Crafts of Rajasthan

Crafts of Rajasthan are practiced and perfected by the craftsmen living there for generations. Excelling in various arts and crafts, they have filled their region with the lively colours and ingenious utility and decorative products, ranging from clothes to shoes and from bed linen to rugs.

Rajasthan, the land of the Kings, is a part the ‘colour belt’ of western India. Contrast to the miles and miles of stark brown dessert, Rajasthan presents a brilliant range of colours in its textile. It is not only during festivals or ceremonies that Rajasthan looks bright, it is everyday. By the side of the well, at the village haat, weekly market place, at fairs and festivals, in the temple, on the streets, at weddings, rituals and ceremonies, everywhere Rajasthan displays the most brilliant of colours. Between the blue canopy of the sky and landscape of the rich sand brown of dessert, the Rajasthan craftsmen fill the brightness of the exotic colours. Textile, leather work, wood craft, jewelry and rugs are the prime crafts in which the crafts people of Rajasthan dwell in. The crafts of the region are given all imaginable colours to break the monotony of the harsh and barren dessert. From ancient times cloth has been woven on the loom and fashioned into various forms of apparel, with or without embellishment. The village weavers produced for the local community while the master craftsmen created speaciality for the royalty and the wealthy. Maintaining its age-old textile fashion, Rajasthan still produces the best of cottons with ingenious dyeing and hand printing. Bandhani or Bandhej is the name of the tie and dye technique used commonly in the region. Coming from the Hindi word ‘bandhan’ meaning ‘to tie’, this technique has a self explanatory name. The fabric is tied at various places with the help of a thread, in a way that it makes some pattern. After the tying is done, the fabric is dipped in the desired colour.

Rajasthan has a rich and long tradition of leather crafts. Most of the products are functional and utilitarian. The main leather products of the region are the ubiquitos juttis and mojaris, leather stool, handbags, saddles and lampshades. Ornamented slippers, embroidered heavy juttis and mojaris are produced in Rajasthan since the days of Maharajas. They were handmade embroidered closed shoes. In the nineteenth century however, this type of ornamented shoes were used only by the upper class of the society.

In jewelry making, the enamel work of Rajasthan is very famous. Nathdwara, a small town in Rajasthan has a tradition of doing enamel work on silver. This technique, enamelling, is very popular in Rajasthan. The designs are first etched on the surface on which enamelling is to be done. The surface is then fully burnished with agate. The various stones are then filled in their respective places. The piece is now placed on a mica plate and kept in the furnace. The mica plate is used to prevent its direct contact with fire. Colours are applied according to their hardness. The ones, which require more heat, are filled in first and so on. When it is taken out from the furnace finally, it is rubbed with a file very gently and cleaned with lemon juice or tamarind to give the shine. It is a very long and painstaking process, yet the craftsmen have very expert and swift hands in producing lovely enameled jewelry in Rajasthan.

Women's Leather Slippers from India

The most important accessory of dressing is the footwear. The commonly shoe-style worn in India is in leather with beaded work, mirror work, thread work and hand embroidery work. Women loves to wear these types of shoes called 'jutis' in India.A shoe is an item of footwear for the various outfits, there is a variety of footwear, but shoes are universal type that has the maximum in terms of choice. From sports to formal to casual, from leather to cloth, there are all kinds of material and styles. Shoes are also country-specific. Shoes are categorized by smooth and supple leather uppers, leather soles, and narrow sleek shape. In India shoes made of leather with hand work by the 'Rajasthani' artist. If you attire in typical Indian traditional style, like a simple salwar kameez, you can opt for Kohlapuri Chappals and Rajasthani Jutis(Eco Friendly) that is simple and sober. Today hand worked women shoes are in big demand. Women shoes come in a variety of colors. It is your choice to match a footwear according to your color of dress.Leather shoes with Rajasthani work are typically thought of as a staple in any woman's wardrobe in India, and come in a variety of colors and styles. According to your need, whichever footwear you opt for, make sure it has a soft sole and is comfortable to wear. Be clear about the purpose for which you are buying shoes. If you are looking out for casual shoes for ladies, you should avoid high heels especially if your job requires whole day standing. For that purpose, flat shoes (jutis) are just apt. Know yourself and in consistency pick up your footwear. If you want to stay comfortable whole day 'jutis' are the best option.
It is often said that, "First impression is the last impression" so adhering to it don't forget to pay attention to your shoes. It is as important as your wardrobe, makeup and trendy handbags. As necessary is to buy women fashion shoes, equally important is to maintain them and keep them clean. Comfort is the keyword you must take care of while selecting your fashionable footwear. Latest footwear trend is of woman fashion jutis.
Good fit gives you the necessary comfort and strong grip provides the required support. Good fit must ensure that there is ample space for your toes to breathe. They look fabulous with your casuals.