Handmade in India

A detail of the arched windows and the
jaali,lattice screens,that cover some of the
windows of the Bara Imambara,the great
columnless ceremonial hall built in
1784.The complex has a massive
courtyard,triple arched gateways,the Asafi
mosque and a baoli,stepwell.The jaali
effect is recreated in chikankari
embroidery.
Crafts of
LUCKNOW
Chikankariembroidery
of
Lucknow
Kamdani and fardi ka
kaam-metal work
embroidery
Silver work
Zardozi-gold
embroidery
Varaq ka kaam-gold
and silver foil work
Sheet metal work
Terracotta
Quitabat -
Calligraphy
Bone carving
Clay toys
Basketry
Tharu applique
Applique
Subclusters of
Lucknow
Lucknow district:
Lucknow
Chinhat
Barabanki district:
Barabanki
Shravasti district:
Shravasti
RESOURCES
Craft Raw Materials Sources
Chikankari
Kamdani and Fardi ka
kaam - metal work
embroidery
Zardozi
Untwisted mill yarn Muga,
Tussar Yarn
Metal wire
Shell
Porcupine quill
Zari, Metal purls, Sequins,
Resham, Untwisted cotton
yarn
Lucknow
Surat(Gujarat)
Kolkata(West Bengal)
Ajmer (Rajasthan)
Surat
Varaq ka kaam Silver, Gold Varanasi
Silver work Sheet silver Mathura
Sheet Metal work Sheet copper Locally available
Terracotta Clay Local digs, Ponds
Quitabat-calligraphy
Kandi-dung cakes
Mineral colours : Iron oxide,
copper oxide, Powdered lapis
lazuli
Earth colours : Khariya,
Geru, Multani mitti, Sindoor,
Neel Paveri
Vegetable colours
Handmade paper
Cowshed
Lucknow
Local Dealers
Rajasthan
Bone carving Buffalo bone Lucknow
Camel bone
Clay toys of Lucknow Clay, Kandi, Powder colours Lucknow
Local Dealers,
Stationers, Antiques
dealers
Basketry Arhar stalks Lucknow, Bareilly
Tharu applique Cotton fabric Behraiche
Applique Voile, Organdy Lucknow, Behraich
ACCESS
Lucknow being the state capital is well connected to all the
major cities in India by road,rail and by air.
Inset Colouring of a terracotta object.
LUCKNOW IS A crowded old
Mughal city with colonial
architecture.The city is spread on
both banks of the River
Gomati.The land is slightly
undulating and many streets are
located on dhaals,slopes.Chauk
and Aminabad are the main
bazaars,the hud of artistic
activity and the only place where
one can come closest to
experiencing the renowned
adab,refined courtesy,of
Lucknow.
Lucknow traces its origins to the Suryavanshi dynasty of
Ayodhya,its name to Lakshman(the brother of lord Rama)but
its modern history really begins when, in 1732,Mohammad
Amin Sadat Khan,a Persian adventurer,was made governor of
Avadh,of which Lucknow was a part.His descendants came to
be known as Nawabs and later as Nawab Wazirs.In 1755,the
Nawabs shifted their capital from Faizabad to
Lucknow.Today,Lucknow is the capital of Uttar
Pradesh.Chinhat,a town that developed from a
potters`village,is near Lucknow and accessible from
Aminabad.The districts of Behraich and Shravasti are located
in Northeastern Uttar Pradesh,bordering Nepal.During the
reign of Ashoka it was a centre of Buddhism.Archaeological
remains of some Buddhist stupas and Jain temples have been
excavated in Shravasti making it an important place for
pilgrimage.In fact,countries like Japan,Burma and Thailand
have set up monasteries there.Villages of the Tharu tribe are
located all along the border with Nepal in the deep
forests.Barabanki has a large population of weavers and was
one of the villages that took up khadi weaving on Gandhiji`s
call for satyagraha,non-violent resistence,movement.
1. The making of kamdani,a metal
strip embroidery
2. Freshly thrown lamp comes off
the wheel.Diyas or lamps come in
varying sizes and are used as oil
lamps during Diwali,the festival
of lights.
3. A Gujjar womam,twisting rope
from saann grass in Behraich, in
the adjoining district.