Indian Handicrafts as Living Symbols of Religious Traditions, Folk Culture, and Socio-Economic Identity

Abstract

Indian handicrafts operate at the intersection of material culture, religious and ritual practice, folk knowledge, regional identity, and livelihoods. This article examines these connections through a qualitative documentary analysis of published scholarship, official Indian government information, UNESCO intangible cultural heritage records, and industry data. Unlike a primary survey, the study does not collect responses from artisans or estimate statistical relationships between individual-level variables. Instead, it triangulates available secondary evidence and organises it into five themes: ritual use, folk-cultural knowledge, cultural identity and memory, socio-economic contribution, and cultural continuity under market change. Official sources report that 32.90 lakh artisans had been mobilised under the Pahchan initiative by 30 December 2024. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts reported handicraft exports rising from ₹30,019.24 crore in 2022–23 to ₹32,758.80 crore in 2023–24, an increase of 9.13% in rupee terms. UNESCO’s record of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru documents craft knowledge transmitted through practice and its use in everyday, wedding, and temple contexts. The documentary synthesis indicates that handicrafts should be understood as living heritage sustained by people, skills, rituals, and community knowledge—not merely as products. At the same time, export growth and artisan registration figures do not establish equitable income, secure employment, or the condition of every craft tradition. The article concludes that cultural safeguarding and economic development should be pursued together through artisan-centred design, fair value distribution, intergenerational skill transmission, responsible digital market access, and community participation in heritage decisions.