Chanderi Fabric
Chanderi saree is a popular traditional Indian saree originating from Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh. Local legends claim that Chanderi was founded by Shishupala, the cousin of the Hindu God, Lord Krishna. The production of these sarees possibly started sometime between the 2nd and the 7th century.
The Chanderi sarees are made of either silk, silk cotton or pure silk. Chanderi patterns include floral art, peacock motifs, and traditional coins woven into the fabric. The gold and silver brocade work, opulent embroidery, and the use of fine silk make the Chanderi sarees one of the finest forms of sarees in India.
Leather Toys of Indore
Craftsmen in Indore, Rajasthan produce a unique craft form: lifelike sculptures of animals from leather. They make not just sculptures of Indian domestic and wild species, but also of exotic animals from abroad.
The craftsmen first make a frame of the animal with steel wires and then cover it with waste paper or hay that is bound by strings. This base is then covered with cardboard pulp. On this soft coating, the artisans carve out the fine details of the animal with great accuracy. After drying, the cardboard layer is coated with goat leather using tamarind seed glue as adhesive. After the leather is dry, the sculptures are dipped in the coloring dye and dried in the sun. Horns and eyes are made of plastic or glass and attached to the sculpture.
This finished products are both sold in the domestic market or exported.
Bagh Prints of Madhya Pradesh
Bagh Print is a popular Indian handicraft, a traditional hand block print, originating from Bagh in the Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh. The main feature of Bagh Prints is the use of replicated floral and geometric patterns in red and black vegetable colors on fabric with white background. A variety of fabrics are used for the Bagh Prints including cotton, silk, cotton rugs, chiffon, georgette, crepe, etc.
The Bagh Print tradition was started by the community of Muslim Khatris in the region who were converts to Islam under the influence of a Sufi saint. These people migrated across the Indus from Sind to the Rajasthan region and then to the Madhya Pradesh region. With them, they brought their traditional art form which they continued to practice here with some local alterations to meet the local demands. After the printing process is complete, the printed fabric is repeatedly washed in the river and then dried in the sun.
Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh
The Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh are famous for their uniqueness and beauty. The craft has been practiced here for centuries and the process of casting practiced in Tikamgarh is similar to the Dhokra casting in Betul and is known as lost wax casting.
Here, a mixture of industrial wax, a binding resin, and groundnut oil is first made. A clay base is often used for larger items over which the wax mixture is coated. The finer details are then crafted into the wax model using rolling pins, spatulas, and various other objects devised by craftsmen for their needs.
After the wax hardens, it is covered by a thin layer of red soil available locally. Before application, the soil is mixed sieved with a fine cloth and mixed with water so that when coated, it reached every crevice in the wax sculpture. Following this, a thick paste of cow dung and red mud is used to coat the sculpture. Once dried, black soil and sand is used to cover it. This entire process takes about a week to be completed.
After the wax hardens, the sculpture is baked in a furnace where wax melts and pours out of one hole made in the sculpture and molten metal is poured in through the other hole. The baked mud cover is then broken open to reveal the metal sculpture beneath it. The metal is then polished to acid treated to give it an antique finish.
The number of craftsmen of Tikamgarh engaged in the bell metal sculpture production have fallen sharply over the years. However, the craft which once catered to the needs of the Indian royalty only, now also reaches out to buyers worldwide. Toys, figurines, vessels, lamps, etc., are now produced using this indigenous craft form of Madhya Pradesh.
Maheshwar Sarees Fabrics
The Maheshwari Saree is an indigenous handicraft of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The sarees are either in pure silk or cotton fabric and woven with zari or brocade in different designs like checks, stripes, florals, etc. Other dress materials are also made using this unique style.
The origin of the craft goes back to the 18th century Madhya Pradesh. At that time, silk was the main fabric used to weave these saris but over time cotton was also used as a major fabric. Legend says that the saris were first weaved when Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, a royal of the region, ordered craftsmen and artisans to design a sari of unique nature that she would used as a special gift for her royal guests and relatives. It is said that it was the queen who designed the first Maheshwar sari. The grand and intricate designs of Madhya Pradesh’s architectural wonders helped inspire the designs of the saris.
Ratlami Sev
Ratlami Sev is a crisp, fried snack that is prepared using a variety of ingredients including gram flour, pepper, cloves, and several other spices. The snack is produced only in the Ratlam city of Madhya Pradesh where it enjoys protection under the Geographical Indication status. The taste of this snack is quite different than the Bikaneri bhujia produced in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
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