Typically the most popular ornamental products tend to be artistic figurines associated with Indian Gods and Goddesses that have finely carved facial expressions. Throughout the land of Buddha, even in the present day trainees in natural stone carving begin with his statues, seeking to master intricate hand gestures as well as facial expressions highlighting various mudras.

This captivation with regard to stone seems to have transcended all periods and ages. Irrespective of whether it might be elaborate inlay together with black onyx marble or maybe finely latticed soapstone, the particular lure of stone has become changeless. Several Hindu not to mention Islamic rulers of India patronized this kind of craft. The creativity throughout Uttar Pradesh achieved artistic heights of brilliance in the course of the Mughal years when Taj Mahal was built.

This type of art work on natural stone is usually a mixture of chiselling, inlaying engraving, sculpture as well as undercut. Motifs are crafted by means of cutting the stone together with varying intricate shapes on it. Throughout the process, stonecutters and sculptors operate side by side. The main material associated with this work are marble, gorara soapstone and from time to time cuddapah.

Depending on the number of children (and indeed adults) you expect to take part at any one time, attach the required number of ribbons to the Maypole you have erected. Any type of used or cheap fabric can be used although the more colourful the better. Ideally, the strips of fabric need to be at least 12 feet long if the Maypole is around 6 feet in height. Tie these pieces together at the top of the pole in a way that is secure.

For young kids, it’s best not to use rope for the aim of Maypole dancing is to interweave the fabric strips as the children wend and weave their way past one another. Soft fabrics are ideal for this without causing any damage or rope burns. If possible, you can also wrap colourful material around the pole itself to make the scene even more vibrant.

Once the Maypole is completed, it’s time to briefly discuss the history and traditions of the Maypole in your own country and around the world. Traditional Morris Dancing music can be bought online as well as example videos on Youtube. Maypole dancing is an ideal way to encourage your kids and their friends to learn about their own nation’s traditions and indeed to become excited about history. Laughter and fun will be the order of the day once the children (and adults) start to dance around the Maypole on May Day.

You can read more about the history and traditions of Maypole dancing here: The History of the Maypole in England.

Chikankari with pearls

The many Begums of the Lucknow nawabs, practiced fine chikankari in a bid to vie for the Nawab’s attention. They developed the art and took it to its favoured position amongst the royalty. The British (during their rule on India) influenced chikankari to evolve beyond the ethnice designs onto formal clothing and other items which helped in developing the export markets.The bollywood has been significant in popularizing the contemporary chikankari with its opulent costumes.

Process

The design to be embroidered is block printed on the fabric using washable dyes. Depending on the final product to be this is either done on unstitched cloth or pre-stitched cloth so the design for the necklines, sleeves etc can be marked out.

Stitches

Chikankari is unique in the sense that it uses about 40 stitches and each stitch is used for a specific purpose. For example, the zanjeera stitch (or the chain stitch) is used to embroider the outlines for the floral motifs and it will not be used for filling stitches.

Also, the embroiders are specialized in a certain stitch (either outline stitches or filling stitches) and they work together to complete the final product. The outline embroiderers will finish their part and pass it on to the filling embroiderers to complete.

Some common stitches

Tepchi ~a long running or darning stitch. It is used mainly as a basis for further embroidery and sometimes to form a simple shape.
Bakhiya~ double back or shadow stitch. It is done from the wrong side of the fabric and the design is rendered in the herringbone style. The shadow of the thread is seen through the cloth on the right side.

Rahet ~ a stem stitch worked on the wrong side of the fabric which forms a line of back stitch on the right side of the fabric. It is commonly used in the double form of dohra bakhiya as an outlining stitch.

Khatau ~ similar to bakhia but finer. It is a form of appliqué.

Zanjeera ~ a small chain stitch worked with one thread on the right side of the fabric. It is used to finally outline the leaf or petal shapes after one or more outlines have already been worked.

Phanda & Murri ~ French knots. They are forms of stitches used to embroider the centre of the flower. Murri is rice-shaped and phanda is millet-shaped.
Hool ~ a fine detached eyelet stitch. For this stitch, a hole is punched in the fabric and the yarns are teased apart. It is then held by small straight stitches worked all round. It often forms the center of a flower.

Jaali ~ the thread is never drawn through the fabric, making certain that the back portion of the garment looks as neat as the front. The warp and weft threads are carefully drawn apart and minute buttonhole stitches are inserted into the cloth.

Turpai & Darzdari ~ Turpai has the effect of a thin thread. Darzdari has several varieties, the commonly used ones are Kohidarz, Kamal darz, and Singbhada darz.

Some other chikankari stitches are: Pechani, Bijli, Ghaspatti, Makra, Kauri, Hathkadi, Sazi, Kapkapi, Madrazi, Kangan, Dhania- patti, Rozan, Meharki, Chanapatti, Badla, Jora, Keel kangan and Bulbul.

Motifs
The motifs have been picked up from the nature and mostly include flowers, foliages, creepers, fruits like mango (integrated into design as paisleys), birds like peacock and parrot etc.

Image Courtesy: http://www.soulquest-lifestyle.com

Sandal wood holds great religious significance in the Indian religions of Hindusim and Buddhism. The paste garnered from the wood is an important part of rituals and ceremonies which are performed. Devotess apply the paste to their foreheads, necks and chests during religious events and is also used in marking utensils and icons. Sandalwood is also considered to be an alternative medicine which can bring people closer to the divine. In the West, sandalwood is best known in the form of essential oils which can be used to reduce anxiety and for their beautiful scent.

In the Indian state of Karnataka, skilled craftsmen and workmen are employed to gather and create delightful and charming carvings. These also form items which are put up for sale both in India and to the worldwide market. Mostly decorative in nature, these sandalwood products include jewellery boxes, serving trays, combs, figurines, idols, cigarette cases, photo frames and even intricately carved walking sticks which are accompanied with rosewood handles.

There are two types of sandalwood. The first is called Srigandha which has a close grain and is yellow-brown in color. This is the best form of sandalwood from which to make carvings with. The second is called Nagagandha which is a dark brown shade and is mainly used for the extraction of oil. Karnataka sandalwood carvers is mainly found in the cities and towns of Bangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Sorab, Honavar and Kumta.

So what is Mashru? It’s a mixed fabric that combines cotton and silk. This merging of the two fabrics meant Muslim men could get around the rule where the wearing of pure silk was forbidden. The Mashru fabric is woven in vibrant colors typical of the region and also contains a satin weave. On the outer face is silk with a smooth and glossy finish, whilst cotton is worn facing towards the body. The inner cotton layer is absorbent which aids cooling in the hot climate.

Ikat pattern techniques are often used during the creation of Mashru fabric. This allows for a wide variety of patterns and shapes to be used thereby increasing the aesthetics of the fabric. Solid stripes and strong hues are used to great effect.

There are a number of different types of Mashru weaving which include alacha and qatna which are most popular in Gujarat as well as gulbadan, susi, galta and sangi. Today, the Gujarati city of Patan is the central hub of Mashru weaving.

In many ways this quilting craft can rightfully be called a recycling art form. This is due to the re-usability of this craft form where precious materials when worn or frayed, are stitched into a different format and used in another way. Traditionally, Kantha embroidery was created using soft dhotis (loin cloth) and saris. The thread that is used in this process is taken from the borders of the used cloth.

Kantha embroidered cloth has a wide variety of uses. As would naturally be assumed, women’s clothing such as shawls are a popular creation. Kantha can also be used in the making of covers for such items as pillows, boxes and mirrors. In the modern age, Kantha is used in the production of sarees, shirts, furnishings and bedding. Often, the entire cloth is decorated with beautiful motifs portraying flowers, birds, animals, geometric shapes and other cultural visions from daily life in West Bengal.

Kantha embroidery has a long history and is believed to have arisen with the way Bengali women mended old clothes. They would take out strands of thread from the borders of their colorful sarees and then create simple designs with them. The creations were known by different titles depending on what the item they created was. These names included Lepkantha and Sujni Kantha. Another simple fact for the development of Kantha embroidery was to keep out the cold during the winter months in this northern region of India.

There are in fact 7 forms of Kantha embroidery in West Bengal. These are as follows:

Archilata Kantha ~ These are small and are used in the creation of covers such as found for mirrors and various accessories. They have very colorful borders.

Baiton Kantha ~ In a square format and used for wrapping and covering items such as books. They usually have very elaborate borders.

Durjani/thalia ~ Quilted wallets created from rectangular pieces of Kantha fabric.

Lep Kantha ~ These are heavily padded wraps in a rectangular format. Used to make quilts especially for the colder months during winter. A wavy pattern is used in the stitching and a simple embroidery carried out on the completed quilt.

Oaar Kantha ~ Pillow covers. They have a simple design with a decorative border sewn on after completion.

Sujani Kantha ~ Decorative quilts which are used as spreads and even blankets. This is a relatively new form of Kantha embroidery which was started in the 18th Century, in Bihar. These are used for religious ceremonies and rituals.

Rumal Kantha ~ Plate coverings and absorbent wipes for cleansing. In the centre is featured a lotus with ornamented borders.

Kantha can also be used to describe a style of necklace that lies close to the throat and is open at the back. This form of the word is spoken as an adjective and means ‘throat’. Lord Shiva in fact had the name Nilakanth which means in literal terms “blue throat”. The connotation comes from the story of him swallowing poison which resulted from the churning of the ocean.

You can read more about the fascinating craft of Kantha Embroidery in the book: The Art of Kantha Embroidery by Niaz Zaman.