Abstract:

Woodcarving was the favoured medium of artistic expression of the Indian subcontinent. Indian houses and temples were profusely adorned with it and are often inseparable from it. Woodcarving, an indigenous tradition craft finds a mention in the ancient texts such as the Rig Veda and Matsya Purana. Woodcarving craft was well developed in many states specially, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. They differed in terms of the kind of wood and the craft tradition. In the early days of kings and nawabs, woodcarving was essentially seen as an adjunct to architecture. Palaces, havelis and temples were decorated with incredibly carved doors, windows and jalis (lattice work). The present paper describes traditional woodcarving work adoring houses and temples of Pabbar valley of Himachal Pradesh.