Master creation Ki Biradari: Celebrating India’s timeless artistry at Dilli Haat

Padma Shri, Shilp Guru, National Awardees and their families, showcase their rich arts and crafts skills and share the highs and lows of keeping family traditions alive

Dilli Haat - well-deserved spotlight on the master craftsmen who preserve age-old crafts but usually drop off from collective memory.

Published on:

11 Dec 2024, 5:11 am

Updated on:

11 Dec 2024, 5:11 am

4 min read

As winter is here, it’s the right time to soak in the sun over festivals and carnivals.We step inside Dilli Haat to explore handcrafted treasures at the ongoing fair, Master Creation Ki Biradari, organised by The Ministry of Textiles. It shines a well-deserved spotlight on the master craftsmen who preserve age-old crafts but usually drop off from collective memory.

On display are the works of 11 Padma Shris, 18 Shilp Gurus, 22 Sant Kabir awardees, and 113 National awardees. They offer a glimpse into India’s rich artistry in textiles, handicrafts, woodwork, furnishings, metal crafts, miniature painting, cane work, stone pottery, leather art, and more.

Next generation leads

Our first stop is at Padma Shri Subhadra Devi’s pavilion. Celebrated as the ‘Mother of Madhubani papier mâché art’ in Bihar, the 85-year-old has taught this skill to more than 500 people across India. Her daughter Rani Devi, 35, carries forward the art with pride and talks about the eco-friendly process: “We mash water-soaked paper with methi powder (fenugreek), Fuller’s Earth and an adhesive made of wheat flour and water to make a paste. It is shaped into figures depicting scenes from village life, animal kingdom, and mythological figures. Once dried, we paint them with acrylic colours.”

Similarly, Padma Shri Machihan Sasa who is a maestro of black stone pottery from Manipur, had his son Mathew Sasa taking up the family craft. “My father is known as ‘Earthen Alchemist’ for reviving our village Longpi Kajui’s craft of black stone pottery. I am happy to be learning this tradition for the last five years. The serve ware and tableware pieces on display are made by using serpentine black stone and clay native to our village. The food tastes more flavoursome and healthy when served in them,” says Mathew showing us stone cups, trays, jars, casseroles and tea sets.

Padma Shri Dilshad Hussain also had his son Rehan Ali, 30, pick up the craft. Following his 75-year-old father’s footsteps, he showed us the creations under the tutelage of his father that included brass mirrors, meenakari work wall-clocks, hand-painted bowls, champagne covers, vases with hand painted scenes from royal courts, lamps and more. “Moradabad is called the Brass City of India.

True to its name, my father skilled himself in Brass Nakashi craft. It’s a meticulous craft with engravings done with a special iron pen and wooden beater to achieve unparalleled finesse,” he tells us, showing us a black marodi carved matka (pot) that was gifted to the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, at the G7 Summit in Italy in 2022.

Padma Shri Lajwanti Chabra, a Phulkari embroiderer from Punjab is another keeper of traditions. She grew up watching her nani doing Phulkari on suits, dupattas, bed sheets and cushion covers. “I picked Phulkari by the age of 10. It is intrinsically woven into the fabric of Punjab as we adorn it at weddings, festivities, and ceremonial occasions. I wish to take this craft to different corners of the world,” says the 70-year-old who has exhibited in the UK, Turkey, Argentina and Germany.

Black stone pottery by Padma Shri Machihan Sasa from Manipur

A yearning for appreciation

While the Indian handicraft market shows a growth rate of 6.7 percent from 2024 to 2032, its e-commerce market is expected to grow by 29.3 percent for the same time period according to a report by research firm, IMARC Group. This underscores that local hand-made products face stiff competition from low-cost machine-made goods. Arshad Ansari, a dhurrie craftsman from Mirzapur, expressed his concern.

“Mirzapur is famous for the hand-crafted kaleens (carpets) which we have displayed. But Indian buyers are price-conscious. If they get a machine-made replica of this handwork for half the price, they will purchase that. The low sales are impacting livelihoods. We youngsters may be pushed into labour work or street vending if the craft does not generate income and appreciation,” he adds.

For Asharam Meghwal, a Nagaur-based miniature artist, awareness needs to be created for Indian buyers to appreciate the “5,000-year-old great canyon” of Indian arts and crafts. “In my 45 years of practice, I’ve observed that people think miniature art is visible through the naked eye.

But real miniatures require a magnifying glass to see its hidden details,” he says, pointing to one of his works that show a king’s army marching towards a fort when seen under a magnifying glass. He does not wish to sell some of his artworks and rather wants them preserved in museums. “I aspire for the Indian public to know its intricacies and depth by visiting museums and reading literature. It will engender a true appreciation for artistic traditions.”

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