Shilpgram Udaipur (The Craft Village), Situated 3 kms west of Udaipur is the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex. Spread over an undulating terrain of 130 bighas (70 Acres) of land and surrounded by the Aravallies, the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex is conceived as a living enthnographic museum to depict the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the West Zone. Within this complex, huts of the member states are constructed incorporating traditional architectural features of different geographical and ethnic groups residing within the West Zone of India comprising of five Federal States.
One of the important objectives of Shilpgram is to increase awareness and knowledge of rural life and crafts, specifically, for the younger generation. Special emphasis is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music.
The traditional village life to a considerable extent is self-contained and self-sufficient with a potter, carpenter, blacksmith and often a weaver living alongside one another nourishing and husbanding a series of transactions. To highlight these complex yet simple relationships, these huts are constructed in an interlocking occupational theme vested with its own internal dynamism.
The Centre's Rural Arts and Crafts Complex adopts this cellular approach such that each individual hut is at once an organic entity and at the same time nourishing and husbanding a series of such transactions.
In this integrated pattern are 5 huts from Rajasthan, representing weaver's community from Marwar. There are 2 huts named after the two sand bound villages of Rama and Sam from the desert region of western Rajasthan. From the hilly region of Mewar, is a potter's hut from the village Dhol, 70 kms west of Udaipur. Two huts represent the tribal farmer communities of the Bhil and the Sehariyas of the Southern regions of Rajasthan.
There are 7 representative huts from the state of Gujarat. A cluster of six huts from Banni area and one from Bhujodi have been selected from the arid wastelands of Kutch. the Banni cluster consists of two huts each of the Rebari, Harijan and Muslim communities famous for their weaving, embroidery, bead & mirrorwork, wood work and rogar work. Equally well known for its valiant horses, Lambdia village near Poshina in North Gujarat is represented with a potter's hut. Adjoining to the Lambdia potter's workshop at the Shilpgram is the weaver's hut from Vasedi village in Chota Udaipur area in western Gujarat. Two huts represent the Dang and Rathwa tribal farmer communities of southern Gujarat. In addition to these, there is an ornately carved wooden house from Pethapur near Gandhinagar.
History of Shilpgram
The Shilpgram is an ideal place to interact and explore the artistic fervor of the Indian culture. It is a place where history, culture, and heritage are bound together to offer a ravishing image of glorious Indian past. Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated Shilpgram in the year 1989.
The place is situated in the old countryside of Udaipur to give an unbiased portrayal of rural life of artisans. The Shilpgram festival conducted on the last ten days around the year end, is an age-old tradition. The artisans and performers flock here from all over to country to showcase their talent and high spirits.
Architecture of Shilpgram
Surrounded by several huts, Shilpgram is constructed in the old architectural style to offer the feel of rural markets. The small huts are built using mud and natural building material to give the real picture of the ethnic diversity of the western states of India. The hut offers workspace to occupational dwellers making the place a lot livelier.
Every hut or traditional village house has a distinct style and features reflecting the history and culture of each state it is representing. The occupational homes of the artisans are constructed in an adjoining manner to reflect the concept of “Unity in Diversity.” There are about 26 huts which include five from Rajasthan, five from Maharashtra, five from Goa and seven from Gujarat.
There is an open-air amphitheater in the Shilpgram Complex offering a seating facility for about 8000 people. The amphitheater is used to conduct festivals at regular intervals. The special tribal and folk dances performed during the celebrations are a treat to watch.
How to reach Shilpgram
Located about 10 km away from Lal Ghat, Shilpgram is situated at an easily accessible location. You can take a flight, train or a bus to reach Shilpgram.
Airport - The Maharana Pratap Airport is located 23.3 Km away from Shilpgram. Once you out of the airport, you can take a private cab or use taxi service to reach your location.
Train - The Udaipur railway station is located 2.4 Km away from Shilpgram. You can take a cab or an auto-rickshaw from the station to reach Shilpgram.
Public Transport - There is plenty of deluxe and non-deluxe buses available to and from Udaipur. The State-run buses are the best option as they are both safe and comfortable.
