India’s cultural landscape is as vast as the diversity in the number of people, the variety of languages and the hundreds of festivals. When it comes to exploring the cultural heritage of India through handmade accessories, every state has at least thousands of new additions to offer because all craftsmen are extremely talented in their distinctive way. A huge amount of creativity is also showcased when it comes to handmade accessories because artisans create jewellery, footwear and apparel according to the climate as well as the needs of the people. For example, a pashmina shawl is worn to suit the extremely throat biting cold weather of Kashmir. A Rajasthani bandhani sari is meant to suit the heat of the place. As the years roll by, wisdom of art is also being passed down from the elders to the new and young craftsmen. Therefore, all states offer something new.
The Requirement of Handmade Accessories
Handmade accessories are often more expensive than machine made goods so people often wonder about the need to possess them. When it comes to exploring the cultural heritage of India through handmade Accessories, some pieces of jewellery are also supposed to showcase whether a woman is married or not. When the people of Gujarat wear mirror work, it is supposed to showcase their love and extreme devotion for Navratri. When a Rajasthani lady adorns her right foot with a minimalistic silver anklet, it is meant to show her marital status. When a woman puts on a tote bag which has embroidery resembling the banjara tribe, she might be using it as a method to express how she feels. Therefore, these accessories can be known as pieces which help in promoting the traditional beliefs of a particular place. These pieces are overall a form of art and it is also a way to utilize something very well.
Different Forms of Embroidery
When it comes to cultural significance of handmade accessories, every state has their best form of embroidery and weaving. For example, the Zardozi embroidery is very prominent in Uttar Pradesh. It is done with the help of metal threads that are stitched onto very expensive fabrics. If you ever visit West Bengal, make sure that you buy a kantha quilt or shawl for your loved one because it is an extremely precise and intricate way of running stitch that can be done on either cotton or silk. The phulkari embroidery is the pride of Punjab because it consists of very colourful work of thread that showcases floral motifs. You will never find a Phulkari dupatta that is not eye striking.
Modern Changes
It is very clear that people do not wear the same clothes or jewellery that was popular or considered fashionable three decades back. As the world is moving towards clothing that does not make the environment suffer, people are preferring a marriage of tradition and modern accessories. People do prefer the aesthetics of the old world in a kind of style that suits contemporary tastes. For example, people might wear a macrame jute bag that has floral motifs.
You must have spotted women putting on sindoor that was clearly visible. Women in modern times often are spotted wearing sindoor that is equal to a dot on the head. Instead of wearing the usual chaniya choli during Navratri, women might wear a jacket with Gujarati abla work done on it. People have become more concerned about how comfortable they are in a particular outfit because modernisation centres around people putting themselves as the first priority.
In conclusion, when it comes to purchasing accessories, we should always choose handmade pieces because they represent a story and is a way for someone to earn.
Author
Shreeja Mukherjee