A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated(mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster,such producers often belong to a traditional community,producing the long-established products for generations.Indeed,many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan. About Block Gurez Cluster:- Block Gurez Cluster falls under Jammu & Kashmir State in Baramulla district.The Block Gurez Cluster is able to form above Artisans and SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day. Pottery and Clay Objects:- Haryana produces a large variety of terracotta products such as lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, musical instruments, clay toys, goblets, human and animal figures, plaques, medallions, and wall hangings. Two-toned vases, decorative pitchers, and lamp bases with shades of black and terracotta colours are popular. Kangra, Mandi, Kulu, Chamba, and Shimla have many migrated potters who have been living here since decades. These potters are locally known as kumhars. The products commonly made include pots, toys, money banks, flower vases of different shapes and sizes. These are used for storing many different types of items. The Hindu god figures are made and painted in the most beautiful shades along with many accessories. Kangra artists make clay ware in black and dark red colours. The products made are mainly for domestic use and considered healthy to use. Containers used for setting curds is a famous item .The clay used is generally a blend of two to three clays found in river beds, pits and ditches. More often than not the fuel used is one of the local resources available in the form of twigs, dry leaves or firewood. The kilns where the clay pots are baked are operated at temperatures between 700 – 800 degrees celcius.India is rich in her terracotta and pottery traditions many of which have their roots in prehistory. Pottery has a wide universality and its tradition goes back to span of five millennium.Terracotta pottery has been called the lyric of handicrafts because of its irresistible appeal.A variety of earthen objects are created such as lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, musical instruments, candle stands etc. Raw materials:- Basic Material : Mitti / clay, mustard oil, potter wheel, gum, starch, wax,Clay, potters wheel, twigs, dry branches, leaves, firewood, rice straw, Red clay, black clay, pilli mitti, yellow clay,Various types of Mitti (clay/mud), edible gum, starch, clay, wax. Decorative Material:ash, sand, cow-dung, rice husk,Clay, sand, phunanphadi(wet cloth), phuzei(wooden beater), kangkhil, sealed vessel slab, lepshum(cylindrical platform),Plastic clay mitti, mustard oil, potters wheel, edible gum, starch, feldspar, clay, wax . Process:- The shapes which are required for a variety of uses are turned on the wheel.The certain portions such as the spout or the handle are left out.They are casted separately and than attached to the body. After it, the decoration is done by incising patterns on the surface for making geometrical patterns. The clay mixed with ash and sand is kneaded by feet, collected and cut with lahasur.It is then kneaded with hand, on peeda and a lump is made.All the solid particles are removed. The ready clay is kept on wheel for making various forms.A potters wheel has short sports, turns on a pivot of hard wood or metal and is provided with a large hub which acts as a revolving table.A vertical stick is inserted in the hole in the rim.The potter throws the kneaded clay into the centre of the wheel, and spins the wheel around with the stick. Due to the centrifugal force the lump of clay is pulled outwards and upwards and shaped into a vessel.This is pulled out with a string, dried and fired in a potters kiln.Clay article after firing turns to terracotta. The pots are fired in simple open-pit kilns that are very efficient and inexpensive for firing pots at a temperature of 700 - 800 degree Celsius.The pots are arranged in layers of pots, a layer of leaves, twigs and cow dung cake is some times added.The mound is then covered with a blanket of rice straw which, in turn is covered with a thin layer of loamy soil.The firing takes four to five hours. Black, red and yellow clay are used for making terracotta items, which are collected in the form of small pieces from Rajasthan and Delhi.The material is mixed properly and dried under the hot sun so that any sort of moisture, if present, may evaporate.Then the mixture of wet clay is filtered through a fine sieve to remove pebble. After giving shape with hands the items are then baked in the improvisede kilns covered with cow dung cakes, fuel and saw dust etc. The clay, mixed with ash and sand is kneaded by feet.Then it is kneaded with hand on peeda & a lump is made.All the solid particles like gravel, small pebbles, twigs etc. are removed.The ready clay is kept on wheel to make various forms.A potters wheel has soft spokes, turns on a pivot of hard wood or metal and is provided with a large hub, which acts as revolving table.A vertical stick is inserted in the hole in the rim.The potter throws the kneaded clay into the centre of the wheel and spins the wheel around with a stick. Due to the centrifugal force the lump of clay is pulled outwards & upwards and shaped into a vessel.This is pulled out with a string, dried and fired in a potters kiln.Clay article after firing turns to terracotta. Techniques:- Women potters practice a unique hand modeling technique, probably dialing back to earlier than Neolithic times before the invention of the wheel.The products made are surface of plain pots, water filters, vases, incense burners, lamps and hukkas. Wood Carving:- Some of the finest woodcarvings in the Northeast are found among the people of this region. The woodcarvings are usually of human figures or decorative pieces that adorn the youth dormitories in these villages and sculptures erected in memory of the dead. In ancient times, woodcarving was associated with religious beliefs Even today the front door of each household, which is considered a sacred threshold, has intricate wood carvings of Hindu deities and auspicious motifs like the hamsa/ mythical swan, padma/ lotus, poornakumbha /cornucopia, kaamadhenu and patterned floral motifs. Other carved wooden items include small shrines and deities, low carved stools for marriages, carved fans for the deity, fertility couples and various small ceremonial containers. The carved panels of deities fixed to either end of a metre-long pole were the other ceremonial items. These panels are called kavadi and afre carried on the shoulders of a person to fulfill the vow to Lord Murugan or Karthikeya. Household kitchen instruments in wood such as grinders, vegetable cutters and serving ladle holders are items given in dowry. Lathe-turned and lacquered toys in bright colors and at affordable prices are popular all over the state. Carved wooden toys, dolls and elephants exhibiting the skills of the artisan are also made. Wood Carving’s Raw Materials:- Basic Material : Bhurkul or gular wood, mango wood, green bamboo, shisham woodColouring Material : Alta, turmeric.Basic Material : Doodhia wood, lac, lac stick, oil, old cloth, coloured paper.Basic Material : Remnants of cloth, bamboo, rags, paperColouring Material : Dye coloursBasic Material : Punki wood, tamarind seeds, lime glue, brush, water colour, oil colour, red sanders woodBasic Material : Cloths, colours, waste material for stuffing, coloured papers, clay Wood Carving’s Process:- The wood as per the size of the form to be made is cut from the block. The piece is cleaned and smoothened. The design of the toy to be made is traced on this piece. Extra wood is chipped off according to the design. Fine strokes with the hammer are made on the chisel, which is placed on the area to be shaped. It is smoothened with a file and painted. The painting starts with coloring various body parts. Next the dresses with specific designs are marked out by fine strokes of the brush. The facial features are added in the end.Sugga (parrot) are the wooden toys fixed on the marriage mandap. The mosara, (central part), charkhi and sugga (parrots) are made by the same process These are joined by bamboo killi (screw). The marriage post is coloured with yellow (turmeric), red (alta) and green colours. The lacquering is done by pressing the lac stick against the revolving article. Oil is also applied at the same time for giving the better polish. Leaves of a kind of flowering cactus are used for polishing. The articles are either in single colour or in bands of different colours. The complicated designs and colour schemes are effected by manipulating the lac turnery and using the multifarious techniques.In Jaipur, the toys are made out of old cloth dyed afresh and stuffed with waste material. When they are gaily decorated with coloured paper and tinsel they look very alive especially with their expressive faces. Rag dolls are made out of remnants of cloth usually thrown away. These are painstakingly collected and dyed into different shades to work out a variety of colour schemes. The eyes and mouth are indicated by black line . In case of a Rani doll, the clothes & body are fully decorated. Wood Carving’s Techniques:- Each wooden piece that is cut to make an item is subjected to a process of slow heating to draw out all moisture. Every single limb is separately carved and joined to the body with adhesive paste of tamarind seeds, and later passed through a coating of lime glue. The painting with colours is done by very fine precision with brushes made of goats hair. Water and oil colours are both used. Lacquering is done on a lathe, hand or is machine operated. For turning slender and delicate items, hand lathe is considered suitable. In the lac turney method, lac is applied in a dry state that is the lac stick is pressed against the woodenware to be lacquered. While the latter keeps revolving, the heat generated by friction softens the lac, making the colour stick. Lacquer ware toys are produced in this way. It is with remarkable skill that the craftsmen manipulate the stick where several colours are used. Some of the lacquered pieces are painted with a brush. Carpet:- Rajasthan is traditionally well-known for fine-quality hand-knotted woolen carpets. Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are main centre for this craft. It is also found in smaller towns like Tonk, Chaksu, Manaharpura, and Barmer. Some of the motifs used are little rosettes of Indo-Heratic origin; the colors found are blue, red, and purplish-tints in combination. The other combination is light green and deep blue. The border motifs include bold flowers and long serrated leaves. There is a move to revive traditional designs like dushala, charkona, mehrab and shikar. Otherwise the designs are slanted towards the Indo-Persian. The carpet in Indo-Kerman design has ivory or cream as the background color with floral design all over or in the centre. Complex carpets, requiring 400 to 600 knots per inch, are not woven any more; simple carpets with counts of 16 to 36 knots are being woven. Rajasthan has a strong wool base as it controls 50 per cent of total wool production in India and there is enormous scope for disseminating this craft in rural areas. Carpet weaving calls for a high degree of skill and dexterity and is generally done by the Monpa women in West Kameng and the tribes of North Siang district. Carpets are woven in bright colors with predominantly Tibetan motifs such as the dragon or geometric and floral designs, reflecting the Tibetan-Buddhist influence in the area. Wool colors were originally obtained using vegetable and other natural dye sources, although synthetic dyes and chemicals are now commonly used. Raw Materials:- Carpet consists of dyed pile yarns; a primary backing in which the yarns are sewn; a secondary backing that adds strength to the carpet; adhesive that binds the primary and secondary backings; and, in most cases, a cushion laid underneath the carpet to give it a softer, more luxurious feel. Both the primary and secondary backing are largely made of woven or no woven polypropylene, though some secondary backing may still be made of jute, a natural fiber that, when woven, looks like burlap. The adhesive used to bind the backings together is almost universally synthetic rubber latex. The most common padding is rebounds (bonded urethane), though various forms of synthetic latex, polyurethane, or vinyl might be used instead. Rebound is recycled scrap urethane that is chopped into uniformly sized pieces and pressed into layers. Although rare, some carpet cushioning is made up of horse hair or jute. A plastic top sheet is usually added to the top to insure a smooth surface against the carpet. Process:- Bunch of loose strands of fibers called staples are used to make carpets initially. The staples are put into a hopper where they're heated, lubricated and formed into slivers, which are wound into a long spool of fiber. From there, the carpet-making process is ready to begin. A needle pushes the carpet fibers through the underside of a piece of fabric called the carpet backing. A hook called a looper holds the fibers in place as the needle goes back down into the backing, forming the loop. It sounds a bit tedious, and it must have been before the advent of automated tufting machines. If the carpet is supposed to be tufted, then the actual creation process ends here. If cut pile carpet is being manufactured, however, then the tufted carpet goes through an additional step where the loopers holding the individual pile strands are pulled over sharp knives. This cuts the loops into the individual strands that make up a cut pile carpet. The coloring process may take place at different stages in production, depending on the desired visual effect. Another method, continuous dyeing, rolls and sprays dyes onto finished carpet. Still another, pre-dyeing, takes place before the carpet is processed. Once the carpet is finished, it's washed, dried and vacuumed. Errant piles are trimmed and then it's sent on a conveyor belt past a final employee who uses a pile gun to fill in any overlooked bare areas. The carpet is now finished. Techniques:- Vertical plain colored threads, stretched from loom beam to loom beam on which knots are tied. Horizontal plain colored thread, which runs across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between each row of knots. Weft helps hold rows of knots in place and strengthen the structure.Different colors are used in knotting in accordance with the pattern. Throughout the world there are many different knotting techniques, the double or gordes or symmetrical knotting is used by the Turks and is also known as the Turkish knot. In this technique each knot is looped around two different warps, both ends are pulled down and cut. The other common knotting technique is used in Iran, China and Afghanistan and is called the non-symmetrical or single knot or Persian knot, where one end of the knot is looped around one warp and the other end comes straight, both ends are pulled and cut. How to Reach:- The nearest airport to Alwar is "Jaipur Airport" at a distance of 143 km. From where the tourist can take RSTC buses or even hire taxis to access Alwar. Alwar is the biggest railway station in the district, situated on Delhi-Jaipur broad gauge section of Western Railway. It has about 158 km of railway track in the district. The Alwar district is well connected by rail to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mathura and other major towns of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer. Alwar is well connected to the National Highway No.8 that link various cities of Rajasthan and India. Tourist can also take the route of State Highway, that runs from Bharatpur to Alwar. There are frequent bus services from the various destinations that connects Alwar within a span of few hours. Some of the important distances from Alwar are Jaipur by150 km, Delhi by 163 km, Ahmedabad by 768 km, Mumbai by 1319 km, Bharatpur - 94 km, Udaipur- 566 km.
A cluster is defined as a geographic concentration(a city/town/few adjacent villages and their adjoining areas)of units producing near similar products and facing common opportunities and threats.An artisan cluster is defined as geographically concentrated(mostly in villages/townships)household units producing handicraft/handloom products.In a typical cluster,such producers often belong to a traditional community,producing the long-established products for generations.Indeed,many artisan clusters are centuries old Artisan.
About Block Gurez Cluster:-
Block Gurez Cluster falls under Jammu & Kashmir State in Baramulla district.The Block Gurez Cluster is able to form above Artisans and SHGs supporting the strong work force.The mobilisation gains momentum day by day.
Pottery and Clay Objects:-
Haryana produces a large variety of terracotta products such as lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, musical instruments, clay toys, goblets, human and animal figures, plaques, medallions, and wall hangings. Two-toned vases, decorative pitchers, and lamp bases with shades of black and terracotta colours are popular. Kangra, Mandi, Kulu, Chamba, and Shimla have many migrated potters who have been living here since decades. These potters are locally known as kumhars. The products commonly made include pots, toys, money banks, flower vases of different shapes and sizes. These are used for storing many different types of items. The Hindu god figures are made and painted in the most beautiful shades along with many accessories.
Kangra artists make clay ware in black and dark red colours. The products made are mainly for domestic use and considered healthy to use. Containers used for setting curds is a famous item .The clay used is generally a blend of two to three clays found in river beds, pits and ditches. More often than not the fuel used is one of the local resources available in the form of twigs, dry leaves or firewood. The kilns where the clay pots are baked are operated at temperatures between 700 – 800 degrees celcius.India is rich in her terracotta and pottery traditions many of which have their roots in prehistory. Pottery has a wide universality and its tradition goes back to span of five millennium.Terracotta pottery has been called the lyric of handicrafts because of its irresistible appeal.A variety of earthen objects are created such as lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, musical instruments, candle stands etc.
Raw materials:-
Basic Material : Mitti / clay, mustard oil, potter wheel, gum, starch, wax,Clay, potters wheel, twigs, dry branches, leaves, firewood, rice straw, Red clay, black clay, pilli mitti, yellow clay,Various types of Mitti (clay/mud), edible gum, starch, clay, wax. Decorative Material:ash, sand, cow-dung, rice husk,Clay, sand, phunanphadi(wet cloth), phuzei(wooden beater), kangkhil, sealed vessel slab, lepshum(cylindrical platform),Plastic clay mitti, mustard oil, potters wheel, edible gum, starch, feldspar, clay, wax .
Process:-
The shapes which are required for a variety of uses are turned on the wheel.The certain portions such as the spout or the handle are left out.They are casted separately and than attached to the body. After it, the decoration is done by incising patterns on the surface for making geometrical patterns. The clay mixed with ash and sand is kneaded by feet, collected and cut with lahasur.It is then kneaded with hand, on peeda and a lump is made.All the solid particles are removed. The ready clay is kept on wheel for making various forms.A potters wheel has short sports, turns on a pivot of hard wood or metal and is provided with a large hub which acts as a revolving table.A vertical stick is inserted in the hole in the rim.The potter throws the kneaded clay into the centre of the wheel, and spins the wheel around with the stick. Due to the centrifugal force the lump of clay is pulled outwards and upwards and shaped into a vessel.This is pulled out with a string, dried and fired in a potters kiln.Clay article after firing turns to terracotta. The pots are fired in simple open-pit kilns that are very efficient and inexpensive for firing pots at a temperature of 700 - 800 degree Celsius.The pots are arranged in layers of pots, a layer of leaves, twigs and cow dung cake is some times added.The mound is then covered with a blanket of rice straw which, in turn is covered with a thin layer of loamy soil.The firing takes four to five hours. Black, red and yellow clay are used for making terracotta items, which are collected in the form of small pieces from Rajasthan and Delhi.The material is mixed properly and dried under the hot sun so that any sort of moisture, if present, may evaporate.Then the mixture of wet clay is filtered through a fine sieve to remove pebble. After giving shape with hands the items are then baked in the improvisede kilns covered with cow dung cakes, fuel and saw dust etc. The clay, mixed with ash and sand is kneaded by feet.Then it is kneaded with hand on peeda & a lump is made.All the solid particles like gravel, small pebbles, twigs etc. are removed.The ready clay is kept on wheel to make various forms.A potters wheel has soft spokes, turns on a pivot of hard wood or metal and is provided with a large hub, which acts as revolving table.A vertical stick is inserted in the hole in the rim.The potter throws the kneaded clay into the centre of the wheel and spins the wheel around with a stick. Due to the centrifugal force the lump of clay is pulled outwards & upwards and shaped into a vessel.This is pulled out with a string, dried and fired in a potters kiln.Clay article after firing turns to terracotta.
Techniques:-
Women potters practice a unique hand modeling technique, probably dialing back to earlier than Neolithic times before the invention of the wheel.The products made are surface of plain pots, water filters, vases, incense burners, lamps and hukkas.
Wood Carving:- Some of the finest woodcarvings in the Northeast are found among the people of this region. The woodcarvings are usually of human figures or decorative pieces that adorn the youth dormitories in these villages and sculptures erected in memory of the dead. In ancient times, woodcarving was associated with religious beliefs Even today the front door of each household, which is considered a sacred threshold, has intricate wood carvings of Hindu deities and auspicious motifs like the hamsa/ mythical swan, padma/ lotus, poornakumbha /cornucopia, kaamadhenu and patterned floral motifs. Other carved wooden items include small shrines and deities, low carved stools for marriages, carved fans for the deity, fertility couples and various small ceremonial containers. The carved panels of deities fixed to either end of a metre-long pole were the other ceremonial items. These panels are called kavadi and afre carried on the shoulders of a person to fulfill the vow to Lord Murugan or Karthikeya. Household kitchen instruments in wood such as grinders, vegetable cutters and serving ladle holders are items given in dowry. Lathe-turned and lacquered toys in bright colors and at affordable prices are popular all over the state. Carved wooden toys, dolls and elephants exhibiting the skills of the artisan are also made. Wood Carving’s Raw Materials:- Basic Material : Bhurkul or gular wood, mango wood, green bamboo, shisham woodColouring Material : Alta, turmeric.Basic Material : Doodhia wood, lac, lac stick, oil, old cloth, coloured paper.Basic Material : Remnants of cloth, bamboo, rags, paperColouring Material : Dye coloursBasic Material : Punki wood, tamarind seeds, lime glue, brush, water colour, oil colour, red sanders woodBasic Material : Cloths, colours, waste material for stuffing, coloured papers, clay Wood Carving’s Process:- The wood as per the size of the form to be made is cut from the block. The piece is cleaned and smoothened. The design of the toy to be made is traced on this piece. Extra wood is chipped off according to the design. Fine strokes with the hammer are made on the chisel, which is placed on the area to be shaped. It is smoothened with a file and painted. The painting starts with coloring various body parts. Next the dresses with specific designs are marked out by fine strokes of the brush. The facial features are added in the end.Sugga (parrot) are the wooden toys fixed on the marriage mandap. The mosara, (central part), charkhi and sugga (parrots) are made by the same process These are joined by bamboo killi (screw). The marriage post is coloured with yellow (turmeric), red (alta) and green colours. The lacquering is done by pressing the lac stick against the revolving article. Oil is also applied at the same time for giving the better polish. Leaves of a kind of flowering cactus are used for polishing. The articles are either in single colour or in bands of different colours. The complicated designs and colour schemes are effected by manipulating the lac turnery and using the multifarious techniques.In Jaipur, the toys are made out of old cloth dyed afresh and stuffed with waste material. When they are gaily decorated with coloured paper and tinsel they look very alive especially with their expressive faces. Rag dolls are made out of remnants of cloth usually thrown away. These are painstakingly collected and dyed into different shades to work out a variety of colour schemes. The eyes and mouth are indicated by black line . In case of a Rani doll, the clothes & body are fully decorated. Wood Carving’s Techniques:- Each wooden piece that is cut to make an item is subjected to a process of slow heating to draw out all moisture. Every single limb is separately carved and joined to the body with adhesive paste of tamarind seeds, and later passed through a coating of lime glue. The painting with colours is done by very fine precision with brushes made of goats hair. Water and oil colours are both used. Lacquering is done on a lathe, hand or is machine operated. For turning slender and delicate items, hand lathe is considered suitable. In the lac turney method, lac is applied in a dry state that is the lac stick is pressed against the woodenware to be lacquered. While the latter keeps revolving, the heat generated by friction softens the lac, making the colour stick. Lacquer ware toys are produced in this way. It is with remarkable skill that the craftsmen manipulate the stick where several colours are used. Some of the lacquered pieces are painted with a brush. Carpet:- Rajasthan is traditionally well-known for fine-quality hand-knotted woolen carpets. Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are main centre for this craft. It is also found in smaller towns like Tonk, Chaksu, Manaharpura, and Barmer. Some of the motifs used are little rosettes of Indo-Heratic origin; the colors found are blue, red, and purplish-tints in combination. The other combination is light green and deep blue. The border motifs include bold flowers and long serrated leaves. There is a move to revive traditional designs like dushala, charkona, mehrab and shikar. Otherwise the designs are slanted towards the Indo-Persian. The carpet in Indo-Kerman design has ivory or cream as the background color with floral design all over or in the centre. Complex carpets, requiring 400 to 600 knots per inch, are not woven any more; simple carpets with counts of 16 to 36 knots are being woven. Rajasthan has a strong wool base as it controls 50 per cent of total wool production in India and there is enormous scope for disseminating this craft in rural areas. Carpet weaving calls for a high degree of skill and dexterity and is generally done by the Monpa women in West Kameng and the tribes of North Siang district. Carpets are woven in bright colors with predominantly Tibetan motifs such as the dragon or geometric and floral designs, reflecting the Tibetan-Buddhist influence in the area. Wool colors were originally obtained using vegetable and other natural dye sources, although synthetic dyes and chemicals are now commonly used. Raw Materials:- Carpet consists of dyed pile yarns; a primary backing in which the yarns are sewn; a secondary backing that adds strength to the carpet; adhesive that binds the primary and secondary backings; and, in most cases, a cushion laid underneath the carpet to give it a softer, more luxurious feel. Both the primary and secondary backing are largely made of woven or no woven polypropylene, though some secondary backing may still be made of jute, a natural fiber that, when woven, looks like burlap. The adhesive used to bind the backings together is almost universally synthetic rubber latex. The most common padding is rebounds (bonded urethane), though various forms of synthetic latex, polyurethane, or vinyl might be used instead. Rebound is recycled scrap urethane that is chopped into uniformly sized pieces and pressed into layers. Although rare, some carpet cushioning is made up of horse hair or jute. A plastic top sheet is usually added to the top to insure a smooth surface against the carpet. Process:- Bunch of loose strands of fibers called staples are used to make carpets initially. The staples are put into a hopper where they're heated, lubricated and formed into slivers, which are wound into a long spool of fiber. From there, the carpet-making process is ready to begin. A needle pushes the carpet fibers through the underside of a piece of fabric called the carpet backing. A hook called a looper holds the fibers in place as the needle goes back down into the backing, forming the loop. It sounds a bit tedious, and it must have been before the advent of automated tufting machines. If the carpet is supposed to be tufted, then the actual creation process ends here. If cut pile carpet is being manufactured, however, then the tufted carpet goes through an additional step where the loopers holding the individual pile strands are pulled over sharp knives. This cuts the loops into the individual strands that make up a cut pile carpet. The coloring process may take place at different stages in production, depending on the desired visual effect. Another method, continuous dyeing, rolls and sprays dyes onto finished carpet. Still another, pre-dyeing, takes place before the carpet is processed. Once the carpet is finished, it's washed, dried and vacuumed. Errant piles are trimmed and then it's sent on a conveyor belt past a final employee who uses a pile gun to fill in any overlooked bare areas. The carpet is now finished. Techniques:- Vertical plain colored threads, stretched from loom beam to loom beam on which knots are tied. Horizontal plain colored thread, which runs across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between each row of knots. Weft helps hold rows of knots in place and strengthen the structure.Different colors are used in knotting in accordance with the pattern. Throughout the world there are many different knotting techniques, the double or gordes or symmetrical knotting is used by the Turks and is also known as the Turkish knot. In this technique each knot is looped around two different warps, both ends are pulled down and cut. The other common knotting technique is used in Iran, China and Afghanistan and is called the non-symmetrical or single knot or Persian knot, where one end of the knot is looped around one warp and the other end comes straight, both ends are pulled and cut. How to Reach:- The nearest airport to Alwar is "Jaipur Airport" at a distance of 143 km. From where the tourist can take RSTC buses or even hire taxis to access Alwar. Alwar is the biggest railway station in the district, situated on Delhi-Jaipur broad gauge section of Western Railway. It has about 158 km of railway track in the district. The Alwar district is well connected by rail to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mathura and other major towns of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer. Alwar is well connected to the National Highway No.8 that link various cities of Rajasthan and India. Tourist can also take the route of State Highway, that runs from Bharatpur to Alwar. There are frequent bus services from the various destinations that connects Alwar within a span of few hours. Some of the important distances from Alwar are Jaipur by150 km, Delhi by 163 km, Ahmedabad by 768 km, Mumbai by 1319 km, Bharatpur - 94 km, Udaipur- 566 km.
Wood Carving:-
Some of the finest woodcarvings in the Northeast are found among the people of this region. The woodcarvings are usually of human figures or decorative pieces that adorn the youth dormitories in these villages and sculptures erected in memory of the dead. In ancient times, woodcarving was associated with religious beliefs
Even today the front door of each household, which is considered a sacred threshold, has intricate wood carvings of Hindu deities and auspicious motifs like the hamsa/ mythical swan, padma/ lotus, poornakumbha /cornucopia, kaamadhenu and patterned floral motifs.
Other carved wooden items include small shrines and deities, low carved stools for marriages, carved fans for the deity, fertility couples and various small ceremonial containers. The carved panels of deities fixed to either end of a metre-long pole were the other ceremonial items. These panels are called kavadi and afre carried on the shoulders of a person to fulfill the vow to Lord Murugan or Karthikeya. Household kitchen instruments in wood such as grinders, vegetable cutters and serving ladle holders are items given in dowry.
Lathe-turned and lacquered toys in bright colors and at affordable prices are popular all over the state. Carved wooden toys, dolls and elephants exhibiting the skills of the artisan are also made.
Wood Carving’s Raw Materials:-
Basic Material : Bhurkul or gular wood, mango wood, green bamboo, shisham woodColouring Material : Alta, turmeric.Basic Material : Doodhia wood, lac, lac stick, oil, old cloth, coloured paper.Basic Material : Remnants of cloth, bamboo, rags, paperColouring Material : Dye coloursBasic Material : Punki wood, tamarind seeds, lime glue, brush, water colour, oil colour, red sanders woodBasic Material : Cloths, colours, waste material for stuffing, coloured papers, clay
Wood Carving’s Process:-
The wood as per the size of the form to be made is cut from the block. The piece is cleaned and smoothened. The design of the toy to be made is traced on this piece. Extra wood is chipped off according to the design. Fine strokes with the hammer are made on the chisel, which is placed on the area to be shaped. It is smoothened with a file and painted. The painting starts with coloring various body parts. Next the dresses with specific designs are marked out by fine strokes of the brush. The facial features are added in the end.Sugga (parrot) are the wooden toys fixed on the marriage mandap. The mosara, (central part), charkhi and sugga (parrots) are made by the same process These are joined by bamboo killi (screw). The marriage post is coloured with yellow (turmeric), red (alta) and green colours.
The lacquering is done by pressing the lac stick against the revolving article. Oil is also applied at the same time for giving the better polish. Leaves of a kind of flowering cactus are used for polishing. The articles are either in single colour or in bands of different colours. The complicated designs and colour schemes are effected by manipulating the lac turnery and using the multifarious techniques.In Jaipur, the toys are made out of old cloth dyed afresh and stuffed with waste material. When they are gaily decorated with coloured paper and tinsel they look very alive especially with their expressive faces.
Rag dolls are made out of remnants of cloth usually thrown away. These are painstakingly collected and dyed into different shades to work out a variety of colour schemes. The eyes and mouth are indicated by black line . In case of a Rani doll, the clothes & body are fully decorated.
Wood Carving’s Techniques:-
Each wooden piece that is cut to make an item is subjected to a process of slow heating to draw out all moisture. Every single limb is separately carved and joined to the body with adhesive paste of tamarind seeds, and later passed through a coating of lime glue. The painting with colours is done by very fine precision with brushes made of goats hair. Water and oil colours are both used. Lacquering is done on a lathe, hand or is machine operated. For turning slender and delicate items, hand lathe is considered suitable. In the lac turney method, lac is applied in a dry state that is the lac stick is pressed against the woodenware to be lacquered. While the latter keeps revolving, the heat generated by friction softens the lac, making the colour stick. Lacquer ware toys are produced in this way. It is with remarkable skill that the craftsmen manipulate the stick where several colours are used. Some of the lacquered pieces are painted with a brush.
Carpet:- Rajasthan is traditionally well-known for fine-quality hand-knotted woolen carpets. Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are main centre for this craft. It is also found in smaller towns like Tonk, Chaksu, Manaharpura, and Barmer. Some of the motifs used are little rosettes of Indo-Heratic origin; the colors found are blue, red, and purplish-tints in combination. The other combination is light green and deep blue. The border motifs include bold flowers and long serrated leaves. There is a move to revive traditional designs like dushala, charkona, mehrab and shikar. Otherwise the designs are slanted towards the Indo-Persian. The carpet in Indo-Kerman design has ivory or cream as the background color with floral design all over or in the centre. Complex carpets, requiring 400 to 600 knots per inch, are not woven any more; simple carpets with counts of 16 to 36 knots are being woven. Rajasthan has a strong wool base as it controls 50 per cent of total wool production in India and there is enormous scope for disseminating this craft in rural areas. Carpet weaving calls for a high degree of skill and dexterity and is generally done by the Monpa women in West Kameng and the tribes of North Siang district. Carpets are woven in bright colors with predominantly Tibetan motifs such as the dragon or geometric and floral designs, reflecting the Tibetan-Buddhist influence in the area. Wool colors were originally obtained using vegetable and other natural dye sources, although synthetic dyes and chemicals are now commonly used. Raw Materials:- Carpet consists of dyed pile yarns; a primary backing in which the yarns are sewn; a secondary backing that adds strength to the carpet; adhesive that binds the primary and secondary backings; and, in most cases, a cushion laid underneath the carpet to give it a softer, more luxurious feel. Both the primary and secondary backing are largely made of woven or no woven polypropylene, though some secondary backing may still be made of jute, a natural fiber that, when woven, looks like burlap. The adhesive used to bind the backings together is almost universally synthetic rubber latex. The most common padding is rebounds (bonded urethane), though various forms of synthetic latex, polyurethane, or vinyl might be used instead. Rebound is recycled scrap urethane that is chopped into uniformly sized pieces and pressed into layers. Although rare, some carpet cushioning is made up of horse hair or jute. A plastic top sheet is usually added to the top to insure a smooth surface against the carpet. Process:- Bunch of loose strands of fibers called staples are used to make carpets initially. The staples are put into a hopper where they're heated, lubricated and formed into slivers, which are wound into a long spool of fiber. From there, the carpet-making process is ready to begin. A needle pushes the carpet fibers through the underside of a piece of fabric called the carpet backing. A hook called a looper holds the fibers in place as the needle goes back down into the backing, forming the loop. It sounds a bit tedious, and it must have been before the advent of automated tufting machines. If the carpet is supposed to be tufted, then the actual creation process ends here. If cut pile carpet is being manufactured, however, then the tufted carpet goes through an additional step where the loopers holding the individual pile strands are pulled over sharp knives. This cuts the loops into the individual strands that make up a cut pile carpet. The coloring process may take place at different stages in production, depending on the desired visual effect. Another method, continuous dyeing, rolls and sprays dyes onto finished carpet. Still another, pre-dyeing, takes place before the carpet is processed. Once the carpet is finished, it's washed, dried and vacuumed. Errant piles are trimmed and then it's sent on a conveyor belt past a final employee who uses a pile gun to fill in any overlooked bare areas. The carpet is now finished. Techniques:- Vertical plain colored threads, stretched from loom beam to loom beam on which knots are tied. Horizontal plain colored thread, which runs across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between each row of knots. Weft helps hold rows of knots in place and strengthen the structure.Different colors are used in knotting in accordance with the pattern. Throughout the world there are many different knotting techniques, the double or gordes or symmetrical knotting is used by the Turks and is also known as the Turkish knot. In this technique each knot is looped around two different warps, both ends are pulled down and cut. The other common knotting technique is used in Iran, China and Afghanistan and is called the non-symmetrical or single knot or Persian knot, where one end of the knot is looped around one warp and the other end comes straight, both ends are pulled and cut. How to Reach:- The nearest airport to Alwar is "Jaipur Airport" at a distance of 143 km. From where the tourist can take RSTC buses or even hire taxis to access Alwar. Alwar is the biggest railway station in the district, situated on Delhi-Jaipur broad gauge section of Western Railway. It has about 158 km of railway track in the district. The Alwar district is well connected by rail to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mathura and other major towns of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer. Alwar is well connected to the National Highway No.8 that link various cities of Rajasthan and India. Tourist can also take the route of State Highway, that runs from Bharatpur to Alwar. There are frequent bus services from the various destinations that connects Alwar within a span of few hours. Some of the important distances from Alwar are Jaipur by150 km, Delhi by 163 km, Ahmedabad by 768 km, Mumbai by 1319 km, Bharatpur - 94 km, Udaipur- 566 km.
Carpet:-
Rajasthan is traditionally well-known for fine-quality hand-knotted woolen carpets. Jaipur, Ajmer, and Bikaner are main centre for this craft. It is also found in smaller towns like Tonk, Chaksu, Manaharpura, and Barmer. Some of the motifs used are little rosettes of Indo-Heratic origin; the colors found are blue, red, and purplish-tints in combination. The other combination is light green and deep blue. The border motifs include bold flowers and long serrated leaves.
There is a move to revive traditional designs like dushala, charkona, mehrab and shikar. Otherwise the designs are slanted towards the Indo-Persian. The carpet in Indo-Kerman design has ivory or cream as the background color with floral design all over or in the centre. Complex carpets, requiring 400 to 600 knots per inch, are not woven any more; simple carpets with counts of 16 to 36 knots are being woven. Rajasthan has a strong wool base as it controls 50 per cent of total wool production in India and there is enormous scope for disseminating this craft in rural areas.
Carpet weaving calls for a high degree of skill and dexterity and is generally done by the Monpa women in West Kameng and the tribes of North Siang district. Carpets are woven in bright colors with predominantly Tibetan motifs such as the dragon or geometric and floral designs, reflecting the Tibetan-Buddhist influence in the area. Wool colors were originally obtained using vegetable and other natural dye sources, although synthetic dyes and chemicals are now commonly used.
Raw Materials:-
Carpet consists of dyed pile yarns; a primary backing in which the yarns are sewn; a secondary backing that adds strength to the carpet; adhesive that binds the primary and secondary backings; and, in most cases, a cushion laid underneath the carpet to give it a softer, more luxurious feel. Both the primary and secondary backing are largely made of woven or no woven polypropylene, though some secondary backing may still be made of jute, a natural fiber that, when woven, looks like burlap. The adhesive used to bind the backings together is almost universally synthetic rubber latex. The most common padding is rebounds (bonded urethane), though various forms of synthetic latex, polyurethane, or vinyl might be used instead. Rebound is recycled scrap urethane that is chopped into uniformly sized pieces and pressed into layers. Although rare, some carpet cushioning is made up of horse hair or jute. A plastic top sheet is usually added to the top to insure a smooth surface against the carpet.
Bunch of loose strands of fibers called staples are used to make carpets initially. The staples are put into a hopper where they're heated, lubricated and formed into slivers, which are wound into a long spool of fiber. From there, the carpet-making process is ready to begin.
A needle pushes the carpet fibers through the underside of a piece of fabric called the carpet backing. A hook called a looper holds the fibers in place as the needle goes back down into the backing, forming the loop. It sounds a bit tedious, and it must have been before the advent of automated tufting machines. If the carpet is supposed to be tufted, then the actual creation process ends here. If cut pile carpet is being manufactured, however, then the tufted carpet goes through an additional step where the loopers holding the individual pile strands are pulled over sharp knives. This cuts the loops into the individual strands that make up a cut pile carpet. The coloring process may take place at different stages in production, depending on the desired visual effect. Another method, continuous dyeing, rolls and sprays dyes onto finished carpet. Still another, pre-dyeing, takes place before the carpet is processed. Once the carpet is finished, it's washed, dried and vacuumed. Errant piles are trimmed and then it's sent on a conveyor belt past a final employee who uses a pile gun to fill in any overlooked bare areas. The carpet is now finished.
Vertical plain colored threads, stretched from loom beam to loom beam on which knots are tied. Horizontal plain colored thread, which runs across the width of the rug, over and under the warp strings and between each row of knots. Weft helps hold rows of knots in place and strengthen the structure.Different colors are used in knotting in accordance with the pattern. Throughout the world there are many different knotting techniques, the double or gordes or symmetrical knotting is used by the Turks and is also known as the Turkish knot. In this technique each knot is looped around two different warps, both ends are pulled down and cut. The other common knotting technique is used in Iran, China and Afghanistan and is called the non-symmetrical or single knot or Persian knot, where one end of the knot is looped around one warp and the other end comes straight, both ends are pulled and cut.
How to Reach:-
The nearest airport to Alwar is "Jaipur Airport" at a distance of 143 km. From where the tourist can take RSTC buses or even hire taxis to access Alwar. Alwar is the biggest railway station in the district, situated on Delhi-Jaipur broad gauge section of Western Railway. It has about 158 km of railway track in the district. The Alwar district is well connected by rail to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mathura and other major towns of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer. Alwar is well connected to the National Highway No.8 that link various cities of Rajasthan and India. Tourist can also take the route of State Highway, that runs from Bharatpur to Alwar. There are frequent bus services from the various destinations that connects Alwar within a span of few hours. Some of the important distances from Alwar are Jaipur by150 km, Delhi by 163 km, Ahmedabad by 768 km, Mumbai by 1319 km, Bharatpur - 94 km, Udaipur- 566 km.