Crafts of South Indian States appear to be an essential part of the lives of South Indians. The prosperity of South India can be seen in its handicrafts which are very popular. The states of South India have attracted the attention of connoisseurs of the craft world and have a relatively good demand not only in the Indian market but international market as well. South Indian craft has its own appeal and magnificence which catches the attention of a large number of people from across the world.
Popular Crafts of South Indian States
Crafts of South Indian States are basic part of Indian society which characterizes its cultural multiplicity. Following are the popular crafts of South Indian States:
Woodcrafts
Woodcraft of South India has some different styles which are famous across the globe. It is a popular craft in South India because this area is awarded with plentiful forests which are loaded in different varieties of wood. Wooden handicrafts includes items like shaped figurines, attractive pieces, furniture and accessories, utensils, beads, panels and a lot of more. "Channapatna" in Karnataka and "Kondapalli" in Andhra Pradesh are famous across the world for its wooden toys. Karnataka is famous for carvings and gracefully beautiful decorative pieces made from sandalwood.
Textile Handicrafts
Among all the silk garments, Kanchipuram silk of Tamil Nadu is the most popular one. The other popular handicrafts of this state are items made from palm leaves and Palmyra fibres, metal ware, brass and bronze statues, hand woven clothes and attractive jewellery. Some of the popular handicrafts of Kerala are ivory, gold and silver jewellery, bamboo mat paintings, and different types of lamps, Kathakali masks and dolls.
Stone Carving
Stone carving is another chief handicraft of South India. Some of them are in filigreed, fretted marble or sandstone. Some of the popular places of stone carvings are seen in Meenakshi Temple, Rameshwaram Temple of Tamil Nadu, Tirupati, Gundala Mallikarjuna Swami Temple of Andhra Pradesh and Vithala Temple of Karnataka.
Bidri Craft
Bidri is a particular metal handicraft done in Andhra Pradesh. A particular type of mud from Bidar is used in oxidising and therefore it is called Bidri. Bidri artwork designs have comprised different patterns over the centuries including stars, plants, animals, flowers and other patterns that are typically contained within cautiously arranged balanced geometric fields.
Pottery
Pottery is another form of craft, which is more or less practiced in all south Indian states. Pottery from Karukurichi in Tirunelveli district is noted for its attractive shapes and technical superiority. The base colours for the pottery of Tamil Nadu are red, black and grey. A glossier finish is given after a coating of red ochre. Khanapur in Belgaum district of Karnataka is famous for making large sized containers and jars because of the availability of a local clay.
Embroidery
Embroidery is also very much a part of the South Indians. In Tanjore, Tamil Nadu a different style of applique work is done for decoration on temple hangings. Andhra Pradesh is famous for bead embroidery, which is done on fine fabrics to adorn them. It is usually done on sarees and blouse pieces. Jangaon is famous for this type of work. White and coloured beads are used on dark and bright bases. Karnataka is famous for kasuti embroidery. It is done with two types of stitches and the embroidery has a soft feminine angle.
Metal Crafts
The Metal crafts of Pembarthi originated in the small village of Pembarthi near Hyderabad. The intricate brass work flourished here during the Kakatiya dynasty. Bronze castings are also popular in south India. These are bronze idols based on verses from the Shilpa shastra. Budithi Brassware is also an exquisite craft of Andhra Pradesh. It is well known for creating beautiful shapes out of alloy.
