West India Culture and Artifacts
The culture of western India borrows its ethnic beauty from its Privileged History. In fact The culture of diversity is unified by string of respect among the people, for the other culture, also. They have some common festivals in western India, enjoyed and respected by natives. the west indian culture can be classified to Culture of Maharashtrians, Gujaratis and Goans. These may further be detailed as under.
1. Artifacts
The architecture of West India culture consists of the Indo-Aryan temples of Gujarat, the cave shrines of Maharashtra and the temples of Kathiawad and Kutch which were constructed during the 10th century. The renowned Jain sanctuaries of Mount Abu in Rajputana in Rajasthan are also noteworthy for their exquisite architecture. Architecture in western India is predominant in the Indo-Aryan buildings in the city of Gwalior where there is a blend of Hindu and Buddhist architecture. The western part of India is recognized as the land of historical edifices and relics. Mumbai’s Gothic architecture is embodied in the Gateway of India, Mumbai High Court, Old Secretariat, University Buildings and Victoria Terminus. Significance checking out is the ancient city of Aurangabad, whose nearby attractions comprise two magnificent rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora.
India’s handicrafts are famous all over the world, so people keep them for decoration in their house so that their house remains bright, therefore idols in Indian handicrafts are most important because Indian people worship idols, that is why they are kept in the house. Let’s bring wages. If you want to decorate your home with idols, then you can also book beautiful idols for your home by clicking on this link.
2. Food
The cuisine of Western India is diverse. The Surat City Of Gujarat is Worldwide Known For its Food, Maharashtrian cuisine is diverse and ranges from bland to fiery hot. Poway, Shrikhand, Pav Bhaji, and Vada Pav are good examples of Maharashtrian cuisine. Goan cuisine is dominated by the use of rice, coconut, seafood, Kokum, and cashew nuts. With its distinct spices and medium cooking as coconut oil, both vegetarian, as well as non-vegetarian cuisine, is equally popular. Gujarati cuisine is almost exclusively vegetarian. Gujarat is one of three states in India, with a prohibition on alcohol, along with Mizoram and Manipur. In contrast, Maharashtra has some of the best vineyards in India, with Nashik and Sangli districts being the country’s biggest grape-producing districts
3. Dance
Dandiya is a popular folk dance of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Dressed in colourful costumes, the performers wield sticks and dance skillfully by striking the sticks held by their fellow dancers. Dandiya dance is accompanied by a musical instrument called ‘Meddle’. This percussion is played by the drummer who is always placed at the centre. Other percussion instruments such as ‘Dholak’ and ‘Tabla’ are also used.
Garba is the leading dance of women in Gujarat. The dance is associated with the fertility cult. It is performed on nine consecutive nights of Navaratri, an autumn festival. Women folk come out in the open, carrying perforated earthen pots on their heads, which in turn hold lighted lamps. They sing, clap and perform a simple dance by forming a circle in order to praise Goddess Amba. When men too, join in by singing, clapping and dancing, the dance is then called ‘Garbi’.
5. Dress
In western India i.e. Rajasthan and Gujarat, Lehenga Choli forms the core of the traditional dress of the locals. A lehenga is a loose ankle-length skirt worn with a Choli, a kind of blouse. This outfit is incomplete without Odhni, the western Indian version of the Dupatta, which lends grace and style to this traditional Indian dress. Another dress that resembles Lehenga is Ghaghra. It is a type of full-flared ankle-length skirt, which is worn with a belt around the waist. In some parts of India, you can also find women wearing Garara, a kind of divided skirt, flared at the bottom much like bell bottoms.
6. Language
The majority follows Hinduism and there are significant minority who follow Islam and smaller number who follow Christianity. There are also a few indigenous Jews called the Bene Israel who speak Marathi. The Parsees who settled in Gujarat made Mumbai and Surat their home. Significant percentages of Jains and Buddhists can be found too. Most Christians live in the state of Goa.
Overall, 83.66% of the population is Hindu, 10.12% Muslim, 4% Buddhist with Christians in Goa and Maharashtra making up the majority of the remainder. Marathi, with about 73 million speakers is the most widely spoken language, followed by Gujarati with about 46 million speakers and Konkani 2.5 million speakers, all of which are Indo-Aryan languages. As in other parts of India, a high level of multilingualism is seen with English and Hindi being spoken as additional languages in urban areas.
7. Festival
The western region in India is known to celebrate a vibrant number of festivals. The Rajasthani womenfolk are known to celebrate the Gangaur when they bring home the statue of goddess Parvathi, worship her and on the final day immerse the idol in water. Another festival where women celebrate the arrival of spring is the Teej festival. Gujarat celebrates the famous Kite Festival. The Parsi community of Maharashtra celebrates Pateti which is the Parsi New year. The region also celebrates the usual festivals such as Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi and Holi.
8. Art and Craft
Maharashtra bears a rich cultural background which is evident in its handicrafts. The Maharashtra crafts work is popular for its variety. The forms of handicrafts prevalent in Maharashtra are weaving, Leather Works, Sawantwadi Crafts, Bidri Works, Hikaru and Mashru fabrics, Paintings, etc. Some of the most famous craft items are Ajanta Paintings, leather sandals, beautiful jewellery, Paithani, and Narayan Peth Sarees, Warli Paintings, etc. To buy these handicrafts you don’t need to visit the market, you can read our( DIY )and art & crafts blogs
Gujarat is the land of beautiful culture and rich history which is depicted in the arts and crafts of the state. The ancient crafts are still practised in many parts and have survived the test of time. Gujarat handicrafts are popular for their artistic appeal, intricate work, use of colour, and stunning finish. Pottery is one of the most famous and oldest handicrafts in Gujarat. Terracotta figures, Mud wall paintings, plaques, etc are some of the items that are also made in Gujarat. Wood articles and wooden furniture are a speciality of South Gujarat. Paper eights, minakari furniture, sofas, chairs, and ornamental pieces are also made in Gujarat.
Among the delicate handicrafts practised in Gujarat, embroidery is also one that is quite famous all over the world. A wide variety of embroidery is done in Gujarat like Golder embroidery, Bavaria, Rabari, Banni, etc. Gujarat is also a famous Zari work of Gujarat and is very well known. Dhurries, blankets, rugs, carpets, silver jewellery, adorable sheaths, hilts, knives and daggers, precious stones, etc are some of the other craft products from Gujarat.
Goa has a variety of artistic and adorable handicrafts. The Goa crafts work is a blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures. In Goa, handicraft work is also one of the prime sources of income for the local people. Some of the intricately glorious works and handicrafts of Goa are cotton bags, chandeliers, colourful masks, table mats, wooden toys, shopping bags, seashell mirrors and brass idols, Terracotta articles, bamboo craft, pottery, crochet, wood carving, and embroidery, fibre craft, seashell craft, papier-mache, wooden lacquerware, jewellery, coconut shell carving, etc.
The beautiful art of mat weaving is popular in Daman whereas Diu is popular for its tortoiseshell and ivory carving. Dadra and Nagar Haveli are well-known for making beautiful baskets, leather slippers, weaving bamboo mats, etc.
If you want to know which handicrafts products the people of West Indian keep the most in their homes, which are very much liked in West India culture, then you can see from here, as well as you can buy the most beautiful handicrafts products from here. taajoo has a store of Indian Handicrafts, which the world likes, you can also order and see at a good price – Buy Indian Handicraft
