Artisans of India
This is my third and last post about India, but I was so impressed with the artisans we saw throughout our trip I wanted to make sure and give them their due. Each area or state in India is known for some kind of artistic handmade item and before seeing the amount of training, artistic ability and just plain old hard work that goes into it I didn’t have the right appreciation for it. Also the fact that these skills are passed down from generation to generation so it’s really a family affair. And in many cases we were able to meet the actual artisans that had made the items we purchased.
Delhi -
Delhi is the closest big area to Kashmir which is best known for rug making. We went to a few stores that specialized in this item and learned about the process which is all done by hand. The patterns have been in families for generations so they could tell you about the families that made each design. Because the quality is so high the rugs literally last forever, and are very easy to clean and maintain with no wear and tear. Cindy was intending to purchase a rug for their new place and found one she loved. Luckily they ship to the US so she didn’t have to haul it around for the remainder of the trip.
Every rug was gorgeous so it was hard to pick.
Udaipur -
We went to an art school to see what Udaipur is best known for which is miniature paintings. The paintings are colorful, opulent and very detailed. The training to be an artist takes many years and we got to meet a few of the painters and learn more about it. Originally the final works were all painted on ivory but since that’s not possible now they have switched to camel bone. First the painting is done on silk, then thin paper and finally camel bone. The colorful paints all come from natural pigments and colors and are so vibrant. I don’t have a good example of the finished product as we weren’t allowed to take pictures of that but they were spectacular. And pricey!
Top right are examples of the pigments used for painting. Top left is one of the artists making me a quick sketch to take home of a Ganesh. He didn’t want the instructor to see him do it so I stuck it in my pocket quickly. So I actually have an original😊
Jaipur -
Jaipur is known for block printing on fabric but we ran out of time to go see how it’s done. Next time for sure.
Ranthambore -
This was where we did the safaris so it was very rural. One of the afternoons Ajay took us to a local women’s coop and it was my favorite shopping experience of the trip. They explained that many of the people in the area started as nomads and moved around as they owned no property. Then the Indian government helped them to purchase a small piece of property to farm and live on, and then the woman made their handicrafts but had no way of selling them. So their handmade items were taken to large cities like Delhi to sell, but the locals got only a small percentage of the sales. In the 80’s with the development of the credit card machine they were able to open the coop and sell locally thereby helping them sell directly to the customers and keeping a higher percentage of the profits. So now 60% of the money goes to the creator, 30% to the coop which is divided between everyone, 6% to the Tiger Reserve and the remainder for parties for the entire community - a great example of how they help each other and their local community. The people we met there were so proud of their work and it was really beautiful.
Incredible paintings and beautiful hand pieced quilts, table runners, pillows etc.
I bought this beautiful mini quilt to lay on my couch. It is of my favorite figure - the elephant or Ganesh and looks amazing in my place.
This beautiful woman made it and was so happy I loved it!
We also got to see a demonstration of sari tying and I volunteered to be the model. And henna tattoos too!
A sari is one very long piece of fabric. I think I could do it now!
Agra -
Agra as you may recall is the home of the Taj Mahal so they are best know for marble mosaic art. It’s what covers the Taj but there is a lot of technique and artistry along with tedious hand grinding of each stone to make the beautiful artwork. This artisan craft is again passed down through generations and children are exposed to it through their families. The designs are first painstakingly carved into the marble and then the stones are ground by hand to fit into the carvings to make the design. They design all kinds of items in lots of sizes big and small. The stones fit so perfectly that you can’t feel them at all when you run your finger over the design.
I bought the small container pictured middle right and the bottom right is me with the man who made it. He is a master and has been perfecting his skill over 20 years. That little container has 496 stones fit into the design, and of course I had to get a Ganesh!
Khajuraho -
Gems! That’s what we saw in Khajuraho. And it’s good luck to wear your birthstone so one of mine is the Star of India so I bought earrings. I don’t have a picture of them but quite a few of the ladies got rings!
Varanasi -
Handwoven silks and brocades in Varanasi - gorgeous! Again made by families utilizing multiple generations of members. The pictures don’t do them justice, they were amazing and some made with pure gold thread. I couldn’t afford one of those but Cindy and I did treat ourselves to beautiful handwoven silk scarfs - pictured here with the gentleman that made them. Love the colors!
When we were in Agra Ajay took us on what he called a “Shop Hop.” Doesn’t that just sound like fun? He took us to 4 unique shops that the locals frequent. The one I will never forget was an art and jewelry store called Kohinoor Jewelers and you needed to call ahead and basically ask permission to come. They had no visible storefront just a big gate with armed guards. The first floor is called the Kohinoor Museum and showcases their private collection of needle and thread, three dimensional handcrafted embroidery and precious artifacts. We weren’t allowed to take pictures and I can’t even begin to describe how extraordinary the pieces were. They were all created by Padmashri Shams who passed away in 1999. Shams is the originator of this art form where he embroidered his artwork in cotton thread over and over till he got the required thickness and movement. They are also laden with precious stones and the end result is magnificent. They have been offered millions of dollars for each piece but will not sell. We were so lucky to see it. The upstairs is an incredible jewelry store - making Tiffany look like Target. (No offense to Target - that’s more my speed - Target not Tiffany!) They showed us jewelry that was mind blowing - none more than these pieces with emeralds that belonged to Mumtaz Mahal who lies in the Taj Mahal.
Cindy tried on an 11 carat emerald ring! She decided no one would think it was real - but yes it is!
A few last memories I wanted to share. We saw this beautiful flower art all over India. So time consuming but so pretty. Petals floating in water - big and little containers everywhere.
In Khajuraho we had the opportunity to see traditional dancing. The costumes were so colorful and through dance they told the history of India.
We were heading to the airport in Varanasi to fly back to Delhi and catch our respective flights home and didn’t anticipate what an exciting finish we would have to our trip. An Indian diplomat made an unexpected visit to Varanasi causing the main road to the airport to be totally shut down so what should normally have taken us 20 minutes by bus took us 2 and a half hours on a deeply rutted extremely narrow dirt road through a rural village. Every vehicle going to or from the airport was trying to get there on this road which at best had enough width for one small vehicle. So it was like a traffic rubix cube to negotiate passage. At one point when our bus was straddling a train track someone on our bus noticed that a train was coming straight at us at which point Ajay jumped up and yelled “Get Off The Bus! Leave everything behind and get off!” So as the bus was still trying to inch ahead we were all jumping off the bus and running. One of the villagers hung a red piece of cloth across the track to signal the train to stop and luckily it did - just feet from our bus. Somehow the bus driver inched his way backwards enough to get off the track and the train proceeded. Just another day in India! We all missed our flights to Delhi but everyone stayed really calm. We have learned patience in India😊
Our group off the bus.
The comparison has been made that I am doing my version of the book “Eat, Pray, Love” and in many ways that’s the way it feels to me. My month in Europe in the spring was definitely Eat and India can qualify as Pray. My last trip to finish out my Gap Year is to places I truly Love, so check back and read about that. My time in India was very special and weirdly I find myself still dreaming about it every night - Cindy said she is doing the same thing. I wake up and still feel like I am there. I can’t think of an explanation other than that I think my brain is still processing the experience. So often I hear Ajay’s voice saying “I have everything I need - food, shelter, clothing, family and friends.” That is the message I brought back with me from India. Counting my blessings today and everyday.
Thank you India for sharing your amazing country with me. Incredible India is for real! Namaste🙏🏻