Crafts of Maharashtra – Indian handicrafts

A region as large and diverse as Maharashtra in terms of culture, customs and geography is bound to develop rich repertoire of art and techniques of artistic crafts. Maharashtra is the proud home to various different artistic techniques which have flourished under the many rulers including the Marathas, the Mughals and the British. From the paintings at Ajanta, so many hundreds of years ago, to today’s Warli paintings, Maharashtra’s ties with the Arts have always remained strong and nurturing.

Click here to visit our Paintings and Handicrafts Gallery

Bidri Ware
Bidri ware, one of Aurangabad’s ancient crafts, employs zinc and copper as raw materials. It usually involves intricate workmanship of pure silver, either embossed, overlaid or inlaid on the metal surface. Originally, Bidri ware items were used as hookahs or paan daans but they have been relegated to as souvenirs.

Paithani Saris
The art of weaving Paithani saris is believed to be 2000 years old. The yarn used is pure silk and the zari or gold threads are drawn from pure gold. A heavily brocaded Paithani sari takes anywhere from six months to one and a half years to weave.

Sawantwadi Crafts
Sawantwadi crafts or the style of paintings and varnishing using lacquer appear to have originated from Sawantwadi around the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. Lacquer ware can be broadly divided into three categories. Firstly, turned lacquer ware which is the craft of applying coloured lacquer on an object which is turning on a lathe, and then polishing and buffing it by means of a kewda leaf. Secondly, painting of floral borders and motifs on surfaces of objects and thirdly, the painting of mythological figures on various surfaces.

Sawantwadi lacquer ware has a large range of products and concentrates on traditional hand painted and lacquered furniture and light fittings. Ganjifa card games, which were played and made in the 18th and 19th centuries, are produced in all varieties and can be found in private collections and in museums.

Warli Paintings
Warli paintings are the indigeneous paintings of the Warli tribe who live in the Thane district north of Mumbai. The craft is traditionally practised by the womenfolk of the tribe, who made used of the paintings or chawk during wedding rituals. The sacred pictographs used rice paste and straw, which was then smeared on the walls of their modest huts. The main figure was of Palghat, the goddess of trees and plants, symbolising creative energy. These days, even young men have taken to painting and they are often done on paper incorporating traditional decorative Warli motifs with modern elements as well such as the bicycle, etc. Warli paintings on paper have become very popular and are now sold all over India.

Kolhapuri Chappals
Kolhapur , besides being known for its textiles and cottons it is also famous for its hand-made leather sandals or chappals. These leather sandals made in simple style but finished with great perfection are very popular the world over. The cost depends on the quality of leather and design, but in general Kolhapuri chappals are reasonable and good value for money.

Narayan Peth
A traditional Maharashtrian sari usually from around Sholapur, the Narayan Peth sari is beautifully woven in silk with a contrasting zari border, generally with ‘rudraksha’ motifs.