Himachal Pradesh is widely known for its fine weaving which not only caters to its functional need but also carries a piece of rich culture and tradition of its land. Most of the designs that we see today on Himachali weaves are highly influenced by Tibet and Central Asia.

It is believed that the craft of paper mache originated in China, the first country to make paper. The technique dates back to as far as 200 BC and it made it got popular in European countries only around the 17th century. The paper mache products that we see today include vases, boxes, coasters and other decorative/utility objects. However, this wonderful paper mache art is also used in making big decorative items like carnival floats. In the past, there have been instances where this technique was used in combination with other materials to craft things like canoes and fuel tanks. 

n simple terms, block printing can be defined as using a finely carved piece of a wooden block to imprint a design on a piece of paper or fabric. Interestingly, block printing was widely used to print books and scriptures. The earliest block-printed book dates back to around 200 AD and was possibly done in China. However, today the beautiful process of block printing is largely associated with chiselling out designs and printing them on fabric. Multiple blocks can be used to print a single fabric.

Since the time immemorial, jewellery has been an integral part of any outfit. Even if we go back to our epic period i.e. during the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata, we can see the depiction of both men and women laden with jewellery, mostly made up of flowers or carved wood (present-day rudraksh mala can be a good example of the same), beads necklace or maybe some metal or an alloy. It is believed that accessorizing and adorning jewellery was a thing that was not limited to just women but used to complete outfits of men as well.

The charm of chanderi fabric- especially chanderi sarees is celebrated widely amongst the connoisseurs of fine handloom products. Chanderi sarees are categorised under the umbrella of expensive traditional wear for women, along with banarasi sarees, kanjivaram sarees, etc. It is fascinating how silk threads can be hand-woven or machine-woven in various ways to create dazzling drapes. These sarees are synonymous with the heritage of India and represent the culture of India in one of its best forms.

A perfect mixture of zinc and copper, brass is known to be one of the most versatile alloys known to us. Arguably marking its first appearance somewhere around 500 BC, the popularity of brass has only increased with time. From a small nut-bolt to large metal sheets to ammunitions, brass fits like a glove everywhere

Meenakari jewellery is a must-have for all the jewellery lovers out there. There was a time when meenakari jewellery was equivalent to regality and was widely enjoyed by the royal households because of its pretty designs on a gold base. With time, other base materials like silver, copper, brass, etc gained popularity and helped in making these delicate pieces a little affordable.

Our walls have the ability to narrate unsaid stories and express our deepest emotions. From adorning them with catchy paints and wallpapers to storing memories in the form of photo frames, our walls gracefully hold on to everything.

With the vibrant festival of Diwali waiting right at our doorstep, we all have geared up to decorate our homes in the best way possible to please Goddess Laxmi. While the list of home decor items and ways to style them are endless, we bring to you some beautifully handcrafted pieces to amp up your humble abodes.

Amidst our attempt to dwell into it and have a taste of the country’s vibrancy, we came across lots of Indian handicrafts that were absolutely stunning to look at. On learning more about them, it was established that most of the handicrafts carry a legacy of a glorious past when these came into existence.