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Rajasthan Tours

Shilpgram Village literally means a "Craftsmen s Village". Shilpgram is situated at the foot of the Aravalli Hills spreading across seventy acres of land. It is a museum of rural arts and crafts. It is only a few kilometres from Udaipur. This is an initiative to promote the rural and tribal craftsmen by providing a platform to exhibit and sell their products. This is a live forum depicting the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the west. Huts of the five member states are constructed in the complex which depicts the respective traditional architecture and culture. Each member state of the West Zone has huts depicting certain basic occupations fundamental to the way of life of the people of the area. Shilpgram has about 26 huts.
 

The village displays a lot of diversities in craft, art & culture of various Indian states. Wonderful terracotta products made in dark brown and dark red sand material along with the wooden carvings are the specialty of this cultural village. Workshops on arts, crafts, music and theatre were organized for childrens to spread awareness and knowledge of rural life and crafts.

The camps and workshops organized for urban and rural artistes give an opportunity to the participants from several states to talk with each other and share their best practices. This enhances their skills and art forms. A majority of the works are of ceramists, potters, designers and visual artists. At Shilpgram there were two museums which are well developed and exhibit a variety of simple objects of daily use that truly depicts the sense of marvels and aesthetics in rural and tribal life.

Rural Arts and Crafts Complex has a large space in open air too with a seating capacity of about 8000 people. Theatre festivals are organised here by Centre from time to time. This museum attracts a large number of people from all over to experience traditional and folk performing arts.

In order to ensure that a visit to Rural Arts and Crafts Complex - Shilpgram - becomes an educative and enriching experience, workshops, and seminars are conducted by the member state groups.
 

Important purpose of Shilpgram is to increase knowledge and awareness of rural life and crafts particularly for the younger generation. Special attention is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music. Rural Arts and Crafts Complex at Shilpgram would also grant an opportunity to urban and rural artists to gather at the same place and share their views and ideas with each other through the process of camps and workshops. Through these workshops and camps these artists would learn from one another and enhance their ability and art forms. The Centre also assists modern urban potters, designers, visual artists etc. to work with their traditional counterparts in creating works of daily art which would then be put up for exhibition and sale for visitors.
 

The Center introduced two Museums in the Shilpgram where simple objects of day-to-day use, that represent the sense of wonder and aesthetics in rural and tribal life are put on display. Besides, a Crafts Bazar in the fashion of a traditional 'haat' was made where visitors could buy traditional crafts from the Zone. Craftsmen were invited occasionally to reveal their skills and sell the crafts to the visitors at Shilpgram.

Apart from the major theatre festivals which the Centre hold here, it is hoped that this facility would motivate the local community as well as outside visitors to take a keener interest in theatre and the traditional folk performing arts. One such activity which takes place here is Shilpdarshan, it is an everlasting activity at Shilpgram in which skilled craftsmen and artists are there to demonstrate and exhibit their crafts, and sell their craft work in order to have direct contact to the buyers. This programme has encouraged the rural craftsmen and performers in a big way. The Shilpgram has become a significant landmark in India and Government of India has decided to replicate them in all the Federal States of India.

Daily usage household items like textile or terracotta, metal or wooden, along with ornamented implements and objects - craftsmen's or agricultural tools area also exhibited along with proper signages and descriptive details. The purpose is to give a realistic glimpse of the people and their belongings representing Unity in Diversity and National Integration. In order that the above is vested with its own internal dynamism, the huts are constructed around an interlocking occupational theme.

Shilpgram Utsav is also held at Shilpgram Village, in the Utsav some of the best folk artists and dancers participate and various activities and programmes are performed by these artists. Traditional tale of Sri Krishna Leela by South African group performed by Siddhi Dhamal and Verushka Pather by the Kutch based Indo-African tribe ‘siddhis’ attract the audiences.

Apart from all these, several other performances including Pung Dhol Cholam (Manipur), Shankh Vadan (Odissa), Bhand Marsi (Punjab), Samai (Goa), Bihu Dance (Assam), Mayur Dance (Uttar Pradesh), Mardani Jhoomar (Jharkhand) and Manganiyar, and Bhapang from Rajasthan, also earned several round of applauses. It was just another freezing night, but the jam packed auditorium of Shilpgram spread excitement and warmth; the scene definitely lacks words.