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Tamil Nadu
has a rich heritage in handicrafts, which has evolved over
centuries. They have been exuding grace and beauty since
ages, and decorating millions of homes across the globe.
Tanjore paintings, the craft of making musical instruments,
metal ware, pottery, woodcraft and stone carving are some of
the exquisite handicrafts of Tamil Nadu.
The most important of the handicrafts of Tamil Nadu is the
very famous Tanjore paintings. This form of art flourished
in Thanjavur, which is the new name of Tanjore, and thus it
got its name. They creation of this art requires dedication,
patience and hours of meticulous details. These paintings
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on
wood, glass, mica, ivory and even on the walls, and are made
more elegant by using thin sheets of gold, along with the
primary colours. The modeling effect is made stylized by
shading the inside, along the outline of the painting.
Jewels, drapery, and elements of architecture like pillars,
rich canopies, chandeliers are being raised as a result of
using of a special plaster. This plaster is covered with
pure gold leaf and semi-precious stones of different colours
are embedded in it.
Tamil Nadu is also famous for its musical instruments. Yaazh
is an ancient instrument famous in ancient Tamil Nadu, which
resembles a harp. This instrument has been replaced by veena,
which is made of jackwood. In Thanjavur, there are families
that are into this craft for generations. Other musical
instruments made here are thambura, flute or vangiyam, which
is made of bamboo, sandalwood, bronze and sengaali and
karungaali woods. It is a wonderful specimen of the
handicrafts of Tamil Nadu.
Jewelery making is also another important handicraft here.
Stone jewelery are most popular and the ornaments such as
oddiyanam, vanki and jimiki are very famous and worn even
now, despite their traditional appeal. They display great
finish and dexterity. Metal wares have got its own
importance in the handicrafts of Tamil Nadu. Brass and
copper metal wares are used for many purposes. It is used
mostly for making plates with carvings of god and goddess in
it. Plates used for arathi, bells used while performing
arathi, etc. are some of the examples of the state's
creativity in the metal wares.
Pottery making is a well known art in Tamil Nadu. We can see
even now famous 'Ayyanar horses' in rural Tamil Nadu, which
are supposed to protect the villages from evil. Terracotta
horses, made in Pudukottai and Salem are also very famous.
Stone carving was very famous in Tamil Nadu in the ancient
days, and it is still practiced in the twenty-first century.
Stone carving is a wonderful craft. Those days stone carving
was done in temples, for gods. One can find beautiful stone
carvings in famous temples like Madurai Meenakshi temple,
thousand pillared mandapas, Ekambareshwarar temple in
Kanchipuram, etc.
Different types of stones are used for carving like marble
stones, sandstones, soap stones, etc. Granite carving is
very famous in Chingleput and Mamallapuram. Now stones are
also used for making pen stands, paper weights, granite
tiles for houses.
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