Crafts of Karnataka

 

 

Karnataka is a state where the craftsmen bring out wonders through their deft manoeuvers. The vast range of the State's arts and crafts that now embellish royal homes of the past, elite bungalows, and even ordinary hutments, bear testimony to the skill, aesthetic sensibilities, and decorative abilities of the craftsperson. Many craft traditions in Karnataka have been handed down from father to son and this continuity has helped to support a vast variety of handicrafts with their high degrees of perfection.

The State's craftsmen received much patronage from the royalty in the past. Today, the government has set up many agencies and design centers to encourage craft families to continue making handicrafts and also help them to market their ware. This has helped keep many craft traditions alive so that their practitioners can cater not only to the local population but also to the many tourists who visit Karnataka.

Woodcarving

Karnataka has come to occupy pride of place in the field of woodcarving. The State's relatively good forest cover provides enough raw material for its craftsmen who continue to employ age-old techniques to carve, inlay, veneer, paint, and lacquer articles in wood. Their skill is manifest in the ancient temples where wood has been used extensively, as also in the intricate fixtures they make for present-day needs in architecture and furniture making.