initial journey to the court of Tipu Sultan as a gift from Persia. So impressed was Tipu Sultan of the craftmanship that he invited artisans from Persia to train the local artisans and from there it began, the story of these wooden toys, their journey from Persia to Channapatna. Each and every toy is carefully handcrafted. Traditionally, the toys are made of ivory-wood but these days one can find toys made of sycamore, cedar, pine, teak and even rubber. Each toy-making process starts from the wood which is then seasoned, cut, carved and lastly coloured. Vegetable dyes are used on these toys so that children can play without any danger from harmful dyes. 

Andro Pottery Village in Manipur

Andro is home to the unique form of pottery, locally known as Charai Taba, practiced only by married women. At a time when the king pushed all of Imphal valley to convert to Hinduism from the 1700s onwards, a small group of Meiteis chose to become social castaways in order to continue practicing their indigenous Sanamahi faith. An even smaller group of their descendants live in Andro village today, and still practice their prized heritage craft, the rare pottery form of Charai Taba. Also termed ‘coil pottery,’ the form of the pot transpires, as the potter makes and stacks loop after loop of clay (charais) of different sizes, melding them together one by one, till the resulting object finally takes the curvaceous the shape of a pot. A Charai Taba potter works without any kind of motor, and uses her wheel more for precision sculpting, rather than giving the pot form. Interestingly, this is an art form practiced only by married women, and generally passed on to young brides by their mother-in-law. Read more about it here.