Arts and crafts as well as handmade articles made in Punjab are popular across the world. Being a culturally rich and a highly prosperous state in the north western region of India, the state is home to several traditions that have been in practice since time immemorial. Handiworks from Punjab are renowned the world over. Artisans practicing in Punjab are quite dexterous and skilled. Women living in the villages are primarily involved in manufacturing these handicrafts.

Popular Household Articles in Punjab

Brightly hued cotton threads and shavings derived from sarcanda chicks were mainly used for weaving Bohiey, Chiks and even Pitarian. Pitarian are household articles and find many applications. Sarcanda chick shavings as well as vibrant cotton threads were also used to manufacture Moorras, a specific kind of chairs. Brushes used in white washing were also hand-made using munjhs.

Woodwork

The state of Punjab is traditionally popular for producing an innovative range of intricate, hand-crafted wooden work. Embroidered beds equipped with plush back rests en suite with mirrors and beautifully carved multi-colored legs known as Pawas are also popular here. The low seats were known as Peeras and they were built by carpenters in different villages of Punjab. This skill of wooden handicrafts is also reflected in the folk songs of Punjab. One such is the Raati rondi da bhij gaya Lal bhangoora.

Artisans of Punjab are known for rendering a lacquer finish to various wood crafts, adorning them with vibrant mirrors and engraving them in wood and ivory inlay work. Today, the ivory has been replaced by white plastic. Wooden toys, boxes, furniture items as well as decorative items made by artisans here are exported to different parts of the world. In Punjab, wood carving is quite popular in areas like Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Batala.

Metalwork

Apart from wooden household articles, even metal items are popularly manufactured in Punjab. In fact, the metal artisans from Amritsar are known for their dexterity and skill. These metal artisans make use of various kinds of metal casting and soldering as well as decoration techniques like chasing, pierced work, repousse and several more to make metal utensils, pots and various other objects that are required for religious rituals. These objects include trumpet and lamps.

These metal artisans also make decorative items like carved metal doors and lamp shades from metal. The metaphorical carved panels of the Gurudwaras and the other temples are also much popular. Sometimes, these artisans plate the metal doors in silver and gold and also do intricate repousse work on these doors.

Weaving and Embroidery

Women living in the villages of Punjab commonly practice weaving of durries. These durries are essentially made of cotton, which is used as bed or floor spreads. These durries are adorned with interesting patterns of check, squares and stripes. Motifs of birds and animals are also made by these artisans. In the villages of Punjab, weaving and embroidery is an integral part of the routine lives of village women. These weaving and embroidery works are heavily used on some auspicious festivals and occasions.