Crafts Museum: Discovering the Cultural Tapestry of India

An Indian tour is incomplete without handpicking some famous regional and local handicrafts. Let’s explore a unique and contemporary style, of handmade art at the Crafts Museum Delhi.

Popularly known as the National Crafts Museum, the National Handicrafts and Hastkala Academy is India’s largest arts and handicrafts museum. It is located near the Pragati Maidan and Purana Quila, among the famous places to visit in Delhi.

The building was designed by the renowned architect Charles Correa who amalgamated modern architecture and traditional Indian design in creating this masterpiece of a museum. 

The Crafts Museum was set up in 1956 and was founded by the brave freedom fighter Smt. Kamaladevi Chandrasekopadhyay. Her unwavering efforts to bring together numerous artisans from every corner of India to promote the preservation of India’s traditional handicrafts can be seen in this building even now.

Some of the Salient features of Crafts Museum’s Architecture are:

1. Maze like structures, creating a sense of excitement and adding a mystery factor to the whole experience. 
2. Othogonoal planning or square spaces, most of the building is divided and designed in squares, a feature depicting the earth element.
3. Earthy and traditional feels, usage of tiled roofs, ballis and mud, giving a humble feel of the Indian village homes.
4. Ample tree plantations, for passive cooling, natural shade and outdoor space for sitting.
5. Courtyard around the whole building of the Crafts Museum, another striking feature of the Indian rural homes.
6. Regional and folk paintings and carvings used for decorating the walls.