Wood carving is found all over India. We can see carved wooden pillars and doorways in temples and palaces across the country.and now, wood carving is mostly found in functional articles like furniture, bowls, boxes, lamp stands, etc. Depending on the availability, different types of woods were used for wood carving, and for making decorative wood installations. The origins of the craft can be traced back to the late 19th century which is  Closely associated with architecture, wood carving incorporated the design vocabulary of architectural carvings.


 HOW TO GET STARTED

First Select wood that is appropriate size and shape. For bigger art pieces more than one piece of wood can be used. Always Softer wood is easier to carve, but will also get damage easier. Then  next is shaping process which is done  using gouge  of various sizes. The gouge is a curved blade that can remove large portions of wood smoothly.For harder woods, the sculptor may use a chisel and mallet, similar to a stone carver. For making Smaller sculptures they use knife and for making  larger pieces they might require the use of a saw. No matter what wood is selected or tool used, the wood sculptor must always carve either across or with the grain of the wood, never against the grain.  Once the general shape is made, the carver starts using variety of chisels for creating details. They use a V tool for making fine lines or decorative cuts.The finer polishing is done with abrasive paper. After completing the carving ad finishing the artist starts sealing and coloring the woods using various  natural oils inorder to protect those woods from dirt and moisture. They use gloss varnish to get a shiny surface. And then they will do a final coating with a layer of wax which protects the wood and gives  shiny  soft  lustrous sheen


Types of tools used for wood carving is as follows
1. The carving knife: a specialized knife used to pare, cut, and smooth wood.
2. The gouge: a tool with a curved cutting edge used in a variety of forms and 
3. The coping saw, a small saw that is used to cut off chunks of wood at once.
4. The chisel, large and small, whose straight cutting edge is used for lines and cleaning up flat surfaces.
5. The V-tool used for parting, and in certain classes of flat work for emphasizing lines.
6. The veiner: a specialized deep gouge with a U shaped cutting edge.
sharpening equipment, such as various stones and a strop, necessary for maintaining edges.


ABOUT THE ARTISAN
MR. Ram Bhaskar is 42 year old wood carving art craftsman comes from a family of traditional craftsmen in uttar pradesh. While his forefathers carved ivory and sandalwood. Ram mostly uses palm wood. He has a experience of 38 years and works opposite max store, near tvs showroom, at Kottivakkam in ECR, chennai. 

The craft of serial light cutout is being practiced in many parts all over the world, Tamilnadu among them has the most significance for the craft. This craft is a part of the culture in Tamilnadu, The practice of Serial light cutouts began when kollywood stepped into commercial phase, movies were made to make money. Movies moved on from art to commercial, during this phase hero worship spread rapidly among fans, which turned the fans, as well as the stars, turn into rivals. Fans made paintings of their actor in gigantic sizes in theaters to show off that their actor is the best among all.

Paintings were made by splitting the image into many small pieces, painted separately and put in a structure which holds them together. But it was only visible in daylight, to make it also visible in night fans decided to use serial light cutouts which gloriously stood out in theaters during evening shows. From this point, this art of making cutouts from serial lights was made commercial. For the same reasons, this crafts was used in temple festivals and political party meetings. It acted an indication for the event which happened in that place.


The process of this crafts begins with sourcing bamboos which are already cut and ready to use. The required image is scaled and divided into parts using grids, The floor in the workshop have grids engraved which make the construction of bamboo grid easier. The image is sketched on the floor and grid constructed over them. Thinner strands of flexible bamboos are used to make the outlines and serial lights are fixed on them. Once various parts are created it is put together in the structure constructed. The artisans are electricians who also possess the aesthetic knowledge, the craft not necessarily goes on from father to child, but anyone interested can take up the craft. Materials used are bamboos, serial lights and GI wires to secure them. Currently, the craft is facing rapid development as it is used for many events.

Location of the workshop – Porur
Artisan – Hari
Contact - 09840561225

Documented by S V Aravindh Raj

Chola Pith is a kind of plant that grows in water. It is generally found in abundance in tanks, lakes and swamps in South India. After removing the impurities by washing it in water, clean pith is obtained through which several artists find it very fascinating and pleasing to the eye which are manufactured as images, structures, temple gopurams and mandapams. The patronage of the public is requested to make it a flourishing Cottage Industry.


Post the naxal period in Bengal, once after the social scenario was stabilized, people slowly started celebrating Durga Pooja at an extremely normal scale and did not have the affordability to invest in it. During this time, the idols became the reflection of their own state of mind and hence they kept their ornamentation minimalistic and pure white in Chola or Shola Pith ( as referred to in Bengal) reflecting the image if single Bengali women in a cotton ‘tant’ saree. The ornamentation done to the Durga idol done in shola pith, is knows as ‘Daak er saaj’ and considered to be the purest and indegenious forms of ornamentation. It exceeds a simplicity and ornamentation that of a woman rightly respected who everyone can connect with , such is the respect and admiration that people of Bengal havefor Goddess Durga. This is the period when Shola Pith ‘Daak er Saaj’ became known and is still practiced in many parts of Bengal, it being the traditional craft ornamentation for religious purpose.

In the present time, we still find normal clusters not only in Bengal but also in the southern part of the country who still practice this craft and make it very famous among the young generations. Coming down to Tamil Nadu in the south from West Bengal, this beautiful while milky craft is still practiced in a normal town of Kumbakonam. This town is 265 kms away down south from Chennai and is reached by travelling via Trichy and Tanjavur by train or bus.


Mr.Chokkalingam, who plays a major role in keeping the craft alive among the younger generations and making this place known for the making and the manufacturing of this craft. His workshop“Prakasam Pith works” is located at a walking distance on the 16/25 Head Post Office Road nearby to the Kumbakonam Railway Junction. A National Award winner in 1985, titled as THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN IN PITH by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in Madras, he has elevated this craft to a next level and today, he is known as the only person who practiced this craft in the state only as he started his practice at the age of 10. He talks about the craft, he tells us how much of skill it needs to attain perfection.

The raw materials that are used to make the end product are long branches of the Chola Pith, along with different knives and fevicol as an adhesive. The main raw material is the Chola Pith and the only process to carve out the pith is by knife. There are different names given to the Pith based on the geographical location. It is called as “netti” in Tamil, ‘bendu’ in Telugu and ‘Kadachi’ in Malayalam. The pith is green in the beginning which is easily available in water and is cleaned properly. It is first dried in the sun for a week after removing it from the water and then it is removed and cleaned well with a cloth. The pith has a tiny hole in the between for the water to pass through it and so it has a natural shine when the pith is cut through the central hole. The monuments or the buildings are made by cutting the pith in rectangular pieces and joining them together by fevicol and carving out the desired design. Previously, the mixture of flour, but presently only fevicol is used. The pith is originally off white but it can be coloured based on the customer’s demand.

The time duration of the carving process depends upon the size ,shape and the number of days depending upon the desired design. The time taken for the normal designs to be made are two to four days whereas for bigger monuments, the carving process takes place for fifteen days. The sizes vary from four inches to two feet in height and the price is based on the size.
This was an entirely beautiful experience altogether from travelling to meeting new people, experiencing the food in Kumbakonam, but this industry sometimes also has faced a lot of drawback in the sales due to the decrease in obtaining the raw materials. As the main raw material comes from the very natural element water, and as it was available in abundance 20 years ago , there was no such problem faced by the industry. But now due to the scarcity of water in the river Kaveri, in Tamil Nadu, the raw materials are now found in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh and face a major problem in the delivery of the product and the sales market. But now that it has a strong base, it promises to get better each time in the matter of sales and delivery and make this industry grow bigger.

Contact:
Mr.Chokkalingam 
Prakasam Pith works
 16/25 Head Post Office Road, Kumbakonam

Documented by Tanvi Desai 

Playing the perfect host is an integral part of the Indian culture and tradition. As such, Indian people go to great lengths to make their guests feel welcome There are basically two reasons behind the garlanding tradition of India. Firstly, it showcases one's happiness at receiving the particular guest and secondly, it is a form of publicly acknowledging the guest's importance. The fact that apart from guests, it's only the various gods and goddesses, who are garlanded, shows the significance attached to this garlanding tradition in India. In the olden days, people welcome their guests with flower garland as flowers were soft and they had a pleasant smell. People were into making flower garland as it was sold on a daily base until today the garland makers are mostly found outside the temples as people bought them to garland the Gods every time they visited. About thirty years back slowly the flower garlands were going out of trend as people started to realize that flowers from the garland were slowly falling petal by petal and also they got dried over night and people couldn’t wear it or keep it over a day. Another major problem was transportation. Garlanding statues were also a problem as they had to keep changing it every day. 


 Lace garlands came into the trend as it was easy to transport it from place to place and it became a status symbol for them to welcome their guests with these lace garlands. To make it look more appealing small rolls of sandalwood was made into a chain and placed as rows in between the garland.
The sandalwood garlands are expensive compared to the other garlands. This tradition was carried out for about 30 years. The makers were situated in Tanjore and they slowly emerged towards the main cities and started practicing the making of sandalwood garlands. This craft, in the beginning, evolved in Karnataka as the state had rich growth of sandalwood trees. Sandalwood grows mainly in India in the state of Karnataka. The state accounts for about 70 percent of the production, the rest mainly coming from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The tree grows naturally, in fertile, tropical forestlands with abundant rainfall. It is also cultivated. The tree is a root parasite. Soon after germination, the seedling finds a host and derives nourishment from it. It grows about 10 meters high, has a girth of one-and-a-half- meters and lives for over a 100 years. Today the sandalwood rolls are still bought from Tanjore as they are the major supply hub in terms of quality and quantity.


 In Chennai, the making of this craft is majorly found in the areas like Chindadripet, Mylapore and Parrys. The dealers are mostly found in Parrys. Chintadripet was originally called as  Chinna Thari Pettai which is a locality in Chennai, in India. Located on the southern banks of the Cooum River, it is a residential-cum-commercial area surrounded by Chepauk, Island Grounds, Pudupet, Egmore and Anna Salai.Ritchie Street, the electronic hub of Chennai, is located in Chintadripet. One more thing that the area is famous for and to not forget will be the fish market that is situated right in the middle. This serves as a perfect landmark to any location in that area.


In about 400 meters from the market at Arunachalam street “Annamalai Lace Garland” shop is situated and they are the 1st and the traditional makers of the Sandalwood Lace garlands in Chennai. They source their raw materials from Tanjore including the sandalwood, laces, and zari.­ It takes about 3 hours for them to make a lace garland. In a day they make about 50 garlands of different verities. They also customize according to peoples color and design choice. Annamalai lace garland is currently run by Mr.Muthu Kumar the son of Mr.Venugopal. This business has been carried out over traditions, The shop is named after his grandfather Mr.Annamalai  who initially was making flower garlands in the same lane outside a temple and slowly moved on to making artificial and lace garlands. Mr.Muthu lives down the lane along with his family and is a passionate devotee of lord Shiva.  

Contact:
To know more and to experience the making of this craft live visit  No.89 Arunachalam street, Chindadripet, Chennai-600002. Ph- 9566065345

Document by Poornima Ramesh

The korai mat weaving industry is found across several places in Tamilnadu. In fact such is the diversity, the Mat weaving industry itself is spread and practiced across India in different varied forms. Well known mats include sitalpuri mats, madur mats and of course ‘the korai mats’ made from korai grass. The craft is popular in several places in Tamil Nadu chiefly from Pattamadai and Karur both at the banks of their respective rivers the Thamirabarani and Kaveri. This is because the korai grass plantation can only be done at the banks of waterbodies in marsh lands. This is one of the reasons the korai pai or mats differ from quality and posses different characteristics. Especially, these “mats” or “pais” (as popularly known) pattamadai village are a very famous name from the whole household of  “korai pai” family. Because the mats made here are traditionally known for the fine quality. It goes through a very meticulous handwork process which results in silk like quality ultimately earning the name “pattu pai” os silk mats.so, it's a certain fact that pattamadai mats have even registered GI tag for themselves in protection. However, this mat industry plays a crucial role in rural employment and is found in every other possible water body where its potential has been exploited. It is in this way that Karur has naturally established as a secondary korai mat production center taking advantage of rich Kaveri river basin.Apart from these places, korai plantation and mat production is also seen at a lake bank, Puducherry. Hence this establishes the possibilities and platform for diverse variety of mats in market.



Korai belongs to the sedge family of plants, Cyperaceae. They are the chief primary building units of the mats produced. They are grown by farmers as commercial crops on the banks of water bodies. thus, it needs huge water consumption and is entirely depend upon the water body and the quality of water. This plantation is grown in the marshy land for example in Karur the plantations are done along the banks of river Kaveri. The grasses are planted and harvested during the September/October and February/march months.


Location - Karur

The town is located at the bottom of Kaveri river with its other chief mat weaving industry clusters located in villages around 100kms from the town. The plantation field is located in a village called “Mayanur”, which is right at the bank of river Kaveri. Though the korai grass plantation is done along this area, the weaving clusters are located at deep down in other villages. hence this has been a major source of livelihood for many marginalized village folks in every village. “Sinandipatti” is one such village which is also at the same distance from the Karur town. Though these villages are drought ridden and sparsely populated, men here still engage and depend on handloom weaving of mats for the living. one has to take through roads and a frequent public transport is also available.

The industry

Though the industry is climbing small steps success in recent days, but sadly its traditional methods and process of korai pais/mats production are eminent towards extinction. It does not have a large corporate player but instead a more inter connected different take parters in the industry, that is a co operative. There are marketers who give the required orders according to the customer's demand, the farmers cultivate and sell the harvested grass and sell them at required rates and last the weavers who weave a traditional handloom mats. Today the industry sees a large growth machine loom which is electrically powered.This helps in meeting the demands both import and export.

The process

Broadly there are three varieties of mats available in the market. coarse weave, medium, and high-quality weave. The mats produced in the Karur district are primarily coarse variety and the medium one. The process over all has three main steps, harvesting, weaving and finishing. There are other subsidiary steps like dying and wrap thread production. At first, the korai grass are harvested in such way they are cut at the bottom. once harvested they are split into two halves so that they are easy to be woven. Then these harvested and splitter grasses are grouped and laid down flat under the sun for a day so that they get dried up until its colour changes into golden brown apt for weaving.

The dried up korai grasses are transported both power loom and handloom weavers. while for making high-quality soft mats, the production undergoes a tedious process like using only the center pith from the grass which is removed carefully. But this process is not seen Karur clusters as making coarse variety is directly used for weaving.  At the parallel, a set of korai grasses are dyed, and the wrap thread is produced naturally from the wild cactus plant “fibers”.


Just like a textile handloom weave, the artisans use a traditional handloom or “kaitheri” to weave perfect handloom weaved mats. It takes weeks to prepare such mats. The artisan who was contacted was rajamuthu,75 years old. He carefully uses his “kichali kuchi” - a stick used to pull a korai grass n place it as a weft. so on he carefully keeps adding on each grass as weft to his mat. this whole process is done by him comfortably sitting in a pit to operate the handloom. On the other hand, there are power loom owners who operate automated machine to produce mats. Here, unlike handlooms( where only cactus plant fibre is used as a wrap) nylon and cotton fibers are also used as a wrap in the weaving process. Along the whole handweaving process, sometimes special orders for marriages are also taken in which the name of the bridegroom is brought into the design.This takes at least two weeks to complete.

The final weaved mats go through the finishing process, where the extra parts around the edges are neatly cut using a large cutter. still, in traditional handmade mats, the edges are cut and stitched strongly with fibre. The finished products are of varied designs. Artisans play with weft and wrap using the dyed grass, which is of three main colors like dark red, indigo and green. Nowadays different products are experimented and are also available in the market like baskets, handbags and much more. The increase in awareness for eco-friendly products also boosts some confidence in the industry.

Contact:
Documented by - Shakti Kumaran SE

Mahabalipuram is a town situated in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, about 60kms from the city of Chennai. The place is infamous for it’s Shore temple and is a major tourist attraction. The town also houses a huge number of Seashells crafts and Rock sculpting shops. A peek into these Seashell craft shops and you will notice that the products mostly comprise of contemporary items such as mirrors adorned with conch shells, seashell curtains, key chains and such. This might give an impression to a common onlooker that the craft is a contemporary one. But the truth is the polar opposite of it.



Mr.P.Babu is one such craftsman who owns a shop near the shore temple. Like every other seashell craftsmen in Mahabalipuram, he too sources most of his shells from wholesalers in Chennai. Most of the sea shells used are fished out from the coastal fisheries of Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari and Cuddalore. They are cleaned and processed here before being sent out to major hubs like Chennai. The Shells are washed and cleaned to remove all the moss and dirt that are stuck to their exterior. This is done in such a way that the shell doesn’t get damaged in the process. After that they are dried in direct sunlight. This helps in getting rid of the soft tissues inside. As the shell is taken from the sea and had been exposed to moss and dirt for a very long time they carry a foul smell. Inorder to get rid of the smell they are soaked in Caustic soda for about thirty minutes. To add shine to the shells they soaked in hot water sprinkled with hydrochloric acid. Finally an emery brush is used to remove some of the irremovable particles.

The local Craftsmen buy their shells from the wholesalers. The small shells are bought in bulk quantities while the bigger and rarer shells are bought on a cost per piece basis. Dyed shells are also available. The smaller shells and cheaper bigger ones are used in making products like wall hangings ,mirror frames, pen stands and other small hand crafted products. The bigger shells are either sold solo or are crafted into much costlier materials like light lamps and such. Mr.Babu assembles wall hangings, mirror frames and other show pieces him selves. He generally uses Fevicol (Adhesive), Glue gun, strings and paints for making his product.Any additional materials depend upon his designs and his designs are limited to his own imagination. He also makes personalised souvenirs by etching names on the shells. He does this by first writing the name on to the shell using a whitener and then mild exposing the entire surface to a very dilute hydrochloric acid. He then finishes by washing it with warm water. He makes all his products in his shop and sells them to the tourists who visit the shore temple. 

The sea shells have been in demand for a very long and the craft industry has also existed as long. After Independence because of the advent of science and technology, new chemical compounds have given craftsmen better adhesives and bleaching agents enabling them to come up with new innovations in their crafts. But at the same time shells which that have been used as an ingredient in the making of many materials have been replaced by better alternatives and thus dropped in demand. As the time passed the craftsmen in order to try and impress tourists who are their major customers, started coming with further innovative products but in the process, they have lost their traditional designs. After some time even their designs have become repetitive and stagnant. These craftsmen desperately need help to package, advertise and market their craft to make them unique and noticeable to the foreign market.

Contact details:
Name:    P.Babu
Address: Babu Sea Shell Mart
                No.55, Beach Road, Mahabalipuram-603104
Mobile no - 9444608144,  9840362097
Working Hours - 10am to 7pm

Documented by Raghavaraj S

Woven with the tropical climate in mind and meticulously knotted to give a unique kaleidoscopic effect to each saree the Sungudi of The Temple City, Madurai  is generally in great demand among the women folk of South India. The saree is manufactured in the traditional tie or knot dying process. The knots made on the saree are generally evenly spaced with a continuous string running amidst all the knots. Thereafter the saree is dyed with the appropriate colour. Subsequently when the knots are untied the knotted portions remain uncoloured as rings.




The cloth is purchased from a power-loom generally and from a handloom when it’s specified by order only. This cloth is called the ‘Grey Material’, however turns white from grey after washing. The cloth is washed to remove the starch from it. And the cloth is bleached before the technique is started. After which, the designs are made on the cloth after washing and drying the cloth are done by themselves. They combine the traditional designs with contemporary ones also depending on the designs in the market or seasons/ festive occasions.

To make the design it is first marked on the cloth. The designs are first made on paper. The cloth is folded into two halves for knotting the cloth. Approximately around 10,000 to 15,000 knots should be made. This is called as ‘Kai Kattu Sungudi‘ since the designs are made by hand-knotting.
The distance from the pallu to the sari is generally 5 inches and it is 2 inches from the sides. 2 inches gap is mainly to separate the body and the border. The border is measured and marked and squares are drawn within the border to graphically mark the dots to create the desired design. It takes an hour for making the complete grid on the sari. The marking is done only on pure cotton loom.
It is entirely hand crafted hence the design is unique to each saree produced. Thus the design and pattern varies  from saree to saree and never is an instance where a a saree has matched another in resemblance.



The marketing of Sungudi sari is limited only to the south because of less awareness of Sungudi as a craft amongst people which makes Sungudi almost extinct in the north. The original tie and dye Sungudi was quite popular and was marketed to most of the South India. As it was a tedious process and less availability of workers made Sungudi lose its originality due to which it was popular. Gradually Sungudi kept on losing its market which resulted in an effort by the people to change the technique of tie and dye to screen printing and batik, which is less tedious as well as quick and gives the same kind of effect. It was after this step Sungudi came back into the market in the form of saris, suit materials, home furnishings.

Today most of the marketing of the Sungudi saris and products are done in local markets, in and around Madurai. During summer season, the sales reaches its peak since the cotton material and its economic range makes it the choice of a large sector of consumers. Due to its affordable prices it is very much bought by the people. During summer the saris are available outside Madurai, in other parts of Tamil Nadu. Sungudi is also supplied to other states of India, mostly in the South.
Sungudi is an explicit art that survives in the land of temples down South India. Problems faced by this craft and people involved can shortly be the reason for its end which is nothing but a loss to the country’s culture. We are bound to get ourselves introduced to the craft, understand its existence, importance and scope for growth.

Contact : Mr A.K Ramesh 9443034187

Documented by: R. Aarthi

Popularly called the “Gateway to the South India”,Chennai culture is distinctly different from that of any other city in India. Traditional music, dance and all other art forms of Tamil Nadu are very popular in the city. A stroll down the streets of Chintadripet — conceived as a ‘village of small looms’ — and you will see how an old neighbourhood has paused, even if hastily, to take account of time. The neighbourhood is home to a number of heritage structures, including the 19-century CSI Zion Church, the police station, and Chintadripet Higher Secondary School. At least four old temples and families who have been making temple umbrellas and garlands, among other items, for several temples and festivities find a place in the neighbourhood. They claim hereditary rights in making the colourful and elegant umbrellas - Kovil Kudai to dazzle at the Garuda Seva ceremony during the annual brahmotsavam of the world renowned hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati.



But, only about ten to twelve families of artisans based at Chintadripet here are involved in making the umbrellas and have been keeping alive the tradition as the youngsters are no longer attracted to it.
The hand-made umbrellas — excellent pieces of art, are made ahead of the auspicious Tamil month of Purattasi (September-October). This time 13 umbrellas of varying sizes will be sent to Tirupati in a grand procession. The handle, ranging from 7 to 12 feet is made of teak wood, the collapsible parts with cane and the silk-lace work lends charm to the umbrella cover.


“It will take two days to make a small umbrella of seven feet high. Usually, we begin the work after getting orders,” says Kumar, a hereditary artisan. “Only about ten people are involved in making the umbrellas – a tradition passed down to us by our grandfathers,” he adds. These umbrellas are not made by anyone outside their families, Kumar claims. The manufacture is still an intricate handcrafted product. Old traditional ways are still employed. The fingers of many elderly men and women  still weave and craft the umbrellas and the design motifs that cover them. Technology has made some of the tasks easier and faster.

Each umbrella is designed with the deity it will be used for. The umbrellas being sent to temples of Vishnu are only in white and redcolor. Those being sent to Siva, Ganesha and Devi temples are multi-colored.The motifs on the umbrella once again find their roots in ancient tradition and stories.


Umbrellas come in many sizes and shapes. There is the flat top to the curved top. The size can be from 4.5 feet to 18 feet. When we see the God or Goddess moving in procession with the huge umbrellas, we truly understand why this ancient art and tradition is still practiced and cherished by the temples and devotees.

Through the ages the making of a temple umbrella has modified and adapted itself to the growing technology and demand. During the olden days only pure silk from Kancheepuram was used to cover the umbrellas today, as the demand for a cheaper and effective umbrella is required materials like satin, velvet and polyester is used. The invent of the embroidery machine plays a big role today as motifs are machine made in a more efficient and faster speed. Even though the evolution has dulled down the actual craft, it is still one of the most respected and sort after South Indian craft. It will always play a major role is various religious processions and ceremonies.

Contact details
 Mr. Kumar (Divine temple Umbrellas)

Documented by Vindhya Rk

The incense stick- a humble being made with such gentle caring hands, is one of life’s simpler ways of reminding us how we can give someone a beautiful experience when we selflessly give them all we have, when we burn our own hate and ego, to give room for love and affection to blossom.

From time immemorial, man has been fascinated by the fragrance of Nature. In our Hindu mythology, it was a way of life to evoke the blessings of the Almighty for the victory of good over evil. All evil thoughts and portents had to be driven out and the atmosphere cleared of all evil smells. Thus, the habit of burning incense, barks and herbs formed a part of rituals. As times changed, the odoriferous substances became available as Dhoop Mixture. The Southern States of India started rolling this fragrance emitting mixture (Dhoop) over thin splinters or sticks of Bamboo which when lit wafted fragrance through the smoke. These came to be known as Agarbathi / Incense / Joss / Dhoop Sticks and so on.

Chennai is one of the states where agarbattis are still manufactured from scratch. Located in the state of Tamil Nadu, this city has a vast network of artisans who provide incense sticks not only to other cities in India, but also to places all over the globe. One such artist is Mr Kashinath Patwardhan.
Mr Patwardhan’s store is located in the outskirts of Chennai on ECR road. The unit’s name is ‘Vetri Vendhan’.  His store is open on all business days and the timing is 8:00am to 7:00pm. You can contact him on- 9944789924.

Patwardhan and his sons inherited this business from his father. The family has been in this business for over 45 years. He believes in sourcing his own materials rather than relying on bulk vendors. That’s one of the reasons why his product is known to have a better quality. The materials used in making an incense stick include bamboo sticks, sandalwood chips, charcoal powder, sawdust, jigat powder and the odiferous mixture called ‘Noorva’.

Noorva can be created by the permutation and combination essence bearing items of natural origin like musk, rose, civet etc. The secret of mixing and preparing the desired Noorva is a part of the family heritage bequeathed from one generation to another.

To make the incense sticks, first the bamboo sticks are washed and processed following which, a bas paste of charcoal powder and sawdust is applied on it and left to dry. Then, the ‘Noorva’ is made, and rolled on to the dry bamboo sticks. The sticks are then left to dry again overnight so that the perfume is evenly absorbed. The finished agarbattis are then packaged and stored for private selling as well as bulk selling to various retailers.

Although it may seem simple, there is a value that makes this craft special. And that is the fact that this craft leaves minimal by-products. Although incense manufacturers may make a wide range of incense sticks, dust is the only primary waste material and is contained by vacuuming and excellent ventilation and reused in the sawdust paste. All paper used in packaging is recyclable.


Today, Patwardhan’s unit makes agarbattis for both religious as well as aromatherapy purposes. He supplies to many healing centres in addition to regular retail stores. He has also started manufacturing less traditional scents like Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry etc. because of its growing demand in the Indian market.

The crux of incense manufacturing has mostly remained unchanged except for the range of fragrances offered. Modern fragrance production allows virtually any scent to be re-created. Also, the popularity of meditation and aromatherapy have spurred incense sales among clients who want their rare moments of quiet and relaxation to be healing and beautifully scented.

Documented by : Mriganka Gupta

India, home to the world’s largest democracy is a giant amalgamation of life on the move. Part of the lifestyle in India encompasses the monumental importance given to culture and arts. The average Indian lifestyle, in the ancient times, was culturally oriented. Whilst discipline and devotion were morals inculcated in a new-born, the applicative of the same was learning an art or a craft. The same moral is given utmost importance in order to keep alive the spirit of creativity, authenticity, ethnicity and learning. The Indian subcontinent plays the role of a humble abode to a number of forms in the name of the arts and crafts manifested in the nation and around it. With the authentic and indigenous crafts that it possesses, India makes a colossal embodiment of discovered and even so yet to discover arts and crafts

TamilNadu has a rich history of culture and tradition that has evolved over centuries. Perhaps the most profuse flowering of the Tamil culture is in the handicrafts of TamilNadu. By ceaselessly promoting the various ethnic art forms, simultaneously preserving antique artefacts from Chola and Pandya dynasties by reproducing their replicas, Tamil Nadu has become a world-known destination for pilgrims of art in search of fine handiworks of India, such as life-like, Stone Sculptures, Celestial figures in Bronze, Brass lamps, Rosewood Carvings, Sandalwood Carvings, country wood Carvings, Tanjore Art Plates, Tanjore Picture Paintings and much, and much more.

Mylapore the land of Tamil Brahmins, Iyers in particular. St. Thomas Basilica and the Ramakrishna Math (Pronounced as Muth), are some of the places that immediately come to mind when one says ‘Mylapore’.It is an amalgamation of Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. It’s a perfect example of secularism amongst the neighbourhoods of Chennai. It is a cultural hub and one of the oldest presidential parts of the city. It is impossible for one to leave Mylapore without gaining any cultural knowledge.




Like any age-old tradition, you can’t help but wonder, what is the significance of Marapachi Bommais? Some believe that these dolls were presented to the bride and the groom at the time of marriage as toys for the couple. After all when two people, rather two children, get married at the age of ten what better gift than toys to keep them happy. Yet another very interesting reason came to my attention while talking to people was, that these dolls dressed in their wedding attire helped in capturing the moment in the days where technology was clearly non-existent. In the absence of pictures, what better way to remember the way you looked when you were married?


The tradition of giving wooden dolls started when child marriage was an essential ceremony in India. Mainly In southern India wooden dolls were gifted to the bride from the groom’s family considering it as a symbol of inviting her in the new family, so that she feels welcomed. There were many other dolls made up of different materials (clay, marble etc.) which were gifted with the marapachi dolls, but the couple dolls had the most importance as it was gifted in a set of two symbolising the bride and the groom.

It is a traditional practice to have wooden figurines of the bride and groom together, called ‘Marapachi Bommai’ or ‘Pattada Gombe’, usually made of sandalwood, teak or rosewood and decorated with new clothes each year before being displayed on the Golu. In southern India, bride is presented with Marapachi Bommai during the wedding by her parents as part of wedding trousseau to initiate the yearly tradition of Navaratri Golu in her new home with her husband. These dolls come as couples dressed in their wedding attire, depicting husband and wife symbolizing prosperity and fertility and the start of the bride’s Golu collection. Display figurines are passed on from one generation to another as heirloom.The significance of this particular gift made of Marapachi doll in red sandal wood is stated to be the medicinal quality of the wood. When a child licks this plaything made of red sandalwood, the child’s saliva derives an extract of the wood which the child absorbs into its system.
The art of creating colourful Kolu dolls and statues has died out. The tradition that has been a part of our culture for centuries, is barely known by half of the population, let alone practiced.
Over the time, lineage of artisans have found it extremely difficult to attract their younger ones in practicing and continuing their hereditary crafts work. They look out for more viable options while pursuing their future, giving minimum importance to the tradition and more towards earning a comfortable livelihood.

The artisans, left in slender numbers, are falling short of work and they tend to resort to repairing the already made dolls instead of making new ones.

Mr.  S. Paramasivam : +91 9841945161
Painter and restorer of old golu dolls

Mr Vinodh : +91 9884242203
Running a family business which is three generations old.

Documented by Shreya Singh

The exclusive way of making handmade paper out of cotton rags in Pondicherry is an art. These papers are made using natural fibres like rags, straws, cotton, banana, husk, wool etc.    
 Sri Aurobindo Ashram prepared handmade paper on a very small scale from waste material as a creative and useful work. The papers are produced from 100% cotton rag pulp. Beautifully textured, versatile, and durable the paper is perfect for paper products and packaging, sculpture, picture framing, covers, bookbinding, preventive conservation enclosures, and more.

 Pondicherry is a French colonial settlement in India until 1954, is now a Union Territory town bounded by the south-eastern Tamil Nadu state. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry is a spiritual community. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910. In the mid 1940's “sadhaks”of Sri Aurobindo Ashram prepared handmade paper. In 1959 larger-scale papermaking equipment was installed in a coconut garden, including a beater, lifting vats, and a calendaring machine. The coconut garden is the location of the factory today, in the heart of Pondicherry.

FIBRE TO FANCY PAPER
 Locally sourced, white fine-cotton rag is the main raw material. The rags are sorted by hand before being cut into finer pieces. The rags enter into the beaters and are turned into a pulp, ready to be made into paper. Measured amounts of pulp are hand-poured through the lifting machines to form individual sheets. Each sheet is hand-lifted and set on a felt blanket to be drained and hung in the drying rooms at the top of the factory. Once dry, each sheet is placed in between stainless steel calendaring plates to be smoothened. Dry, smooth, then cut, the paper is ready for one of many possibilities – marbling, screen printing, product manufacture, or sold as is. Natural, handmade, and filled with the consciousness of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the paper is distributed around the world. It has been the feature of museums, hotels, corporates, weddings, art, universities, and archival preservation.
The process of marbling is another exclusive process, where locally sourced oil based paints are sprinkled as droplets in a tray containing water. Then with the help of a stick different patterns are made in it. After making the patterns the papers are placed on it and left for 5-10 mins. When taken out, the patterns are there on the paper and left for drying in a drying room for one day.
 The store that the factory has, sells a lot of products made up of the papers prepared in the factory other than the papers itself. The prices are very reasonable.

The craft is very popular in that area and is flourishing day by day. The people who works in the factory are very loyal as most of them have been there for more than 15 years and some have even been a part of it for more than 30 years. Also because of the kind of products that they make and the variations they come up with in the products, makes it more interesting for the customers.

A Salangai (Tamil) is one of many small metallic bells strung together to form a musical anklet tied to the feet of classical Indian dancers. In Tamil Nadu, the salangai is immediately associated with the Bharatnatyam dance form. Every Bharatnatyam dancer participates in ‘Salangai poojai’ and ‘Arangetram’. The salangai poojai is an important step for any Bharatnatyam dancer.  The dancer’s salangai is placed before a deity to be blessed. The salangai poojai takes place before the Arangetram. Arangetram is the debut on-stage performance of a former student of Indian classical dance and music. A string of Salangai can range from 50 to greater than 200 bells knotted together. A novice child dancer may start with 50 and slowly add more as he or she grows older and advances in his or her technical ability.


PROCESS
The process of making salangai is a strenuous and lengthy process. Very few places in our country practice this craft today due to this reason.
The making of salangai begins with the forging of the bronze bells. In Tamil Nadu, the bronze bells are made in Manapparai, a small town near Tiruchirappalli. For making the beads, a separate unique process is followed. Moulds of beads made from mud and cow dung are dipped in a mixture of honey wax, tree sap and castor oil.” Then ‘karuvus’ are dried in the sun for two days. Once the karuvus are dry, they are baked within special mud furnaces for six hours and the bronze, which was placed within the furnace earlier, melts to coat the moulds.’ The mud moulds are cooled and broken away to make hollow bronze beads that are fitted in with iron balls. The men polish the beads because it involves greater physical exertion. The polished beads are then strung on thread into batches of 100 and sold.

These beads are bought by salangai makers and crafted into different types of Salangais. Mr Habeeb is an artisan who lives in Purasawakkam, Chennai. He practices the art of Salangai making. After sourcing the bells, himself and his five apprentices get to work on the salangai. He begins with cutting the leather, sourced from Parry’s, in appropriate sizes. The leather is perforated and stuffed with foam. The bells are then attached to the leather using insulated wire. The leather is folded over the wire and sewn shut. The edges are trimmed to perfection and the golden embellishments are added. Then, Thin strips of leather are attached to the ends for the buckle straps. When the buckles are attached and after a final inspection, the finished salangai is packaged. Mr Habeeb makes salangai with 3 rows to five rows. He also makes the braided salangai that can be tied around the dancer’s feet.

The fluctuation in bronze prices, has forced many of them out of business. Though they buy the metal for Rs.500 per kg today, he says it once used to cost just Rs.30. Their main markets are Tiruchi, Madurai, Kumbakonam and Tanjore, with festivals like the Chithirai Thiruvizha bringing in a boost in sales. But otherwise sales is unpredictable. They are incapable of selling in bulk as they do not have the money to buy the materials in bulk. There are growing concerns over the future of their craft with many of the workers’ children refusing to pursue the craft. The craft is neither patronised by the government nor given financial assistance by banks.


The demand for the product has not decreased, as Bharatnatyam is a very revered and important part of Tamil Nadu’s culture. But due the increase the price of bronze has drastically inflated. Subsidies from the government could help the artisans meet the supply for the demand better. This in turn would help them turn a good profit. If the income from the craft is steady, the children of the artisans may consider following the craft of making salangai, instead of opting for a different career path.

Documented by Adhithi Priya R