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 Shopping
in India can be an experience in itself for a discerning shopper. India is a
treasure trove of handicrafts, textiles and artifacts sold in vicinities of
posh surroundings or colourful local bazaars in all major cities. Also there
are multi- storeyed, air-conditioned shopping arcades where you can just buy
everything under one roof. Each state has something different and exclusive
of its own region. offering you a wide variety in metal crafts, jewellery,
handicrafts, textiles, stone crafts, wood crafts, paintings etc., to choose
from.
Metal Craft
Gold & Silverware :-
The craftspersons of India not only excelled in enameled jewellery but also
enameled utensils such as wine-cups, finger bowls, pillboxes etc., in both
gold and silver repousse, sometimes studded with jewels. Ideal Place To
Shop: Lucknow city in Utter Pradesh, also available in all tourist cities.
Brass & Copperware :-
India is the largest brass and copper-making region in the world. For
articles made out of one or more pieces of metal. In most form use of
ornaments, utensils and showpieces.
Ideal Place To Shop :-
Muradabad is for utensils for utility and ornamental. Varanasi is known for
its cast and sculptured mythological images and emblemata in brass and
copper. Both towns are in Uttar Pradesh state of India. And other regions
are like Kashmir, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Metal Ornamentation
Metal ornaments have a rave in all ages and times. The attractive contrasts
in colors and textures of metal has led to evolution of metal ornamentation
through techniques like inlay, overlay, appliquι, fixing of colors.
Bidri :-
Bidri, a form of surface ornamentation, in black colour, which never fades
and is relieved with silver and gold inlay. Ideal Place To Shop: Lucknow
well known for manufacturing center and other north Indian tourist towns.
Enameling :-
Enameling is the art of coloring and ornamenting the surface of the metal by
fusing over it various mineral substances. The beauty of the article depends
on the skill and resources of the worker and the excellence of the material
employed. The range of the colors obtained on gold is much greater than that
on silver, copper and brass. Three forms of Enameling are known to exist.
Ideal Place To Shop: Lucknow and Varanasi. And Jaipur specializes in
enameled trays and trinket boxes.
Pottery & Stone Craft
P ottery :-
Skilful potters of India are famous for their eye-catching articles of
functional and decorative value. Surahis, large sized containers, jars,
stools, tiles, earthenware dipped in vegetable colors are some of the famous
pottery work of India. Beautiful pottery and other ware made of ceramics, is
also one of the famous Indian buys. Ideal Place To Shop: Khurja in Uttar
Pradesh, Rampur is famous for surahis, Nizamabad in Azamgarh, Alwar, Jaipur,
Bikaner in Rajasthan, Kangra in Himachal is rich in clay wares, Khanapur in
Karnataka is noted for its large containers and jars, Kutch and Saurashtra
in Gujarat is famous for earthenware. Other regions are Haryana, Tamil Nadu,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Stone Craft and Marble Inlay Work :-
Indian craftsmen are skilled in making cut, shaped, polished beautiful
objects from odd blocks of stone and marble. The range of items include
tableware, plates, bowls, food containers, candle stands. Models carved in
marble of the Taj, vases, boxes, lamps, plates, bowls and pitchers are some
of the popular items produced here. Ideal Place To Shop: Hamirpur district
in Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Vrindavan near Mathura is famous for alabaster
objects embossed with synthetic gems, Jhansi for sange rathek stone carved
objects, Midnapur in West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
Wood Craft
Wood Carving :-
Painstakingly carved and inlaid, the wooden articles of India are quite
a rave with all lovers of woodcarvings. The range of designs includes vine
leaf patterns, floral, geometric and figurative decoration, in addition to
the traditional anguri and takai carvings, jali, brass, copper and ivory
inlay work. Woodcarvings made out of sandalwood and rosewood is famous in
India. Ideal Place To Shop: Saharanpur is famous for hard sheesham carvings,
Mainpur in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and
Rajasthan.
Wood Lacquering & Sculptures :-
Lacquering on the wood products add color, sparkle, and smoothness thereby
imparting lustrous finesse. India is well known for ornamental lacquering
involving intricate patterns like zigzag and dana work, atishi, abri or
cloud and nakashi.
Sculptures :-
Apart from marvelous prototypes of various gods and goddesses, the wall
plaques, statues and toys made of rosewood; sandalwood and teakwood are
famous artistic woodcarvings of southern India. Ideal Place To Shop:
Varanasi for lacquered toys, Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa,
Sikkim, West Bengal and Karnataka.
Precious & Semi Precious Stones
Precious Stones :-
The land that spells royalty is the home of the nameless precious and semi
precious stones like mother of pearl, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires,
lapis lazuli, aquamarines, amethysts and others. The process of transforming
a rough stone into a shapely object needs great skill in which Indian
craftsmen are adapted to the core. Ideal Place to Shop: Kashmir, Rajasthan
and Mumbai.
Costume Jewellery :-
India is one of the most important countries for the manufacture and export
of costume jewellery. It has the largest production base for glass beads.
Ideal Place to Shop: Varanasi, Purdilpur and Mathura are famous for glass
bead, stringing glass and wooden beads necklaces, Ferozabad is rich in
lightweight beads, German Jewellery is found in Agra, Meerut for metal
jewellery, silver ornaments in Rajasthan and Haryana, Rohtak for peasant
jewellery and head ornaments in Maharashtra.
Tribal Jewellery :-
Indias tribal jewellery is major attraction within the country as well as
abroad. The adornment fashioned from flowers, leaves, stones of creepers are
unbelievably charming, shells, seeds and berries being the most celebrated.
Ideal Place to Shop: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam,
Madhya Pradesh, shell bracelets found in West Bengal.
Paintings
Floor Painting :-
The origin of painting is traced to a moving legend recorded in the
Chitralakshana the earliest Indian treatise on painting. The Chola rulers
in the south, made extensive use of Kolam, floor designs. Only women do
these decorations.
Wall Painting :-
The paintings on walls have deeper themes, also narrative in a series of
panels. Wall paintings are usually made at festivals and special occasions
like marriages. Folk paintings attain a high standard and artists won a
great fame in this art.
Phad Paintings :-
Phad Paintings are predominantly yellow, red and green colored long scrolls
carried by the Bhopas itinerant balladeers of Rajasthan who narrated in
song the legend of Pabuji a local hero.
Mughal Miniature :-
Of all the art forms in the Mughal period, miniature paintings are
painstakingly painted creations that depict the events and lifestyle of the
Mughals in their magnificent palaces.
Madhubani :-
The wall paintings of Madhubani are joyous expressions of the women in
Madhubani. The lively compositions and the vibrant colors used to paint them
are generally drawn from Indian mythology. Ideal Place to Shop: Bihar,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and West
Bengal.
Textiles
Brocade Textiles :-
Extreme softness, vivid colors and translucent texture characterize the silk
weaving of India. The brocade or kinkab (superb weaving in gold and silver)
has wide variety of techniques and styles. The brocades are distinguished by
poetic names like chand tara, dhupchaon, mazchar, morgala, bulbul chasm.
Ideal Place to Shop: Varanasi for tanchoi sarees, Jamdani is the spatiality
of Tanda in Faizabad, Mysore, Kanchipuram, Murshidabad and Kashmir for silk
sarees, cotton sarees of Bengal and Madhya Pradesh are well known, and
patola sarees of Gujarat and Orissa are also famous.
Embroidery :-
The stitch by its sheer provides ornamentation to the material. The charm
lies in the minuteness of the floral motifs. Stitches used are satin stitch,
button stitch, hole stitch, dar stitch, netting and appliquι work which
brings a charming shadowy effect on lace. The heavier work is called zardozi
while the embroidery done in metal wire is called zari work. Ideal Place To
Shop: Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Chikan embroidery of Lucknow and other north
Indian tourists towns.
Hand Block Printing :-
Hand block printing in India was the chief occupation of the chippas a
community of printers. They use metal or wooden blocks to print designs on
the fabrics by hand. Ideal Place To Shop: Uttar Pradesh, Kutch, Kathiawar,
Rajasthan and Gujarat are well known for bandhni design.
Ethnic Dresses :-
As India is a land of various communities, one can fall into temptation of
buying at least half a dozen ethnic dresses from various parts of the
country. Ideal Place To Shop: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Lucknow, Kashmir, Bihar,
Kerala, Chennai.
Furniture
Cane & Moonj :-
India offers a superb selection of baskets made of moonj grass. Durable and
decorative cane furniture and other articles made here are a major draw as
items of export.
Ideal Place To Shop: Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Orissa, Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Decorative Work :-
Patra furniture is plated with white metal is intricately carved and
engraved. This type of furniture is famous even today as it was once adorned
in palaces. Lac furniture is also exquisite in variety and embellished with
workmanship called Sankheda. Ideal Place To Shop: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Assam, Kashmir, Tripura, Orissa and Punjab.
Floor Coverings
Carpets :-
The carpets of India are universally admired not only for their original
patterns, fine wool and rich colors, but also for being produced in sizeable
quantities of acceptable commercial quality. High quality carpets are
produced mostly in three varieties Persian, Turkoman and Ambusson.
Durries :-
The brilliantly colored durries are also an statement of the imagination of
the craftsmen of India. Exciting colors, forms, shapes and vibrant images
characterize this delightful art form.
Jute Floor Covering & Runners :-
The craftsmen of West Bengal have made use of this product extensively in an
exquisite manner to create several l types of floor covering with several
hues, sizes and designs, which represent Indian skills par excellence. Ideal
Place To Shop: Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Gwalior, Kashmir and Bengal.
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