Handmade in India

Huddled close to a bend in the Ganga,the city of Benaras,also
called Varanasi,comes alive on its ghats,flights of steps leading
to the river front.
Pundits,priest,resting on the
ghats under a bamboo umbrella.
A couple selling paan,betel
leaves.Paan with nuts and cloves
is eaten as a digestive.These are
offered in a ceremonial manner
and stored in well crafted
containers called
paandaans.Paandaans and nut
crackers are cultural objects
integral to the tehzeeb, etiquette,
of Lucknow.
UTTAR PRADESH,one of the
most ancient cradles of Indian
culture,lies on the vast Indo-
Gangetic plain.It is watered by the
rivers
Ganga,Yamuna,Ramganga,Gomati
and Ghaghara where many
pilgrimage and trading centres are
located.
Politically it is one of the most prominent regions in the country
and has shaped much of the national politics of India.The land has
been witness to the main events of Buddhism,Jainism and the
Bhakti cult.Islam spread with the advent of the Mughal rule.It has
some of the greatest Islamic monuments such as Taj
Mahal,Fatehpur Sikri,Bara Imambara;the sacred city of
Varanasi,Buddhist stupas,of Sarnath and the Kumbh Mela or
festival in Allahabad.The Buddha preached his First Sermon in
Sarnath;in Shravasti he performed a miracle,and attained
mahaparinirvana in Kushi-nagar.Many rulers hence were greatly
influenced by his teachings.The Mathura school of art,especially
sculpture,flourished during the Kushan period and reached its
zenith in the Gupta period.The great Mauryan emperor Harsha had
his capital in Kannauj.Braj Bhoomi,the region around
Agra,Mathura and Vrindavan,the land of Lord Krishna`s birth and
childhood,is a famous pilgrimage centre.Buddhism and Hinduism
flourished until the invasion of Mahmud Ghazni.Liberal traditions
continued to flourish during the Islamic period and
late.Varanasi,also known as Kashi and Benaras,remained a
prominent centre of Hindu learning and Jaunpur,under the Sharqi
rulers,a centre for Islamic Culture.Pre-Mughal art and architecture
reflect a religious inclination,
The Taj Mahal,commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan
for his beloved wife Mumtaz,is described as one of the finest
examples of building art in marble on account of its splendid
ornamentation and exquisite craftsmenship.Built in the Safavid
style of architecture in the 17th century AD,it continues to inspire
carving and inlay craftsmen in Agra.
and the Mughal period ushered in an era of aesthetic
excellence as well.Zardozi,metal enamelling,glass,ivory
carving,metal repousse and tarkashi,flourished under their
patronage.Akbar set up carpet weaving workshops,and
zardozi,gold thread embroidery,was a must for royal garments
and furnishings.Chikan embroidered garments were the court
garments under the Nawabs of Lucknow.Paandaans and
hookahs,elements of Muslim culture,were beautifully
ornamented with enamelling,engraving,repousse and
openwork.Varanasi produced kimkhwab,Silk fabric heavily
brocaded with gold thread;a variety of lightweight silk
brocades,cotton brocade and gyasar,boldly patterned silk with
gold and coloured silk threads for use in Tibetan monasteries
and religious ceremonies.
Inset The mahi murattib,twin fish,was the state emblem of the
Nawabs of Avadh.The fishes became a noble motif used in
architecture and craft.Chikan embroiderers still use it.In
Allahabad,south of Lucknow,rickshaw seats are flanked by
painted fish.The fish appear on the state seal now.
Turkish rule in the 12th and 13th centuries,nurtured the
tradition of Arabic calligraphy with strong Turko-Persian
influences,and also introduced Sufism in the Ido-Islamic
creed.Traditional Sufi music and poetry,such as that of the
legendary Amir Khusrou became linked to the various
traditions of Sufi movement in Punjab,Braj and Avadh.Seen
above is a form of the tughra,that has evolved from the
monogrammatic handsign unique to each Turkish
sultan,emperor,to a derivation of the Naskhi calligraphic
style,where words or phrases from the Quran are composed
within an arabesque or figurative form,still done by a Hindu
painter and Muslim calligraphy artisans from Jarnailganj in
Lucknow.
Jahangiri Mahal palace built by emperor Akbar inside the Agra
Fort.Detail of the facade,built in red sandstone with carved
arches in marble.
Languages
Hindi
Avadhi
Braj Bhasha
Bhojpuri
Khariboli
Urdu
Festivals
Diwali
Krishna Janmashtami
Ram Navami
Dussehra
Kartik Purnima
Makara Sanskriti
Holi
Buddha Purnima
Moharram
Eid-ul-Fitr
Kumbha Mela
Attire
Aligarhi pajama-fitted
pants
Dhoti-draped lower
garment
Burqa-veil covering
the head,face & body
Silk brocaded saris
Cuisine
Benarasi paan-betel
leaf with nut & cloves
Bati-roasted wheat
balls
Chokha-mashed
potato or brinjal
Sheermal-bread
Kebab-marinated and
barbecued meat
Gujia-sweetmeat
Petha-sweetmeat