kksharma
Rajasthan is a plethora of historic art and heritage. The land of kings is known for its unalloyed culture which was brought by the royals in the city.
Their historic tradition is seen even today through their jewellery, dance and clothes. Traditional attire for Rajasthani woman is Ghagra, choli and odhani.
This traditional dress of Rajasthan is very colourful and comes in a variety of fabrics and prints. The ghagra is a full-length pleated skirt which has embroidery on its fall, choli is the blouse or Kurti which is embellished with beautiful mirror work and odhni is basically the dupatta which covers their heads gracefully.
Along with this beautiful attire, they like to flaunt their bodies with traditional jewellery of Rajasthan which has authentic designs and is inspired by their culture. These traditional pieces are very heavy and reflect the Rajasthani culture.
In today’s world Rajasthani jewellery is famous all around the globe and is in huge demand.
Popular Rajasthani jewellery
• Kundan– this traditional gemstone craft thrived maximum during the Mughal era. It is a unique form of craft in which uncut pieces of glass in embedded into gold foils. Use of glass stones makes it colourful and less expensive.
It is acknowledged as one of the famous styles worn by the brides and it has a very royal look. Kundan work is elegant and exquisitely beautiful which makes it a time-consuming craft.
• Meenakari– it is believed to have found its origin from Jaipur but it was actually brought to India by the Persian enamellists in the 17th century when we were ruled by the Mughals.
This craft believes in the use of very bright colours in dramatic motifs of fish, birds, leaves, flowers etc. which adds that extra element in one’s outfit. These stunning designs are generally based on nature.
• Lac– lac is a natural resin, the semi-solid gummy substance used in crafting beautiful pieces of jewellery. lac is melted with limestone to prepare a base to add in extra strength to the substance.
The artwork behind this is very complex. Lac bangles are very popular in Rajasthan. They are made in vibrant colours which makes them very attractive. It is inexpensive. Lac jewellery worn even with simple dresses can make you look very stylish and makes you stand out from the crowd.
• Tribal jewellery– It is most commonly worn style by the Rajasthani woman. It is basically big chunky pieces of silver jewellery which gives a whole bohemian vibe. This craft is very popular and is in huge demand.
It is generally worn by the Banjara tribe of Rajasthan. Silver is used as the main metal and crafting them with hollow bells also known as “ghoongroos”. This style is loved by the local people and is very famous amongst tourists also. Heavy ornate waist belts, jumkas, armlets etc are very quirky and aesthetically pleasing. The oxidized silver used in crafting makes it look very charming and unusual.
• Thewa jewellery– This is an old-style of jewellery art which is originated from the royal land of Rajasthan. Thewa is a word from the local Rajasthani language known as “setting”.
Unlike other forms of Rajasthani jewellery, thewa does not have silver or gold as its base metal rather it uses molten coloured glass as it is base and gold sheets to design on the glass.
The themes used in the art is usually inspired by the historical Mughal courtly scenes, scenes from the war, portraits of royals, Hindu mythology and floral patterns which embodies the rich culture of Rajasthan.
