Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beautiful Woodcarving
Woodcarving is an ancient art form throughout India. In Kashmir, walnut wood is used to
make finely carved wooden screens, tables, jewellery boxes and trays, inspired by the dec-
orative trim of houseboats. Kashmiri handicrafts are sold throughout India.
Sandalwood carvings of Hindu deities are one of Karnataka's specialities, but you'll pay
a king's ransom for the real thing - a 10cm-high Ganesh costs around ?3000 in sandal-
wood, compared to roughly ?300 in kadamb wood. However, the sandalwood will release
fragrance for years.
Buddhist woodcarvings are a speciality of Tibetan refugee areas. You'll find wall
plaques of the eight lucky signs, dragons and
chaam
masks, used for ritual dances. Most of
the masks are cheap reproductions, but you can sometimes find genuine
chaam
masks
made from lightweight whitewood or papier mâché from ?3000.
GANDHI'S CLOTH
More than 80 years ago Mahatma Gandhi urged Indians to support the freedom movement by ditching their
foreign-made clothing and turning to
khadi
- homespun cloth.
Khadi
became a symbol of Indian independence,
and the fabric is still closely associated with politics. The government-run, nonprofit group Khadi and Village In-
dustries Commission (
www.kvic.org.in
)
serves to promote
khadi
, which is usually cotton, but can also be silk or
wool.
Khadi
outlets are simple, no-nonsense places where you can pick up genuine Indian clothing such as kurta pyja-
mas, headscarves, saris and, at some branches, assorted handicrafts - you'll find them all over India. Prices are
reasonable and are often discounted in the period around Gandhi's birthday (2 October). A number of outlets also
have a tailoring service.
