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The state of Bihar has always fed us with the best of art and crafts right from the ancient times to the present day. The Land of Bihar has a long and illustrious history, where powerful dynasties have flourished. Some of India’s most well-known historical figures such as Ashoka, Chandragupta, Gautam Buddha, Mahavira, Shershah Suri etc belonged to this land.Also, some of the world’s biggest faiths like Buddhism and Jainism arose here. As a legacy of this glorious past, Bihar has a diverse range of arts and crafts. Pottery, wooden articles, metal wares, stone wares, jewellery, lacquer works, kashida, sikki, moonj wares, wooden and clay toys, zari, artistic textile fabrics, and painting on cloth are some of Bihar’s contemporary crafts that are known for their artistic beauty and innovations. Various archaeological digs at Kumhrar, Bulandibagh, Nalanda, and other sites clearly demonstrate the exquisite skill and precision of Bihari artisans. Bangle manufacturing, khatwa work, and stone work are examples of Bihar’s handicrafts that are beautiful and helpful in everyday life.
Sikki craft
Sikki craft is used to create god and goddess idols and items of daily household utilities and home decoration. From the blossoming of Sikkhi grass in Mithilanchal’s marshy regions, people, particularly women, began creating figures for storing food and other things. Sikki is a natural grass found on the banks of rivers in Gangetic plains of Mithilanchal area. Raiyam village in Madhubani district’s Jhanjharpur block and Rampur village in Panadol block have gained fame for this skill. Sikki grass is initially chopped at the base and thoroughly cleaned. Following this, it is combined with various colours and crafts are created.
Munj grass is utilised as a strength supplier since Sikki has a low potency. The Upendra Maharathi Crafts Research Institute is working to elevate this craft and its practitioners.Dhirendra Kumar of Rampur (Madhubani), Munni Devi, Nazda Khatoon, Pappu Kumar and Jitendra Kumar Rai are among famous sikki artists.
Metal crafts
Metal craft is one of Bihar’s oldest crafts. This involves production of a variety of practical and ornamental goods made of gold, silver, brass, zinc, and ashtdhatu metals. Bihar’s rich metal sculpting heritage stretches back to the BC era. Specimens recovered from Kumharar and Nalandaare also from this time period. For the manufacture of various metal products, craftsmen employed three separate techniques: the final wax process, Repose, and Dhokra. Santvana Singh received the State Award for his exquisite metal craftworks.
The metal used in the craft is a combination of panchaluh, ashtadhatu, gold, silver, bronze, brass, zinc, and ashtadhatu, as well as iron, tin, glass, mercury and copper, . Gold, and glass in Panch iron can highlight the Nalanda metal art from Bihar, in which Buddha sculptures commemorate the Jataka stories.
Wood carving
This style of art dates back to historical ages and is well worth seeing when on a visit to this state. Beautiful royal thrones, pillars, royal gates, panels of doors and temples adorned the city of Patliputra during Emperor Ashoka’s reign. Gaya city is one of the most prominent hubs of wood art in Bihar. The wooden handcraft is now again being popular. These comprise of wood tuned showpieces, toys, simple gorgeous wood carvings, and wonderfully painted wood carvings. As a symbol of adornment, artists paint the wooden toys, as well as the chariot and tiny statues of their deities with beautiful colours. Gambhar wood is the primary raw material utilised in this art and craft. These are often found in the woods of Siliguri, Assam and South Bihar from where the timbers are transported to Gaya’s market. . These wooden crafts are coloured with vibrant colours taken from minerals and plants. Gopal Prasad and Umesh Thakur are among the renowned wooden craftsmen from the state of Bihar.
Jute craft
Jute craft is used to make a wide range of utility-based handicrafts that not only adorns the homes but also find widespread utility in homes, restaurants, hotels and offices. Handmade jute crafts are appealing and come in a variety of colours, patterns, forms, and sizes. This craft includes rugs, carpets, footwear, wine bottle bags, carry bags, handbags, wall hangings, jewelry, baskets, coasters, lamp shades, decorative articles and showpieces. These jute crafts made from jute are available in all colors as per the choice of the customers. The Indian jute industry is very old and is particularly prevalent in the eastern region of India. The jute industry is well flourishing in the state of Bihar mainly in the Katihar Cluster that falls under Bihar State in Katihar district.The Katihar cluster is able to form 120 plus Artisans & many SHGs supporting the strong work force. The mobilization gains momentum day by day.
Sujni Craft
Sujani (also known as Sujini) is a type of needlework that originated in Bihar. Sujani embroidered work is a textile expressive art product protected by GI registration. The embroidered Sujani quilt’s earliest known traditional practice dates back to the 18th century. Its primary function was to provide a comfortable blanket to newly born infants shortly after birth. It was then constructed with different coloured pieces of cloth taken from discarded saris and dhotis by stitching them together with a basic running thread. For wall decorating, the artisans employed fine running stitch to create exquisite embroidered patterns of deities, flowers, and peacock designs.
With the passage of time, artisans began experimenting with different designs and produced Indian cultural garments such as sarees, kurtas, dupattas, and other apparel items with Sujani embroidery. Sujani embroidery is commonly used on home décor products such as pillow covers, bedspreads, and wall hangings. Tussar silk fabric is used to make winter wear items such as stoles and jackets with Sujani embroidery. The artists that are well known and received the State Merit Award include Rinku Devi and Soni Kumari.
Bamboo craft
Bihar’s bamboo and cane art is recognised for its beauty and creativity. This art form, which is meticulously crafted by local craftsmen, has grown in popularity. Originally discovered in Bihar’s historical excavations, the art consisted of woven mats, household commodities, baskets, cane furniture, and other ornamental objects. The availability of bamboo and cane in the Tarai and Bhabar regions has aided the art’s development in Bihar. Bihar’s craftsmen employ Japanese techniques combined with Indian heritage to create a wholly distinct kind of bamboo and cane artwork. The majority of the craftspeople are the indigenous people from the trans-Himalayan areas known as Bhotiyas.
Products of this art were mostly used for local consumption but have now found an export market also, thus making this work professionally rewarding for the local artisans,. People currently want to use environmentally friendly items, which is where our traditional artwork comes in. Furthermore, as technology has advanced, the goods have undergone minor modifications, allowing the art to thrive even more. At the moment, this work has a high market value, which is the only reason it is still alive.
Paper Mache
Paper mache is an age-old Indian art, with each state having its unique speciality. In Bihar and Jharkhand, craft centres include Patna, Murhu, Hazaribagh, Madhubani, and Saraikella. Craftspeople create traditional paper mache masks for use in the chhau dance. Other paper Mache goods created here includes animal and bird figurines. Paper Mache is an old Bihar technique that was used to make masks for various dance styles. It is a building material manufactured from paper pulp. It is regarded as a fantastic Bihar recycling craft. Papermache crafts are produced using paper, multani mitti, methi powder, and an adhesive made from water and wheat flour. The Artist who received the State Award for her outstanding papermache work is Hema Devi.
The museum of Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan houses a large collection of paper-mache crafts. The institute also provides paper-mache instruction to students and craftsmen. Paper, Multani mitti, methi powder, and glue are used to make a variety of shapes and sizes. The entire procedure is done by hand, and the forms are then dried and painted to give it a finished look. Currently, paper-mache is utilized in the manufacture of utilitarian accessories and home items.
Thus, the state of Bihar has given us various examples how flourishing the craft industry can be by giving fillip to some notable craft forms. The crafts of the state of Bihar hasn’t completely reached its zenith,but the steps that have been taken by the government and Artblo, would certainly provide the desired momentum for revival of these craft forms.
