Wood carving in India is a legacy passed down through generations, beginning with the first structures of ancient India, where wood was a part of grand stone structures, often overlooked, but supporting grand facades of temples and royal townships. Every region in India today, has its own style of world-famous or lesser-known wood work that serves everything, from the aesthetic needs of the international buyer to the utilitarian demands of the local customers. In this blog, we will journey through different states of India and visit a few gems of woodwork, that deserve a place in your space.
If you have heirloom furniture pieces, hold on to them and put them to good use. Wood carving is a common but an elegant art in all parts of India. Each region in India has its own style of structures and carving styles. Listed below are some of the regions where this art is practiced:
🌀 Karnataka : This region of India pays attention in sandalwood carving. Several sandalwood idols have had a carved image. Now, sandalwood boxes are also one of the specialties of Karnataka. Sandalwood possesses a unique smell that makes it stand out from other classes of wood. The boxes created are mostly covered with mythological scenarios. These are essential items of Mysore, Sagar, and Kumta.
🌀 Kashmir : This Indian region is lined with wood. The ceiling is quite a show off of lattice and geometrical styles and patterns. In this region, several woods carved are such like bowls, furniture and boxes. The Kashmir has a lot of walnut wood. The carvers here decorate wooden panels which are utilized for pillars and the ceiling.
🌀 Kerala : The region of Kerala has the richest traditions in terms of woodcarving. One can witness beams and carved pillars in each house. Wood Carvers over the region of Kerala perform wonders on sandalwood and rosewood.
🌀 Assam : This place of India has a wide array of forests and is also rich in terms of culture and tradition pertaining to wood works. The worship centers here include big carvings of mythical creatures such as garuda, lions with Simhasan and.
🌀 Tamil Nadu : This Region in India has a well-developed tradition of wood carving. This is practically utilized for decorating temples and houses. The wooden Tanjore dolls as well as the Punki wood dolls are popular in this region.
🌀 Sankheda : This place is located in Gujarat and is one of the most essential centers of wood carving.
Let us take a closer look at classic Indian wood works, that have charmed the buyers for centuries.
An amalgamation of traditional Indian architecture and a touch of European influence resulted in Chettinad house interiors, which we are huge admirers of. However, the thought behind the design of 19th-century interiors runs deeper than that. Originally, Chettinad furniture is made of teak and the chairs are intricately woven with cane. Teak wood has high durability and is ideal for humid climatic conditions.
For this reason, teak wood is reused from old mansions as furniture. What accentuates this furniture even more is the addition of brass accents such as the handles of the swing, brass floor lamps, and hanging lamps. In Chettinad furnished mansions, the furniture is also embellished mainly using marble.
The furnishing and decorative items are imported from Europe and East Asian countries. Italian marble along with Burma teak wood comprises the perfect Chettinad style furniture. In order to make the furniture more elegant, wall-to-wall mirrors and crystals imported from Belgium and Europe are blended along with the raw materials.
The colorful designs, and unique features of Chettinad furniture surely bring the aroma of South Indian culture and tradition to your living room. Those grid and floral patterns which is very rare and splendid is an extra asset for your luxurious mansion. A blend of tradition with contemporary architecture keeps Chettinad furniture distinct from others.
The desert state of Rajasthan is well known for its woodwork. The art of woodwork has been prevalent here for quite a long time and has survived mainly due to the royal patronage. The art found its way into religious life as well since it was used in making ornaments, ceremonial arches, pillars, and other things related to religion and ceremonies.
Furniture making formed an integral part of the woodwork, and found its pride of place in the Havelis and palaces in the medieval period. Even today, the furniture made in the state is quite popular throughout the country. Rajasthan is the only state where the latticework on wood is done.
At Jodhpur and Kishangarh, one comes across painted furniture that consists of screens, doors, caskets, and chairs. Again, from the regions of Ramgarh and Shekhawati come ornamental wooden furniture with floral designs that adorn the projected niches and balconies of the houses.
They are a conglomerate of elements of their traditional handicraft and beautiful decor and can be rightfully said to be artful and glamorous. If you pay a visit to the cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer, you will realise how colours are a very integral part of the Rajasthani lifestyle.
This same colourful canvas is brought to life in a traditional Rajasthani house, which has splashes of vibrant and royal colours on almost every element of the interiors. Oranges and pinks are the predominant colours, while emerald greens and peacock blues are a regal affair.
Bright yellows and sky blue are also crucial for the interiors. Furnishing your room with elements draped in these colours such as through wall paints, wall hangings, furnishings and home decor, will lend a special Rajasthani touch to your home.
Brick red colour is an option that can be explored in as many ways as possible – in different shades and tones and on different elements. Another element of beauty would be swings and armchairs, be it of metal or wood, but they all should be very intricately embellished in traditional motifs and patterns.
Made and designed by hand, these handicrafts are a result of the Kashmiri heritage and can often be traced back to Budgam, Srinagar, and Ganderbal. You can expect your Kashmiri items to be intricate and highly detailed. Since Kashmir has been a melting pot of cultures, the mix of heritage is still reflected in its art form and crafts that have been perfected over the years.
Some of the most popular Kashmiri home designs can entail the famous carpets, copper & silverware and Kashida – the local embroidery style that adorns the homes of many across the world. Perhaps the most famous artform Kashmir has given to the world, and the Papier-mâché artwork can be traced back to the Mughal period, where rulers like Akbar were the patrons of this art.
A process spanning across weeks is a painstakingly meticulous art form that today adorns gardens and heritage mosques in Kashmir. You, too, can add these beautiful pieces to your home in the form of wall hangings, lanterns, decorative bells, and goodie boxes, to name a few. You can liven up your threshold with this decorative bell, while your passageway can be home to your wall hangings.
You can also put figurines on your cabinet or the small goodie boxes on your dining table to bring some colour to the otherwise empty tables. However, it is vital to make sure that you don’t overdo it since the bright colours can be overwhelming. Apart from Pashmina shawls, Kashmiri carpets have been on the checklist of every home interior enthusiast.
An authentic carpet from the region is marked by its intricate work, purely handmade approach, and knotted tufted weaving instead. Based on your requirements, you can choose a silk or wool carpet. Then there is The Kashida embroidery is the epitome of the exquisite Kashmiri needlework, reflecting the beauty that is inherent to this beautiful state.
Such embroidery involves a single long design stitch which makes it one of the most distinguished forms of needlework. Since this technique is one-of-a-kind, not many artisans are equipped with this artform, which makes it an expensive decor for your home. However, if you seek to add this extraordinary embroidery to your home, you can do so in the form of tablecloths and table runners. If you are lucky and get your hands on the Kashida curtains, savour them for your lively living room.
The designs of the Pinjara-Kari are famous and originated in Kashmir. Pinjara-Kari is the craft of making screens of interwoven wooden laths forming intricate geometric patterns. They do not differ from the mathematical designs of the Arabs or limited form with the most popular being those of the rising sun and cobwebs.
Kashmiri craftsmen added mastery to the craft and helped revive its form and its survival, showcasing figures from the folklore of Kashmir. These are used in elements like windows, partitions, and balconies. A pinjara-maker needs to have a good knowledge of geometry and understanding of tools and construction methods.
Over time, this craft, because of its high value and time consumption, started declining. Later modern materials like metal grills, glass, and mesh replaced traditional Pinjra. Some artisans and walnut woodcarvers have picked up the art of making it while restoring old Pinjra forms and techniques.
A craft originated in Ladakh, Choktses - handcrafted wooden tables are deeply ingrained with the old nomadic lifestyle. The tables are foldable and low in height and are an indispensable part of the local households. From simple designs to elaborate ones, the emboss on the tables involves mineral pigmenting to create motifs of snow lions, dragons, clouds, and lotus. Depending on the complexity of the design, these carving and embossing take up to two months to be completed.
Centers of wood carving in Uttar Pradesh include Aligarh, Azamgarh, Nagina, Lucknow, and Saharanpur. The wood used here is Shisham and Sal for carvings. Nagina exhibits a graceful style of carving in ebony on many articles like tables, chairs, boxes, beds, etc. The motifs are mostly floral and sometimes geometrical.
The place, Nagina, always had a problem of transportation, due to which the craftsmen made small decorative pieces as they became easier to carry. Nagina’s craft dates back to the Mughal time, and this craft, but with the shift in consumer base, the range of these finely carved pieces started changing towards items of contemporary use, ex. Windows, doors, boxes, pen stands, etc.
This form of wooden craft is incorporated in furniture making. Sankheda furniture is colorful, painted wood, made in the Sankheda village of Gujarat. It is treated with lacquer and is painted with traditional bright shades of maroon and gold. The colour innovation has been adopted with black, blue, green, ivory, copper, gold, silver, and burgundy shades. Apart from being used as traditional furniture, a wide range of products like wall-hangings, pedestal lamps and vases brought about innovation in this form.
Wooden craftsmanship may not live for centuries like metal, but it carries a subtle charm that easily blends into both traditional and contemporary spaces. Every artistic piece of wooden craft discussed here is a result of skills and labor, with artisans dedicating months and sometimes years, learning from their masters how to perfect intricate carvings, ensuring that every work of Indian woodcraft tells its own unique story. The warmth and elegance of wooden decor bring a sense of refinement to any home, adding character without overwhelming the space.
At Exotic India, we curate a collection that strikes the perfect balance—honoring the regal grandeur of traditional woodwork while embracing the understated luxury of modern aesthetics.
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