Articles
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Why Everyone Needs a Jaipuri Razai in Their Life
It goes without saying that most people have a clear preference for the colder months of the year. The months of November, December, January, and February are loved by people who prefer to snuggle up in their cosy bed with a warm mug of coffee or tea and read themselves a book. The very thought of it makes people want to dive into the cosiness of their warm blankets.
India is one country that enjoys warm and sunny summers and an equally cold and chilly winters. While there are mountain tops in this country that are covered with snow around the year, cities such as Mumbai hardly witness any winters. Thus, as you move from north of this country to south and east to west, you are bound to witness vivid climactic transformations.
One state of India that is super-hot in summers and freezing cold in winters in Rajasthan. The history, culture, and traditions of this state are a little varied from that of its bordering and contemporaries.
People of Rajasthan have always lived the nomadic life. They travelled from one place to another seeking work, food, and shelter. Since a lot of this state is covered with sand, the state turns into a living freezer at the night. Sand has this tendency of heating up fast, which is why the days are super-hot, and cooling rapidly making the nights super-cold.
Thus, there arose the need for light carriables. Clothes were anyhow scarce and food was always sought after on the go. Thus, the only thing that was needed to go lighter was their protectors such as quilts and duvets. Thus, marked the emergence of the world renowned Jaipuri Razai or Quilts.
The term Jaipuri Razai is made of two words ‘Jaipuri’ meaning ‘something that belongs to Jaipur and ‘Razai’ that means quilts in Hindi. These Jaipuri Razais are famous all over the world for their warmth and comfort.
What makes these Jaipuri Razais different from normal Razais or quilts?
This one question has at least once sprung into the minds of the people who intend to buy Jaipur Razai. For people who belong to Jaipur already know the answer to this question, it is mostly the outsiders who ask this question.
Well, you do not have to go any further to know the answer.
The difference between the two is minor, and yet it makes all the difference between the two.
While normal Razais or quilts are filled with either duck feather, polyfill, cotton, polyester or a mix of cotton and polyfill. However, Jaipuri Razais are filled with fine cotton. Basically 1 kg of cotton is refined till the point it becomes light enough to weight only 100gms. This process is known as carding.
What are the features of Jaipuri Razai?
Jaipuri Razai, as we have already said, is loved by people from all over the world. Many Indian textile producers directly export their products to all major countries of the world. Many Indians who have their families living in other parts of the world send these Razais there.
Here are some of the features of a Jaipuri Razai and will give you all the more reasons as to why everyone needs a Jaipuri Razai in their life.
Hand blocking is one of the specialities of Jaipuri Razais. This is probably what makes them so different from all of its contemporaries. Superbly lightweight, ultimately soft, and to add onto these, hand blocked with mesmerising designs and colours.
Hand blocking is a centuries old technique used in Rajasthan. Wooden blocks are cut out in multiple shapes and unique designs are carved onto them. Then these blocks are dipped in colour and pressed onto the cloth repeatedly.
- Reversible:
Why buy two when you can get a quilt that acts as two? Many Jaipuri Razais are reversible. Hence, when you turn the side around you will encounter a completely new pattern, design, and colour. Thus, benefits of two. So now when you get bored with seeing the same quilt or if it is not going with your bed cover, just flip it over.
Also, since the stitching is dual sided, the durability increases.
- Vibrant Motifs:
When you bring a Jaipuri Razai you don’t just buy a quilt, you bring in colours, designs, patterns, and hard work of so many artisans. The colours used by these artisans are mostly natural colours that have been extracted from flowers, leaves, and peels of fruits and vegetables.
The patterns you see are the product of creativity of minds of these artisans who have been practicing the art of making Jaipuri Razais since decades.
The designs and embroidery you find on these quilts are also unique. There are various kinds of prints that Rae famous and sought after when it comes to Jaipuri Razai. People are always searching for the best ones. The most sought after prints are:
- Sanganeri print design – this print mostly has flower prints on a white or light background
- Jaipur Mughal print / Mughlai print – as the name suggests, Mughal prints have been famous since the Mughal era and use distinctive hues and designs
- Jaipuri print – Jaipuri prints are basically dominated by multicolour patterns with prints that are mostly centred on leaves and animals such as elephants, horses, and camels.
- Super soft and cosy:
The one thing people from all over the world are so fond of Jaipuri Razai is because of its utter softness. Jaipuri quilts are super soft and cosy.
The cloth used to make the outer cover of the quilt is soft, giving people a good night’s sleep.
- Ultra lightweight:
Well, it is no surprise that being ultra-lightweight is one of Jaipuri Razai’s most sought after feature. As already mentioned, being lightweight is what a Jaipuri quilt different from other normal quilts.
But these quilts are not juts lightweight, they are also super warm in spite of the shallowness of the weight. They are made to keep off the cold nights at bay even with the minimalistic weight.
Wrapping Up
Well is it pretty clear that everyone needs a Jaipuri Razai in their life for the sheer bliss of having a chance at enjoying winters without being burdened by the weight of the heavy quilts that suffocate you.
To truly enjoy the cold weather, buying a Jaipuri Razai would prove to be the best idea.
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How to Choose Paintings According to Rooms
Art is a form of self-expression. We have evidences to prove the art has been used by people of all civilizations and centuries since the beginning of times. Be it the caves of the cavemen or ruins of The Indus Valley civilization, the oldest known civilization of the Indian subcontinent, art has been a recurring and prominent aspect.
Art has been all prevalent, especially in the form of paintings. Over the course of centuries, whole of the world has witnessed a major shift. From religious upheavals to political transformations and scientific and technological advancements, the face of the world is no longer what it used to be.
Everything that happens around or within us become a muse for those who use art as a means of escape. Even people who themselves do not paint resort to the medium of paintings to express themselves.
Every place you go to, you will find paintings hung on the wall or kept in a corner, on a table or on the floor. Each paintings has a different story to tell. Each hue, each texture and stroke is a result of something extraordinary and invokes various different feelings.
In fact there is no need to go any farther than your own house. We are sure that there must be at least one painting in your house, if not multiple.
Well, the thing with paintings is that they add life to your room. The colours and the depiction are sometimes the best thing that could be used to further enhance your theme or idea surrounding the room. In fact, paintings can help you remind yourself better of your goals and dreams. They have the power to bring god luck, blessings, and love.
The right kind of painting will help you uplift yourself by adding shades of happiness to life. With this post, you will be able to decide how to choose paintings according to rooms so as to derive its maximum impact on your life.
Your home’s drawing room is the first place which you come in contact with when you enter your house. Similarly, anyone who comes to your house is first greeted by your drawing room and if the guest is a formal one, they tend to sit in there itself. Thus, drawing rooms hold a special position when it comes to rooms of a house.
This place should showcase a painting that is extravagant and embedded with beautiful hues. Running horses are said to have a positive impact. They bring in luck, charm, happiness, and money. You can choose one from various shades and textures in which they are available these days.
2. Living Room –
As the name suggests, living room is that part of the house where you spend the most time of your waking hours. It is like a small family space which sees all the laughter and playing.
When it comes to living room, a painting that depicts continuity should be preferred. After all, you want the love, happiness, and good times to stay in your home forever.
Thus, a painting of a waterfall will prove to be the best. Waterfall is the perfect illustration of continuity, blooming new life, and giving a definite rotational characteristic.
3.Dining Room –
Surrounded by big buildings and traffic and pollution, this city life is taking a toll. Our lives are busy and we hardly ever get to live away from the hustle bustle of the city. Hectic schedules, office work, ever increasing traffic and pollution, and the continuous cycle has left has craving for the countryside where peace still prevails.
Start your mornings with good and positive thoughts and the best way to do it is by hanging this beautiful scenery showcasing lush green trees and shrubs, a clear blue sky, mesmerising flowers, and ducks, a perfect balance of mother nature every morning.
4.Bedroom –
Your first and last moments of your day are spent in your bedroom. This place is what you go to for solace. Your bedroom is the one place which can actually and truly depict your likes and thoughts, especially if you live in a joint family.
Nature plays an important role in our life. Especially in today’s world, when we are so surrounded by technology that we hardly get to spend any time in nature’s lap.
This painting with a couple of strands of flowers is subtle yet powerful. Not exactly prominent in shades, the painting has a cooling effect to it due to its minimalistic nature. However, when you look closely, you will see naturist shades lingering at the edges of the flowers, making a powerful statement.
5.Kitchen –
Kitchen is said to be the central point of your home. When it comes to decorating a kitchen, most people only make use of fancy cabinets and latest backsplashes. But what most people forget are paintings.
Unlike other parts of the house, you are very unlikely to come across a house that has a painting hung in the kitchen.
Most people like to start their mornings with cup of freshly brewed coffee. If you too fall in the same category, then this painting of coffee beans and brewed coffee will be loved by you and your kitchen.
6.Kids Room –
Kids are innocent little creatures who fill our lives with happiness. They have the sheer power to bring a smile to our face even after we have had the worst day possible.
The one thing that kids are intrigued by are animals. Kids gets mesmerized by the sight of huge and small animals alike. Keeping this in mind, what could be better to hang in their room than a painting full of animals?
This painting shows animals, not exactly in their natural state, but made to look child-like. This will give your kids a chance to enjoy the proximity without being scared.
7.Prayer Room –
While we are all taught about the omnipresent nature of God and also that he resides within us as well, there still are rooms in our house dedicated to God. Termed as prayer rooms, these rooms have a purpose of themselves to offer.
Just like any other room of the house, it is also important to have paintings in your prayer room. Since the whole room is dedicated to offering prayers, walls can too be a part of it.
8.Meditation Room –
Meditation helps us maintain a balance between our internal and external happenings. Yoga and meditation improves our mental wellbeing, enhance focus, increase concentration power, and works wonders for our spiritual and emotional turmoil. Since Lord Buddha is one related to mediation, what could be better than to have his painting hung in your meditation corner.
9.Study Room –
Study rooms hold a high position in every household. This room is where the knowledge flows through.
Since Goddess Saraswati is known as the goddess of knowledge, it is advised to have a painting of her in the study room. It is said that her presence endows her blessings on the one who is trying to attain knowledge. Thus, promoting knowledge, prosperity, health, and wisdom.
10. Music Room
If you are devoted music artist who practices music at home and have a room where you sit and practice, then maybe setting the mood would be a good idea.
Sometimes true inspiration comes when the setting is totally dedicated to what you are learning.
11. Dance Room
If you are a dancer yourself and practice, or you are a teacher and take dance lessons in your house, then a painting to match the whole vibe becomes essential.
This set of three abstract paintings depicting dancing ladies is a perfect way to keep yourself focused on what you need to do.
While it is pretty obvious that to-be mothers do no sleep in a separate room, their regular room does need a little different painting than a normal bedroom. It is said that what you eat, speak, and watch, you child moulds according to it.
Hence, what better a painting for your room could be than a painting of this cute little child while looks ready to be smitten by our kisses. Waking up every day to see the face of this cute baby will make yours just as cute and charming.
13.Newly Wed Couples Bed Room –
If you are a newlywed couple or you know a newlywed couple, than you should consider hanging a painting of swans in it.
Swans are known as symbols of love and togetherness. Having them in your room will also shower you with blessings for a long and happy marriage together.
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Indian Handicraft - A Perfect Combination of Traditions, Beauty, and Hard Work
India has been always famous for its hand crafted items. Every state and Union Territory of our country is famous for some kind of handicraft. Some parts are even famous for more than one.
Indian handicrafts depict a perfect combination of traditions, beauty & hard work. Over the years, these artisans have perfected the art of making handicrafts and have been passing that art down the generations.
Each type of handicraft is backed by a whole era of culture and traditions, which one cannot simply know by looking at the art but have to go into an in-depth study to be even able to get a hint of it.
In this article, we will see a brief on some of the most loved and widely appreciated kinds of handicrafts. Whether you are an Indian or a foreigner, everybody likes to collect these as souvenirs whenever they visit a different place.
1) Wooden Handicrafts –
There probably isn’t any other material like wood. Almost everything can be made with wood as its raw material. Pieces made from wood also make excellent handicraft gift items.
Wood is used to make various kinds of simply carved gift items, carved and painted pieces, or stone studded show pieces. Wood is used to make every thinkable handicraft gift item and show pieces.
2) Marble –
Marble has been used to make handicrafts since centuries. Shrines, animal figurines, paintings, stationary, clocks, vases, and pots are some of the most common handicraft items that are crafted from marble.
Today, with the advancement in technology and machinery, marble can be transformed into almost anything. Kishangarh in Rajasthan is the biggest marble market in the whole Asia.
3) Brass –
Brass is an exceptionally sturdy, yellowish golden material which has been used to make handicrafts since times unknown. Brass is famous for its strength and durability, making it a perfect choice for any item that one wants to last long.
Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh is known as Pital Nagri or the Brass City. God idols and animal figurines are the most famous handicraft gift items that this city has to offer.
5)Meenakari –
Meenakari is a Persian art that was brought by the Persians to Varanasi during the Mughal era in the early 17th century. Meenakari is the art of coloring the surface of metal by infusing bright colors for an added appeal.
Today, jewelry, jewelry boxes, utensils, stationary holders, and paintings are some of the most widely sold meenakari handicraft gift items which are loved by Indians and foreigners alike.
6) Jaipuri Prints –
Jaipur is the land of the royals and everything here droops it. Jaipur is famous for many things and one of them are the Jaipuri prints. Hand blocking has been practiced in Jaipur since centuries and continues till date.
Cloth printed with such designs is used in the making of sarees, bed sheets, quilts, jackets, and kurtas.
Just like our country’s tagline says – Incredible India – we truly are incredible. Every corner of this country has a hidden treasure of culture, traditions, and values that it wishes to carry forward to its future generations.
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Amazing Gifts for Your Amazing Sister
The bond shared between siblings is amazing and beautiful. A sibling is your forever best friend, which you didn’t actually get to choose, but somehow ended up getting the best one.
We know you love you sister way than anyone could even imagine. She is your secret keeper and protects you from your parents’ scolding every single time. She is the one who covers your back when you get late and keeps the last piece of chocolate for you.
To celebrate this love of sister, you don’t really need any occasion. There is no special time to tell your sister how much you love her or what she means to you. All you have to do is say those words and give her little tokens of appreciation every now and then. Trust us, she’ll love it.
Here are some fun, frolic, and useful gifts for which you sister will love you more:
Let’s start with something as beautiful as you sister – a handcrafted peacock wall clock. If your sister loves to have colorful and mesmerizing things around her, then she will surely love your gift.
What could be a better gift than the gift of good luck? We all are aware of how Laughing Buddha is said to bring luck, happiness, and money in abundance with him. All these abundances get amplified when someone gets Laughing Buddha as a gift.
It’s time to remind your sister of the power that she has inside her and what could be better than a metal wall hanging of Goddess Durga.
If your sister is a hoarder and likes to have dozens of small things in front of her eyes, then you should gift her this hexagonal multi utility wall shelf. This way, she can load a few little quirky things on the wall as per her likes.
One super useful gift you can gift your sister is this pink floral printed AC blanket. The texture I super soft, the hues are beautiful, the print is soothing to look at, and what’s better is that it is reversible.
Are you looking for a gift that can perfectly describe the love-hate relationship you share with your sister? If yes, then look no more because we have the right kind of gift for you to give to your sister. This wall clock that depicts siblings pillow fighting and impeccable description for your feelings ‘you are the only enemy that I cannot live without.’
Is your sister a fan of books and stationary too? We give you a chance to make your sister super happy by gifting her the pen stand of her dreams, or better, a pen stand she couldn’t even think existed.
The behind the pen stand is impeccable and will truly give you the feeling of real books when seen from a distance.
We all have hectic schedules and a living lives that are constantly on a run. Sometimes, all we need is a little bit of self-time to relax and calm our nerves.
The sound of water is said to have therapeutic ability. It calms our running mind and puts it at peace for some time. The colour white brings peace and space adding to the easiness felt by the sound of running water.
This premium decorative water fountain is a flawless combination of two things that help us relax and live a stress free life.
We all are obsessed with our phones. These little devices have all our personal and professional information. Imagine a day without internet connection and I think the battery of our phone would last a few days.
But with the amount of time we spend on our phones today, it doesn’t last long and we have to charge it often. Gift your sister this textured sheep mobile phone charging holder that will keep her phone safe from scratches while it is being charged.
Our world is driven by music and if your sister is one of those people who grooves to the sound of music too often, then you should gift her this own shaped earphones organizer.
It is everything your sister will fall in love with. Amazing bright shades, cute design, and lovely texture.
A dream catcher has a lot of significance in some cultures, especially African. A dream catcher is said to have the power of capturing bad dreams and barring them from coming to us again.
Multiple variations of dream catchers can be found now a days in the market. This one we are nudging you to gift to your sister has the tree of life.
The meaning behind the tree of life can be found in the Bible, where it was the tree that gave eternal life. This means, when you gift this tree of life dream catcher to your sister, you want her to be free from bad dreams and have a healthy and long life.
Having talked about auditory measures of therapy, let’s get onto aromatherapy that works through olfactory senses.
Have you ever wondered how some resorts and hotels smell so good? We have demystified the answer. It is this aroma burner that relaxes your body and mind. Now, you can bring it home and help your sister relax and de-stress.
Is your sister the kind of person who loves to light candles without any special occasion? If the answer to it is yes, then there is no better gift than this set of 2 golden monks’ tea light holder.
The monks are super cute to look at. One is in a sitting position while the other seems to be more relaxed. This is surely going to put a smile on your sister’s face.
Remember, there is not perfect time or date to show your loved ones how much you love them. All it takes is something that reminds you of them and you go and grab it to gift to your precious ones.
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Why are Handicrafts important as gifts for loved ones?
- The first and foremost thing which places Handicrafts well above manufactured products is that you won't find it anywhere else in the whole wide world. The newer generations are full of artificial goods and this has increased drastically the value of Handicrafts as gifts and is in huge trends in current market.
- You can customize what you want from handmade gift. Imagination is the key and it's near to impossible to obtain the exact figure of your eccentric masterpiece you've drawn inside your mind but with Handicrafts it's more than possible.
- Handicrafts are those unexpected gifts which will never ever go out of trend. Today's generation is well aware of all the technologically advanced stuff which makes them every easier to predict your next gift but with brain drawn imaginations, it's not very likely to guess what there in store for your loved ones.
- Cost of handmade crafts is lesser as compared to any fancy item gifted to your near and dear ones because the materials used in Handmade items are way cheaper than the regular items artificially made in the markets. Therefore in an era of astute financial breakdown, save money and live life king sized and even better.
- These are not something which can be used and thrown, but the recipient of these gifts will always cherish the moment you gave them the gift and it will always be preserved for a lifetime, making you an irreplaceable person even when you're away from them.
That feeling of accomplishment when someone opens it and sees something very personal to the two of you will work wonders in keeping your relationship intact, be it your brother, your mom, your dad, your sister, your girlfriend or anybody you think deserves your gift so neat and tidy, a gift they will treasure all their life.
