SYNOPSIS

STUDY OF CULTURE, ARTS, AND CRAFTS IN MADHYA

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INDRA GHANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY,

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 what is Living Culture?

2.1 Cultural Life in India

2.2 Handicrafts

2.3 Textiles

Chapter 3 The Ritual Arts

Chapter 4 Performing Arts

4.1 A Definition

4.2 Dance

4.3 Music

4.4 Theatre

Chapter 5 THE CRAFTS OF MADHYA PRADESH

5. 1. Metal Craft

5. 2. Wood Craft

5. 3. Paper Machie

5. 4. Dolls

5. 5. Clay Molding

5. 6. Leather Craft

Chapter 6 References
INTRODUCTION

In the two preceding unit (25 & 26) we discussed the use of history in culture tourism as well as the
significance of India’s rich monumental heritage in promoting culture tourism. Here we are providing
you detail on two more essential ingredients of cultural tourism viz. the living culture and the
performing arts of India. You will understand and appreciate how India's vast and fabled heritage has
survived in the form of living arts practiced in almost all parts of India both in the countryside as well as
in the urban areas. The unit starts with defining living culture and goes on to mention its various
constituents. It also explains what is meant by ritual and Performing arts with their relevance in
promotion of cultural tourism.

India is famous for its handicrafts practiced since ages. Now it becomes the basic part of the life. Many
craft traditions flourished here with the local identities. Now it becomes the basic part of the life. An
overview declares the three district categories of Indian crafts-folk craft, religions and commercial craft.

The culture diversity the artistic appeal and the regional custom made the Indian crafts appreciable in
the world market. The splendor of Indian craft reveal in various serviceable and decorative item. Vivid
material and technique, commercial and house hold, portrays the sharpness sensibilities of Indian
craftsmanship.

Handicrafts are valuable; they enrich our life by their grace. The oldest remains of Indian belong to Indus
valley civilization. The delicate carving beds with number of color in each one express the creative
innovation. As 'Art reveals it' Each and every age reflects and speaks about the creativity, activity,
diversity influenced and variety and productivity through the antiquity and modernity. Madhya Pradesh
has rich art and craft tradition. A Varity of handicraft items with great demand on national and
international market comes out from the hereditary skill of the artisans. A Varity of craft objects of
bamboo, jute,cane,wood craft, brass and bronze metal crafts, iron craft, and stone craft.

Terracotta and papier-mâché work, Folk painting and stuffed leather toys, Jewelry and zari work silk and
in textile a Varity of silk and cotton saris with block print speak about the art tradition of Madhya
Pradesh

WHAT IS LIVING CULTURE?

A customary presentation of Indian culture relates it mainly to a study of arts within the tradition bound
parameters of styles, chronology or schools. In consequence the creativity inherent in the culture and
the throb of life as its central metaphor tend to get into background. The living culture is essentially this
creativity, this throb. It manifests itself in myriad patterns-all related to a tradition that lives on.

Cultural Life in India

Collective vitality subsisting on a rich repertoire of myth, symbol, and song is an important identifying
feature of India’s culture life. It has strong local and regional flavor. Yet its rituals and reticence possess
an underlying commonality. Viewed in its totality, the Indian Heritage culture is bewilderingly diverse.
But these varied traditions have profoundly influenced each other. Sometimes they merge. Sometimes
they mingle inseparably. And in what has come to us as the living culture of India, the rural and tribal
vernacular traditions have interacted quite meaningfully with the classical traditions. Even under an
incessant pressure of modernity and, economically speaking, the compulsions of employment, the
culture of India has lived on. It must be stressed here that much of the living culture has survived
outside of the academia and is in the form of art that is practiced by its people. For this reason, as also
for its eternal value, tourism has an interest in the living culture though serious attempts to understand
and document it have so far been lacking.

Handicrafts

Indian handicrafts represent perhaps the oldest tradition of living culture. The continuity of the
traditional crafts still offers creative expression to the great mass of our people. The Indian craftsman
uses his medium for rendering creative expression of his inner self. The main mediums in which the
crafts are practiced are stone, wood and metal. Almost all clusters of villages have their own craftsmen
who work on these mediums. The diversity of Indian cultural tradition is aptly reflected in the tradition
of handicrafts. Some notable centers of handicrafts production have been shown in Chart-1.

CHART – 1

Region State Handicrafts

Northern India Kashmir Silverware, Carpets, Ivory Items, India Paper-

Punjab Woodcraft, Metal ware

Himachal Shawl, Woodcraft

Uttar Pradesh Silverware, Brocades, Pottery, Woodcraft, Embroidery

Eastern India West Bengal Terracotta, Woodcraft, India Embroidery

Orissa Scroll painting, Woodcraft

Central India Madhya Pradesh Stone craft, Embroidery

Western India Rajasthan Pottery, Stone craft

Gujarat Woodwork, Embroidery

Karnataka Ivory Items, Glazed Pottery

Tamil Nadu Matting, Puppets, Woodcraft

Kerala Basketry, Masks, Woodcraft

Textiles:

The textile tradition of India goes back, beyond doubt, to the 2nd millennium B.C. The textual reference
to cotton appears in the post-Vedic period, though references to weaving also abound in Vedic
literature. The introduction of machine weaving, fortunately, did not result in the death of the very old
tradition. The textile tradition in the form of a craft has lived down to our own period and certainly
maintains continuity from its remote past. We shall give you brief notices of some of the more
prominent textile forms in existence in India even today.

Madhya Pradesh is also has its specific identity in textile. The Malwa, Nimar, Ujjain, Javad, Kukshi, Dhar,
Manavar, Indore and Mandsor have a wide range of hand block printing, quilts with natural dyes.
Mandsor, Indore and Ujjain are famous for the bandhnies.

The batike work is designed and colored at Bhairogarh near Ujjain and Indore. The weavers of Chanderi
and Maheshwar have the specialization for its delicate weave all over the world. They are continuously
experiencing their work having their own traditional trend.

In recent years new forms introduced, the crafts man modified the forms according to their own
requirements without changing their basic structure. In contemporary field the craft work is involved
with physical, psychological and technological co-ordination. Now the art embraced the full range of skill
craft, creative activity, creative imagination, ritual and economical practices related with technical and
aesthetical expressions. The variety of wooden articles, idols and toys displayed during social customs in
every region of India. Many idols, wooden ware, and toys created for the occasion of birth, marriage and
death ceremonies or during other activities. Here the sociology of the craft-culture is not only provides
the utility in daily life, amusement for the children it also cultivates the social pattern and weaves the
new Tana-Bana for the society. They generate the value system, and modified the behavior pattern,
according to the need for equilibrium and coherence in society.

1) Patola:

Patola is the double-ikat silk fabric, mainly of Gujarati origin. It was a popular item of Indian export
around the 13th century. The name patola seemingly derives from pattakula (Sanskrit, meaning silk
fabric). The patterns of patola, a precious silk sari, were considered to be clear and reasonably
permanent. "Here the weaving is done so that the elements of pattern and colour on the warp are
made to juxtapose exactly with those of the weft so that the colour combination and design sequence
of the predetermined pattern are kept intact. A slight irregularity in outline creates the 'flame-effect'
which forms the essence of the beauty of patola." (Jyotindra Jain, Aarti Aggarwala, National Handicrafts
and Handlooms Museum, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, 1989) . Patolas were once woven in several canters
in Gujarat such as Ahmadabad, Surat, Cambay and Patan. Today true patola is made only in Patan by a
couple of Salvi families.

2) Jamdani Jamdani is "figured-muslin". It was traditionally woven in Dacca, West Bengal and Tanda in
Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. The cotton fabric in jamdani is brocaded with cotton and sometimes with
zari threads. Today jamdani sari is woven in West Bengal.
3) Kantha is "patched cloth embroidery of Bengal. Kanthas are filled with lively motifs of birds,
animals, trees etc. The making of Kantha saris is practiced in West Bengal even today.
4) Bandhej Bandhej is tie-dyeing practised in Rajasthan and Gujarat by Hindu and Muslim Khatris even
now. Jaipur and Jodhpur are big centres of production as well as markets for this craft produce.

THE RITUAL ARTS

The ritual art in India is located mostly within the confines of domestic ambience. It is infect an essential
aspect of the celebrations in the family. Almost invariably the ritual art is practiced only by women and
takes the form of drawings on the floor or on the walls of the house. Some of these drawings are a daily
ritual (such as the Kolam of South India) while others are made only on religious festive occasions.

"These purely abstract drawings are known under different names in the different parts of the country:
mandna in Rajasthan, rangoli in Gujarat and Maharashtra, sathya in Saurashtra, aripan or aypan in Bihar,
aipan in the Kumaon, alpana in Bengal, jhunti in Orissa, cauka rangana or cauk purna or sonarakhna in
Uttar Pradesh, muggu in Andhra Pradesh, kolam in South India."(Stella Krarnrisch in Aditi, The Living Arts
of India, Washington, 1986) . The ritual art is a tradition handed down from mother to daughter in
succeeding generations. The drawings are without image, figure, or narrative. The material used is
mostly rice powder coloured in different shades and believed to possess magical powers. Different from
the traditional floor drawing, the drawings made on the walls of the houses have figurative character.
They are colourful, rich in symbols and full of mythical elements. The madhubani painting of Bihar is a
fine specimen of this kind of figurative ritual art.

PERFORMING ARTS

The tradition of the performing arts in India goes back to the most ancient past and India has a rich
heritage of the same - dance, music and theatre. In the following Sub-sections we take a look at this
heritage and explore its relevance to the promotion of tourism today.

A Definition

A simple and obvious definition of the performing art would make it an art that lives / sunrises only
when it is performed. "You can write down a piece of music, you ‘can tape it and give it a new,
altogether different, lease of life. But the music is really in the hearing, not in the score or the tape.... A
dance can be video-taped or filmed, but the real magic is in the dancing itself, and so with theatre.
Theatre is not cinema. Both are legitimate and exciting forms. But the theatre is a living thing."
(Narayana Menon, "The Performing Arts - a definition in Aspects of the Performing Arts of India, ed.
Saryu Doshi, Marg Publications, 1983). The performing arts provide a different kind of experience in
which the audience begins to feel some kind of a union with the performers. The performing arts are not
mere spectacles. They certainly strike at an inner cord located in the realm of emotion and feeling.
There has been a close connection between the performing arts in India and the religion. It is the
mythologywith enduring cultural patterns that has sustained the tradition of performing arts. Its
strength lies in the fact that the performing arts in India have an almost uninterrupted tradition
spanning several centuries.

Dance

The Indian mythology suggests that the dance originated with Siva's tandav. Thus dance as a performing
art has an age old tradition. Almost all classic dance forms in India have originated from folk traditions.
The classical dances of India revolve around a few cardinal principles. "They have elements of facial
expression (sattvik), verbal expression (vachik), manual gestures (angile) and costumes and jewellery
(acharya)". (Utpal K Banerjee, Indian Performing Arts, New Delhi, 1992) . These are reflected in the
classical dances of all regions of India. Some important dance forms have been listed below:

1) Bharatnatyam

From Tamil Nadu with centres in Thanjavur and Kanchipuram. Performed by women and men both as a
solo item.

2) Odissi

From Orissa with centres in Puri and Bhubaneshwar . Performed as a solo dance .

3) Katthak

From Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan with centres in Lucknow, Mathura - Vrindavan and Jaipur .
Performed by men and women both as solo item .

4) Kathakali

From Kerala with centers in the temples there .Performed by men wearing make-up and emphasising
on facial expressions .

5) Kuchipudi

From Andhra Pradesh centering around the town of Kuchipudi .Performed by men in the form of dance-
drama.

6) Manipuri

From Manipuri Performed by a group of men and women enacting the drama of Krishna and Radha's
lives.
 The country is also extremely rich in the dance forms that are inspired by folk traditions. In fact an
inventory of such folk dances may run into several sheets of paper. We shall, therefore, mention only
two of the more important folk dances here.

1) Bhangara

Bhangara, interestingly, has become the flag-bearer of Indian folk tradition. This dance form belongs to
the region of Punjab and is performed by both men and women attired in colorful costumes in a group
form. The drum is an important musical instrument used in this dance to increase the tempo of the
participant.

2) Garba

Of late, Garba has gained tremendous popularity as a group dance mainly in the region of Gujarat.
Performed during the nine nights of Navratri, both men and women participate quite enthusiastically in
this dance. The songs sung during the dance are mainly in honors of goddess Durga.

Music

Music, considered a vehicle for communion with God, has been an essential ingredient of our culture.
Emanating from folk tunes and attaining the status of a classical art, music has been in vogue from
times immemorial. Later two distinct forms of musical style developed in India. The more codified and
text based form came to be called the Carnatic system of music. On the other hand a loose and flexible
musical form practiced mostly in the northern parts of India came to be identified as the Hindustani
system of music. A great fillip to this art form was given by Turkish and Mughal rulers in the medical
period, many of whom were themselves great connoisseurs of music. The classic music has gained a lot
of popularity in recent times. It is being practiced in North India under the guardianship of a few great
performers claiming descent from traditional houses called gharanas of music. Some of the more
important gharanas have been listed here:

1) Maihar

Set up by the doyen of classical Indian music Ustad Alauddin Khan. Famous artists of the gharana:
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee.

2) Kirana

Set up by Sawai Gandharva. Famous artists: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Smt. Gangubai Hangal, Pandit
Jitendra Abhisheki.

3) Atrauli

I set up by Ustad Faiyyaz Khan. Famous artists: Late Ustad Sharaft Husain Khan, Ustad Mohammad
Shafi.
4) Patiala

Set up by Ustad Chand Khan. Famous artists: Late Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Late Ustad Munawwar
Khan.

The Carnatic Music too has a host of eminent artists as listed below:

1) Vocal

Ms M.S. Subbulakshmi, Sri. M. Balamurlikrishna, Late Maharaj Kumar Santhanam.

2) Instrumental

Smt. N. Rajam (Violin), Late Sri. S. Balachander (Veena), Late Sri T. Mahalingam (Flute).

Theatre:

India has a unique theatre tradition which is marked by both, its antiquity and aesthetics and
imagination. Ever since primitive and mythic ages the theatre has been an integral part of Indian life.
Probably the art of theatre began with religious or social rites and ritualistic festivals, and gradually
progressed into becoming a distinct art form. During the past two-three thousand years the theatrical
arts have undergone fundamental changes. An important phase in this development was during the
19th century when as a result of an encounter with the West certain profound changes came about in
the art. This theatre was "almost entirely an imitation of the western theatre". (Nernichandra Jain,
Indian Theatre, New Delhi, 1992).The concerns of the post-independence India were, however,
different. What we have today as Indian theatre is in fact a sequel of this concern. By the sixties of the
post-independence period a national theatre movement was born. Slow disintegration of the family as
a viable social unit, new and demystified political stances, disillusionment of the urban middle-class,
etc. Were some important new themes that gained precedence in the plays written during this period.
Some land-mark plays of this period were: Adhe Adhure Mohan Rakesh Evam Indrajit, Pagla G hoda
Badal Sircar Tughlaq Girish Karnad Sakharam Binder - Vijay Tendulkar In recent times there have again
been a shift. "At the moment, it appears that the preparation for a new stage is on in many ways, in
many forms and at many levels. The main factor in this situation is the increasing contact and
familiarity with an assimilation of the theatrical methods of the ancient Sanskrit and medieval theatres
in our contemporary activities" (Nernichandra Jain, op.cit,). Evidently the contours of this newly
emerging form have not been shaped yet. But perhaps in the next five or six years, it may take place.
Another theatre form gaining popularity is the "street plays" or "street theatre".
THE CRAFTS OF MADHYA PRADESH

1) Metal Craft

The craftsmen of Madhya Pradesh are practicing the traditional iron craft. Their skills and techniques
are molding into various shapes and forms. Gond, Muria, Bhil, Saharia Baiga, Pardhan tribal’s, has the
custom of offering the horses, Trishuls, Swings etc made out from iron on fulfillment of their wishes to
their god.

The metal crafts men of Tikamgarh are giving the shape to their ideas and concepts on with help of
metal craft of bell metal craft, Jewelry boxes, Idols of deities, images and many other articles are the
verdict, folk and tribal jewelries have their distinct styles on gold, silver, bronze and mix metal. Now
these days’ craftsmen’s are working at wood and other materials also.

2) Wood Craft

The wood workers of Madhya Pradesh uphold the traditions of their fore fathers. The art of wood
carving have flourished in many parts of state. Embellished wooden ceilings, doors and lintels with
finely carved designs, which is a silent testimonial of its glory State. The art traditions of elaborate
wood work for both utilitarian and architectural purpose are found here. The artisans of Malwa, Nimar,
Bundelkhand, Rewa, Piparia makes Doors, Window, Frames, Masks and sculptures. Beside these
articles, Budhni, Sheopur-Kalan, Gwalior, Rewa offers the variety of painted and lacquered wood craft
items as toys, boxes, cradle posts, bed-posts, flower-vases etc.

3) Paper Machie

Paper machie is craft existing since long time. The artisans of Gwalior, Bhopal, Ratlam and Ujjain are
operating the articles like vases, flower pots and Jeweler boxes. Birds, animals, dolls, and statue, other
is in show cases. Now these days the Jeweler of paper machie is also in vogue.

4) Dolls

Dolls are the foremost choice in all over the world for the girls. The vast productions of dolls are in
Gwalior, Bhopal and Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh). In Madhya Pradesh the work of bamboo is in the
Shahdol, Mandla, Balaghat and Seoni regions after the Chhattisgarh. The artisans of this region are
really very skill full and has old knowledge and skills.8

5) Clay Molding

The art of molding the clay has also finest examples. The potters of Madhya Pradesh are symbolizing
their craftsmanship with maturity. Horses, birds, statue of elephants and some other articles can be
seen in pink, red, brown or dark grey colors.
6) Leather Craft

Craftsmen of Devas, Indore, and Gwalior are engaged in making leather toys, bags, leather, garments,
shoes and other articles. Gwalior, Indore, and Bhopal are also producing jute articles for decorative
purposes.

REFERENCES

UP India's rich and varied heritage makes it a fabled land for living culture and performing arts. We
gave you details about the different kinds of this cultural tradition and their prevalent forms. We also
defined for you the meaning of living culture and performing arts. In one section we dealt with the
ritual arts of India. All this information is a valuable tool for a practicing tourism professional. You will
appreciate the significance of using these tourism products for promoting both domestic as well as
foreign tourist.