You can talk of Italian couture all you like, but Indian handicrafts and artwork will always stand many shades apart. That is because every thread has a story to tell. They carry with them many histories, many legacies – each of them a representative of the state they belong to. However, hand on your heart – how many Indian masterpieces can you actually think of? Sure, you know the ones that Vidya Balan wore to an awards show, but there are so many other lesser known beauties that you know little about. Here are some Indian handicrafts/artwork we’d like to list:

Kantha

Remember sleeping with kanthas at night?
They are soft, comfortable and cozy. It all began decades ago when grandmothers would sew their old sarees as patchworks and make kanthas. The tradition still continues – except that today, it is done on a larger commercial platform, and with much brighter colours.

Dhana Murti

What form of art can possibly be made with rice grains? You’d be surprised at what the Mundas have accomplished.
This ethnic tribal group in the Chota Nagpur plateau region use unhusked rice grains to make idols. Dhaan meaning ‘rice grain’ and murti meaning ‘idols’ are made of three things – rice grains, bamboo slivers and coloured threads. Peacocks, urns and Indian gods and goddesses like Ganesha or Lakhsmi are made into dhanamurtis.

Unhusked rice grains are used to make these idols. (Photo: gaatha.com)