JD INSTITUTE OF FASHION

TECHNOLOGY

HISTORY
CRAFTS OF RAJASTHAN

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
PROF. UTKARSH GOLEY POONAM DIWAKAR
ID - 3RD YEAR
 CRAFTS OF
RAJASTHAN
• Blue pottery of Jaipur
• Kundan Jadai – Gem Setting
• Meenakari – Enamel Work
• Razai – Quilt Making
• Bandhej – Tie Resist Dyeing
• Block Making
• Block Printing of Bagru & Sanganer
• Terracotta of Sawai Madhopur
• Terracotta & Pottery
• Terracotta of Molela
• Stone carving
• Pichhwai – Painted Temple Hangings
• Miniature Painting on wood
• Stone Relief & Lattice Work
• Mojari – Leather Footwear
• Seep Ka Kaam – Mother of Pearl Work
• Mandana Art
 BLUE POTTERY OF JAIPUR

• Blue Pottery is a traditional craft of Jaipur of Central Asian origin.  

• The name 'blue pottery' comes from the cobalt blue dye used to color the pottery.
• It is one of many Eurasian types of blue and white pottery, and related in the shapes and
decoration to Islamic pottery and, more distantly, Chinese pottery.
• Jaipur blue pottery, made out of a similar frit material to Egyptian faience, is glazed and
low-fired.
• No clay is used: the 'dough' for the pottery is prepared by mixing quartz stone powder,
powdered glass, Multani Mitti (Fuller's Earth), borax, gum and water.  
• Another source cites Katira Gond powder (a gum), and saaji (soda bicarbonate) as
ingredients.
• Some of this pottery is semi-transparent and mostly decorated with bird and other
animal motifs.
• Being fired at very low temperature makes them fragile.
• The range of items is primarily decorative, such as ashtrays, vases, coasters, small bowls
and boxes for trinkets.
• The colour palette is restricted to blue derived from the cobalt oxide, green from
the copper oxide and white, though other non-conventional colours, such as yellow and
brown are sometimes included.
 HISTORY

• The use of blue glaze on pottery is an imported technique, first developed by Mongol artisans
who combined Chinese glazing technology with Persian decorative arts.
• This technique traveled east to India with early Turkic conquests in the 14th century.
• During its infancy, it was used to make tiles to decorate mosques, tombs and palaces in Central
Asia
• Later, the Mughals began using them in India. Gradually the blue glaze technique grew beyond
an architectural accessory to Indian potters. From there, the technique traveled to the plains of
Delhi and in the 17th century went to Jaipur.

• Accounts of the craft state that blue pottery came to Jaipur in the early 19th century under the
ruler Sawai Ram Singh II(1835 – 1880).
• The Jaipur king had sent local artisans to Delhi to be trained in the craft.
• Some specimens of older ceramic work can be seen in the Rambagh Palace, where the fountains
are lined with blue tiles.
• However, by the 1950s, blue pottery vanished from Jaipur, when it was re-introduced through
the efforts of the muralist and painter Kripal Singh Shekhawat, with the support of patrons such
as Kamladevi Chattopadhaya and Rajmata Gayatri Devi.
 KUNDAN JADAI – GEM SETTING

• The art of embedding precious jewels and metals into the surface of objects is known as Kundan Jadai
(gem setting) work.
• Introduced to Rajasthan by the Mughals, it is a technique where extensively cleaned gold leaf foil sheets
are reversed longitudinally in the space available between the wall and the stones, following which the
precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, tourmalines, emeralds, and sapphires are
inserted.
• Since unadulterated gold is completely self-malleable while cold; a simple compression creates the solid
chunk of gold that enduringly holds the precious stones in place for a long time.
• More importantly, the silver or gold foil placed below the stones enables greater reflection of light through
the stone, thereby increasing its brilliance and value.
• “Kundan jewellery is fashioned by setting prudently moulded, cut and refined multi-coloured jewels into
an intricately premeditated design of pure gold or faux metal foundation.
• The elaborate process begins with the skeletal outline called Ghaat, after which the Paadh process takes
place, during which wax is discharged onto the framework and moulded according to the pattern.
• Following this, the Khudai process takes place, where the precious stones, or uncut jewels are fit into the
framework.
• The next step is the Meenakari, which involves enamelling the design details onto the piece.
• After this is the Pakai process, where gold foils that grip the ornaments onto the framework are soldered.
• Finally, the gems are polished using the Chillai process.”
 MEENAKARI – ENAMEL WORK

• Enameling is the art of colorings or decorating a metal surface by

attaching or fusing pieces of different mineral substances, over it.
• Enameling is considered the most alluring and technical of all
metal decorations.
• In the past enameling was only done on gold, but presently it is
done other metals like silver, copper etc.
• The art of decorating metal with enameling or Meenakari was
alien to India and was introduced by the Mughals. 
• Raja Man Singh of Amber brought Meenakari to Rajasthan at
the turn of the 16th century.
• Man Singh brought skillful minakars from the Mughal palace at
Lahore and established them in Jaipur, which became the center
of Meenakari.
• Jaipur is the main center of meenakari. Traditional Mughal
colours like red, green and white, dominate the art of enameling
from Jaipur. The rich, ruby red color used here is highly sought
after.
• Nathdwara, Bikaner and Udaipur are also famous for their silver
meenakari. Pratapgarh is known for glass enameling. Delhi and
• The technique of Meenakari requires a high degree of skill and application.
• The piece of metal on which meenakari is to be done is fixed on a lac stick.
• Delicate designs of flowers, birds, fish etc are etched or engraved on it.
• This leads to the creation of walls or grooves, to hold color.
• Enamel dust of required color is then poured into the grooves and each color is fired
individually.
• The heat of the furnace melts the color and the colored liquid gets spread equally into the
groove.
• This process is repeated with each color.
• As each color is individually fired, colors, which are most heat resistant, are applied first, as
they are re-fired with each additional color.
• As a rule, white is the first color applied and red the last.
• After the last color has been fired, the object is cooled and burnished or polished with agate.
• The depth of the grooves filled with different colors determines the play of light.
• Both Silver and Gold can be used as a base for meenakari.
• A limited number of colors, like gold, blue, green and yellow, stick to silver, whereas all
available colors can be applied to gold, making it the preferred medium of enamellers.
• The meenakar often works with a team of craftsmen.
• As meenakari is generally done on the reverse side of kundan jewellery, the meenakar has to
work with the goldsmith, the engraver or ghaaria, the designer or chitteria and jadiya who
applies the gems on the kundan or gold.
• The finished produced is a marvel of the expertise of these different craftsmen and their
techniques.
 RAZAI – QUILT MAKING

• Jaipuri RAZAI the art of quilt making. RAZAI typically is like a duvet or a bed comforter,
traditionally made using hand spun and hand woven khadi as the fabric shell, carded cotton
used for the filling also hand carded using a pindar (an instrument like a bow) and hand
needle stitched.
• Though there is no set origin of Jaipuri RAZAI but it is said to be connected to the
Vishnuism’s (a Hindu sect who preach Lord Vishnu now known as Vaishnav) strict
vegetarian rules developed in 16th century AD. Due to these rules, that time leather and wool
was banned in certain religious sects of India. However the cold nights in Rajasthan inspired
people here to quilt bedcovers, clothes, floor spread and whatever they thought to be
essentially thick surface.

• In Jaipur the craft can be seen in Topkhane Ka Rasta, Chaura Rasta, Chandpole Bzaar
Sanganer. In Jaipur outskirts one can find this craft still practiced in traditional ways in Amer
and adopted in Phagi. This craft is practiced in Muslim residential areas because a major part
of it is done by women.
• The community practicing this craft is Mansoor community a subset of Muslims. Cotton
carders are called Dhunia or Pindara after the instrument (pindar – bow) they use to clean
and fluff the raw cotton.
• In bygone days instead of a fluffing machine a
pindar (bow) was used to fluff the cotton and
remove the dross.
• Now a carding machine has replaced it. Apart from
making the traditional RAZAI as a cover in nights,
master artisans have started to make new products
out of quilting.
• Like bags, kurtis, cushion covers, etc.
• No innovations in terms of tagai have happened in
the recent years.
• The major challenge faced by the craft, as informed
by the master artisan, is the lack of labor.
• Artisans from the present generation do not want
their children to enter the same field.
 BANDHEJ – TIE RESIST DYEING

• Bandhej & lehriya (Tie and Dye), a form of resist dyeing, is a technique of patterning fabric
by tying parts of it in different ways to prevent the penetration of dyes.
• This craft is one of the oldest in the world for making colored designs on a fabric.
• The technique involves dyeing a fabric which is tied tightly with a thread at several points in
various colors, thus producing a variety of patterns like Bandhni, Lehriya, Mothda, Ekdali and
Shikari depending on the manner in which the cloth is tied.
• There is a magical quality about Bandhini: vibrant colours, arresting combinations, dramatic
swirls and twirls… 
• “Bandhini” derives its name from the Hindi word Bandhan which means ties, relation and
therefore tying up. Bandhani is an ancient art practiced mainly in Western India.
• Bandhini is the Rajasthani art of tying small dots on fabric with a continuous thread and
dyeing it.
• The result is a vibrant and irregular mix of vermillion and saffron, emerald and sapphire or
aqua and yellow.
• Interestingly, the art of tying involves the use of a long finger nail, which is used to pick that
portion of the fabric which has to be tied.

• Main Centers for Bandhani are Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan. A specialty of
Rajasthan is the Leheriya or Chundari where the fabric is tied to create stripes instead of the
usual dots.
• The Leheriya technique is quite different from the Bandhani technique although this too is a
tie and dye process. Here the fabric is rolled from one corner to the other diagonally and then
it is tied at intervals with strings.
• Mothra is an extension of Leheriya in which diagonal lines cross each other in opposite
directions, at 45 degrees, giving rise to small diamond shapes.
 BLOCK MAKING

• The saw is used for the basic cutting of a block of

wood, which is required for making the chaapa -the
block.
• The drill is used for making the holes in the blocks,
while the chisel carves out the minutest details with the
help of the hammer.
• Later on, the woodworker uses a file to smoothen the
block.
• Vice and pincers are used for holding the small pieces
in position.
• A thin layer of whitening chalk is mixed with gum and
water and then it is applied on the smooth surface of the
wood to take the impression of the design. Bagru block printing
• The design which is drawn on a tracing paper is made
in
as many colours as are required to be printed.
• Thus each colour represents a different block –the rekh,
the gad, and the datta.
• This design is further transferred to the wood for
 UNDERSTANDING TERMS

• Rekh –the outline block, or the “Jaal” a

kind of block, which has a geometrical,
floral or lattice work.
• The key outline block (from the Hindi word
“rekha” which means line) defines the form
of pattern.
• Normally Rekh in considered the “key
block” which gets printed first in order to
give ‘clue’ to other block to fit in.
• In some cases Rekh is split into two blocks
in order to print two colours. This kind of
block is known as ‘chirai’ (splitting) block.
• To achieve a second, third or fourth colours
many blocks are needed. The second colour
blocks are “datta” or “Daatla” and the third
block is called the “Gad”.
• Usually these blocks are much thicker than
the first block.
 WOOD USED IN BLOCK PRINTING

• The blocks are made of Teak Wood and hand-carved. They are soaked in oil for 10-15 days to
soften the timber.
• Teak wood is used everywhere , except if there are any local wood available other than teak.

• Sagwaan is considered best for the purpose and thus remains the most preferred wood.
• It is found in abundance in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• Locally it is known as Saag or Sagi (botanically called Tectona Grandis).
• The colour of the sap wood is golden yellow, which slowly changes colour, from light to dark
brown and then to almost black with age.
• Has natural oil in the wood that helps in its preservation.
• Due to lack of fibres, it is easier to carve very finely.
• The wood needs to be seasoned for the long life of the block.
• Thoroughly air dried wood is called seasoned wood.
• Wood needs to be seasoned before being used for any kind of constructive purpose.
• Even the well seasoned wood has proportion of water, which can be removed by hot air
drying.
• Seasoning is quicker when wood is kept in water for a long time and then dried.
 BLOCK PRINTING OF SANGANER

• The Sanganer block-print textiles gained popularity between the 16 th and 17th century with
the East India Company exporting them in large quantities to Europe.
• At present, Sanganer has more than 150 printing units employing over 20,000 workers.
• Sanganer block prints are primarily done on an off-white or pure white background with the
use of wooden blocks or screen printers.
• You will find vibrant floral patterns and geometric designs imprinted on the fabrics.
• One of the most noticeable characteristics of Sanganer prints is their intricate detailing.
• Customers are often seen admiring the finesse in the designs of delicate flower curves and
petals.
• The borders of the fabric also showcase a variety of different floral patterns in stylish
designs.
• Some common flower prints used in Sanganer block printing are roses, lotuses, sunflowers,
lilies, marigolds, rosettes and lotus buds.
• Both chemical and vegetable dyes may be used by the local Rajasthani artists to create
beautiful Sanganeri prints.
• They typically employ a technique called ‘calico printing’ for Sanganeri block prints.
• This involves printing of the outlines followed by the filling in of colours.
• Local craftsmen then repeat these designs in diagonal sections.
• Another famous style of block printing in Sanganer is “doo-rookhi”, in which the fabric is
printed on either side.
 BLOCK PRINTING OF BAGRU

• Bagru printing is a traditional printing technique that is done using natural colours.
• It is a craft practiced by the ‘chippas’ community in a remote town of Rajasthan.
• Bagru printing is generally done on a blue or indigo background.
• This region is popular for two kinds of prints: Dabru prints and seyali- bagru prints.
• The seyali- bagru printed fabrics are known for their characteristic black and yellow
ochre/cream colour combinations.
• Dabru prints, on the other hand, are created using a special resist technique (hiding the
print from dye).
• The patterns and motifs predominant in traditional Bagru prints were geometrical
(circular) but were combined with bird, animal and floral forms to create beautiful
designs. 
• Water has a significant impact on the results produced by both printing techniques.
• For instance, the use of water in Sanganeri prints causes darker tone effects to appear on
the fabric.
• In contrast to this, water brings out a reddish tone in the block prints in Bagru printing.
• There is a regional history behind why water use was different in both styles of printing.
• Bagru opted for indigo and Dabu resisted work due to a scarcity of water.
• In Sanganer, water was available in large amounts for both washing and printing.
• There is also a difference in the types of motifs produced on Sanganer and Bagru prints.
• The traditional Bagru motifs are larger in size and have bold lines.
• In Sanganer motifs, finer lines and more sober colours are used.
• Sanganer motifs are popular for their intricate detailing.
• Also, while Bagru motifs are usually geometric with hints of floral and other natural
patterns, Sanganer motifs are primarily inspired by a range of different flowers.
• Lastly, the backgrounds for printing are different in Sanganer and Bagru prints.
• While Sanganer printing is typically done on an off-white or white background, a bluish
or indigo background is the printing base for Bagru prints.
 TERRACOTTA OF SAWAI MADHOPUR

• Sawai Madhopur in itself has witnessed and nurtured a whole range of handicrafts practiced
by the local artisans and this sector has flourished after facing a lot of hard times.
• One such craft of the region is the very unique style of pottery that they make.
• The pottery they make is black in colour and is made in a very special way.
• The mitti, (clay) taken from the banks of the nearby Banās River is cleaned thoroughly, the
unwanted stones and straw removed from its consistency.
• The clay is then stored and used as and when required.
• An Approximated quantity of prepared mud is placed on the wheel and turned beautifully by
the potter, and a shape as desired is achieved with much finesse.
• The form is cut out of the wheel from the bottom, using a length of ordinary thread. 
• The potter, skilled with the usage of his hands, manually shapes and polishes the product, till
he smoothens it out.
• The turned and polished product is dried in the sun for two hours, in the shade for another two
and finally fired.
• The small community of kumbhars- the traditional potters, at Sawai Madhopur create a wide
range of decorative figurines, paperweights and plaques of animals and deities in addition to
the usual array of pots.
• Skillfully embossed and variedly structured, the beauty of this pottery lies in the love that the
artisan puts into it and their story of revival from a completely damaged financial scene.

• The polishing of the terracotta wares before firing is what gives the end product a sparkly
finish.
• When the firing is almost coming to an end, the artisan seals all the vents of the kiln, allowing
a smoky atmosphere to be created inside the kiln, giving the pottery a greyish black hue, very
centric to only Sawai Madhopur.
 TERRACOTTA OF MOLELA

• Molela is internationally known; mainly for its production of brightly painted terracotta
plaques and figurines of the local deities and gods.
• These clay gods are installed in the temples of towns and villages. Deities and gods are often
depicted riding on a horse, a bull, a pig, a dog and even a crocodile.
• Molela ”peasant potters” descend from a tradition handed down, within families for over
5000 years and are today still satisfying a need for functional (water pots, cooking vessels
etc.), decorative as well as religious ceramics.
• A potter belongs to the many varieties of the Caste of Kumhar( potter) which in some cases
have a close relationship with religious ceremonies.
• Two main types of earthenware clays are extracted from a local river bed; a pure clay and a
sandy clay.
• The dry clay is beaten and then sieved with a wire mesh to separate the stones and other
impurities.
• The soft, purer clay is used mainly for throwing the functional wares.
• It dries to a grey colour which after firing turns terracotta red / brown or even a lustrous
black finish( if smoke- fired in a closed kiln).
• When the clay is mixed with 5 -10% donkey dung it is ideal for building the plaques and
other sculptural pieces.
• The impure clay, contains plenty of sand, is ideal for throwing the ” supporting - pots”(called
Gher) used in the construction of the kiln, and fires to a light pink colour .
• Nowadays, since the impure clay has far too much sand, Mr. Khemraj adds 25% pure clay.
• Slips( clay colors ) are only used on the functional wares .
• White slip is made from a white mineral known as Khadi .
• White colour is powdered Mica (quartz rich rock), turning a greenish white aftar firing.
• Black is achieved by the mixing of carbon and water.
• The carbon is scraped from bread pans and burnt coconut skins.
• Slips are mainly used on the functional wares while the icons are painted with watercolors
after the firing.
TERRACOTTA & POTTERY
 STONE CARVING

• The geologically old land of Rajasthan, rich in different kinds of hard rocks like granites,
marbles, quartzite, slates, and other metamorphic rocks, has been a stone-carver's paradise.
• Right from the medieval times, the ready availability of high-quality stone (the use of brick
was almost unknown) made it easy for the Rajasthani builder to construct strong and beautiful
forts, palaces, and temples.
• The sculptures found in the ancient and medieval temples of Bharatpur, Baroli, Ramgarh,
Nagda, Ajmer, Chittor, Mandore, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Udaipur speak highly of the artistic
skills of the Rajasthani stonecutters.
• Apart from temple carvings, the stone carvers of Rajasthan are noted for their jali
(latticework) carvings.
• Most ancient palatial buildings of Rajasthan sport jali work on their doors and windows.
• The jali screens, sculpted from both sandstone and marble, were frequently used in the
windows of the zenanas (women's quarters) enabling the women in purdah to view the events
of the courts without being seen.
• The screens also offered protection from the elements while allowing the passage of fresh air
through the intricate geometric patterns.
• Rajasthan continues to be one of major centers of stone carving in the country.
• The capital city Jaipur is the center of marble carving in Rajasthan.
• The quarries at Makrana are quite famous, for it is used in the Taj Mahal, Dilwara Jain
temples at Mt Abu.
• Rupbas (near Agra) and Karauli still produce the red sandstone that was used by the Mughals
to build their forts and palaces at Agra, Delhi, and Fatehpur Sikri.
• In east Rajasthan, Kota produces gray stone for floor making, Barmer produces yellow marble
for delicate carvings, and Ajmer produces granites.
• The soft chromatic stone mined from the quarries of Dungarpur are used by the stone carvers
of the state for carving images of the deities.
• The stone becomes black when oiled.
• As the subject matter of these images is divine, the sculptors are required to work according to
the guidelines laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Hindu treatise on sculpture and
architecture.
• The religious themes are carved in stone all over the state.
• In Jaipur, white marble is used for carving out statues of gods and goddesses as well as
animal and human figures.
 PICHHWAI – PAINTED TEMPLE HANGINGS

Pichhwai for the Festival of Cows, late 18th century, Aurangabad, painted and printed gold and silver
leaf and opaque watercolor on indigo-dyed cotton, 97 5/8 x 103 1/8 inches (248 x 262 cm)
MINIATURE PAINTING ON WOOD
• Miniature Paintings of Rajasthan in the 16th Century, the incredibly detailed enchanting
visual narratives of royal festivities .
• Drawn on paper or sometimes ivory, the miniatures were painted with extremely fine brushes
made by inserting just a few strands of squirrels’ tail hair into bird feathers.
• It is not just the final act of painting, which required excellence, but preparation of the
colours was another effort requiring patience and perseverance. 
• The colours were all derived from nature and many days of toil would result in extraction of
a miniscule amount of rich, exquisite colour.
• The colour red was extracted from the dried fruit of Peepal tree, orange from Palash flower,
green from leaves and black from stones. The colour yellow had a fascinating process of
extraction. It was derived from the dried up urine of a sick cow. Gold or silver colours were
obtained by boiling the metal with “Saras” (Camel musk) and water.
• It would be rubbed on a plate and ground by hand for 2-3 days to get a miniscule amount of
very fine, precious concoction.
• The colour would be mixed with water and natural gum to prepare it for application. It had to
be made sure that the colour is extremely fine and uniform because the painting was so small,
that even a tiny lump out of place would spoil it. Therefore, sometimes months were spent
only in grinding the colour into a smooth paste, making sure the consistency is absolutely
even.
• Along with depicting events in a two dimensional perspective style, the artists found another
outlet for their creativity in the multiple borders, which were at times, more lavish than the
main painting.
• The Miniature paintings of Rajasthan were originally commissioned by the Rajput kings, but
Mughal influence came to be seen in them, in terms of clothing, facial features and
architecture.
•  Udaipur based craftsman Devendra Kumar Guad’s great grandfather was the chief artist for
the King of  Udaipur and his descendants have kept this art alive.
• Now made for decorative purposes, the paintings depict beautiful palace or forest scenes from
the artists’ imagination, on small pieces of silk or paper, but taking a closer look; it is easy to
get lost in a world of detail.
• Irrespective of size, the painting is valued for its fineness and intricacy and the amount of time
and effort that goes into it.
• Today, even though synthetic paints and readymade brushes are used frequently, the painting
style remains the same.
• The craftsmen sometimes still use natural colours for painting, although their extraction
process is much faster and more efficient.
• Marble is used as a substitute for ivory, and only the highly experienced master craftsmen use
marble as a base.
• The rest use paper or silk, which they sometimes dip in tea water to give a sepia tinge.
• The paintings are small in size, but they are extremely detailed and elaborate and this requires
a high degree of skill and experience.
 LATTICE WORK

• The original intent of the lattice design was

to allow royal ladies to observe everyday
life and festivals celebrated in the street
below without being seen, since they had to
obey the strict rules of "purdah", which
forbade them from appearing in public
without face coverings.
• This architectural feature also allowed cool
air from the Venturi effect to pass through,
thus making the whole area more pleasant
during the high temperatures in summer.
STONE RELIEF
 MOJARI – LEATHER FOOTWEAR

• Mojari or Khussa or Saleem Shahi's is a style of handcrafted footwear  produced in South

Asia. 
• They are traditionally made by artisans mostly using tanned leather.
• The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile embroidered and embellished with
brass nails, cowry shells, mirrors, bells and ceramic beads.
• Even the bonding from the upper to the sole is done by cotton thread that is not only eco-
friendly but also enmeshes the leather fibers with great strength. Some product range also uses
bright and ornate threads.
• As it evolved through the centuries and is being produced by individual artisans, products
vary in designs and colours.
• It encapsules cultural diversity, local ethos and ethnicity.

• History-The Mojari originated under the Mughal Empire, where it was decorated with
colours, gems, and other ornaments. They are said to have been popularized under the Mughal
King Saleem Shah and are often referred to as Saleem Shahi’s as a result.
Traditional jutti of Rajasthan
 SEEP KA KAAM – MOTHER OF PEARL WORK

• Mother of pearl,  produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the

outer coating of pearls.
• It is strong, resilient, and iridescent covering of shell.
• The Dark Outer side of the shell is removed through ghisai and grinding process which also
smoothens the shell and reduces its thickness so that it may be cut to the required size with a
metal cutter.
• The pieces of shell are then neatly glued onto previously carved wooden objects. The areas
bereft of shell ornamentation are covered with thin brass strips and a round plate is affixed to
the base. Shell may also be inlaid into brass objects which are designed so that they are
patterned with gentle depressions in which the shell may be inset.
• The entire object is subjected to ghisai to ensure that the shell and the brass are level
throughout; the object is then polished with emery and waxed to give it a glossy finish.
Alternatively, it may also be given an antique finish by applying a paste of mehendi, henna,
over its surface, the paste is washed off after a couple of hours to reveal shells that are
varying tinted, having absorbed the dye in different proportions.
• The ornamentation may also imitate the Usta kaam of Bikaner by using embossed patterns
created with a mixture o fuller`s earth and glue; the floral motifs thus made are enamel
painted, outlined in black and highlighted with gold paint; finally, a protective layer of
varnish is applied. Brass lid with an indented floral motif; the cut pieces of shell held in the
craftsman`s palm are to be inlaid in the recessed forms.
Pearl farming
 MANDANA ART

‘The Land of Maharajas’ found its recognition in its art. One such form of art that Rajasthan
has given birth to is known as Mandana Painting. Mandana Painting is a decorative tribal art
which has become popular recently. You can find Mandana paintings in many parts of
India. Walls and floors are the backdrop of these paintings. The age-old tribe communities of
Meenas are the first painters of Mandana.

Regardless of written records being absent, the origin of Mandana paintings dates back to the
Vedic age, 1500 to 500 BCE. This theory’s relevance are the similarities between the designs
in Mandana art and the designs found on the Vastu purasha mandalas. Vastu purasha mandalas
are altars of Vedic pujas and the architecture of ancient Vedic temples.
The core beliefs of drawing Mandana Paintings and art on the walls and floors are to welcome
divinity into the house and keep away from evil forces. In the language of Gujjar Bhakha from
which the Marwari language originated, the word Mandana translates to ‘to draw.’ Mandana
could also have been coined from the word Mandan, also from Gujjar Bhakha, which means
decorating or making something beautiful.
Making of Mandana Painting
The clay and the mixture of water and cow dung mark the beginning of the process as it plasters
the traditional pattern of the floor. The brush made of twigs, cotton and a small portion of
squirrel hair are the paintings tools. The colors used are red and white, as these are the only
ones easily available in abundance in the area. Brick and chalk are the sources of red and white
colors.
The females were responsible of taking care of the house and their family. Occasions and
auspicious days are when Mandana is painted. It is a symbol of the presence of good and to
ward off evil. Festival of Navratri and Diwali are especially important occasions to draw new
Mandana paintings. This adds value to the house after the place is thoroughly cleaned. Public
spaces are a popular choice for Mandana painters as a form of celebrating the art and culture of
their tribe and people.
Sources of Inspiration
The designs of the Mandana paintings are quite simple, even rudimentary. It’s the easy intricate
designs that distinguish them as an attractive art form. The cultural deities, altars of Vedic yajna,
plants, animals, and birds that are considered auspicious, mostly peacocks are the most sought-
after designs that are found in these paintings.
A different type of Mandana paintings depends on the architecture. For example, the ‘Tapki Ke
Mandanas’ that includes geometric shapes like triangles, rhombus, rectangles and squares made
by making graphs after plotting points on the walls and floors. Another famous form of Mandana
paintings is ‘jaali’ or lattice screen. Jaali screen designs found predominantly in their architecture
were the inspiration behind the Mandanas.
Mandana paintings are simple, they
need to be drawn perfectly in the first
go. There’s no option of erasing it and
drawing again. This art form is not
taught or passed down through
generations. Girls have to learn it on
their own through the work of their
mothers and other elder females. Due
to westernization, the art form is
slowly losing its dominant presence in
the world of art. In
Rajasthan, Tonk and Sawai Madhopur
still prominently showcase Mandana
art.

There are still many that include this

tribal form in their houses, ornaments,
garments with its original purpose of
beautification. Traditional clothes use
mandana’s , and their designs are used
on jewelry and architecture as well.
Artists all over the world are bringing
Mandana art to life through their
paintings on canvas.
THANK YOU !