Traditions of the Indian Craftsman

Examining the challenges & problems faced by tourism social entrepreneurs in restoring craftsmanship at conflict-ridden tourist destinations

“…Artisans feel neglected due to urbanization and the large-scale development of products and services. They cannot market their products at the prices expected for the hard work they put in to ensure their quality and originality (Kramrisch, 1958).Industries" rapid expansion and proliferation have resulted in a quality compromise, further marginalizing craftspeople by providing them with few or no options for finding buyers for their finely created craft products (Chartrand, 1988). Since handicrafts are more labour-intensive, many continue to practice even today, working full-time or part-time (Islam et al, 2018).…”

“…According to Asali (2020), craftspeople are trained in these guild systems to give technical and social know-how to contextualize those structures within the regional limits. Although culture, crafts, and tourism are all intertwining more and more, before beginning an assignment of constructing something utilizing conventional know-how and essential tools, viewing them as an extension of his body assists him in accurately completing the task (Kramrisch, 1958). Traditional businesses present the cultural past through handicrafts, and as stated, crafting culture connects the historical setting with current economic operations, and every product made by a craftsman has a backstory, which is frequently combined with storytelling (Schwarz, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, in craftsmanship, the craftsman is closely related to his people rather than by common motives or gains. Thus, the traditional and ancestral legacy of beliefs is transmitted to the next generation as an element of inherited culture (Kramrisch, 1958). According to the Vedic scriptures, craft-making is often considered a discipline and can revive and uphold an age-old traditional culture influenced by a connection to a particular place.…”

Introduction: Building Sites, Crafting Knowledge

“…for the state of the national body itself." 21 Viewing craft practice and creativity as spiritual revelation embodied in oral and religious texts, Coomaraswamy (1909), 22 Kramrisch (1958Kramrisch ( , 1994 23 and Yanagi Soetsu (1972) 24 all sought to use it as a basis for national unity, and thereby conceptually oppose it to the Occidental scholarly discourse on industrialization. 25 Gandhi famously stressed the moral value of crafts-by virtue of thread being spun by hand, as a part of national service, handspun cloth came to represent an alternative cultural arena of a distinctively Indian national development, set in opposition to the modern, industrial West.…”

Beyond the Sacred: Contextualising Kāśī in the Jātakas

“…Note the use of the term 'chief' (jeṭṭhaka) for one specific smith in the entire village. 44 The chief might have acted as the leader of the community, taking important decisions related to their craft, trade, exchange, settling of disputes, and so on, 45 although, it is not entirely clear if it indicates the existence of a guild (śreṇī) -like association as well. 46 But the instance suggests that some notions of hierarchy might have been prevalent amongst the craft professionals.…”