The history of indian handicrafts dates back almost 5000 years and it is the most effective way to understand ancient Indian design journey and one of the most impressive path is through the handicrafts of Agra, I.E, Marble handicrafts and Parchinkari Work which completely tells us.
Agra has been immortalized as the City of the Taj. Yet, it doesn’t take much for the roving eye to discover that there's more to Agra than just the fabled TajMahal. The city is a virtual gateway to a world of discovery. Agra was known as Agraban in ancient times, is one of the oldest cities of India. The fascination for stone has transcended all times and ages.
A still-life from a glorious era that has long since passed. The region of Agra is referred to as 'Agraban' in the great epic 'Mahabharata' (an integral part of the BrijBhumi or the land of Lord Krishna). The origins of Agra are traced back to 1475 A.D. in Indian history. However, Agra rose to prominence during the reign of Afghan King Sikandar Lodhi, who established it as the capital of his empire. Later, in 1526 A.D., the Mughal Emperor Babar took on the task of giving Agra its own distinct character and beauty.
Emperor Babar, the visionary and great patron of the arts, introduced a culture and way of life among the people of Agra, producing some of the finest craftsmen, artists, statesmen, warriors, and nobility this part of India had ever seen. The golden age of Agra's history had thus begun.
The fascination with stone has transcended all times and ages, but this craft in Uttar Pradesh reached artistic apex during the Mughal period, when the TajMahal was built. When the Tajmahal was built, it is believed that the first master craftsmen came from Iran and Afghanistan. They settled in Agra and taught the skill of marble carving to the predominantly Muslim community, which has since spread to other communities. Agra, along with Florence in Italy, is the only place in the world where all types of marble inlay work is done professionally.
In Agra, there are approximately 3,000-4,000 marble carvers or inlay craftsmen who continue to live in slum colonies around the Tajmahal in the Nai ki Mandi and Gokulpura areas. In these areas, approximately 4,000 artisans, the living force behind this age-old tradition, can be found creating wonders from stone.
While skilled sadakars perform basic cutting and carving with the assistance of machines, experienced pachikars perform exclusive inlay work, which requires expertise similar to cutting and polishing jewellery stones with chisels and grinding stones. Sadakars and pachikars are the two main types of karigars.
Specialized inlay work, requiring expertise akin to cutting and polishing of jewellery stones using chisels and grinding stones, is done by experienced pachikars while basic cutting and carving assisted by machinery is performed by competent sadakars.
Sadar Bazaar, Kinari Bazaar, and Munro Road are close to the Taj Mahal complex and are the primary places to shop for marble artefacts in Agra. At the Taj Mahal Complex's Gangotri State Emporium, a variety of marble handicrafts are available at reasonable costs.
Particularly large consumers are foreigners. For an inlay demonstration by the karigars and to observe the craftsmen cutting and carving the marble, all of the stores enable visitors to combining carving, inlaying engraving, sculpture, and undercutting, the stone's artwork is visually striking (art of making multi layered decorative items out of one single piece of stone, hollowed from inside).
Hafiz Ahmed, a 72-year-old National Award winner for marble carving, recently completed a 12-foot-long, five-ton model of the Taj that incorporated all of the intricate inlay work and exquisite details from the original. Imtiaz claims that the work is difficult and that skill improvement is required. It's crucial to have a solid understanding of geometry, sketching, tracing, and precise math.
In order to fulfil the final wishes of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan envisioned using the little-known marble inlay art style known as "Parchinkari" to decorate the Taj Mahal, which is currently ranked first among the world's seven wonders.
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