Amazing India

Indian craft tradition is very old. In fact, Indian craft tradition is a wonderful example of rich cultural heritage of India. One of the important constituents of craft practice is glassware culture. Glass making in India has its roots to ancient ages. Even the great Indian epic of Mahabharata has reference of glass making culture. This tradition was initiated during ancient ages but it got its biggest push during the medieval period. Credit goes to Mughal rulers who provided patronage to the craft of glass making. Many of you must have seen the art of glass engraving. These engravings look wonderful and fascinating. They make for a great collection. The credit of this craft is given to Mughal kings who encouraged craftsmen to create delicate foliated designs on glass objects. Indian glass making industry in the modern era excels at making items like window pens, beads, bottles and bangles.

Indian glass bangles are fascinating pieces of craft. They are also an integral part of the traditional Indian jewelry. Glass bangles are usually available in diverse colours. Indian women, particularly the newlywed love to wear glass bangles. These bangles are not only traditional but also considered as fashionable items. The range of colours and patterns in glass bangles are truly appealing. The most famous place for production of utilitarian glassware and glass bangles in India is Ferozabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Some families in the district of Ferozabad are having centuries old tradition of glassware manufacturing. Another popular glassware craft item is glass beads that are popular all over the world. Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is known for production of glass beads.

If you are looking for decorative and fancy glass items then, engraved crockery, ornate glass chandeliers and lighting pieces and glass sculptures etc are the pieces to watch out for. Urban elites are taking a fancy towards glass painting and stained glasswork.

Dance is one of the visually brilliant forms of art. Dance has a mesmerising impact on the spectators. Almost everybody loves to watch songs and dance sequences. A good dance can set the tone for the rest of the party. This physical art form immediately affects the viewers in a positive way. It is a treat to our senses. Dance is pure, aesthetic, sensuous and delightful. One can’t escape the magic of dance in any form. Talking about Indian dances, they have continued to thrive despite making a journey of thousands of years. Dance has always been an integral element of Indian culture. Any festival, social occasions etc are incomplete without dance presentations. It can be a formal or an impromptu dance sequence that can take your breath away. For instance, check Ganpati festival and you will find hundreds of people dancing on the streets in bohemian style. It is one such exquisite expression of emotions.

Indian dance forms manifest rich cultural reservoir of India. It is believed that all the art forms play a role in other realms of art. Dance is no exception. It has played a crucial role in poetry, sculpture, painting and literature. Looking back at history pages, earliest archaeological evidence of Indian dance dates back to 6000 BC. That tells us a lot about significance of dance in the history of India. Natya Shastra, the foremost and most respected literature on dance was written by Bharath between the 2nd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D. Not for nothing; Natya Shastra is also called as fifth Veda of Indian culture and mind it, that is no small sobriquet. Almost all forms of Indian dances owe their origin to Natya Shastra. There are different forms of Indian dances but classical ones are most popular. Some of the Indian classical dance forms are, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Mohiniatam and Odissi.