Kalbelia Craft Revival

• 20 Jul 2022

Why in News?

• The Kalbelia Crafts Revival Project Exhibition was launched at the India International Center in New Delhi on July 19, 2022 in an effort to uplift the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan.

Key Points

• The Kalbelia Crafts Revival Project Exhibition will prove to be an important medium for promoting handicraft products made by women from the Kalbelia community, especially the Kalbelia Quilts and Gudadi at the national and international level.
• It is worth mentioning that the Kalbelia community of Rajasthan is known all over the world for its art, but due to the limited resources of their employment and economic constraints, their art and crafts have to face a lot of difficulties in reaching the market.
• Dr. Madan Meena, the curator of the exhibition, said that the project was conceptualized from the time of Kovid, when many families of Kalbelia in Rajasthan returned to their native village due to the lockdown. The work of Kalbelia artists also stalled due to the slowness of tourism. In such a situation, Kalbelia Craft Revival Project was envisaged by Kota Heritage Society to provide them alternative livelihood opportunity within their village.
• It was initially sponsored by the NIFT-Jodhpur Centre and the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur to provide internships to its students. Currently, The Kalbelia women of Bundi and Jaipur are working in this project.
• The objective of the project is to preserve the tradition of quilting of the Kalbelia community and to provide them with better livelihood opportunities within their villages for the maintenance of their community and their crafts.
• Dr. Madan Meena informed that Kalbelia women associated with this project are given Rs 300 per woman per day for making various artistic products. This money is raised from various sources and also money is received from sponsorship, which is being used to take this project forward.
• The Kalbelia women who participated in the project include Mewa Sapera from Jaipur, Meera Bai from Bundi, Lad Bai, Rekha Bai, Natti Bai and Bania Bai.
• Mewa Sapera, an internationally acclaimed Kalbelia singer from Jaipur and has showcased her art in different parts of the world, said that Kalbelia quilts and her quality reflect the richness, skill and talent of the women of the house. A family keeps heaps of quilts, which are taken out during the guests' visit. These quilts are part of gifting to daughters.
• He said that in their spare time, women from the Kalbelia community always make quilts for their collection. A quilt or Gudadi takes two to three months to complete.