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Mashru
and Himru
Aurangabad
is famous for Mashru and Himru fabrics made of cotton and silk
with the luster of satin. Himru is an age-old weaving craft,
and was originally known as kum khuab.
Bidriware
Bidriware,
another one of Aurangabad's ancient crafts, is made from a combination
of zinc and copper. It usually involves intricate workmanship
of pure silver, either embossed, overlaid or inlaid on the metal
surface. Originally, Bidri ware items were used as hookahs or
paan daans. Nowadays they are more often sold as souvenirs.
Paithani
Saris
The
art of weaving Paithani saris is 2000 years old. The yarn used
is pure silk and the zari or gold threads are drawn from
pure gold. A heavily brocaded Paithani sari takes anywhere from
six months to one and a half years to weave.
Sawantwadi
Crafts
From
recent evidence, it appears that the craft of lacquer ware was
introduced into Sawantwadi around the end of the 17th
and the beginning of the 18th century. Lacquer ware
can be broadly divided into three categories. Firstly, turned
lacquer ware which is the craft of applying colored lacquer
on an object which is turning on a lathe, and then polishing
and buffing it by means of a kewda leaf. Secondly, painting
of floral borders and motifs on surfaces of objects and thirdly,
the painting of mythological figures on various surfaces.
The painting of mythological figures show three distinct styles,
roughly divided into the Chitrakatha, Temple and Ganjifa styles.
The Chitrakatha style shows a boldness and tremendous mobility
of figures. Temple paintings are static and usually depict a
seated deity. The Ganjifa paintings on the other hand, are very
stylized and depict the ten incarnations of Vishnu. During the
18th and the 19th centuries, various schools
of this craft were started in Sawantwadi. The artisans who trained
in these schools, many of whom were imported from nearby Goa,
came to be known as Chitrakars or Chitaris.
These days, Sawantwadi lacquer ware has a large range of products
and concentrates on traditional hand painted and lacquered furniture
and light fittings. Ganjifa card games, which were played and
made in the 18th and 19th centuries, are
produced in all varieties and can be found in private collections
and in museums.
Warli
Paintings
The
Warlis are tribal people who live in the Thane district, north
of Mumbai. Traditionally, Warli paintings
or chawk were made by women during wedding rituals. These
sacred pictographs used rice paste and straw, which was then
smeared on the walls of their modest huts. The main figure was
of Palghat, the goddess of trees and plants, symbolizing creative
energy. These days, even young men have taken to painting and
they are often done on paper incorporating traditional decorative
Warli motifs with modern elements as well such as the bicycle,
etc. Warli paintings on paper have become very popular and are
now sold all over India.
Clothing
and Jewelry
Traditionally,
the Maharashtrian woman wears a nine-yard sari known as navwadi,
and the men are characterized by colorful turbans or phetas.
Maharashtra as a region has a strong textile history and has
several different types of saris or materials that a typical
of a particular part or region, such as Kolhapur, Pune and
Paithan.
Jewelry
patterns of the Marathas and the Peshwas are still very much
in vogue. The Maharashtrian woman loves to wear her malas
and hars or necklaces. A favorite with all, is the nose
ring or nath, usually with pearls and red and white stones.
Kolhapuri
Chappals
Kolhapur
is well known for its textiles and cottons, but it is of course
most famous for its handmade leather sandals or chappals.
These leather sandals are very popular the world over, and their
simple styles have made them popular. The cost depends on the
quality of leather and design, but in general Kolhapuri chappals
are reasonable and good value for money.
Narayan
Peth
A
traditional Maharashtrian sari usually from around Sholapur,
the Narayan Peth sari is beautifully woven in silk with a contrasting
zari border, generally with 'rudraksha' motifs.
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