Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Leatherwork
As cows are sacred in India, leatherwork is made from buffalo, camel, goat or some other
animal skin. Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh is the country's major leatherwork centre.
Most large cities offer a smart range of modern leather footwear at very reasonable
prices, some stitched with zillions of sparkly sequins - marvellous partywear!
The states of Punjab and Rajasthan (especially Jaipur) are famed for
jootis
(traditional,
often pointy-toed slip-on shoes), which can also be found in some South Indian markets.
Chappals
, wonderful (often curly-toed) leather sandals, are sold throughout India but are
particularly good in the cities of Kolhapur, Pune and Matheran.
In Bikaner in Rajasthan, artisans decorate camel hide with gold to produce beautiful mir-
ror frames, boxes and bottles, while in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, craftspeople stretch
leather over wire-and-cloth frameworks to make cute toy animals.
Crafts aren't necessarily confined to their region of origin; artists migrate and are sometimes influenced by
regional aesthetics, resulting in some interesting stylistic combinations.
