India is known for its handicrafts and handlooms items that have withstood the test of time. Since eons, artists are creating unique pieces of jewelry, sculptures, textiles, carpets, and, brass and bronze items with their hands.
Every person who lives in India has at least one or more pieces of these handicraft items and even foreigners travel to India in search of a beautiful handicraft piece. Now, buying indian handicrafts has become even easier as you can order any piece online.
But still, there are many villages in India where the whole village is designing and producing handicraft items. Since generations, they are working on producing these items and are earning their livelihood through this.
In this blog, we will explore seven such villages of India that are little known for
producing unique handicrafts.
Thiruchigadi- Clay Potters
Situated in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, this village is home to ancient clay pottery. Pottery is famous in many villages in India, but here only women craft these clay pots which they have learned from their mothers and grandmothers.
Asharikandi- Terracotta artisans
Terracotta is the legacy of the ancient civilization of Harappa, and the small village of Asharikandi in Dhubri district of Assam has kept this legacy alive. More than 300 craftsmen here are involved in designing and making terracotta pottery and toys. The best and most popular handicraft of this village is the Hatima Putil. These artists are quite advanced too as they are known for living with the time, which makes their products popular amongst the new generation as well.
Aranmula- Metal Mirror makers
Aranmula, a small village in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala produces the mysterious craft of mirrors using metal-alloys. They are known as Aranmula Kannadi. These mirrors are believed to be a part of even Vedic India, and the combination of metals that are alloyed with silver, copper, and tin is still a secret within their community.
Before selling the mirrors, the artists polish it to perfection and embed beautiful carvings on it.
SualKuchi- Silks Weaver
The whole village of Sualkuchi is known for its silk work in the handloom industry, but its Golden Muga work has made it popular globally.
Initially, king Dharma Pal of the Pala Dynasty brought this art here and then Momai Tamuli Barbarua established the village as the silk weaving capital of Assam.
Most of the households here are silk weavers and earn their livelihood by creating unique silk garments.
Ladakh- Ornate Table makers
Choktses are the famous handicraft items of Ladakh. They are handcrafted ornate wooden tables. Their design showcases the nomadic lifestyle of our ancestors.
The choktses are crafted by carvers who reside in Leh and in Wanla and Choglamsar village of Ladakh.
These wooden tables are famous in trans-Himalayan regions and are making their way to other parts of the country. These tables have both simple and elaborate design, and you can easily fold and port them.
It can take two days or two months to complete a choktses table depending on its design.
Don’t forget to visit these places and buy authentic handloom and handicrafts from them.
