DEVELOPMENT OF CRAFTS’ CENTRE IN JODHPUR

DESIGN DISSERTATION
IES COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
SEM-9 5TH YEAR B. ARCH

AKANKSHA MAHESHWARI
22
ABSTRACT

A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its culture. India is deeply
rooted in its traditions, arts and crafts, religion, rites and rituals, epical themes, paintings and
writings. The classical dance and music are world renowned for its magnificence. Stunning
handicrafts and textiles are carried home with a lot of pleasure and enthusiasm by tourists
visiting India.
Arts and handicrafts have been a part of daily life and culture of India. Indians have always
crafted goods for utilitarian purposes, religious rituals and for beautifications. Starting from
the crude wooden toys and carts excavated from the Indus Valley Civilization, to the modern
fashion accessories, the saga of Indian handicrafts continued through the ages.
Also known as the "The Blue City", "Sun City" and "Gateway to Thar", Jodhpur is
famous for its heritage and adventure tourism, and has always attracted tourists from all
over the world to explore this city of forts, palaces, temples and the striking culture of the
place.
This study aims to understand how tourism could be used to increase awareness among
tourists, and to study the role of stakeholders in promoting the handicrafts, art and culture of
the villages near Jodhpur reviving it as the traditional craft of the region. The scope of the
study covers Jodhpur city and its nearby villages. The targeted respondents of the research
survey are tourists visiting Jodhpur, artisans at the villages above, and the local inhabitants of
Jodhpur.
INTRODUCTION

In the recent times of globalisation and urbanisation, with the advent of western culture and
adaptation of the modern rules of society, it has become increasingly important to preserve
the cultural identity of India.
The new economy is based on information, where creativity, innovation and knowledge play a
major role. The arts and culture sector are often given less importance in economic
development policies and is seen as a drain on the economy. Places of the art and cultural
identities are experienced by millions of people all over the globe. The scenario in India is not
very different where selected arts are being exposed to the commercialisation. Irrespective of
the global demand, market reach of craftsmen and communities are limited. Skilled workers
(experts) at remote locations are faced with a hand to mouth situation and are bound to leave
their traditional work.
Also, with rapid change in lifestyle, aging and negligence, the vast repertoire of knowledge and
wisdom that sustained and nurtured the community, is fast disappearing. There is an urgent
need to preserve and revitalize these traditions and make them an integral part of our travel
experience as well as fostering the economic development.
CHAPTER 1. PROJECT SYNOPSIS
1.1 SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
CULTURAL TOURISM THROUGH ARTS AND CRAFTS

1.1.1TOURISM

Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of
people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or
business/professional purposes. These people are called visitors (which may be either tourists
or excursionists; residents or non-residents) and tourism has to do with their activities, some
of which imply tourism expenditure (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2008).

(Source: https://opentextbc.ca/introtourism/chapter/chapter-1-history-and-overview/)

1.1.2 DIFFERENT FORMS OF TOURISM

• Adventure Tourism
Travel for the aim of exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile areas is
known as adventure tourism. It involves exploration of remote areas and exotic locals by
engaging in various activities. It refers to performance of acts, which require significant
efforts and some degree of risk or physical danger. The activities include mountaineering,
trekking, bungee jumping, mountain biking, river rafting, and rock climbing etc.

• Heritage Tourism
Heritage tourism is defined as “travel undertaken to explore and experience places, activities,
which authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present”. It is oriented
toward cultural heritage of the tourist location. It involves visiting historical or industrial
sites, religious travel or pilgrimages. India is well known for its rich heritage and ancient
culture.

• Eco Tourism
Eco tourism, also known as ecological tourism, is travel to natural areas to appreciate the
cultural and natural history of the environment, while not disturbing the integrity of the
ecosystem and creating economic opportunities that make conservation and protection of
natural resources advantageous to local people. Ecotourism also minimizes wastage and the
environmental impact through sensitized tourists.

• Rural Tourism
Rural tourism encourages rural life, art, culture and heritage of rural locations, benefitting the
local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the
tourists and locals for a more enriching tourism experience. India’s rural, geographical and
cultural diversity enables to offer a wide range of tourism products and experiences.

• Wildlife Tourism
Wildlife tourism, one of the fastest segments of tourism, involves travel to different locations
to experience wild life in natural settings. India is endowed with various forms of flora and
fauna and it has numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plants and
animals.
• Cultural Tourism
It includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural
facilities such as museums, theatres or cultural centres. It can also include tourism in rural
areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities, and their values and
lifestyle.

• Education Tourism
Students undertake trips to abroad to secure higher studies and professionals to polish their
talents. Tourism here automatically gets triggered.
• MICE Tourism
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism is also one of the fastest
growing in the global tourism industry. It largely caters to business travellers, mostly
corporate.

• Wellness Tourism
This form of tourism involves people who travel to a different place to pursue activities that
maintain or enhance their personal health and wellness, and who are seeking unique,
authentic or location-based experiences.

• Religious Tourism
Religious tourism also referred to as faith based tourism exclusively and strongly motivated
for religious reasons, where people travel individually or in groups for pilgrimage
missionary or fellowship purposes.

1.1.3 INDIAN CULTURE

India is one of the few countries in the world which has a very ancient culture and
civilization. India’s cultural history has a long legacy of several thousand years, on the other
hand, shows a subtle but strong thread of continuity, epitomized in the assimilative power of
the culture and the unique display of “unity in diversity”.
(Source: LSCAC Conference Proceedings
The 4th International Conference on Language, Society and Culture in Asian Contexts (2016), Volume 2017)

(Source: www.mapsofindia.com)
 India is home to many of the finest cultural symbols of the world which includes temples,
churches, mosques, forts, performing arts, classical dances, sculptures, paintings,
architecture, literature etc., Some of the prestigious and spectacular World Heritage Sites in
India are the Hampi, Khajuraho, caves of Ajanta and Ellora, Konark Sun Temple, Taj Mahal,
and Brihadeswara Temple in Tanjore.
(https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b200/121fdf0fde3a093ffbf19e0eb11f1ee48bec.pdf)

India's traditions, varied lifestyles, and cultural heritage and

colourful fairs and festivals held abiding attractions for the
tourists. The other attractions include beautiful beaches,
forests and wildlife and landscapes for eco-tourism; snow,
river and mountain peaks for adventure tourism;
technological parks and science museums for science
tourism; centres of pilgrimage for spiritual tourism; heritage,
trains, and hotels for heritage tourism. Yoga, Ayurveda, and
natural health resorts and hill stations also attract tourists.

The Indian handicrafts particularly, jewellery,

carpets, leather goods, ivory, and brass work are the
main shopping items of foreign tourists. It is
estimated through a survey that nearly forty percent
of the tourist expenditure on shopping is spent on
such items.

(Source: Journal of Tourism and Hospitality)

1.1.4 CULTURE AND TOURISM IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT

The Indian culture has developed consistently because of its quality of adaptability. Most of
the tourists were attracted to India by its centuries-old culture. Culture of India which is
composite in nature is essentially an expression of inner urges and cumulative beliefs of
people gathered through centuries of experience. Keeping this in view, preservation of
cultural heritage, inculcation of art consciousness among people and promotion of high
standards of creative and performing arts and dissemination of culture becomes an important
aspect of consideration.

India’s glorious traditions and rich cultural heritage are closely related to the development of
tourism. The natural surroundings, the architectural masterpieces, the music, dance, paintings,
customs, and languages all these go to make India as a tourist paradise.

Tourism in India has a profound influence on Indian culture. Tourism contributes to the
maximum extent to the economic and the socio-cultural well-being of the country and of its
people and provides a rewarding recreational and cultural experience for the tourists.
(Source: R. Singh, Dynamics of historical cultural and heritage tourism, Kanishka Publications, New Delhi, 2000.)

Even though the Indian craftsman is frugal in his use of tools, his work is fine and this is
often highlighted as one of the features of the skill traditions in India. The contribution of the
sector to India is at present understood to be an economic one and limited to what is earned
though exports which stands at 3,230.77 million USD and as a subject of welfare.
(Source: Chatterjee, 2010, p76)

STATISTICS SHOWING FOREIGN TOURISTS IN YEAR 2017

STATISTICS SHOWING DOMESTIC TOURISTS IN YEAR 2017

(Source: https://www.nriol.com/india-statistics/indian-tourism-statistics.asp)
(Source: WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2019 World)

1.1.5 THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE GROWTH OF INDIA’S TOURISM

SECTOR

The government of India has realized the huge potential of tourism in the country and has
taken steps to ensure that it becomes a global tourism hub. To match words with actions, the
2017-2018 Union Budget has initiatives that will boost the tourism and hospitality sector in
the country, including setting up five special tourism zones, a tourism train or special
pilgrimage and a global campaign on “Incredible India”. Other major initiatives taken by the
government include:
1. A plan by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to revise the coastal
regulations of India, with the aim of opening 7,500km of the country’s coastline for
developmental activities.
2. A move by the Central Government to ensure a smooth transition to a cashless mode of
payment. This is to ensure that tourists have hitch-free transactions as well as remain
immune to the government’s demonetization drive.
The potential of India’s travel and tourism sector is huge and with the tourism sector looking
forward to expanding its e-visa scheme, the hardship faced by tourists? Which often deter
them from traveling to the country? Will be erased. This will further push up the number of
inbound tourists.

(Source: https://www.indiatouristoffice.org/2017/11/indian-tourism/)

(Source: WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2019 World)

1.2 TOPIC OF RESEARCH

JODHPUR CRAFTS CENTRE AS A SETTING FOR PROMOTING ARTS AND

CRAFTS

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is regarded as the cultural pioneer of the country due to its inherent rich
cultural heritage. It has a rich tradition of Folk-crafts such as Blue Pottery, Leather Craft,
Wooden Craft, Textile Craft, etc. based on locally available materials and traditionally rich
craftsmen.
There is a deep influence of tourists and tourism on Jodhpur. Because of the strong cultural
influence in its artistic forms, Jodhpur is among those cities that has the capability to employ
traditional methods for producing their arts and crafts from the villages nearby, making it a
boom for both the craftsmen and the tourists to explore the traditional artforms.

1.2.1 CURRENT SCENARIO OF HANDICRAFTS SECTOR

At present, almost all the handicrafts of Jodhpur are facing a severe crisis in terms of survival
since most of the craftsmen are shifting to other jobs to earn their livelihood and the
handicraft and other small-scale industries has become a part time field of activity.

This has happened due to the following facts:

o Due to lack of opportunity and interest laid in the sector, the craftsmen as well as the
government have failed in terms of marketability of all such handicraft items and
developing it into a state of art and a platform for them to showcase their works to the
visitors.
o There is no coordination and holistic organizational set up available for the
craftsmen.
o The connections between the rural and urban centres and the poor infrastructural set-
up leave the customers with limited choice to explore all such diversified handicraft
items.
NEED OF THE PROJECT
Cultural tourism is a powerful opportunity to impact and change the minds of tourists. There
is a flourishment of all sorts of ethical/responsible tourism groupings worldwide. They regard
actively engaging with and contributing to local developmental processes as intrinsic to their
tourist experience. This offers the possibility to reconceptualise ‘tourism’ as a ‘cultural
exchange’ framed within a developmental ethos, driven by both the agent communities.

The projects that offer maximum opportunity for creating employment for artisans are in the
recreation and souvenir-shopping category. Recreation facilities like theatres, cultural
complexes and Shilpa grams, etc. offer maximum opportunities for employing the local
artisans. To maximise opportunities for local participation, training programmes need to be
made available to residents of the state, especially younger people. To the extent possible,
these employment opportunities should be met through the local populace/ community and
only specialist positions recruited from outside the state

HYPOTHESIS STATEMENT

Creation of a platform for the artists in all the creative personas to teach, learn and showcase
their work on public grounds where there is an opportunity for the visitors to learn and
experience the process, who in return gets formally and informally sensitized to creative
expressions engaging in a dialogue with the artist.

TOPIC JUSTIFICATION

Cultural tourism is a very important tool towards the development of arts and crafts sector.
The artisans being richer in aspects of the traditional culture and vernacular techniques that
they follow are more vulnerable to the loss of their cultural identity. Thus, cultural tourism
with context to handicrafts should encourage conservation of those values and make an
attempt to cause as little impact to the preservation and promotion as possible.
Thus, the relevance of this topic is to revitalize the artist’s space and enhance its magnitude
by creating a global meeting platform of discourse and work for artists in all the creative
personas like handicrafts making, music, dance, theatre, etc. The idea is to teach, learn and
showcase their work to outside world. Thus, sensitize tourists or visitors to creative
expression of art & culture by forming a dialogue with the artists to learn.

AIM
The focus is to view culture as a system that links a group of people or a community to their
surroundings through their use of local materials and energies, and the production and
consumption of products from these. The focus is on creating and strengthening people’s
place that represent all sections of the community – women, youth, skilled artisans and
cultural artistes especially from marginalized groups.
OBJECTIVES
The key objective is to achieve high and appropriate tourism standards. Training programmes
can raise the skill base of the industry and thereby contribute to the delivery of quality tourist
experiences. Also, the creation of employment opportunities through rural culture and craft-
based skills.

Other secondary objectives are as follows:

-Enhancement of values and utilization of local resources and skills

-Empowers women, youth and other disadvantaged sections of the community through
creation of livelihood options and managerial responsibilities
-Development, production and marketing of endogenous tourism ‘products’ that valorises
local cultures and traditions
-Development of local skills and capacities for setting up, running, managing and marketing
alternate tourist enterprises
-Protection and preservation of the environment and the ecological balance of the country and
ecologically sustainable built environment

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS

Positive Impacts

1. Generating Income and Employment: Tourism in India has emerged as an instrument of

income and employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development.

2. Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings: Tourism is an important source of foreign

exchange earnings in India. This has a favourable impact on the balance of payment of the
country.

3. Preservation of National Heritage and Environment: Tourism helps preserve several

places which are of historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites. tourism also
helps in conserving the natural habitats of many endangered species.

4. Developing Infrastructure: Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use

infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various means of transports, health
care facilities, and sports centres, in addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants that cater
to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure has in turn induced the development of
other directly productive activities.

5. Promoting Peace and Stability: The tourism industry can also help promote peace and
stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying
the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-cultural awareness

Negative Impacts

1. Undesirable Social and Cultural Change: Tourism sometimes led to the destruction of
the social fabric of a community. The more tourists coming into a place, the more the
perceived risk of that place losing its identity.
2. Increase Tension and Hostility: Tourism can increase tension, hostility, and suspicion
between the tourists and the local communities when there is no respect and understanding
for each other’s culture and way of life. This may further lead to violence and other crimes
committed against the tourists.

3. Creating a Sense of Antipathy: Tourism brought little benefit to the local community.
Moreover, large hotel chain restaurants often import food to satisfy foreign visitors and rarely
employ local staff for senior management positions, preventing local farmers and workers
from reaping the benefit of their presence.

4. Adverse Effects on Environment and Ecology: One of the most important adverse
effects of tourism on the environment is increased pressure on the carrying capacity of the
ecosystem in each tourist locality. Increased transport and construction activities led to large
scale deforestation and destabilization of natural landforms, while increased tourist flow led
to an increase in solid waste dumping as well as depletion of water and fuel resources. The
flow of tourists to ecologically sensitive areas resulted in the destruction of rare and
endangered species due to trampling, killing, disturbance of breeding habitats.