Namda - The traditional felted craft of Rajasthan

India’s rural arts and handicrafts are the visual expression and technological processes of people living at several cultural, religious and social levels. For centuries Indian arts and crafts have been distinguished for their great aesthetic and functional value. The Indian handicrafts industry is highly labor intensive cottage based industry and de-centralized, being spread all over the country in rural and urban areas. One such traditional craft called Namda is produced since ages in the state of Rajasthan which is famous throughout the world for its profile art treasures, for its scenic beauty and bracing climate so also for its crafts. The present study was an attempt to study the traditional Namda craft of Rajasthan. Efforts were directed towards documenting the traditional Namda art of Tonk and to highlight its unique characteristics with respect to methods, materials, implements, raw materials and surface ornamentation techniques employed. Concern was also given towards reflecting the present scenario of this handicraft industry. Another major objective was to study the socio-economic profile of the craftsmen involved in the craft. Detailed emphasis was also laid on studying the changes that have intruded in the contemporary production practices of this felted rug.