Grand G20 Crafts Bazaar; Opining best of handicrafts to world

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, September 6: The G20 Summit is bracing up to showcase traditional Indian handicrafts at the G20 Crafts Bazaar, bringing together handicraft items from across India under one roof with a special focus on the ‘One District One Product’ initiative.

“Leaders, delegates and accredited media persons from across the world will witness the exquisite skill and craftsmanship of Indian artisans,” the G20 headquarter said in a post on X, while giving details of several traditional handicrafts which will be showcased.

Phulkari

Phulkari or ‘flower work’ embroidery, practised in Punjab, dates back to the fifteenth century. Phulkari was used by families on important occasions like, weddings, births, and religious functions. The embroidered phulkari is divided into two categories: bagh and chope. Bagh is fully covered with geometric floral motifs, whereas in chope, only the outline of the motifs is embroidered using reversible back stitch. Traditional phulkari is made on red-coloured, hand-spun and hand-woven, thick, coarse khaddar (cotton). The embroidery is done in bright colours like golden yellow, orange, red, pink, green, blue, and white using untwisted silk floss called pat. Phulkari has been a tool for social and economic empowerment of women in the region with Balbir Kaur and Manjit kaur well known for their mastery in the art

Kashidakari

Kashidakari, literally meaning needlework, is the famous embroidery style of the Kashmir valley. Kashidakari is an umbrella term that covers diverse techniques such as crewel or aari work, tilla, sozni, and rezkar. The fabric used as a base for kashida embroidery is typically pashmina wool in cream, white, or soft pastel shades. Kashmiri embroiderers employ a wide array of colours for the embroidery. Popular motifs include the chinar leaf, cypress tree, almonds, grapes, pomegranates, and flowers like the iris, narcissus, lotus, daodil etc.

Papier mache

Papier mache was introduced in Kashmir by Sultan Zain-ul-Abadin in the 15th century. It involves use of paper, rice flour, and acrylic colours as the main materials, with wood, terracotta, and metal forming the base. Its production entails mould-making using materials like wood, copper, local materials like waste paper and rice flour. The making of papier mache involves several steps including pishlawun for polishing, followed by naqashi for surface decoration with acrylic colours and sometimes gold foil. Some of the known master craftsmen of the art include Iqbal Hussain Khan and Muzzafar Hussain Kashu.

Punja Dhurrie

Panipat in Haryana is famous for the ‘punja’ dhurrie, a kind of floor covering used in almost every village household. Originally, a traditional item made by village women, these dhurries have become one of a kind rugs, that are famous for their sturdiness and long lasting nature. These dhurries are handwoven, and the design is perfected with the use of the punja, a metallic claw-like tool used to beat and set the threads in the warp. Mostly made from cotton and wool, jute is also sometimes used in the making of these rugs. These dhurries are adorned with geometrical shapes and stripes created with the use of multi-colour wefts

Madhubani paintings

Located in the Mithila region of the state of Bihar, the art of Madhubani painting traces its roots back to the marriage of Ram and Sita, in the Ramayana. Traditionally, done on mud walls to celebrate ceremonies such as births and marriages, this art was commercialised when the women of the household took to painting,on new materials such as paper and fabric. The motifs used in Madhubani are wide ranging and include scenes from the Ramayana, Indian mythology, geometric patterns & flora-fauna, each with its own implied meaning asper the occasion. The paintings use two-dimensional imagery and the colours are derived from plants. Vibha Lal is a known master artisan associated with this art form.

Chikankari

Chikankari, literally meaning ‘embroidery’, is one of the finest and most celebrated traditional embroidery styles from Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh. This intricate, subtle, and delicate embroidery is known for its still simple patterns, fine stitches, and rich textures. It started as white-on-white embroidery, intricately worked with a needle and white cotton thread on fine muslins (mulmul). However, today, although pastels still remain a popular choice, embroidery is done in multiple colours and almost on every kind of fabric, whether plain or printed. Some of the known mastercrafts women in this field include Naseem Bano and Sunita Sharma.

Kantha

The embroidery most representative of the essence of West Bengal, is the kantha. A textile covered with running stitches forming various motifs, the knowledge of Kantha has been passed down from one generation to another. The lexicon of motifs used in kantha embroidery is extensive and ranges from religious to secular domains. While many of the traditional motifs are used for their religious symbolism, others are taken from everyday life. Traditionally, kanthas were used as bed covers, cradle cloths, quilts, and shawls, but now products like saris, dupattas, yardage, bags, and more are being made.A known award winning master artist is Mahamaya Sikdar.

Pattachitra

The name ‘pattachitra’ means painting pictures or scenes on cloth. A traditional art form belonging to the state of Odisha, it is closely related to the religious, mythological, and devotional beliefs of the local people for Lord Jagannath ji and the temple traditions of Puri. It is a living art form, practised in many parts of Odisha, on old cotton fabric, cotton saris and tussar silks. Traditional colours like red, blue, yellow, green, black etc., are used for making pattachitras. Sanghamitra Maharana and Smt. Sabita Mahapatra are famous awardees in this art form.

Kasuti

Kasuti embroidery from Karnataka, is the famous counted thread embroidery whose origin dates back to the early Chalukya period. The word kasuti, derived from ‘kai’ meaning hand, and ‘suti’ meaning cotton, refers to embroidery done by hand using cotton threads. Traditionally, kasuti was done on hand-woven cotton cloth, usually of dark colour, and the products most often embroidered were the khanns, used as blouse pieces, and ilkalsaris. Practiced by women, kasuti embroidery involves embroidering very intricate patterns, mostly adapted from temple designs, architectural motifs, and the beautiful flora and fauna of the region

Dhokra

Dhokra casting from the state of Chattisgarh, is also known as madhuchistavidhana or lost wax casting. It is an ancient metalworking technique, prevalent in the Indian subcontinent ,for over four millennia. The term “Dhokra” originates from the Dhokra Damar tribe. Here, the core image is made from a mix of soil and rice husk, while intricate designs are crafted using wax threads made from a blend of beeswax, resin, and nut oil. The wax-coated mould is layered with clay, dried, and subjected to open fire casting, with molten metal poured into the mould. Dhokra casting is practiced in the tribal regions of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.

(Source: G20 HQ)

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