Haryana has very rich and pleasant culture of art and craft. They have number of variety of arts and crafts, which contain different styles and patterns. All the forms of Haryana reflect the Haryana’s great and traditional heritage. Haryana arts and crafts are very much popular in all over India because of their brilliant and creative value. For the rural villagers of Haryana state, arts and crafts are one of the main sources for their livelihood. Art and crafts of Haryana state has very essential part in the economy of the Government of Haryana. Haryana art and crafts includes a variety of style and flair. These works of art reflect the rich cultural heritage of Haryana. The famous Haryana arts and crafts are known all over the country for their splendid aesthetic values. Following are some famous art and crafts work of Haryana:
BAGH SHAWL
Another form of shawl famous in Haryana is “BAGH”. The Bagh shawl totally designed by using the intricate embroidery work. The design used on the Bagh shawls are always inspired by the pattern of Geometry, in the colour of green, because it is a religious colour of Muslim religion and they mostly like to work on this colour.
POTTERY
Making pottery is one of the main profession in Haryana’s rural parts. This form of craft is famous in the rural part of the state, because this state majorly has economy of rural part, that is why crafts have very much importance in this state. Among the art and craft forms of Haryana , their uniqueness is their use of colours to paint the crafts, they use nice contrasting colour shades and also rich looking colour. The work of making pottery is mostly performed by the ladies of the family of potters. To make the pottery, it requires help of many people and then only the final pottery gets completed. Within Haryana state, craft is manufactured in several areas of the villages such as Rewari, Jhajjar, Pinjore, and Bahadurgarh. Rohtak is famous for cups, water vessels, pots, pipe bowls and plates.
PHULKARI SHAWL
The identity of Haryana is Phulkari. The meaning of phulkari is work of flower and this craft is very much demanded and famous in the regions like Haryana and Punjab. This shawl is similar to Kashmiri shawls. The uniqueness of this fabulous shawl is the designer warmness, bright color shades, variety of patterns and attractiveness. This shawl requires much hard work and the hard work reflects in this shawl. On the phulkari shawls, the rural woman make designs of different type of birds, human figures,fill the background by red colour and flowers and all these shapes and patterns are stitched on the background fabric.
For the background fabric they use Khaddar and marvelous textures. The phulkari shawls are manufactured by the woman who live in the rural part of Haryana. Because of the very kin and detailed embroidery work, the process of phulkari shawl sometime takes some year to get complete.
DOLLS AND TOYS
Dolls are the attraction for every age group. The artisans of Haryana share the rural image through their dolls. These dolls range from 6 inches to 32 inches. The dolls are designed in the utmost rural beauty depicting the real senses of village. Designing is such that one has to do the handiwork to accept the truth that these are dummies. Images of Sita and Ram are also made wearing proper costumes and jewellery. Bright coloured wooden toys of Haryana are famous which include instant walkers and many other push and pull toys made by the local artists.
DURRIES
The durries of Haryana state are very much common in the state, but it contain very dynamic designs which give a grace to the whole rug. The Jat community of Haryana state is very famous because of Durries as it is manufactured by them. They use the designs like white colour triangles, opposite to the background of blue colour. This unique style of design makes durries very nice and beautiful. The occupation of making durries is very much spread in the surroundings ares of Panipat region in Haryana. Panipat is the hub of making durries in Haryana.
LEATHER CRAFT
Leather based foot wear of intricate design crafted with copper silver and silk threads and delicate work of mirrors, beads and other accessories are very famous for formal and informal wear. Rewari, Karnal and Hisar are famous for Zari juttis and Rohtak for leather work.
LUNGIS
Karnal is very popular location of the robes of bright colour and also the lungi means the long piece of fabric, which is worn by men, it is short like skirt. It is mainly a rural dress.
TERRACOTTA
This is amongst the oldest and most widespread form of crafts. Historical records of pre-historic era have been found in the remains of pottery. The clay or terracotta products are graded according to their colour strength and water absorption capacity. Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Faridabad and Kurukshetra are famous for this terracotta craft.
FLOOR COVERINGS
They are made of cotton, jute or wool, individually or combined with rich hues and designs, woven to create human and animal forms and floral and geometrical patterns.
JEWELLERY MAKING
Filigree and enamel work crafted in silver, bone and lac in traditional and folk designs worn by rural and urban people, like silver belts with stiff broad bands, that are flattended and twisted are intricately made by the craftsmen of Haryana. Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sirsa are famous for jewellery making. Mahendragarh is famous for lac bangles.
CANE AND BAMBOO CRAFT
Sarcanda and cane strips are dried and twisted to form designs by woman artisan of Haryana. They then paint it with natural or chemical dyes to make hand fans, tables, mats and stools. Bamboo sheets in attractive hues and designs are sold which are used as curtains in summer to protect against sunlight. Low stools or Modhas, decorative items and furniture are intricately crafted by the craftsmen. Changeri craft is also undertaken by the women. Wheat grass is picked and processed and sometimes even painted for this craft. Gurgaon, Bhiwani and Faridabad are famous for Modah making , basketry and respectively.
CHOPE
There is one more style of Shawl manufactured by the Haryana artisans, it is known as chope and this shawl is a combination of shawl and phulkari. This fabric is gifted to the newly bride by the groom’s grandmother. The religious shawl which is called as darshan dwar is usually used by the devotees as gift to the temple.
PIDI OR FOOTSTOOL CRAFT
The craftsmen are famous for the low stool or ‘pidi’ whose seat is made with strands of thread twined to form different kinds of coloured patterns. The thickness of the thread varies according to the size of the article. Famous patterns like ‘Pacchisi’, ‘Giani Chor Ka Chatta’ are woven intricately.
METALWARE
Metal scrap is melted and collected molten is transferred into moulds for shopping. Metal alloy is used for soldering and hand polishing and the craftsmen make intricate and attractive items. Gurgaon and Rewari are famous for metal and brass jewellery.