Rajasthan offers a breathtaking variety of arts & crafts that make it a state with a distinct identity. Jaipur- the capital of Rajasthan is famous across the world for its semi precious and precious stones & gems. Absolutely astounding and unique in concept, colour and workmanship, the art and handicrafts of Rajasthan are beyond comparison. Be it jewellery, painting, furniture, leatherware, pottery, metalcraft or hand-printed textiles, each object has a penetrating and irresistible appeal.

 

The Rajasthani carpet is but a true expression of the workers' simple philosophy, his sensitive perception of nature and its changing moods convincingly translated into the craft. Carpet industry of Jaipur has surpassed many other centers in terms of extremely fine craftsmanship on wool and silk. An amazing variety of carpets is Persian, Kashmiri and Mughal styles can be fetched at real affordable prices. A Durree is a cool, light rug. Rajasthani durries are smooth and closely woven. Pastel shades and a sparse use of geometrical and vegetable motifs are popular. Jaipur is a thriving centre for carpets and durries today. 

Very close to Jaipur is Sanganer, the name synonymous today with the finest block printed cottons. 

While the ‘Bagru’ prints are famous for floral designs in dark vegetable colours, the ‘Barmer’ prints are known for their bold geometric patterns, called 'AJRAKH'.

A special process of tie-and dye creates the stylized wave pattern, or ‘laharia’. The patterns symbolize water waves.Turbans and ‘odhnis’ with ‘laharia’ patterns are generally used on festive occasions, especially Teej.

Bandhani is a complicated and skilled work of ornamenting the cloth with combination of colours. Jaipur and Jodhpur, the main centres of this speciality have produced many bandhej workers who excel in their jobs.

Jaipur is the centre of marble carving in Rajasthan. Here artisans create marble images of the deities as well as domestic utensils such as bowls for grinding spices and kneading dough. 

This is an ancient craft and is one of the oldest in Rajasthan and many schools of pottery are scattered in different parts of the state. Blue pottery of Jaipur is the most exquisite and best known. It owes its origin to Persia. It was introduced in Jaipur in the mid 19th century during the reign of Raja Ram Singh and today, the descendants of the very first potters still practice the craft.  Alwar has been known for its double cutwork pottery known as “kagzi”. It is made of a thin layer of clay and needs a high degree of skill. Purely decorative, the pottery of Bikaner uses lac colours embellished with gold to give a glittering finish. Blue Pottery of Jaipur is unique in appearance. The art of glazed pottery came to India through Persia. The materials used are Multani clay or 'fuller's earth', quartz, raw glaze, and sodium sulphate. The best pieces are hand painted with conventional floral or arabesque patterns and sometimes with figures of animals. 

Rajasthan’s role in the development of Indian art has been very important. From the 16th century onwards there are many schools of paintings like the Mewar school, the Bundi - Kota Kalam, the Jaipur, Bikaner, Kishangarh and Mewar schools. Influenced by the surroundings, these medieval paintings have their own unique styles - the hills and valleys, deserts, palaces and forts, gardens, court scenes, religious processions and those highlighting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna were the recurrent themes of these paintings.  Use of vibrant colours, bold lines, two dimensional treatment of figures and entire composition distributed in compartments are some of the unique features of these paintings, popularly known as ‘phad’ paintings.

Puppetry is an ancient, popular form of folk entertainment. The string puppet in Rajasthan are called katputlis, or marionettes. The riveting histrionics of the puppeters, like the full-throated songs of the Mirasis, Langas and Manganiyars belong to old passtimes, epomizing a traditional, leasurely pace of life. No village fair, no religious festival and no social gathering would be complete without them. The traditional puppeters were from the wandering communities of the Bhatts. They move from village to village with their box of katputlis, accessories and dhoklas during the festive seasons, returning to their villages to cultivate their small patch of land during the short rainy season.

Even the brand names in the shoe industry like Nike and Reebok couldn't replace the ever-popular mojaris made of camel hide over the feet of the Rajasthani people! Also known as juttees, these shoes come extraordinarily embroidered. Embroidered camel hides shaped into hats, stools, belts, purses and a number of items. 


 

Jaipur is the world’s largest gem cutting centre and therefore the best place to pick up strings of garnets, amethysts or quartz at prices so low that they are difficult to believe. Here you could buy the stones like rubies, emeralds and diamonds.

The traditional silver jewellery-chains, bangles, belts, anklets, earrings are manufactured by bangle makers all over Rajasthan. To make it the collector’s items, the jewellery is studded with glass, stones and painted with a rich patina of colours too.

Jaipur’s Johari Bazaar has row upon row of shops selling handcrafted jewellery. Loose, precious and semi-precious stones are crafted  together into an excellent range of the country’s most dramatic settings in gold. Kundan, a style of inlay setting of unpolished diamonds and other stones and Meenakari or the art of enamelled gold jewellery, is the specialty of Jaipur.