Paper Quilling Work - Himachal Pradesh
The state of Himachal Pradesh located to the north of the country is often referred to as Dev Bhumi, meaning Land of Gods, while the name of the place Himachal Pradesh translates to ‘Region of snowy mountains’. This hilly heaven, previously a Union territory, was declared the Eighteenth State of India in 1971 after the Himachal Pradesh Act. Himachal Pradesh is among those states in India, which marks high per capita income with revenue majorly from tourism, hydroelectric power, agriculture, textile, and mining. The state is always looked up for its natural beauty, hill stations, and temples.
Andretta is a village and an artists’ colony in Himachal Pradesh. After an Irish theatre artiste cum environmentalist, Norah Richards shifted here from Lahore, the village turned a meeting point for many artists and potters, bringing along their works. Thus the place was established as an artist colony in 1920. The village attracts tourists for its art and stunning Himalayan backdrop. The extremely beautiful handicraft that comes out from there is worth appreciating.
Himachal Pradesh has been consistent in impressing the world with its vibrant yet simplistic style of Folk-art like Chamba embroidery, Pahari painting, Mohra metalwork, Buddhist woodwork, Tibetan folk dance, and varieties of handicraft products. Hence we can find numerous training camps and workshops across the state offering lessons on a specific art form. Sobha Singh Art Gallery and Museum is one such gem from Andretta village. Mrs. Kamaljit Kaur, a learned veteran, is the one who runs the center. She is involved in craft making like Quilling work and Yarn birds making. Quilling is a beautiful paper art of rolling narrow strips of paper and gluing them to create well-designed ornamentation. This fun to do paperwork creates decorative designs and patterns for accessories, wall hangings, and other decorative items. Here even the very few raw materials used are extremely cheap. This initiative has largely encouraged the natives to learn a skill and earn a good living out of it.
