Arts and Crafts

The state of Uttarakhand is also famous for its arts and crafts. The arts and crafts of Uttarakhand can be broadly divided into the following parts:

Temple Architecture
The temple architecture of the state was supported by the powerful kings of Pauri, Katuyaris, Pawans and Chanda dynasties who also encouraged the construction of big stone temples, wood carvings, ornaments, pattas, airpans, etc. These temples consist of big stone walls which are intricately detailed with various ornamental carvings and metal idols. During the later periods, these temples not only remained a place for worship but also became a place where intellectuals used to meet with each other. The artists, for example, used to gather and display their best works of art, poems while the pundits and poets used to debate over philosophical issues.

Wood Carvings
There are various wood carvings which can be found all over Uttarakhand. The craftsmen had mastered the art of wood crafting and it was famous for its simple and beautiful designs. During the early days, houses were built and designed beautifully with carved wooden doors. Even to this day, many doors of the houses located at Uttarakhand have beautifully designed doors which are carved out of wood. Latticework was another art which was very famous in the early days. The crafts person used to do specific latticework to fill in the open spaces of the windows in order to give it a screen like effect.

Paintings
Uttarakhand is also famous for the beautiful paintings that can be found here. Mughal style of painting became very famous in Uttarakhand after it was introduced by Prince Suleman Shikoh, who was a Mughal Prince. About one hundred years later, a famous painter, Mola Ram developed a new style of painting that had a romantic charm. One can also find beautiful poems in the paintings of Mola Ram. He was a very famous personality during those days who was known not only because of his paintings but also because of the poems that he used to write.

Some of the famous masterpieces of the Garhwal School of Painting include the following paintings:

Dekara
Dekaras are the clay models of the various Gods and Goddesses in three dimensional forms and are meant solely for worshipping purposes. These idols are prepared out of fine clay mixed with color. They are treated through different hues to make them look more attractive. During the festival of Kartik Sankranti, Lord Shiva's images are made which are known as Dekaras, and these depict the marriage of Shiva with Parvathi, the daughter of Himalaya.

Ornaments
Uttarakhand, especially Garhwal and Kumaon region is famous for its ornaments. In almost every part of these two districts, goldsmiths make tradional ornaments using various designs and patterns which are thousands of years old. These instruments are mostly made in gold, silver and often copper.

Wall Paintings
There are two types of wall paintings that can be found in Uttarakhand; one for the kitchen and one for the ritual ceremonial places. Twice in a year, the walls are generally re-plastered with a mix of cow dung and mud. They are then painted red with ochre and motifs are drawn with fingers, using a paste of rice. These hand-made wall paintings are beautiful and exquisite in nature. It also consists of human figures that are made inside a square framework, on the walls. On some special occasions such as marriage, etc. the outer door walls are decorated with beautiful motifs of bells with conch shells.