Overview
With her deep understanding and passion for the surrounds of her home, Dundlod Fort in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, Mallyka, of A Baisa’s Adventures has been inspired to curate this lively handheld experience of its artisanal heritage. Shekhawati, we know has a firm position on the India’s tourism map as an open-air art gallery of rare importance. But not everyone is in the know about its other artisanal pursuits. You will learn all about the local expertise in making lac bangles with a first-hand experience of this unique process. You may even want to expand your skills by opting to try a hand at making one. The tour is an excellent opportunity to meet the Manihar families who have a long history of creating these beautiful pieces of adornment
Why you will love it
- Interaction with local artisans to learn the art of lac bangle making and pottery making
- Learning to use the local skill and precision to make your own beautiful bangle
- Engaging with family members of the Manihar community in their homes
What you will experience
This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to meet the bangle making artisans in the Shekhawati region. Led by an enthusiastic hostess, who hails from the local royal family, the tour gets a new spin to the entire experience, bringing travellers to the artisans in their homes. The Manihar community has long been associated with the highly skilled art of making lac bangles. You will be quite charmed by the womenfolk who are pretty adept at this work. You get to see, first-hand, almost a step-by-step guide into the precision and skill that goes into ?creating these beautiful ornaments magnificent bangles. It’s quite amazing how everything is calculated to create that one perfect piece. The entire process includes applying colour to the lac, the art of rolling the bangle one at a time, cutting and measuring of the rolled lac to joining the ends and finally the beautification of the bangle.
While one is immersed in learning how to create one’s own lac bangle, the local family’s enthusiasm to have guests over is quite charming. Sharing a good laugh over a cup of tea and friendly conversation adds a nice touch to it all. This tour is also a means of getting visitors to lend their support, even in some small measure, in helping to sustain this beautiful art form. It’s also a way of acknowledging the hard work of these artists, who will sit for hours just concentrating on making a set of bangles that is rewarded by your appreciation. So do join in and engage with these creative ladies from the Manihar community and celebrate their hard work in keeping alive this old crafting tradition.
A visit to the Kumhar (potter) community opens up a window to Shekhawati’s ancient ties with the art of pottery making. You will be fascinated to find the craftsmen working in complete silence in the courtyard of their homes, while you can literally sit for hours watching them in awe. Working with elements of nature has always been quite therapeutic. The kumbha (earthen pot) in Hindu traditions is connected with fertility and Goddess Lakshmi associated with wealth, fortune, prosperity, and abundance. According to the Hindu mythology, pottery is known to be the oldest industry on Earth and India has a long been associated with this crafting tradition.
Working with clay is purely magical. You get this marvellous opportunity to engage with a rural potter in the community and let your hands unleash their own magic on the potter’s wheel. This experience helps one to get in touch with one’s inner child and lets the creative juices flow. Immerse yourself in pottery making and lend voice to your artistic abilities.