Bihar - Craft Documentation | Research Archive on Handicrafts & Handloom https://gaatha.org Indian Craft online Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:54:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.12 https://gaatha.org/wp-content/uploads/gaatha-logo-63x63.png Bihar - Craft Documentation | Research Archive on Handicrafts & Handloom https://gaatha.org 32 32 Patna Kalam ~ Patna https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/patna-kalam-painting-patna/ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/patna-kalam-painting-patna/#respond Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:54:08 +0000 https://gaatha.org/?post_type=listing&p=19149 Among the many schools of painting that emerged during the transition from Mughal sovereignty to British colonial rule, Patna Kalam occupies a distinctive position within the history of South Asian art. Flourishing between the mid eighteenth and early twentieth centuries in the urban centre of Patna, the school developed through the migration of Mughal-trained painters […]

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]]> Among the many schools of painting that emerged during the transition from Mughal sovereignty to British colonial rule, Patna Kalam occupies a distinctive position within the history of South Asian art. Flourishing between the mid eighteenth and early twentieth centuries in the urban centre of Patna, the school developed through the migration of Mughal-trained painters from imperial karkhanas (ateliers) into provincial and commercial centres. Yet, Patna Kalam cannot be understood simply as a provincial continuation of Mughal miniature painting or as a derivative branch of Company art. It represented a profound transformation in the conditions of artistic production itself. In place of the enclosed world of emperors, nobles and dynastic spectacle, the school turned toward bazaars, artisans, itinerant vendors, craftsmen, servants and scenes of ordinary urban labour.

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]]> https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/patna-kalam-painting-patna/feed/ 0 Lahthi (Lac Bangle) ~ Muzaffarpur https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/lahthi-craft-muzaffarpur-lac-bangle/ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/lahthi-craft-muzaffarpur-lac-bangle/#respond Fri, 29 May 2026 12:38:13 +0000 https://gaatha.org/?post_type=listing&p=19052 Lahthi, the traditional lac bangle craft of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, represents a long-standing artisanal tradition rooted in material culture, ritual practice and hereditary craftsmanship. Made from lac, a natural resin secreted by the insect Kerria lacca, these bangles occupy an important place in the social and cultural life of eastern India. The craft survives through […]

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]]> Lahthi, the traditional lac bangle craft of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, represents a long-standing artisanal tradition rooted in material culture, ritual practice and hereditary craftsmanship. Made from lac, a natural resin secreted by the insect Kerria lacca, these bangles occupy an important place in the social and cultural life of eastern India. The craft survives through the labour of hereditary artisan communities such as the Laheras or Lakheras, alongside Muslim artisan families who have sustained and expanded the trade over generations.
The craft exists at the intersection of economy, ritual and identity. Lahthi is worn during marriages, festivals and life-cycle ceremonies, while the production system supports thousands of artisans through household workshops, neighbourhood clusters and informal labour networks. Muzaffarpur, particularly the Islampur and Rampur Bakhari clusters, emerged as one of India’s largest centres of lac bangle production during the twentieth century.

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