Handicrafts of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Handicrafts of Haryana - A Reflection of Rich Cultural Heritage

• The handicrafts of Haryana represent a diverse range of styles and aesthetics, reflecting the state's rich cultural heritage. Haryana's famous handicrafts are renowned throughout the country for their splendid beauty and artistic value. 
• These works of art are a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of Haryana's artisans, who have honed their craft over generations. The handicrafts of Haryana are not only visually appealing, but they also have significant cultural and historical significance, making them an essential part of Haryana's identity. 
• The handicrafts of Haryana consist primarily of pottery, embroidery, weaving, phulkari, chope, durries bagh, and paintings, with most of them originating from the villages. Weaving is the most well-known village handicraft of Haryana, and the Haryana shawl, which is derived from the Kashmiri style of work, is a beautiful example of this. 
• The art and craft of Haryana employ vivid and stunning colors as a critical component. Overall, the handicrafts of Haryana reflect the region's rich cultural heritage and are renowned throughout the country for their exceptional aesthetic qualities. 
• The handicrafts produced in the villages of Haryana are known for their colorful designs and intricate patterns, especially in pottery. Women are often responsible for the decorative painting on these earthenware items, while men create the base. The Phulkari is a rural craft that is exclusively made by women, while the Bagh is similar to the Phulkari, but involves completely covering the base cloth with embroidery. 
• Additionally, the Chope is a type of shawl that is also produced in Haryana. The economy of Haryana is significantly reliant on its arts and crafts industry, which is a significant source of income for rural communities in the state. Therefore, the handicrafts sector has a crucial role in the state's economic growth.

Pottery

• Pottery is a significant occupation in the rural areas of Haryana and is considered important due to the state's rural economy. The earthenware produced in Haryana is distinct as it is painted with vibrant and lively colors. The process of pottery involves a potter and a helper who prepares the mix, with the task usually performed by men in the village. 
• Once shaped, intricate and colorful designs are painted on the earthenware, which is typically done by a female member of the potter's family. As such, pottery in Haryana is a collaborative effort involving multiple individuals.
• Pottery has been a popular craft in various regions of India for a long time. The use of the potter's wheel can be traced back to pre-Aryan times, and pottery comes in various shapes and forms. In Haryana's villages, the kick-operated potter's wheel is commonly used. 
• In this type, the potter does not use their hands to turn the wheel, but their foot. However, hand-operated wheels are more prevalent in other parts of the country. The potter's wheel is usually made of either cement or stone.

Embroidery and Weaving

• Handlooms are an important aspect of Haryana's handicrafts industry, with shawls, lungis, and durries being the most popular items. The Phulkari shawl, which is a type of Haryana Shawl, is a highly regarded embroidery work that is recognized worldwide. 
• Although it is similar to the Kashmiri style, Haryana's Phulkari is distinct due to its use of vibrant colors and unique patterns. Women in Haryana wear Phulkaris during the winter with their Ghagra and Choli. The Bagh shawl is another type of shawl that is similar to Phulkaris, and it is well-known for its intricate embroidery work. 
• The entire base cloth is often covered with embroidery in the Bagh style shawls. Phulkaris and Baghs are primarily made in rural Haryana, with Phulkaris taking years to complete and being done by the women population of some villages. Weaving begins after a girl's birth in the family, and it is completed in time for her wedding.

Bagh

• The design of Bagh embroidery in Haryana mostly consists of geometric patterns and green color is predominantly used, possibly because it was mainly done by Muslims. 
• Despite the lack of technical finesse, the embroidery compensates for it by its vibrant and colorful design. The Bagh embroidery incorporates various motifs such as elephants, houses, crops, the sun, the moon, kites, gardens, and other things. The embroidery is done on khaddar, a coarse cotton cloth, using silk thread. 
• Khaddar is an inexpensive and widely available material in India, and in making a bagh, narrow strips of it are used. Sometimes, two or three baghs are stitched together to create a phulkari.

Chope

• In Haryana, there is a type of shawl called Chope that is less elaborate than the phulkari and bagh shawls. It is usually given to a new bride by her maternal grandmother. Another type of shawl called darshan dwar is presented to a temple by a devotee who has had their wish fulfilled.
• Durries made in Haryana have coarse textures, but they are adorned with stunning geometric patterns. The Jats of Haryana are known for making durries with white triangles on a blue background. 
• The production of durries is concentrated in and around Panipat, while bright robes and lungis are common garments made in Karnal and worn by rural Indians.

Sculpture

• Artists in India have been creating sculptures depicting rock and stone as the most common subjects since the Maurya period to Harshavardhana to the Mughals and the British. However, the Mughals prohibited the carving of idols and images out of rock as it was deemed against the fundamental beliefs of Islam. 
• They went a step further, demolishing temples and any such figure which crossed their path. Sculpture in Haryana was primarily religious in content and concentrated in central and northern parts. Vishnu was the most important deity, and artists found ample inspiration in him and his incarnations to create their sculptures. 
• A sculpture of Vishnu discovered in Kurukshetra is a remarkable work of art, depicting the god with four arms reclining gracefully on the coils of the many-headed snake Anantnag. This stone sculpture was most likely created in the 10th century AD. 
• Sculptures of gods were the foundation of art in ancient Haryana, as was the case throughout India. Sandstone of various colors, including green, buff, gray, and black, was widely used. 
• In addition to Hindu deities, sandstone Jain images from the Pratihara period (9th century) have also been discovered. The Buddha also appears occasionally, such as in Rohtak, where a grey stone statue of him seated cross-legged on a lotus pedestal was found.

Paintings

• Haryana has been a meeting place for various groups of people with different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds since as far back as 2500 BC. As a result, it has seen the integration of many styles of painting. 
• While paintings from the Aryan era can be referenced, it was during the Gupta Empire (5th century BC to 6th century AD) that art truly flourished. The Persian style of painting, which incorporates script, became prominent, particularly in murals where Persian script was used extensively. 
• The murals were characterized by intricate details, with verses from the Koran written in various calligraphy styles.