Ruchi Prabhu's Blog

Nutty by Nature - The Coconut Chronicles

  
The coconut tree is one of the most beneficial plants on earth. Every part has a use in this one multipurpose plant, even parts that most people would discard as waste like the coconut shells and fiber. All these parts can be developed to yield high economic value.


Coconut shell, a once discarded outer hard cover of a coconut is now a product of great demand. In addition to the known fact that coconut shells are used in handicraft industry to make very interesting pieces of art, coconut shells ...

Basketopia - Weaving at its finest

Based on the carbon dating performed on the oldest known basket, the practice of basket weaving has been used in cultures all over the world for at least 12,000 years. There are a multitude of uses for baskets, ranging from table top decorations to traps meant for catching fish, and they play a prominent role in some religious ceremonies. In fact, during WWI and WWII baskets were used to contain the food and supplies that were dropped down from aircraft to the troops. Baskets made for purely...

The Lost Art - Vitalizing Forgotten Wisdom

When the history of Indias crafts and textiles is written, it will speak of treasures that once occupied a pride of place in the lives of royalty. These are today lost in the annals of time, fighting to survive the dynamics of the contemporary marketplace.
However, there is a breed of revivalists and designers who are celebrating languishing textiles and crafts through contemporary interpretations that awaken us to their threatened survival. Their work is a testament to the reality that even...

Dokra Handicraft - The Marvel of Indian Tribal Craft

Dokra handicrafts have always fascinated me. I had always wondered how these exquisite pieces of handicrafts are made. The exquisite carvings and the intricate designs in the metals not only make them look like a collectors item but also shows the artistry and handwork of the artisans who make this unique pieces of art.
Dokra is known to many, but for all those who are wondering what I am speaking about, Dokra is an ancient form of craft involving non-ferrous casting using the lost-wax casting...

A Hidden Treasure

India is the country which is known for its varied tradition and cultural heritage. In jewelry too we find a variety from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. 
Eclectic, earthen and funky are some of the adjectives that can be used to describe tribal jewelry, while arty, refined and evergreen can be used to describe ethnic jewelry.  Even in the olden days, the tribes used every imaginable form of jewelry be it be the usual necklaces, bangles, and earrings or exotic items like ear cuffs, lip...