shopping
when the city of jaipur was founded in 1727 by sawai jai singh i, craftsmen from all over the country were invited to come and make their home in this new city. royal patronage, lucrative offers and the attraction of living in a beautiful city led many artisans and craftsmen to come and settle in jaipur. by the beginning of the 19th century the city was well established as a thriving art centre. in keeping with the traditions of his forefathers, sawai ram singh ii (1835-1880) set up a school of art and continued to encourage artists and craftsmen.
today in jaipur, you will find a blend of modern and traditional.
lakh bangles
made of lacquer, you would find varieties of these bangles in abundance all over jaipur. any color you could imagine, would be available, sparkling with many crystals and stones.you would find stone studded lakh is used for other trinkets as well, such as toe rings, necklaces,ear rings etc.the best place to find abundant variety baapu bazaar.
jooties
the traditional toe covering flat heeled leather footwear is called a jootie. it is said, that no shoe maker ever repeats a designs and so, you would not find two jooties of the exact same design. this goes to say just how much variety you would find in jooties in jaipur.the best place to find: hawa mahal & baapu bazaar.
bandhej
a traditional textile art, bandhej literal mean 'to be bound'. depending on the design required, parts of a fabric are tied up. now this length of fabric is dipped and died in any colour, the portions tied, remain white or of the base color. these fabrics can then be used for anything – dresses, cushion covers, curtains etc. for women, they best suit a salwar & kameez outfit or a saree in silk or otherwise.the best place to find: hawa mahal & baapu bazaar, johri bazaar, mi road and panch batti.
leheria
another traditional fabric design you would find, is called leheria. literally translating to waves, this fabric comes in many colors and combinations. this again, can be found in many forms – sarees, dress materials etc. leheria in the green color of prosperity is also traditional wear for some of the festivals in rajasthan, like gangaur, teej etc. the best place to find: hawa mahal & baapu bazaar, johri bazaar, mi road and panch batti.
puppets
puppetry is a traditional art form and used to be source of entertainment before the era of radios and television.in jaipur, you would find large and small puppets clothed in traditional fabric and colors of rajasthan. the best place to find: hawa mahal & baapu bazaar.
sanganeri print
sanganer, near jaipur, is famous for its fine hand block printing in subdued colors. hand block printing was patronised by the royal family. sceen printing is also largely done here. sanganer has become an export hub for hand block printed materials. the sanganeri print is visible from small flower motifs like stylised sunflowers, narcissuses, roses, and other flowers of luxuriant foliage like daturas, rudrakshas, and arkas. on the way to chokhi dhani or on the way back to airport.
blue pottery
blue pottery is turko-persian in origin, but today is widely known as one of the distinctive crafts of jaipur. the best place to find: on the way to amer fort there are a lot of these blue pottery showrooms.
"there is an interesting story behind blue pottery first being introduced to jaipur. ram singh ii attended a kite flying session and watched as his kite masters were engaged in battle with two brothers from achnera (near agra). when the ruler saw that the brothers managed to cut down the royal kites almost every time, he was intrigued. he asked the brothers their secret. they told him that they were potters by profession and had coated their strings with the same blue green glass that they used for their pots. sawai ram singh ii was impressed so he invited the brothers to stay in jaipur and teach this unique form of glazed pottery at his new art school."