Exploring

the Craft Traditions

of India

Field Study and Application

in Heritage Crafts
for Classes XI and XII
 ISBN- 978-93-5007-056-7
First Edition
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April 2010 Vaisakha 1932
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 FOREWORD
The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005,
recommends that children’s life at school must be linked
to their life outside the school. This principle marks a
departure from the legacy of bookish learning which
continues to shape our system and causes a gap between
the school, home and community. The syllabi and
textbooks developed on the basis of NCF signify an
attempt to implement this idea. They also attempt to
discourage rote learning and the maintenance of sharp
boundaries between different subject areas. We hope
these measures will take us significantly further in the
direction of a child-centred system of education outlined
in the National Policy on Education (1986).
One of the key recommendations of the NCF is to
increase the number of options available at the senior
secondary level. Following this recommendation, the
National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCER T) has decided to introduce certain new areas
highlighted in the NCF for their potential for encouraging
creativity and interdisciplinary understanding. India’s
heritage crafts constitute one such area which provides
a unique space for the pursuit of aesthetic and productive
learning in the context of crafts and the present textbook
attempts to provide a new pedagogic approach to the
specialised study of India’s living craft traditions. This
approach focuses on combining background knowledge
with field study and the experience of engagement with
artisans and their crafts.
This initiative can succeed only if school principals,
parents and teachers recognise that given space, time
and freedom, children generate new knowledge by
engaging with the information passed on to them by
adults. Treating the prescribed textbook as the sole basis
of examination is one of the key reasons why other
resources and sites of learning are ignored. Inculcating
creativity and initiative is possible if we perceive and
treat children as participants in learning, not as
receivers of a fixed body of knowledge.
These aims imply considerable change in school
routines and mode of functioning. Flexibility in the daily
time-table is as necessary as rigour in implementing
the annual calendar so that the required number of
(vi)
iv

teaching days is actually devoted to teaching. The

methods used for teaching and evaluation will also
determine how effective this textbook proves for making
children’s life at school a happy experience, rather than
a source of stress or boredom. Syllabus designers have
tried to address the problem of curricular burden by
restructuring and reorienting knowledge at different
stages with greater consideration for child psychology
and the time available for teaching. The textbook
attempts to enhance this endeavour by giving higher
priority and space to opportunities for contemplation
and wondering, discussion in small groups, and activities
requiring hands-on experience.
NCER T appreciates the hard work done by the
syllabus and textbook development committees. The
work for developing this interactive textbook for exploring
and documenting of craft traditions for students of
Classes XI and XII was challenging and the painstaking
ef forts of its Chief Advisor, Dr Shobita Punja is
praiseworthy. We are indebted to the institutions and
organisations which have generously permitted us to
draw upon their resources, materials and personnel.
We are especially grateful to the members of the National
Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Department of
Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human
Resource Development, under the Chairpersonship of
Professor Mrinal Miri and Professor G.P. Deshpande,
for their valuable time and contribution. As an organisation
committed to systemic reform and continuous
improvement in the quality of its products, NCER T
welcomes comments and suggestions which will enable
us to undertake further revision and refinement.

Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
November 2008 Research and Training
 ABOUT THIS BOOK
The syllabus for Heritage Crafts for Classes XI and XII
consists of three interrelated units: theory, field study,
and applied crafts. The textbook comprising the first
unit (theory) has been prepared separately for both the
classes. The present book, Exploring the Craft Traditions
of India, focuses on activities and the practical aspects,
the second and third units of the syllabus for this course,
and is intended for Classes XI and XII. Unit II of the
syllabus comprises the documentation work which the
students need to do for their practical activities and
submit in the form of two small and one big assignments
in both the classes whereas Unit III of the syllabus
suggests that children and teachers apply what has been
learnt and observed by them to improve the school and
the home environments. This book is not prescriptive
but suggestive—teachers and students are encouraged
to take inspiration from it and design their own innovative
projects. In both the classes (XI and XII) you have to do
two short assignments and one long assignment or
documentation-based project and for conducting these,
guidelines have been given in all the ten chapters of
this book. It offers a wide choice of projects for short
and long assignments.
This book has been divided into three parts.
Part I: Preparation for Field Study
This part, consisting of five chapters, focuses on
elementary home and classroom activities while
preparing the students for hands-on experience.
Beginning with crafts at home and their study to
formulating a documentation format to study the local
art and architecture, heritage and the market, these
chapters prepare students for the long assignments.
Students should be educated to look and learn, to discover
and find out and become generators of their own
understanding and knowledge. Such skills are necessary
whatever profession the student seeks to pursue in later
life. The activity-based learning suggested in this part
is inter-disciplinary in approach. The study of crafts
spans an understanding of sociology, economics,
environmental issues, and aesthetics. The skills learnt
 vi

here will be of value in all aspects of the student’s

life—thinking independently, learning to analyse ideas
and experiences, developing critical judgment and many
other important aspects.
Part II: Field Study
Comprising three chapters about preparation for field
study, conducting field work and presenting the data
this part is devoted to the documentation of crafts. Before
going into the field and interacting with craftpersons,
students need a lot of preparation on different aspects
of a craft including conducting research on that
particular craft, the community that is involved in the
making of that craft, the social issues such as gender
involvement, child labour, acceptability of the community
and economic and ecological issues etc. Students should
be sensitised to gender, religious and caste issues, and
to the plight and needs of the most creative section of
our society. Field work projects in Classes XI and XII
need to be designed in such a way as to help students
develop values of tolerance, and respect for the
contributions made by different sections of our society.
We hope that real-life experiences through interaction
with the world outside the classroom will be invaluable
in making learning a joyful, lifelong process.
Two Short Assignments
To help students start work on the short assignments,
they must first read the chapters in Part I of this book
and complete the given exercises. Before they begin their
journey of exploration they would need to do some
exercises to prepare themselves for field study. The
topics for the short assignments all relate to looking
and learning to see as an essential part of the process
of field work. The activities and exercises will help
students acquire the skills of questioning, conducting
research and formulating a questionnaire whether they
are looking at a household object, an object in a museum
or a house and its construction details.
In this part of the course, students of Classes XI
and XII are required to do two short assignments
each year.
Students will study their immediate environment
and learn about local crafts. They will prepare a
short assignment on crafts found at home, in their
town/village, artisans and crafts communities who live
 vii

in their locality. The assignment can have drawings,

illustrations, photographs, maps etc.
The students may choose any two topics from the
following for their short assignments.
• Crafts at home — design and function
• Local heritage and architecture in museums,
monuments, religious and secular structures
• Understanding market forces
The teachers may discuss the topics before starting
the work. They may also call a craftsperson or someone
from the community who feels comfortable talking to
the children and at the same time is well-versed in the
craft traditions of the region.
Students need to interact with producers and
consumers, to find out about different aspects of
production and marketing. They will also study crafts
and objects used in homes, displayed in museums
(sculpture and painting) or expressed in monuments.
They may also examine clothes, jewellery, food, rituals,
fairs, festivals and other living traditions.
One Long Assignment
Usually every subject area at the senior secondary level
is given six to eight hours per week in the school time
table. Since the very nature of this subject requires
sufficient time to carry out different activities, schools
should provide block periods weekly instead of single
periods daily. On Saturdays, schools could keep half a
day for field study/workshop/practical or the applied
part of the course.
The long assignment for each student of Classes XI
and XII will necessarily be a scientific, methodical
documentation of a particular craft tradition prevalent
in the region. Thus each class will contribute to the
school library an ever-increasing fund of information
on crafts of the region.
Group Study
When more than one question or discussion point is
given under a topic, the class can be divided into small
groups and each group assigned a question to answer
and present to the class. This way students can share
what they learn and discuss their ideas with others to
attain a better understanding of each aspect of a larger
question and idea.
 viii

Part III: Applied Crafts

This part has two chapters which give an opportunity
to the students to apply what they have learnt in planning
how to enrich and enhance their own school and home
environment, makes learning more meaningful and
relevant. Also, students will be provoked to examine their
environment, seeking sustainable measures and finding
creative alternatives to improve and advance their
cultural and social life. This can be achieved by trying
to introduce innovation in and experimentation with
different materials, their alternatives and their
sustainability, designing, packaging and display
methods.
Student need to explore their region, visit crafts
communities and learn to appreciate that every city,
town and village in India has some extraordinary people
with creative talents, skills and experience who add to
the richness of our daily lives. Where expertise is not
available in the school, assistance should be sought
from the local community, parents and artists. There is
nothing more inspiring than watching a true artist at
work or seeing a potter throw clay on the wheel. Learning
by doing and inspired learning will lead to better results
in the long run.
This book is also an invitation to look and learn, to
think and question and to discover individually and in
a group. Remember, students are the creators and
generators of their knowledge in this programme.

SHOBITA PUNJA
Chief Advisor
FEISAL ALKAZI
Advisor
 TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
CHIEF ADVISOR
Shobita Punja, Consultant, Indian National Trust for Arts
and Cultural Heritage, New Delhi

ADVISOR
Feisal Alkazi, Director, Creative Learning for Change,
New Delhi

MEMBERS
Aditi Ranjan, Principal Designer, National Institute of
Design, Ahmedabad
Jaya Jaitly, Chief Executive Officer , Dastakari Haat
Samiti, New Delhi
Laila Tyabji, Chairperson and Founder Member, Dastkar,
New Delhi
MEMBER – COORDINATOR
Jyotsna Tiwari, Reader , Department of Education in
Arts and Aesthetics, NCERT, New Delhi
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Apart from the Textbook Development Committee,
various people and institutions have been directly or
indirectly involved in the development of the syllabus
and the book. We especially acknowledge the efforts of
Anil Sinha, National Institute of Design; Kiran Seth,
SPIC MACAY; Kiran Devendra, Department of
Elementary Education, NCERT; and Pulak Datta, Patha
Bhawan, Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan in
the development of the syllabus for this course.
Many institutions and organisations generously
permitted us to draw upon their resources and
personnel. We are especially grateful to: O. P. Jain,
Sanskriti Foundation; S. K. Kaul, Director General,
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training; Charu
Smita Gupta, National Handlooms and Handicrafts
Museum, New Delhi; and Darlie Koshy, Director, National
Institute of Design. We are also thankful to Sunita
Kulkarni; Toby Sinclair; Feisal Alkazi; Jaipur Viraasat
Foundation; and Shveta Uppal who gave us permission
to reproduce their photographs of different crafts.
Special thanks are due to Surender Kumar, NCERT;
Nargis and Tanveer Ahmad, DTP Operators.
 CONTENTS
Foreword iii
About This Book v

Part I: PREPARATION FOR FIELD STUDY 1-63

1. Crafts at Home 3

2. Local Heritage 11

3. Local Architecture 21

4. Local Market 33

5. Documentation Formats 49

Part II: FIELD STUDY 64-87

6. Research and Preparation 67

7. Field Work 75

8. Presentation of Data 83

Part III: APPLIED CRAFTS 88 -117

9. Innovations in Design and Processes 91

10. Creating an Aesthetic Environment 107