Handmade in India

ONE OF THE most beautiful hill stations in the
country,Darjeeling district in the extreme north of West
Bengal lies at an elevation of about 7000 feet(2100m) above
sea level.Tea,timber and tourism are the three mainstays of
the economy of the district.Cash crops such as orange and
cardamom are cultivated here.It is situated on a long,narrow
mountain ridge of the Sikkim Himalayans that descends
abruptly to the bed of the great Rangit River.The crafts of this
region reflect the varied cultures of different ethnic groups
settled here like the Tibetans,Nepalese and others.Coming
down to the plains,here Siliguri is the main commercial city
of north Bengal and its importance comes from its strategic
location near international and state borders.It is situated on
the banks of the River Mahananda.Spread around the foothills
of the eastern Himalayas,the town is an important
transit,trading and educational centre.
ACCESS
The Bagdora airport(13km from Siliguri).offers connections
to Kolkata,Delhi and Guwahati.Siliguri is accessible by rail
and road as well.
Carft of Darjeeling
Wood carving
Beaten silver
engraving
Hill painting
Carpet weaving
Terracotta
Cane furniture
Subclusters of
Darjeeling
Darjeeling district:
Darjeeling
Kalimpong
Siliguri district:
Siliguri
Matigara
RESOURCES
Craft Raw Materials Sources
Wood carving
Beaten silver
engraving
Carpet weaving
Sapwood planks and
paints
Silver sheets
Wool and vegetable
dyes
Darjeeling
Kalimpong
Darjeeling
Terrracotta Clay Uttar Dinajpur
Balasore
Ela mati-fine clay
Tea Gardens
Cane furniture Cane Siliguri
Arunachal Pradesh
1 A craftsman painting
a thangka,painting
made on cloth with
Buddhist themes or
mandalas,for medition.
2 Thangka painting
done for the Jangsa
Monastery in
kalimpong.
3 Beaten silver
engraving:detail of a
craftsman chasing on a
silver sheet that has
been punched from the
back.