The story of Silver Shoes!

वाह! आई ऍम फ्लेबरगास्टेड (flabbergasted)!! जी, बिलकुल, ये  अटपटा ,हिंगलिश-नुमा  वाक्य ही  ज़हन  में  आया  जब  इन  जूतों  को  देखा  तो । चांदी के  पत्रे पर  नक्काशियों  की  बारीकियों  में  उलझे   नक्काशकार  को  जब  हमने  पूछा  क्या आप  क्या  बना  रहे  है …तो  वह  जल्दी  से  बोले,  रुकिए  हम  आपको  कुछ  दिखाते है, और  वह …

Let’s turn inward to preserve our crafts!

  “वो सुनते हैं न कि कभी ड्रैगन था , उसी तरह होगा कि कभी ज़रदोज़ी थी। एक दिन वह आएगा कि हमको किसी मंदिर या दरगाह में भीख मांगनी पड़ेगी।” ,says nazir. Coming such words from the finest zardoz in old Lucknow is heart-wrecking. Unfortunately, not only zardozi but chikankari, handblock printing, chanderi, many…

Memories and Emotions – Lucknawi Itra

“जिस फूल को वाहिद ऐ इक रोज़ ही जीना था, उस फूल को बक्शी है हयात हमने।“, that is Mr. Imran Ahmed, an itra craftsman’s take when someone says: you ruin beautiful flowers to make itra. सलीके से हवाओं में वो खुशबू घोल देते है,अभी कुछ लोग बाकी हैं जो मीठा बोल देते हैं, it’s…

Revive: An initiative by Soul India to support Raghurajpur artists

Raghurajpur is a Heritage village near Puri, Orissa. It is a unique village where every house has an artist. There are around 160 artists in this remote village. Raghurajpur is known worldwide for its Performing art Odissi, Gotipua dance (a unique dance form where boys dress up as girls and perform a classical dance to…

The Heritage keepers of India-Tikam Chand,1860 Carl Zeiss camera

1860 का इकलौता वर्किंग कैमरा, पूरी दुनिया में एक ही है,मिनट कैमरा मैडम,टेक फोटोग्राफ; these words of a middle-aged man made me stop, where I saw this intriguing piece of history happening Infront of my eyes, and I totally forgot I was rushing to Hawa Mahal in Jaipur. ये  पुश्तैनी है, हमारे दादा जी के…

Carrying the legacy forward-Gotipua dancers of Orissa!

Boys dressing up as girls, putting on makeup, and the graceful dance, intrigue many people; but for us, it’s the way to connect with Lord Jagannath, says Jitendra Nayak, a trained Gotipua dancer. 19-year-old Jitendra and his father Guru Gangadhar Nayak were kind enough to invite me to their home, as I was watching their…