Incredible India -- Crafting Nature

The history of India''s crafts is a story of humankind''s engagement with Nature. Creative hands turned rock into objects of divinity, minerals into lamps to worship them, plants into woven textures to wear and waste materials into beautiful objects of everyday utility. To honour Nature is to honour its creator and to mould objects by hand is a mode of worship. The Indian crafts practitioner is therefore the greatest conservationist who craves to live in harmony with his environment. The plea to address issues of ''ecology'' and ''environmental'' degradation'' was born out of the minds of those who saw with horror the ravages of an over-industrialised society. This book is a response to such a plea and seeks to highlight the extraordinary, creative and peaceful relationship between the craftsperson and the environment. It also seeks to emphasise the need to respect it and cherish it, both for art''s sake and for the protection of Nature''s bounty. Jaya Jaitly, the author, describes the environment surrounding the major and minor crafts of India, offering a wealth of information to art, craft and Nature lovers.