Artisans at work: Mahesh with his two sons, Mohit and Rohit
INDIA IS HOME TO A PLETHORA OF Handicrafts, partly due to its long cultural past and rural majority but also to its still compelling urge for ancestral occupations, passing skills down to sons and daughters. Handicraft guilds, emporiums and online markets bring Indias unique crafts to a world fatigued by stamped-out, extruded and now 3-D printed commodities. The rare charms of a handmade product place it in high demand, whether in the world of fabrics, jewelry, toys, accessories or ceramics.
Exemplifying this point is the Jangid family of Jaipur, in Rajasthan, India, an area that for centuries has been known worldwide for quality, elegance, design, ethnic flavor and unmatched workmanship in both utilitarian and artistic wooden masterpieces. The five-member family trace their craft back four generations to Shri Malchand Ji Jangid, grandfather of Mahesh Jangid and guru to the family. Mahesh, 47, has inspired his two sons, Mohit, 23, and Rohit, 21, to follow the family profession, even as their peers are leaving the field for more modern careers.
The three artists begin each carving day at 9am and work until 8pm, breaking only for lunch. Learning to sculpt with precision and exactness on a miniature scale that challenges even the most seasoned carvers, the family looks upon their craft as a lifelong journeynot as work so much as a calling, a mission in life and a pathway to personal and family fulfillment. As a result, they are at their tasks almost 365 days a year. Rohit notes, This is our traditional work, and we are addicted and dedicated to it. This is a kind of worship for us. Also, it is the familys only way to gain money. No other money-making job is allowed to distract us.
The two brothers and their younger sister, a college student, are unmarried, so there is an unusually disciplined focus in the home. Rohit shares, My mother, Prem Lata, is a gifted homemaker. She and my 19-year-old sister Pooja are our strength and motivation, doing so many things that allow us to sit for the needed hours of carving.
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