Hill Crafts of Derjeeling

Hill Crafts

Though Darjeeling is called the Queen of Hill Stations, it has other special attraction of its own -- the hill crafts. People of the hill have preserved a wealth of arts and crafts of which the forms, the designs, the motifs and even the techniques have peculiarity of their own. The famous painted thankas, colourful woven aprons & knitted garments, copper and brass utensils and wares of different shapes and forms with beautiful repouse work on them, exquisitely carved wooden trays and low table(Tokchi), carved wooden masks, decorative bamboo work with lacquered designes, different types of hill jewelry, Kalimpong handbags & patch work paintings are only a few amongst a host of enchanting and colourful products coming from the hills of Darjeeling.

The people of the hills have traditions of their own. Two distinct cultures – Indian and Tibetan have mingled together and forms a homogenous blending of these two distinct cultures, a new traditions in art & culture has originated, ofwhich the forms and motifs have been borrowed from Tibet, influenced by Tantric Cult, while the ethical background and ideas remain conspicuously Indian.

The peculiarity of these products lies in the fact that they still maintain the distinctive mark of the age-old tradition, untouched and unutlised by outside influence. The crafts persons of Deerjeeling mainly Bhutias & Nepalese in origin have zealously guarding their heritage through centuries of turmoil and upheavals in the plains.

The Tibetan refugees who come over to India have brought with them a tradition which are getting shapes in the self-help centres setup in Darjeeling. The products include wide range of Carpets, Tankas and other items. The stories depicted in the Tankas centre round the life og Goutam Buddha as described in Jatakas. These are used for decorative purpose in the Gumphas & Monastaries with the basic object rousing religious sense in those coming to offer Pujas.

About six thousands families are engaged in different crafts in the hill region.

HillCraftsOfDerjeeling

The state of tea gardens has Lepchas as their true inhabitants. People from Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Bhutan and West Bengal have also settled here. The tea garden workers are mainly tribals from Central India and Chota Nagpur, local people called them Modeshiya i.e., people came from middle country.
The handicrafts of Darjeeling are quite different from the crafts existing in the rest of West Bengal and it expresses cultural heritage of Buddhism prevailing in the eastern Himalayas. Traditional hill craftsmen prepare the sculptural model of bronze figure using direct wax for each bronze figure. Bhutia villages have skilled musicians, painters and authentic artists who take pride in representing the folk cultures of the hill people.
People living in the foothills of West Bengal practice a lot of bamboo and cane craft. Craftsmen of West Bengal are skilled at making beautiful cane baskets of various designs and shapes. These baskets have multi uses. Craftspersons also prepare ceremonial baskets, cages and fishing traps which are made with lot of effort and requires skilled technique. Bamboo dowry boxes are very intricately woven and play a very important role in the marriage ceremonies.
At Bhutia basti, the traditional scroll paintings are made which are known as Thankas. These paintings have the Budhist Jataka tales from the Buddhists scriptures. These are made in the most traditional way by the craftsmen using the paper form Tibet or Nepal. Grounded stone and earthen colors are used. Lapis Lazuli, a blue stone colour, is obtained by grinding semi precious stones form Tibet. These paintings are hung on the home as well as on the walls of the monasteries. Sacred value attached to each Thanka which are bordered with Buddhists motifs in fine brocade. Powdered gold is also used to beautify the Thanka and enhance the value of the painting. The technique used is a closely guarded secret. The Thankas are used in all Buddhists household shrines and monasteries.
Kalimpong, another hill station tucked in the vicinity of Darjeeling is famous for weaving of Tibetian woolen carpets. The wool for the same is spun by the Tibetian women of Darjeeling on the traditional spinning wheels known as Chassba. Generally, bold colours and geometric patterns are used. The most common of all carpets is the dun a small bedside carpet which has upto sixty knots to a square inch.