Silver Traditional Ornaments

The traditional ornaments are, by and large, of a high quality silver. Knowing the prevailing rate helps in getting the best bargain. Apart from the quality of silver and craftsmanship, prices for silver traditional ornament depend on the availability of the piece. The rarer the ornament the higher the per gram price.
Rural ornaments can be categorized into two - the old and the new. The old jewellery, which has been used shows a certain amount of petina or crust. But the used jewelllery is not necessarily of great antiquity. Since silver jewellery is constantly worn, it acquires the appearance of antiquity. On the other side certain old pieces which may have been stored and not used would appear as new. Basically the buyers should notice the style and the design to judge the authenticity of the piece. since the old ornaments fetcha a higher price and are in demand, the sellers oxidise the pieces. Unlike the real oxidation, the artificial oxidation can be washed away.

Summer Clothes for Men and Women

Salwar Kameez (Kurta):

Salwar Kameez is a very comfortable dress for women. Basically, Salwar Kameez is an Indian Dress and worn by Asian Women. Salwar Kameez is used for both casual and business wear. It is very comfortable in summer. Easy to wear and loose fit comfort makes salwar kameez the dress of choice, particularly among women in the age group of 25-50.

Kurta Pajama:

Kurta Pajama is a traditional dress for men from India. It is very comfort and loose dress specially for summer. Comfort and easy wearing quality has made the kurta pajama universally popular. These are usually made in pure cotton as they are main worn in summer

Anklets and Toe Rings

Paradoxically, the feet are considered to be the most polluted part of the human body and at the same time, the objet of highest admiration and veneration. Humbling oneself by touching the fet of one's elders or prostrating oneself before them or worshipping the feet or sandals of a deity or a holy man are expressions of respect. By the same token of expression of submissiveness, a lover is often portrayed in art of described in literature as falling at his beloved's feet or admiring them with gentle caresses. The feet of a nayika, worthy of a lover's affection, are abundantly adorned with anklets and toe rings. Anklets are of two basic types, i.e. the stiff and the flexible. The stiff anklets are either cas or fabricated by hammering sheet metal into the requisite shape. Using the techniques of chiselling, engraving, repousse, granulation or threading and wire work, anklets are patterned. The flexible variety employs close interlicking of separately made links tied together either by using variations of chain technique or by threading together of links. Known as jhanjhar or pajeb, the flexible variety is often further adorned with jingle bells. There is no better music to the ears of a lover than the jingling sound arising from the steps of his beloved. This has been a subject of innumerable poetic stanzas in Indian lierature over several centuries.
Like the finger and thumb rings described above, there is a whole class of tow rings covered with floral shanks and often inter linked with chains. Similar to a tripartite hand ornament known as hathphul having finger rings, there is a foot ornament having toe rings connected to an ornamental pendant with a chain issuing from eah ring which in turn is further linked to an anklet with a hook. This ornament fully covers the foot from ankle to toes. Toe rings are known as bichhia in northern and western India indicating.

Decorate Your Wall with Tribal Paintings

Wall paintings and floor painting, apart from serving ritualistic purposes, are believed to create a harmonious atmosphere in the house. A broad border painted around the house along its base lends a grandeur to the dwelling. The front wall of the house separates the withing from without, the familiar from the foreign, the known from the unknown and must therefore be safeguarded. Any such decoration on the outer walls of the house is meant either to seek the protection of the Goddess or to ward off evil. The entrance of a house is also an important site for relief work in some tribal communities, such as the Agarias and Gonds. Simple decorations of ochre and mud on the platforms for keeping earthen pitchers, and on the four sides of the windows add color and charm to the surroundings.The decoration of the house, whether painting or relief work, is the responsibility of the women. Bas relief work is usually done on the inner walls of the house, around the central courtyard. It is usually done during the construction of the house when the wall is still wet. The wall rubbed clean so as to obtain a smooth texture. Dowels or pinches of clay are auickly and deftly applied directly on the mud walls to form ridges, lines, curves and dots, i order to produce the desired shapes. The motifs are the same as those found in painting: geometric patterns, foliate forms, lotuses, elephants, horses, other animals and human figures. Similar relief work also appears on grain storage bins. These bins of clay and husk made by women are quite massive. As opposed to the wall paintings, the bas relief work is a permanent fixture and lasts as long as the wall does.

Types of Amulets

Based on the purpose, there were two distinctive type of amulets - negative and positive. Negative amulets provided protection by repelling the negative forces, while the positive ensured the fulfillment of desires like marriage, wealth and the birth of a son. Interestingly, the number of negative amulets worn is much higher than the positive ones. With such a long tradition of jewellery it is nearly impossible to differentiate between amuletic and ornamental or customary jewellery, since, more often than not, the users themselves are unaware of the difference. They just seem to continue wearing them as per their tradition. As is apparent, amuletic jewellery is a widely popular practice among the rural folk who are not only illiterate, but also live a life full of hardships. Amulets are worn specifically as well as integrated in the ornaments generally worn around the neck. Such integrated ornaments, like many others, present a unique similarity between the cultures of the Thar Desert covering Rajasthan & Gujarat,the Sahara Desert covering the Middle East and,the Great Gobe covering North Africa. However, special sanctity is attached to wearing an amulet without integrating it in an ornament when it is worn for a specific purpose, as generally, the amulets integrated in ornaments are not activated. An amulet is activated and empowered by a priest or a shaman after performing an elaborate ritual. Like the statue of a deity, life is infused in the amulets through a special ritual, Pranpratistha or Abhishek, without which they can not posses any power. It is performed individually for each user, which is why it loses its divine power when it loses contact with that individual. For a different user the ritual has to be performed again to regain its lost magical power.

Silver Amulets with Chain

Wearing an amulet or a talisman, to protect and to fulfill certain desires, has been an age old practice, not just in India, but, in other cultures of the world as well. In Sanskrit the word for an amulet is Kawach. The ancient people believed in the power of the living bodies, be it the sun or a tree, as well as in the presence of the evil spirit. Not only that, they also believed in the evil eye of the jealous. With image worship emerged the practice of seeking the blessing of Ishta, or the male/female deity that the individual chose, or Kuldevi, that the community worshiped. Obviously, it displayed their faith. Body contact with the deity provided a sense of having divine protection all the time.

Men's Jewelry from India

Jewelry, however, was not a feminine preserve. Men reveled in it as well, decorating their persons, their tools of work, whether they be weapons and shields or studded covers for the horns of animals. Each region had its stylistic variations or distinctions, and in the nuanced vocabulary of Sanskrit there were precise names for each piece identifying the design, the purpose and the significance. For pearl necklaces alone there was a plethora of names, the induchhanda for that with 1008 strings,the vijayachhanda for that with 504. So specific were the names that the original meaning of balika was an ear ornament "formed of three pearls comparable to the bakul flower".From top to toe, both men and women adorned themselves with a dazzling array of jewellery as we see from the sculptures and paintings of the Gupta period and onwards. The head was decorated with the chudamani or crest jewel, the mukut or crown; the forehead with teh tika that hung in the centre or with jewelled strips along the hairline. It was inauspicious to leave them naked, thus the profusion of jewelry for the ears - plugs, studs, hoops, graceful hanging jhumkas. The neck bore chokers, chains, collars, ropes of pearls and beads whereas armlets, bangles and bracelets covered upper and lower arms. Waists and hips, ample or sinous, carried belts and girdles made of gold or silver studded with stones; these could be rigid, flexible, braided or highly ornamented. Anklets graced the feet, almost always of silver, for to wear gold on the feet was to profane its deity, Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth. Only royalty considered themselves exempt from this observance.

Indian Music Instruments

Every state in India has a different language and a different style of music. In every Indian language, there is devotional and ritual music, as well as seasonal songs and dance to accompany harvest of sowing of the new crop. There are work songs, to be sung while pounding rice, and social songs related to the life cycle of a human being, for example to celebrate birth of marriage.

This ancient tradition of singing still continues in the rural areas, to the accompaniment of an assortment of musical instruments. India has a wide variety of drums: vertical (tabla), horizontal,one sided, two sided, those that are too heavy to lift up and carry. There are several types of stringed instruments from the single wired ektara, to the complex sitar, a many stringed fretted instrument. Wind instruments are as varied, with flutes, double pipes, metal horns, bamboo flutes, reed instruments and a host of others. There are bells, cymbals, gongs and clapers. Some forms of regional music are played only on certain instruments and distinct instruments are associated with special festivals or rituals, such as the conch for Hindu temple worship, and the long horns or nagaswarams for processions and marriages.
Singing and playing at social and religious occasions, festivals and marriages, at work and at play are a form of bonding for the family and the community. The music is not written down but is spontaneous and vibrant, changing as new members join the group, each contributing his or her talents to ensure that family traditions are passed on.

India Arts and Crafts - Folk Art Paintings

The earliest examples of Indian art are the work of Stone age cave dwellers whose paintings, the oldest dating back to over 50,000 years BC, still survive on the rock walls of their primitive homes. Crude but lively, they were executed in a wide range of natural pigments, depicting hunting scenes with large wild animals like the bull and stick figures engaged in ritual activities.

No other evidence now remains of the development of Indian painting in the last few centuries BC. but by the 5th century AD cave murals had reached a very different level of sophistication. In the great Buddhist cave temple systems at Ajanta. In Maharashtra, the world's finest examples of religious wall paintings cover the surfaces of chamber after chamber with astonishingly well crafted scenes from Buddhist lore, the soft mineral colors retaining their richness down the ages. In the Deccan, fragments of 6th century Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temple murals show the influence of south indian painting, using few,but strong colors.

On a smaller scale, the palm-leaf miniatures of the medieval east Indian pala dynasty echo something of the style of Ajanta. These paintings illuminated Buddhist texts, written on palm leaves sewn between wooden covers, and exhibited exquisite nuances of color and line. In contrast, the palm leaf paintings of the Jains in western India were more angular and stylized, the colors bold and simple.

Indian Dresses & Clothing

Every region community, caste and religion has its own preferred textile and style of dressing. Until quite recently, one could tell by the clothes they wore where people came by the clothes they wore where people came from and to which community they belonged. Cotton shawls with distinct geometric designs for each tribe are made in the metric designs for each tribe are made in the states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura. In Rajasthan, Gujarat and tribal communities of Andhra Pradesh, women wear ankle-length billowing skirts decorated with embroidery and tiny mirrors. In northern India, after the influence of Islamic culture, stitched pyjamas and kurta, or knee-length shirts, are worn by men and women. In eastern and sourthern India, where the climate determines light clothing, women wear sarong like clothes wrapped around the lower body. Saris are woven fabrics, usually 5 metres long worn by women, each region having its destinct styles and textures. men wear dhotis or single piece clohtes wound around the lower torso in a variety of styles. A favourite tourist purchase is the collarless 'Nehru' jacket.


Very fine cotton is grown in Gujarat and peninsular India. Camel hari wool is used in Rajasthan to make colorful shawls and household items. The finest woolen shawls come from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the priceless Shahtush representing the top end of the range.

Silk is a relatively new materila in India. Some tribal commuities in Assam, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh use raw silk to make shawls and other clohtes. Rough and unevenly spun by hand, it has a characteristic textured look. There is a legend that silk was originally smuggled into India from China, but it was introduced on a large scale by the French in Karnataka between the 17th and 18th centuries. The silk weavers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu favour bright colors, with contrasting borders and woven motifs. Silk brocade is produced in the area of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. During the weaving process, tiny shuttles introduce gold and silver motifs into the fabric.

Indian Traditional Silver Jewellery

Silver jewellery has a vigour and liveliness all its own, many of its designs preserving an antique originality. If gold was the preferred metal of the affluent, silver was the staple of the rural and tribal areas. It was a means of saving money, and an indication of a person's wealth. The jewellery was a mobile "bank", serving as both adornment to be kept on the person aned a stand by in times of need. This is perhaps one reason why the jewellery appears so heavy and chunky.
Areas, and communities within areas, had their own distinctive design ocabularies, and local silversmiths fashioned the metal into beaded chokers, long ropes of chains, heavy collars, pendant boxes, a huge variety of bangles, bracelets, wristlets and amulets, nose rings and of course anklets. Of anklets alone, there is an almost bewildering range which seems to go from heavy to heaviest! So large are some anklets that you would think they make silver was studded with semi-precious stones like turquoise, coral or agate. And in the dryland of Banni in Kutch, the dun landscape is like a backdrop for some fo the most spectacular jewellery in India. Here, as elsewhere, the jewellery, the clothes, the embroideries, are all social identifiers, indicating where the woman is from to what caste she belongs and whether she is married.The irony of this poem may make you smile, but contrary to the poet's belief it is a fact that gems exert a strange magnetic pull. Jewellery exhibitions the world over attract adiences who do indeed look twice at "girl-less gems", as much for their beauty and flawlessness as for their rarity and thus value.

Crafts of Kashmir

Crafts of Kashmir from apparel to decor, are handcrafted in very traditional and age old technique. Explore the wonderful world of craft in the valley.

The craft comprises of many charming handmade products. Ranging from the objects of home décor, apparel and much more. Among apparel, the shawl weaving takes the first place undoubtedly. However large may be the contribution from different states, remains for ages, and the king of Indian shawl weaving. Bringing to the world the unsurpassed softness of Pashmina and toosh, popularly known as cashmere and the intricacies of the Jamawar style, the master weavers of have certainly proved their unmatched skill. Shawls in Pashmina and toosh are all hand woven since the fragility of the yarn does not allow the use of a machine loom. Toosh is however now banned by the Government of India as it involved indiscriminate killing of the chiru antelope. Jamawar is another woven splendor of the craftsmen. Here the task is further complicated as the designs on these shawls are realized not by embroidery but by the simultaneous weaving with wool shuttles of different colors. These shuttles known as 'kaani' in the local language gives 'Jamawar' another name-'kaani shawl'.

Another famous type of shawl from is the embroidered shawl. Embroidery of speaks in volume of the talent and dedicated artwork of its craftsmen. In the valley embroiders often draw inspirations from the beautiful nature around.

The specialty of the region, the Pashmina shawls are still the best and the most elegant looking. The procurement for its raw material is restricted to its neighboring mountains and hence no other region can think of encroaching on Kashmir's monopoly on Pashmina. The soft wool yarn known as Pashmina is finer than sheep's wool. It is the delicate and tender fleece of a particular goat breed known as Capra Hicus and is found in the high altitude pastures of central Asia. It is also referred to as Pashm meaning 'wool' in Urdu and from this word is derived the name of the shawl 'Pashmina'. This luxurious fiber grows under the coarse shaggy outer coat of this domestic goat clan. To clean this fleece it takes a long time and much effort. It is washed and combed several times until the desired softness is acquired.

Another apparel influenced by the urban demand and designing is the Kashmir coats for women. The possibility of the design coming all the way from cannot be completely ruled out as well, as Kashmir was much connected with the European fashion because of its unmatched shawl weaving talents. And in turn was quite influenced by the European fashion for a long time. As a result Kashmir has evolved a blend of the two cultures. These coats have a very modern cut accompanied by traditional Kashmir embroidery. These exquisite embroidered coats are perfect formal wears for all light winter and go well with pants, skirts, wrap-around, pajamas, salwaar-kurtas and saris.

Apart from the beautiful apparels, the Kashmir craft includes many charming handmade furnishing products. The products of home décor include rugs and carpets, cushion covers, bedspreads and the fabulous table linen. The cushion covers of Kashmir are made of coarse handloom cotton in shades of white and off white. They have a flap cover at the back. The embroidery on these cushion covers is done in chain stitch all over.

Moving from furnishing to decoration, Papier-mache is one of the most famous crafts traditions of the valley. In the year 1398 when was invaded by Tamur Lane. Sultan Sikander sent his son to pay tribute to the invader as they made an agreement of alliance. Tamur Lane betrayed the agreement of his alliance with the Sultan and made his son Shahi Khan a hostage in Samarkhand for seven years. Many craftsmen from Central Asia and Persia had accompanied Tamur Lane to and were placed in Samarkhand as well. There this young dynamic prince saw this strange craft made of paper pulp. He learnt the art and later when he became the king known as Zain-ul-Abadin after his father's death, he spread this art among the craftsmen of his region

Embroidery of Gujarat and Rajasthan

Embroidery styles are very much the same in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The colours used, the stitches and figures depict almost the same expressions of the nomadic tribes settled in different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Sindh is no more a part of India but the migrating tribes from Sindth settled near the borders of Gujarat and Rajasthan influenced the needlework of those regions to a very great extent. Many stitches like the interface, buttonhole, chain and darning stitch have their origin in Sindhi embroidery.In Indian embroidery probably the richest in design, stitchery and bright colour combination is of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Each of the numerous communities of Gujarat and Rajasthan possesses a distinct traditional style of embroidery. The forms are spell binding, the colours used are bright and festive. One can say specially of Gujarat - it is a beautiful resplendent garden in which all types of ethnic needlework flourished.For the embroidery of Gujarat which is rich and varied in stitches, there is a legend that explains the vast variety of embroidery styles that exist in Gujarat. 'Lord Krishna' freed thousands of women by killing a demon. These women became his playmates and devotees. As these women hailed from different parts of the country they brought with them different kinds of needle craft.

Crafts of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, a state with most religious, cultural and agricultural significance, has a craft tradition equally rich and old. From Benaras Brocade and Lucknow Chikankari to the Aligarh metal craft and Saharanpur woodcraft, there is so much to explore.

Weaving is one of the main crafts of Uttar Pradesh and the center of this craft is Varanasi or Benaras. Brocade, tanchoi and silk are the speciality of the weavers of Benaras. Benaras has also perfected the various style of brocade weaving. Brocade is described as a figured textile with the patterning woven in supplementary, usually discontinuous weft threads.

The other embroidery work of Uttar Pradesh has an aristocratic background and is known as Chikankari. Done predominantly in the Lucknow town, this embroidery is believed to be the embroidered imitation of Jamdani weaving of Bengal. This embroidery is done on sari,salwar kurta, men's kurta, mens cap, table linen and bed linen. As it is always done on cotton or fine muslin apparels, it sells the best in summer time in India.

The woodcraft in the country has a long history. We fine references of wood carving in the Rig Veda, in which the carpenters are called Taskans. In different regions and states of India, different styles have evolved down the ages. The specialization depends on factors like the kind of wood available and the craft tradition of the different regions. In Uttar Pradesh specializes in crafts made of Shesham wood. Shesham is a rich medium brown wood with deep grains.
Brass, an alloy that was achieved by fusing zinc with copper, exists in India since the third century BC. The fusion was done ensuring that the percentage of zinc was strictly maintained between twelve to fourteen percent. In Uttar Pradesh, there are two main centres of brass work. The first one is Moradabad, where the craft has a history as long as four hundred years and another one is Aligarh that is newer as copared to the former.

Head of Buddha Brass Statue Collectible Figurines Religious Gifts India

This heavy brass head of Buddha is an interesting and peculiar sight. Its long elvish ears seem to extend till the bottom of its neck, hanging on the sides of a head that is comparitively much smaller. Dark lines mark the features of the face that seems to be having a very contented sleep. The brass gives it an incredible blooming shine under the light; an interesting double meaning to the Enlightened One. Wavy patterns extend all over the head to mark the large thick hair, that is arranged in a dome on the very top of the head. All of this makes it a really conspicuous presence in the room that you put it in, because how can you not admire such a strange and distinctive sight. A+ Seller. I will purchase from them again.

Highly Recommended !!!, June 5, 2008

By	Malini Verma "WorshipperOfOrwell" (India)

Back Belly Chain - Women's Body Jewelry

Belly chains, also known as girdles or waist belts, are worn generally by women, for the sake of fashion, or for holding the lower garments and the belly tight, or both. Some belly chains are small and light, while some are heavy. Although many belly chains are worn tightly on the waist, there are also others that simply rest on the hip. Circular rings alternate through the chains, and the wearer can adjust them across the waist by putting the fastening device at one end of the chain through one of those circles, as per her waist length.

Buddhism - A Religion of India

Buddhism as a way of life was adopted by several rulers of the Indian subcontinent. Large institutions and religious centres were established with this patronage. Several years after the Buddha's death two major branches of Buddhist thought emerged: one called Hinayana, the little vechicle, and the other Mahayana, the great vehicle that carries one to salvation.

From the Indian subcontinent the teachings of the Buddha spread to neighbouring Sri Lanka, the north-west frontier, Myanmar(Burma), Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea and finally to Japan. In the 10th and 12th centuries, as Muslim armies began to conquer territories in India, several Buddhist institutions were destroyed. Idol worship, not permissible under Islam, came under threat and Buddhist monks fled from mainland India to shelter in the Himalayan mountains. In time, these retreats, in the valleys of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Ladakh in India, became famous centres of learning. Here, manuscripts, sciences and rituals and the gentle way of the Buddha were preserved over the centuries.

Jewellery Setting - Making of Jewelry

If you thought making jewellery was merely the job of a designer and his craftsman, you can think again. In Rajasthan, it employs different skills and includes the following specialized workers:


CHHATERRA: His task is to engrave the ground for the setting of the stones.
KUNDANSAAZ: Sets the uncut stones in lacquer and antimony and cold sets it with hammered gold wire.
MANIHAR: He prepares the enamels that will be poured into the hollows to create the patterns.
MINAKAAR: The enameller places the enamels and firesthem individually.
NYARRIYA: His task is to refine the gold. Usually 22 ct gold is used for the making of kundan jewellery.
PATWARI: Provides the finishing touch in the form of the gold and silk cord required by the wearer, and is also responsible for stringing the beads, where required.
SANGSAZA: His job is to polish the stones, and cut them, sometimes carving decorative motifs on to the stone.
SONAR: Literally the goldsmith, he prepares the bezels and moulds for setting the stones. He is also responsible for polishing and cleaning the jewelry once everyone else's task is done.

Chikan Work - Amazing Embroidery

Lucknow is a cultured city of beautiful buildings that lies at the centre of Uttar Pradesh. Now the capital of the modern state, in 1775 it has become the capital of the state of Oudt, when it at once began to attract craftsmen, artists and musicians who were patronized by the court. One of the crafts that developed was that of chikan-kari, or chikan-work embroidery, a kind of whitework. The pattern, of predominantly floral designs, is stitched using untwisted white cotton or silk (and now rayon) on the surface of the fabric. In chikan work, there is a fixed repertoire of stitches and it is usual for several types to appear on the same piece of embroidery.

Indian Jewelry in Folk and Tribal Style

Myth is the foundation of the jewellery of rural and tribal peoples; it is not in the intent but in the material, therefore, that we should distinguish their jewellery from that tof the classical tradition. There is a similar, perhaps greater, richness of belief and symbology; it is only that the expression takes different forms because of the relative lack of affluence. Gold is replaced by silver, precious stones by semi-precious ones; but now other materials enter, glass beads, cowrie shells, feathers, beetles, seeds, bone, dried flowers and grasses. As if to make up for their modest nature, they are worn in profusion, necklace upon necklace clasping the body from throat to breast; armlets and bangles from upper arm to wrist; multiple rings in ears pierced at life-enhancing points.

There are instances where the richness of so-called folk or tribal jewellery seems but another view of the opulence of mainstream tradition; equally, there are examples where stark minimalism dominates and where we must look beyond the surface to the meaning underneath.Jewellery extends beyond its conventional definition to include all forms of ornamentation such as festive or ritual head gear. Enough to say here that entire voumes could be written on this subject without exhausting it; of necessity, we can touch upon only a few areas.