040. Bastar Dhokra

Bastar Dhokra is one of the ancient, traditional art forms that that originated in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. They are prepared by the Ghadawa community and hence it is also known as the Ghadawa art. 

Mostly, the Dhokra Products depict the tribal culture, people and their tools, instruments, animals, and nature. Artisans make idols of deities, and puja accessories like bells, oil lamps, incense stick holders, etc. Dhokra Metal Craft has its very foundation laid in the religious beliefs and practices of the people.

Dhokra Crafts are made by casting bell metal manually through the vanishing wax technique. All the decoration is done on the dyes with wax strings. Wax is the appropriate medium for this craft because of its unique softness and malleability. It can be drawn out in wires of required diameters and can be molded into the desired shapes. 

Thread work is very common and also the fingerprint will be very much visible. The artisans design the products without any support of sketch, but by imagination. The entire process can be divided into five major parts as follows - Modeling, Molding, Dewaxing, Casting, and Finishing. 

The technique is based on annealing, where the metal extract is heated to reach extremely high temperatures to melt. It is then filled in the pre-casted molds, where the metal is allowed to cool and take the shape of the mold. When the metal cools down, the cast is removed. Wire brushes are used to clean the dried soil stuck to it and filed to gently rub and clean to get the final product.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 22 April 2008

GI Tag Number                         : 83

Certificate Number                  : 62

Geographical Area                  : Chhattisgarh

Special Cover Release Date   : 31 July 2021

Cancellation                             : Jagdalpur HO 494 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

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Images of the few stamps issued on Bastar Dhokra is furnished below

Postage Stamp on Bastar Dhokra Issued on 15 November 2002 
Handicrafts of India 

Sheetlet on India Mongolia Joint Issue issued on 11 September 2006
Bastar Dhokra of replica of Equestrian Deity Rao Dev

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Miniature Sheet India - Mongolia Joint Issue

039. Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh (Logo)

Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh (Logo) represents the makers of ancient traditional bell metal work in the Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh. Bell metal is a term used for different types of metal put together mainly zinc, copper, aluminum, brass, and silver for casting. The figures appear plain, solid with embellishment at various places for ornaments, clothing, decorations on seating etc.

Logo of Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh

Datia is a city situated around 78 kms from Gwalior. The main product of Datia casting was anklets worn by women over years. Originally these were casted in silver and later changed to Brass due to economy. The main feature of Datia is the Jali work done on the walls of the product. The products have since diversified into various products like lampshades, mirror frames, ashtrays, temples, side stools and utility boxes. 

Tikamgarh is a town situated around 85 kms from Chanderi and bell metal casting has been practiced for over three centuries. Bell metal products of Tikamgarh are plain and solid in appearance with decorations of fine work at certain places, to enhance them. The products have a rustic appeal. The craftsmanship initially catered to kings and soldiers for war weapons. Today, all kind of decorative items are crafted here for every need and desire.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 03 February 2014

GI Tag Number                         : 388

Certificate Number                  : 198

Geographical Area                  : Madhya Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 28 July 2021

Cancellation                             : Bhopal 462 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : MP/07/2021

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038. Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh

Bell Metal Ware of Datia and Tikamgarh are ancient tradition of casting metal work in the Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh. Bell metal is a term used for different types of metal put together mainly zinc, copper, aluminum, brass, and silver for casting. The figures appear plain, solid with embellishment at various places for ornaments, clothing, decorations on seating etc.

Datia is a city situated around 78 kms from Gwalior. The main product of Datia casting was anklets worn by women over years. Originally these were casted in silver and later changed to Brass due to economy. The main feature of Datia is the Jali work done on the walls of the product. The products have since diversified into various products like lampshades, mirror frames, ashtrays, temples, side stools and utility boxes. 

Tikamgarh is a town situated around 85 kms from Chanderi and bell metal casting has been practiced for over three centuries. Bell metal products of Tikamgarh are plain and solid in appearance with decorations of fine work at certain places, to enhance them. The products have a rustic appeal. The craftsmanship initially catered to kings and soldiers for war weapons. Today, all kind of decorative items are crafted here for every need and desire.

The process of metal casting used is lost wax casting. The metal pieces are sculpted in the usual way and moulds are created to produce the objects. A mixture of industrial wax, groundnut oil and a binding resin is heated and used as the modeling material. In case of larger articles, a clay base is made, over which this wax mixture is coated and given the final shape. 

Once the wax hardens, it is covered in layers of different soil pastes and this mud covered wax object is baked in a furnace. After the baked piece is cooled, it is broken and given acid treatment for an antique finish. With this, we get to witness the finished art piece which replicates the fine craftsmanship of an artist. 

The feature of ornamentation is also achieved by applying wax on earlier caved out designs on soft stone (Gora pather) called ukhanas. This engraved design on wax is then placed on the wax model as required. The use of ukhanas is a special feature of this region.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 10 July 2008

GI Tag Number                         : 102

Certificate Number                  : 81

Geographical Area                  : Madhya Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 28 July 2021

Cancellation                             : Bhopal 462 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : MP/07/2021

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037. Kancheepuram Silk

Kancheepuram Silk Saree is known for its distinguished characteristics of heavy weight, bright colours and solid zari borders with “Pallu” and with unquestionable durability. It is made in region of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu and are worn as bridal & special occasion sarees by most women in South India.

Craftsmanship and silk producing tradition were continued at Kanchipuram right from 3rd Century BC. Kancheepuram sarees vary widely in cost depending upon the intricacy of work, colours, pattern, material used like zari (gold thread) etc. 

The silk is also known for its quality and craftsmanship, which has helped earn its name. Bulk of the silk fabrics are woven on throw shuttle looms. The texture in silk fabrics is tight and close and needs a special skill and patience to produce these fabrics.

Kancheepuram sarees is well known for its inter woven lace (zari) work which is made of silver wire, red silk, silver thread and gold. The chief attraction of silk fabric is being its luster and it is imparted by the unique quality of water used at Kancheepuram. 

Kancheepuram Sarees are distinguished by their wide contrast borders. Temple borders, checks, stripes and floral (buttas) are traditional designs found on these sarees. The patterns and designs were inspired with images and scriptures in South Indian temples or natural features like leaves, birds and animals.

If the mundhi (the hanging end of the saree) has to be woven in a different shade, it is first separately woven and then delicately joined by a process called Petni. The part where the body meets the mundhi is often denoted by a zigzag line which blends together in harmony of colours.

The border colour and design are usually quite different from the body. In a genuine Kancheepuram Silk Saree, body and border are woven separately and then interlocked together. 

GI Tag Registration Date         : 02 June 2005

GI Tag Number                         : 15

Certificate Number                  : 6

Geographical Area                  : Tamil Nadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 12 May 2021

Cancellation                             : Kanchipuram 631 501

Type                                          : Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/06/2021

This cover has a small replica of Kanchipuram Silk design

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Images of Postage Stamp issued by India Post on Kancheepuram Silk are furnished below

Postage Stamp Issued on 10 December 2009

Traditional Indian Textiles

Mixed Sheetlet - Traditional Indian Textiles

Miniature Sheet - Traditional Indian Textiles

036. Pethapur Printing Blocks

Pethapur printing blocks represent the traditional handicrafts of the Pethapur region, few kilometres away from Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The designs that are carved on the blocks range from simple leaf and floral motifs and geometrical patterns to complex village scenes of desired colour combinations. 

These blocks in order to enable thin beautiful outline of the design are carved to the detail delicately and very skillfully to give the printed design thin outline. These blocks, as a set for coloured designs, when used for printing on the textile produce flawless, nonoverlapping colours as perfect as a drawing created by a skillful artist on a piece of paper. The handicraft Pethapur Printing Block carving, to this day involves only manual labour and does not include the use of any power in any form. 

A block of teak is first smoothened and polished with sandstone, water and a file. Teak wood from Valsad district is the wood of choice since it is strong, seasoned and waterproof. The block is then painted white to make the design more visible to the artisan. The design is first hand illustrated, then transferred onto tracing paper. From here it is engraved on the wooden block by using a small pin that is pierced through the design and onto the wood. Following the pin-holed design, the wood is carved with the help of a hand drill and a range of chisels with painstaking perfection. The carved blocks are immersed in the groundnut oil for a period of 2-3 days to remove any moisture and provide strength.

For a single motif, several blocks are prepared, based on the number of colours to be used. Three different styles of blocks exist, one for the outline, one for the background, and several for filling in the various colours of the motifs. These blocks have to fall on one another flawlessly to complete the pattern. The finesse with which these blocks are made and the quality of finish to the detail along with its durability make the pethapur block stand out of the crowd.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 07 November 2018

GI Tag Number                         : 585

Certificate Number                  : 328

Geographical Area                  : Gujarat

Special Cover Release Date   : 06 April 2021

Cancellation                             : Dandi 396 439

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : GUJ/11/2021

This cover has QR Code which when scanned leads to Garvi Gurjari website which is Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation. Issued in a special presentation pack with 5 other covers related to GI Tag from Gujarat.

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035. Rajkot Patola

Rajkot Patola is hand woven using vertical resist-dyeing technique also called single ikat patola origination from Rajkot, Gujarat. Design to be woven are plotted on graph and the same is woven on the warp yarns. 

The plain coloured warp and pre designed weft through tie-dye are woven in such a way that a beautiful design pattern emerges once it is finished. Around 20 design patterns of saree with unique design with various colour combinations are woven in this variety of sarees. 

The sarees are made up of either natural silk or synthetic yarn. Eco-friendly dyes are made of turmeric powder, iron rust, pomegranate skin, Indigo, kirmaj [cochineal], bojgar, and some Indian tree extracts are used to dye the yarn. 

The motifs comprise of sets of identically patterned threads, which results into the block-like quality of the patterns so characteristic of these fabrics. This quality increases as the number of threads per set grows larger and diminishes as the number of threads per set decreases. Motifs in these sarees are also unique as they are woven by adjusting the warp and weft with fingers. 

One of the uniqueness of the Rajkot Patola is the usage of jari either in Pallu, Border or Body also in all the three in the saree. 

GI Tag Registration Date         : 03 October 2018

GI Tag Number                         : 380

Certificate Number                  : 325

Geographical Area                  : Gujarat

Special Cover Release Date   : 06 April 2021

Cancellation                             : Dandi 396 439

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : GUJ/10/2021

This cover has QR Code which when scanned leads to Garvi Gurjari website which is Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation. Issued in a special presentation pack with 5 other covers related to GI Tag from Gujarat.

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034. Patan Patola

Patan Patola are pure silk double ikat fabrics, whose gorgeous colours and striking patterns are the products of exquisite workmanship produced in the city of Patan, Gujarat predominantly by the members of Salvi Community. It is traced back to Vedic times and the term "Patola" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Pattu" meaning silk fabric.

Patan Patola are pre-industrial creations and are totally hand created and no machine is used. They are prepared on a special single loom operated by hand. The warp and weft are tied and dyed before they are woven.

Patan Patola have distinctive colour patterns and motifs including geometrical shapes, flowers, animals, leaves, etc and traditional designs that remain same on front and reverse sides permitting the sarees to be reversible with no change in the appearance. Geometric designs are such that the appearance is same regardless of which of the four corners it is worn from. Patan Patola have two pallavs (the end portions) with border and one side has golden jari patto.

The most common motifs in Patan Patola are parrots, elephants, plants, ladies, flowers, trellis, baskets, leaves, etc. These are used in many different permutations and combinations for the body, border and the pallav, making different designs. Patan Patola normally use red or vermilion as the background colour. The other colours that are used for dyeing along with red are yellow, orange, pink, green, blue, purple, white and black.

In the making of Patan Patola, no harsh chemicals or detergents are used but instead oil soaps and vegetable colours are used, which make Patan Patola softer than other silk fabrics/sarees available in the world, even though the Patan Patola are thicker than those available silk sarees. Durability of Patan Patola is about 300 years.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 09 September 2013

GI Tag Number                         : 232

Certificate Number                  : 195

Geographical Area                  : Gujarat

Special Cover Release Date   : 06 April 2021

Cancellation                             : Dandi 396 439

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : GUJ/08/2021

This cover has QR Code which when scanned leads to Garvi Gurjari website which is Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation. Issued in a special presentation pack with 5 other covers related to GI Tag from Gujarat.

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Image of the Postage Stamp issued by India Post is furnished below

Postage Stamp issued on 15 November 2002 

Handicrafts of India

033. Jamnagari Bandhani

Jamnagari Bandhani is an ancient, dyeing technique dating back to Indus Valley Civilisation. The fabric is tied in intricate patterns with the help of nails, beads or grain, which prevents the colour from seeping into the tied areas during dyeing. The technique has been so perfected that the most intricate patterns emerge with vibrant backgrounds. 

Jamnagari Bandhani is very closely associated with deep rooted social customs. It is a must in the marriages of Hindus and Muslims. They are produced in two regions, namely, Saurashtra and Kachchh in Gujarat. Jamnagar Bandhani is well known for its red colour as the water of this area is known to give a particular brightness to colours, specifically reds and maroons.

The production process on the woven fabric using tie-dye method is unique in nature. The cloth either, cotton or silk is procured from the market in bleached form and is printed with design through wooden blocks. Different blocks are used for different designs. It is then tied with a thread by women and girls using the thumb and the forefinger of the right hand. The thread is made to run through a fine millet-stem bobbin, so that it runs smoothly and evenly. A metre long of cloth can have millions of tiny knots known as “Bheendi” in the local Kachchh language. Traditionally it is then resist dyed with vegetable dyes, but now chemical dyes are also used. 

There will be many iterations of this process of dyeing, washing, bleaching and tying depending upon the designs and the colour scheme needed. The designs and colour patterns are so unique that the craft persons use their skill and ingenuity to make unique designs. The entire manufacturing process is manual and so cumber-some and time consuming to make the final product. 

GI Tag Registration Date         : 10 November 2016

GI Tag Number                         : 221

Certificate Number                  : 273

Geographical Area                  : Gujarat

Special Cover Release Date   : 06 April 2021

Cancellation                             : Dandi 396 439

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : GUJ/09/2021

This cover has QR Code which when scanned leads to Garvi Gurjari website which is Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation. Issued in a special presentation pack with 5 other covers related to GI Tag from Gujarat.

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032. Tangaliya Shawl

Tangaliya Shawl is an age-old weaving and a very indigenous craft evolved in the Surendranagar district of Saurashtra region, Gujarat around 700 years ago. The shawls are woven in pit looms at homes and knot a contrast color thread with the warp, which are woven into the textile to create the effect of raised dots, which have become the signature style of the textile.

‘Tangaliya’ is derived from the word ‘Tangalio’ meaning the lower part of the body. The textile is usually used as shawl and wraparound skirt by women. Traditionally, Tangaliya was a 10 by 4 cloth which was draped around the waist. Later on, due to loom size constraints, the cloth was woven 20 by 2 in size and then cut into two parts and joined together to form a shawl for women.

The Tangaliya products are made up of natural and synthetic material or a combination of both. Since ages weavers have designs inspired by nature and their surrounding. Tangaliya motifs have a very geometric and graphic feel to it. The emphasis is on basic shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. The placement of each dana is done precisely by calculating the distance between the warp and the weft yarns. 

Lots of contrasting colors are used in danawork. Commonly used colors are Blue, Green, red, pink, black, grey, maroon, purple and orange. White is used most prominently along with other colors. The most basic motif of Tangaliya is the Ladwa – it refers to a ladoo, an Indian sweet. The other predominant motifs are peacock, felt of peacock, Ambo tree (Mango tree), Khajuri (Date palm tree), peacock on bush, peacock with diamond shape motif, peacock on bunglow and peacock on aeroplane motif.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 04 September 2009

GI Tag Number                         : 127

Certificate Number                  : 111

Geographical Area                  : Gujarat

Special Cover Release Date   : 06 April 2021

Cancellation                             : Dandi 396 439

Type                                          : GI Tag Special Cover

Cover Identification Number  : GUJ/06/2021

This cover has QR Code which when scanned leads to Garvi Gurjari website which is Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation. Issued in a special presentation pack with 5 other covers related to GI Tag from Gujarat.

Enlarged View of Illustration in Cover

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Image of the stamp released by India Post on Tangaliya Shawl is furnished below

Postage Stamp Issued on 15 August 2018

Handlooms of India