Jharokhas: A peep inside Indian culture and beauty!!

India has been the land of art and culture from pre-historic time. Indian art in the form of paintings and sculptures are quite fascinating. Everybody knows about the world famous Ajanta, Ellora, and Elephanta caves. The paintings (Fresco) of Ajanta caves and sculptures of Elephanta caves have a realistic touch and tell the story of our ancient traditions and culture.

One can get a taste of Indian culture with a trip to Rajasthan. Rajasthan is also known as ‘Rangeela Rajasthan’. There is a dash of colour everywhere, in the paintings, folk songs, and even folk dances. The palaces of Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Udaipur are full of beautiful artifacts that display the talent and skill of the local craftsmen.

Rajasthan is very famous for its handicrafts and a lot of tourists come to Rajasthan to explore these handcrafted products. Colourful and bright latkans, Mashaal' are popular wall décor products. A very popular traditional wall hanging is the ‘Jharokha’. ‘ Jharokha’ basically refers to a small window. In Rajasthan, the ‘Purdah System’ was prevalent and the queens generally watched all the proceedings or functions hidden behind small and artistic windows.These were called Jharokhas. The ‘Hawa Mahal’ in Jaipur is a classic example of this.

These days the same Jharokhas have transformed into decorative pieces and adorn the walls of many homes. They are made of wood and come in different shapes and sizes. They are available in a variety of colours and you can pick one that blends in perfectly with the décor of your home. This beautiful wall hanging can also be transformed into a photo frame with a little help from the carpenter. You can even buy a set of Mashaal's and place them on both sides of the Jharokha to give a traditional feel to your wall décor.

The wide variety in colour and size makes it a great return gift for your guests.