Traditional Handcrafted Jewellery of Uttarakhand- A Kumaon Division

The historic context of Jewellery of India is as old as the country itself. It was around five thousand years ago that body adornment was realised amongst native people. Beauty of a woman and the charm of the jewellery were almost synonyms to each other. Majority of Indian women are inclined to wear and beautify themselves with jewellery.

Indian jewellery has immense traditional value and aesthetic appeal. It also signifies the status in society and adds to the esteem.The beauty of Indian jewellery is reflected in its unique designs and the fine craftsmanship. Designs are intricate and are an impression of royalty and rich Indian culture.We can see a wide variety in Indian jewellery which is primarily due to the difference in designs.Any design of the jewellery depends on the regional needs and cultural norms attached.

The south is known for its extensive temple based large deigns, the north is known for its exclusive carved designs, the west is known for its mirrored and stoned works and the east is famous for its beaded work. Many trends are taken from the Middle East regions but the designing is unique.

Indian jewellery has played a pivotal role in highlighting the beauty of the various dance forms popular in India like Kuchipudi, kathak or Bharatnatyam. Classical dancers performing various dance forms are given an exquisite appearance by embellishing them with sparkling Indian jewellery.

The number of items adorned by an Indian woman as jewellery is many and there is an ornament for adorning almost every part of her body. Right from the hair to the toe, there are jewellery pieces to highlight the beauty of the Indian women.

This book is a tribute to Indian craftsmanship and the rich diverse Indian heritage.

Manika walia is Professor and Dean; School of Creativity, Rishihood University, Delhi NCR - mentoring young minds towards constructive, sustainable and meaningful design solutions in different domains.

As an Academic Administrator and Professor of Design, she believes that the understanding of subject matter is important but it is also necessary that students can explore beyond the first layer of information, observe, critically analyse, work in teams, develop analytical skills and above all become good successful human beings.

She started her career soon after completing her postgraduate education as a freelance designer with renowned apparel and soft furnishing design studios in India, Hong Kong and the U.S. Also, was engaged in design projects for the Jaipur City Palace -Atelier and Ministry of Handicrafts and textiles.

Prof. Manika's continuous association with Industry and interest in design education helped her in forging new initiatives in the field of design education. She pursued Advance program in Design and Sustainability in the changing world form London College of Fashion and Kering; UK. Her experience in design teaching motivated to pursue Doctorate in Social Innovation through Design with a view to pursue an active role in design academics, research and creating a social impact.

Prof. Manika strongly believe designs' true vocation is problem solving and developing solutions that touch lives and bring benefit to all stakeholders. Her particular interest is in application of design research and its implementation for effective sustainable, social design and system reform.

She has worked extensively on a number of independent design projects towards sustainability, universal design and ergonomics, design intervention for various craft clusters and have contributed to various government and corporate agencies. She was honoured by Micol Fontana Couture, Florence, Italy. Her work towards Design Thinking was highly recognised in Vietnam.

She is also a distinguished member Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), working closely with the stakeholders for strategizing and implementing all the Design initiatives in the country.

She is passionate in what she does and is always ready to challenge the conventional wisdom at both the level of industry and the higher education sector.

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