Arty-Facts about Indian Handicrafts
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Jewelry that does the talking!
Feel like a gypsy queen out to conquer the world with your rustic charm or dazzle onlookers with a kitschy (tacky) display of pastoral glamour? When you feel the need to do your best tribal avatar, our (Advaita Handicrafts’) jewellery is what you need.Read more → -
Intricate, colorful and mesmerizing - Indian Miniatures
A brief write up about the history of miniatures and why they're to be cherished.Read more → -
Bani Thani the courtesan turned Queen who inspired one of India's stamps
Read more →We've all seen the pretty lady in many Rajasthani miniature paintings, and some of us even know she's called "Bani Thani", but few know who she is and why she's been painted or the fascinating history behind this form of Kishangarh paintings. Read on to find out. As mentioned in our previous post on Miniature paintings, like many other arts it was brought to India by the Mughals. In 1555 Humayun, returning from exile in Persia, brought painters along with him. His son, Akbar, established an atelier where serious work of painting began. Hindus joined in, bringing their own style...
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Gifting Right!
Read more →Gift giving has been a long-standing tradition but there’s also the inability to come up with appropriate gift ideas - sometimes it's because we have exhausted most options already, other times it's because we may not know the person well yet but wish to connect at a deeper level. Gifting is an exciting social ritual that brings cheer to the moods of both, giver and recipient or it SHOULD. It is an expressive activity that requires artistic and creative behavior. A well thought out present can bring joy to the occasion and improves relationships. Sometimes when gifts are inappropriate or...
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CHOOSE YOUR ETHIC - Our clothes tell our stories
Read more →Your clothes can shape your own impressions about yourself! Surprised? It’s true.
Have you noticed, we start to believe a lot of things about ourselves as we say them to ourselves over time. That’s the power of mind for you.
And the stories we tell ourselves are the most important stories of all. Stories of being comfortable with our skin, our body shape, our past, our present etc. Stories of being capable to take the plunge, of fighting the odds to succeed, stories of possibilities.
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How to build a sustainable wardrobe
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Grass versatility
Read more →We've mostly heard of bamboo furniture, but at the #sisirsaras2019 held in Bhubaneswar I was pleasantly surprised to see furniture made of a different grass hitherto used for baskets, bins and mats. There was a garden table with chairs, a garden basket chair with a footstool that could double up as a side table, and a lounger as well. Swipe to see the pics of each. The best part however is that it's completely made by women artisans, who were there themselves, talking and promoting it. I take pride that young girls and old women as well in Odisha contribute to household income, sometimes...
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Gifting and the fun of it!
Read more →When we receive a gift, a lot of times it's with trepidation. There are thoughts on whether there's a motive behind the gift, of the pressure of having to return this favour/gift and at times even reactions like 'this isn't good enough for me! We totally take away the joy of receiving or gifting with such analysis. Isn't Diwali/Christmas the time when most of us go through the motions of gifting and over analysing? We all look forward to Diwali. We look forward to spending time with friends and family, praying & partying together and celebrating it with lights, cameras and a lot of action....
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KANDARPA : SENSUAL yet SPIRITUAL : I have claimed my share of the magic how about you?
Read more →Yippee! Here's our next guest blog and aren't we lucky that it's by Vaidehi Sancheti? Vaidehi is extremely well read on Indian history & culture, is a writer of distinction and someone who thinks very differently from the ordinary. She shares her interpretation of the 'Kandarpa' theme with us; a theme that's by far the most popular among the Advaita Handicrafts Patachitra artists. Here's what she says - I love Krishna. By me he is the best character appearing in Indian Mythology. Lord to some, friend to some, king to some and charioteer to Arjuna. The gamester, the prankster, the...
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Psst a secret tip: You've got to read this.
Read more →Hello, A lot of pretty girls & women in Mumbai want this shiny bright metal to wear or as beautiful artifacts at home. Yes, I'm referring to the quaint dhokra brass metal artifacts & jewellery. But the Mumbai weather deters them. Some complain that they love brass metal but refrain from buying as it blackens in humid conditions. So thought I'd write a simple note to let all my dear brass metal dhokra jewellery customers & lovers to know how critical lime water is for them. Lemon as we know has huge health benefits. It aids in digestion. Luke warm lime...