Handmade in India

BAMBOO FLUTES
Production Clusters
Pilibhit district:
Pilibhit
Products
Flutes
Pipes
Toys
Tools
Knives
Poker
Scales
Sandpaper
A BAMBOO FLUTE is remarkable in
its simplicity.It is a legendary folk
instrument associated with Lord
Krishna.The Hindi word bansuri is a
synthesis of baans meaning bamboo
and sur meaning musical note.The
Indian flute is melodious and a wide
range of notes are achieved from
simple calibration of the air column in
the bamboo.A community of
craftsmen living in Pilibhit has made
making flutes from bamboo a
hereditary family enterprises.Bamboo
is sourced from Silchar and other parts
of Assam and converted into a wide
range of flutes including toy flutes.
1 Bamboo of various kinds are brought to Bareilly from Assam.The
town is also referred to as Baans Bareilly,derived from baans,the
Hindi word for bamboo.
Only a few master craftsmen known the closely guarded secret
of indexing the musical notes precisely,which is done by
piercing the bamboo to make holes for placement of
fingers.Holes are made by burning with red hot metal pokers
and all markings are done with special scales and tools.The
professional flutes are made from seasoned bamboo which are
carefully selected and stored before conversion.Great
musicians of the Indian classical tradition source their
instruments from here.The larger portion of craftsmen prepare
inexpensive toy flutes sold all across India,at various fairs.The
low cost flutes are made in very large volumes.
Inset A flute meant for classical musicians.
2 A miniature painting from Rajasthan.Lord Krishna is
depicted as a young cowherd playing the flute,enthralling
Radha,the cow-herdesses and the animals.
CANE FURNITURE
Production Clusters
Bareilly district:
Bareilly
Bithri Chainpur
Ramnagar
Alampur
Zafradbad
Bhojipura
Allahabad district:
Allahabad
Kydganj
Products
Furniture
Dustbins
Racks
Lamps
Baskets
Pot Holders
Sofa Set
Centre tables
Tools
Saw
Kerosene Lamp
Hammer
Knife
BAREILLY HAS BEEN a manufacturing centre for cane furniture
since 1956.Owing to its big cane and bamboo mandi, wholesale
market,the town is colloquially called Baans Bareilly.Cane and bamboo
procurred from Assam,are distributedd to the neighbouring villages of
Bithri Chainpur, Ramnagar, Alampur, Zafrabad and Bhojipura where
cane furniture making is a cottage industry.The level of skills of the
craftsmen is at par with those of Assam and Kerala.The main frame of
the furniture is heat bent while seating elements are either woven from
splits or fitted with whole elements.
Sofa sets made with heat bent cane,joined with nails and bound with
cane splits.
Joints are bound with splits and nailed in place.The cane is
soaked in water before bending.Thinner cane is heat-coiled
into decorative patterns and nailed in place and finally,the
finished piece is varnished.The craftsmen are adept at
making anything that is drawn out,shown or even
described.Bareilly also sells cane splits to other cane
furniture cnetres,like Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.There are
about 6000 craftsmen in Bareilly district.