FORMS OF ART AND CRAFT

IN MADHYA PRADESH

BAMBOO AND CANE: UTILITY MEETS ART

From the rural plateaus of Madhya Pradesh emerges the exquisite Bamboo and Cane art work.
The tribal communities of Gond, Baiga and Korku render such deft artisans that transform the
abundantly available Bamboo and Cane (mainly in regions of Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla and
Seoni.)Into functional artefacts such as Agricultural implements, Fishing Traps, Baskets and many
more such viable work.
One can find these harmonious amalgamations of age old technique and functionality in the
towns of Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla and Seoni.

CARPETS: ART THAT WILL SWEEP YOU OFF

YOUR FEET

Ever since the Mughals bequeathed their carpet making skills to the artisans of Gwalior, these
carpets have become the voice of the rural craftsmen. The immaculate weaves and the bright
colours take you in on the astounding world of beautiful patterns and intricate designs that no
art lover would dare to miss. This beautiful blend can be found in Gwalior, Shahdol and Mandla.

DURRIES: PAMPER YOUR FLOORS

The flat carpets woven with thick Cotton are cardinal accessories to a Central Indian household.
These hail from the rural homes of Sironj, Jhabua, Rajgarh and Jabalpur manufactured by the nimble
hands of the rural women. Available in an array of different motifs from Floral to Human these
Durries appeal to the pragmatic appearance of a household.

FOLK PAINTINGS: HERITAGE OOZING FROM THE

FINGERTIPS

The Infamous Folk Paintings of Madhya Pradesh portray the Pre Historic times with all of its social and
cultural idiosyncrasies. One finds a myriad of techniques moving from one region to the other. For
example the Chiteras of Bundelkhand etch their artwork through their bare fingers whereas Mandana
are exquisite wall and floor paintings prevalent in the Malwa, Nimar and Tanwargarh regions, and the
Bhilala tribals paint Myths in their infamous Pithora paintings.
The Bundelkhand, Malwa and Nimar regions are home to this exclusive artwork.

METAL CRAFT: BEACON OF PROSPERITY AND SKILL

The Unique Metal craft of Madhya Pradesh leaves a mark on every onlookers conscience. The skilled
craftsmen seem to have put life in the deftly created artwork. Creative designs are curved into metals
and shaped into figurines, ornamental boxes and decorative statuettes. Ornamental Boxes, Rice measure
Bowls, Animal Figures and Pretty lamps constitute some of these.
Bundelkhand Region, Tikamgarh Districts, Rajgarh and Sarguja are major center for metal work in Madhya
Pradesh.

PAPER MACHE: FROM SCRAP TO INGENUITY

The Infamous Paper Mache craft form manifests itself from the cities of Ujjain, Gwalior, Bhopal and
Ratlam of Madhya Pradesh. The Simple yet Fascinating art form dates back to the ancient times and
brings to life dissimilar kinds of very well crafted birds with the artisans using natural colours and
Mache to create immaculate replicas of living birds.
Ujjain (also known as Ujain, Ujjaini, Avanti, Avantikapuri, and Mahakal Nagri etc), Bhopal, Gwalior
and Ratlam are famous for Paper Mache craft in Madhya Pradesh.

TERRACOTTA: SHADES OF BAKED EARTH

Away from the muddling of the modern civilization, the potteries modelled by the craftsmen of
Bastar are striking and favoured by the stark contrast of simplicity and a realisation of the deep
values of life by the rural folk. The splendid Terracotta works mark the very initial attempts of
artisanship by the human civilization. These articles vary in colours and figures available in Pink,
Brown, Red to Light and Dark Grey and the figures shaped into animals like elephants, birds,
serpents and horses. Bundelkhand and Rajgarh are the famed regions for manufacturing of
these ceramic crafts.

TEXTILE WEAVING AND PRINTING : CULTURE

WOVEN INTO THREADS

Madhya Pradesh has been a reigning manufacturer of Textile weaving ever since Seventh Century BC to Second
Century BC. The rich culture of the state flows in its delicate yet royal variety of weaves like the celebrated
Chanderi, Maheshwari and the Kosa Silk. The Chanderi is prominently woven in the Guna district, consists of
intricately woven borders and fine motifs, The Maheshwari saris are woven in Maheshwar which lies on the banks of
Narmada River and the beautiful weaves are mainly characterised by its simplicity weaved on Cotton and Silk
fabrics. Tussar silk also known as Kosa silk are woven by the Devangan Community of Madhya Pradesh. The major
weaving centres lie in Rajgarh and Champa districts of Madhya Pradesh.
If we talk about printing, Batik is a process in which the fabric is painted with molten wax and then dyed in cold
dyes. You can also find dress material, bed sheets, lungis and duppattas in Madhya Pradesh apart from saris. There
are numerous designs and colours available in Batik and they are famous for their contrast colour schemes.
Bhairavgarh became the hub of Batik printing in Madhya Pradesh, when craftsmen from Gujarat and Rajasthan
migrated here during the reign of the Mughals, around 400 years ago. Batik is done on a large scale in Indore and
Bherongarh.
Another fascinating print is the traditional Hand Block Print or Bagh Print which derives its name from the place
where it is manufactured, Bagh, Madhya Pradesh. Bagh uses natural colours and generally has attractive geometric
and floral compositions and motifs.

ZARI WORK: GRANDEUR OF THE HEART OF INDIA

The capital city of Madhya Pradesh is not only famous for its rich legacy of Arts and Craft but also for its
intricate craftsmanship of the Zari Work. The artisanship has been prevalent for over Three Hundred
Years and inherits the same exquisite charm and grandeur of the glorious days of the emperors who
proved to be the patrons of Art and Architecture in the region.
Apart from Bhopal the art is widely practised in Gwalior and Indore cities of Madhya Pradesh.

STONE CARVING : TESTIMONY OF MASONIC

BRILLIANCE

One of the oldest forms of art and crafts of Madhya Pradesh, meticulously done Stone carving can be
prominently seen almost all throughout the state. Spectacular monuments in Gwalior and Orchha,
erotic stone sculptures of Khajuraho and Vidishas rock-cut temples, every region of this state has got
its distinct and unique style. The old structures prove the prevalence of stone carvings during the
historical times. The region of Bastar creates memorial stone pillars as well as statues of gods and
goddesses of the tribal communities. Jaal work is the specialty of Gwalior whereas; Jabalpur and
Tikamgarh specialize in decorative pieces of work like human statues and animals.
Mandsaur produces excellent Bandhej. Tarapur and Umedpura are the main centres whereas
Bhairongarh near Ujjain is a smaller centre. Skilled craftsmen of Indore and Ujjain are also producing
exquisite samples of Tie and dye. Pillya, a womans upper garment is made in the Bandhani style and is
a specialty of Jawad.

WOOD CRAFT: GLORY SCULPTED IN TIMBER

The beautiful works of woodcraft can predominantly be noticed in various parts of Madhya
Pradesh. The woodcrafts are utilitarian as well as used in architecture. It is a traditional art
form of the state, as well as the entire nation. It truly exhibits a persons ingenuity and
efficiency when you see them transforming a simple log of wood into an extraordinary object of
art. The intricately embellished wooden ceilings, doors and the meticulously carved motifs and
patterns are worth noticing. This scrupulous craftsmanship indicates the rich traditional culture
and heritage of the Heart of the nation!

Khajuraho, the treasure trove of ancient temples,

soaked in the beauty of the ideal human form,
moments carved in stone and made immortal
This ancient town, famous for its extraordinary
temples and the exquisite sculptures that adorn
them, also holds within itself, theart of carving
enchanting sculptural images in metal
Etching and embossingare techniques used to
embellish metal for hundreds of years and are still
used today in varying aesthetic languages in
different places.
Craftsmen of Khajurahoprocure brass vessels
from Chhatarpur, for garnishing with their
drawings. Takinginspirations from the carvings
of Khajurahos ancient temples, craftsmen draw
images directly on the metal vessels.No rough
sketches are drawn, no reference guidelines; just
the chisel hits the metal and poetry is made onto
the golden brown metal. Abstract floral motifs,
gods and goddesses, animal figures and the

No complicated tools,only a hammer and

numerous kinds of chisels in various shapes
and sizesare used for creating stories on brass.
The quality of the line, whether straight or curved,
delicate or strong, all is in the hands of the
craftsman who illustrates stories and moments, real
and abstract.Textures in the background are
made with tiny dotsclose together, bringing
focus on the subjects and their expressions.
Decorative borders may be made with curved or
diamond shaped chisels.
Once the etching is done, the craftsmen give ita
treatment of copper, silver and nitric acid, for
an antique finish.The brass turns black after
which it isrubbed with a local yellow soil. The
mud remains in the etched crevices and the rest is
brushed off. The resultant is striking illustrations in
sharp yellow relief contrasting against a black
background.
The artist has to choose his canvas carefully;steel
is too hard and slippery to be etched by hand,
while coppers softness results in a slightly
raised, embossed effect. Brass is the right
material for this craft, with its strength and
malleability.
The careful tapping, sketching and texturing of each
vessel makes almost a full days work. The ancient
temples of Khajuraho are perhaps monuments, or
relics for tourists, but the rhythmic tapping of
chisels on metal in the distance is almost like
temple bells ringing and making sonorous music of
their own.
The golden age when temples were adorned in pure
silver and gold, carved with intricate motifs may be
over, but the craft carries on in new forms and

Metal craft of Madhya Pradesh is marked by its discrete quality that has been budding since the dawn of the primitive
civilization. This unwavering forte has remained with unaltered for centuries, yet it keeps in tune with contemporary
styles in concept and workmanship.
The metal craft of Madhya Pradesh flaunts the usage of different metals like bell metal, gold, silver,
bronze to alloys, iron etc. The metal craft of Madhya Pradesh includes the bell metal casting in the lost wax process
or cire perude which has been practiced by the people of Bastar and at few other places such as Datia and Sagar. The
artisans create tribal deities, votive lamps, some items of tribal jewellery and other items that have
ritualistic, religious and aesthetic appeal with bell metal. The artisans of Madhya Pradesh are deft in creating
utilitarian articles with iron. It has been considered that iron casting is a traditional skill that the craftsmen in the
remote villages of Madhya Pradesh have mastered for many generations. People of Gond, Muria, Dhruva and Bhatra
communities practice this art form. Exclusively designed iron 'Diyas' (lamps) have a ritualistic significance in the state
as these are given to daughters as part of their bridal gifts. Metal ornament boxes of Bundelkhand, lamps of
Sarguja, rice measure bowls, animal figurines of Raigarh, sculptures of Bastar stand as the examples of
creative excellence of the artisans of Madhya Pradesh.
The metal craft of Madhya Pradesh is different from one region to another as each zone has a different socio cultural
background. The tribal metal crafts of Madhya Pradesh are simple yet attractive because of their unique designs. The
metal craft of Madhya Pradesh includes folk jewellery of Madhya Pradesh which is most distinctive, highly artistic,
elaborate and varied in style and varieties. These exclusive jewellery pieces are created out of gold, silver, bronze and
alloys by the tribal people. The people of Gadhavs in Bastar create spectacular metal crafts that display simplicity and
cultural tradition.
The tribal people create idiosyncratic figures of tribal deities, animals, swings and 'trishuls' (tridents, a
symbol of the Hindu deity Shiva) by the dhokra or lost-wax process that are admired by the local as well
as the people of entire country. The created items are sometimes chiseled and carefully polished to bring an extra
sheen to the crafts.
Following the contemporary style and trend, the artisans create different articles with great artistry like birds, carved
'diyas', candle stands, lattice, furniture, lamps and decorative items that suits the taste of the buyers. Even the tribal
statues have come to occupy a very special place in modern day interior decoration and these artistic exuberance has
brought the tribal artisans have their recognition in the country.