Indian Handicrafts – The tradition , the crafts and the history. Shopkhoj.com showcases the astounding variety of Indian Handicrafts and the best shops to buy them from in 7 Indian cities. Shopkhoj.com is an online portal for all offline shopping . Reviews of some of the best shops, markets and malls are available in the website. The website has identified best shops in 5 categories such as Indian Wear, Western Wear , Jewellery, Accessories and handicrafts in India. Shopkhoj.com also has an extensive glossary on Indian Handicrafts that will help you to know the region where the handicraft is made , how it is made and where to buy it from. Here are a few examples from the Shopkhoj handicrafts glossary.... PASHMINA Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. They were first woven in India. These shawls are made of Pashm or Pashmina, which is the wool of a species of the wild Asian mountain goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to the high altitudes of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Nepal and Kashmir. They are known for their softness and warmth. Pure pashmina is a rather gauzy, open weave, as the fibre cannot tolerate high tension. The most popular pashmina fabric is a 70% pashmina 30% silk blend, but a 50/50 combination is also common. Pure Pashmina shawls can be purchased from select Delhi stores . Lac is a natural organic resin which is obtained from the cocoon of a beetle. The lac used for bangles is generally mixed with soapstone powder to achieve a very exact grade of consistency. The material is mixed with colours as per the design scheme. Then the semi hard stuff is mounted on a piece of wood. Lac bangles are decorated with crystals, beads, mirrors & glass. ‘Maniharon ka Raasta’ in Jaipur is a famous street where one can witness the art of making lac bangles. You can buy lac bangles from Bapu Bazar in Jaipur. http://www.shopkhoj.com/jaipur/bapu-bazar/
BRONZE HANDICRAFT Bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin ,although it could contain a variety of alloys of copper as well. Bronze has a dull finish .Bronze statues are famous in Tamil Nadu . Swamimalai, a little town just 8 kms from Thanjavur,(Tanjore) has a heritage of bronze making dating back to the Chola period. Bronze statues are made by the lost wax method. When the mould is empty, the hot liquid metal is