rug 101

Why India is Hub for Handmade Carpets and Home Décor Products

• 25 February 2022
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• 4 Min Read
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• By Jaipur Rugs

Handmade décor and luxury articles like Madhubani paintings, handmade bed covers, clay and metal idols of gods and other showpieces, etc. were also made.

Indian hand crafted products or handicrafts have been considered one of the best since for more than 3000 years. In ancient India, people used to make daily use of utility items with their own hands using the natural raw material available to them. Along with the making of daily use handicrafts, Handmade décor and luxury articles like Madhubani paintings, handmade bed covers, clay and metal idols of gods and other showpieces, etc. were also made. 

Over the next two centuries, the Indian handicrafts industry saw a huge rise in Clay, Metal, Wood, and other handicrafts. 

Clay craft

Clay craft is one of the most ancient forms of crafts. Articles of daily use like clay pots, jugs, cookware etc. made by potters were used by the rural population in their day to day life. The clay craft has only been developing, With the addition of colors, crafting idols of gods and goddesses, and other miscellaneous décor products. 

Wooden handicrafts

Wooden handicrafts are another type of product which were widely used. Furniture made out of wood, wooden doors with carved designs, wooden carts, and decorative wooden products were some of the most commonly handcrafted and used wooden products.

Metal crafts

Copper was mainly used for making metal handicrafts before the arrival of Iron. Metal articles like kettles, teacups, Idols, statues, etc. were handcrafted and used for daily needs as well as articles of décor. 

Besides the highly skilled artisans and the variety of raw materials available, there were still some products Indian artisans didn’t know how to make. One such handicraft was handmade carpets. In 16th century the art of weaving was brought to India by the Persian emperors who when ruling India started missing the luxurious handmade rugs from their own country. Hence their need and love for luxury carpets led them to bring highly skilled weavers from Persia to teach weaving to Indian artisans. Royal workshops were set up in different cities like Agra, Delhi, Lucknow, and Lahore and Indian artisans started learning how to make Persian hand-knotted carpets. 

The art grew and flourished here and over time the Persian designs were modified as per the royal taste and different states. Different materials like silk and Pashmina wool started being used in making carpets of superior quality, hence giving rise to the unique Indian rugs. 

During the 16th and 17th century the carpet industry saw a huge transformation, designs and patterns were modified according to Indian taste, Materials like Silk and pashmina were now being used to make the rugs, making them of superior quality. With the beginning of the 18th century, Indian pile carpets reached Europe, where they attracted the attention of many international traders who then traced Indian rugs back to their origin. Mirzapur, Amritsar, Agra, Kashmir, and Masulipatnam were some of the first regions to see the opening of commercial manufacturing units for handmade carpets. Apart from this the British also introduced carpet weaving in Jails to provide the inmates a way of earning a livelihood, these carpets later came to be known as Jail Carpets.

This was the turning point for the Indian carpet industry, making India one of the leading carpet manufacturing country and people from all over the world started to prefer Indian rugs for home décor. The Indian carpet industry today is worth more than US$ 1 billion in annual exports. India has a huge variety of designs, construction techniques, and quality in carpets depending on the city they’re being produced in. 

Some major carpet and handicrafts producing regions of India – 

• Rajasthan Rajasthan is also known as the art hub of India, It is the largest producer of handicrafts in India. Handicrafts from Rajasthan have made name for themselves in the international market and are exported all over the world. Some famous Rajasthani handicrafts are Textile, Carpets and durries, Handmade jewelry, Rajasthani quilts, wooden furniture, and many more.

• Kashmir Just like the land itself, Kashmiri handicrafts are some of the most beautiful and best in quality. Kashmiri artisans are highly skilled and generally have thin fingers allowing them to make carpets with the most intricate designs, using the best quality wool. Kashmir produces all handmade high quality carpets. Apart from Carpets Kashmiri handicrafts majorly consists of items made out of wool like Shawls and pashminas. A Kashmiri pashmina is said to be of such fine quality that it can easily pass through a finger ring.

• AssamAssam is best known for it’s “Terracotta” handicrafts. Terracotta stands for statues made out of soil. The assamese artisans make handicrafts out of soil, mud and clay. Items like spiritual idols, dolls, tables, vases, pots and much more are made their.

• Bhadohi The city of Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh is the largest hand knotted carpet weaving hub in south Asia. The Indian Institute of carpet technology, the only institute of it’s kind in Asia was established in the city by the Ministry of textiles in 2001. The livelihood of many villagers here is completely dependent on carpet making. The beginning of carpet weaving here dates back to the 16th century. The passing down of art of weaving from generation to generation over almost 4 centuries has made the people some of the best artisans in the world.

Conclusion

Indian handicrafts are a reflection of the rich cultural heritage and ethnicity of the country. Artisans from different parts of the country depicts their culture and tradition in their handicrafts, making them uniquely expressive. More than just articles of decoration or use, Handicrafts are a window into the artisan's mind, depicting their tradition and cultural background.