Indian Handmade Paper

Since, time immemorial, handicrafts have been an intrinsic part of rich Indian cultural and provide an individual style. Indian Handmade Paper is popular for its breathtaking designs that capture the imagination of the user populous worldwide. The range of innovative, exclusive and decorative indian handmade paper are artistically designed and individually crafted by master craftsmen. With a promise to revive the past by the virtue of crafting excellence, Indian paper is painstakingly crafted and meticulously designed. These unmatched masterpieces are indeed a craftsman's dream molded into reality.

The Past & Present of the Industry
The saga of indian handmade paper dates back to third century B.C. However, this industry which expanded majorly during the Mughal era gradually declined with the establishment of paper mills during the 18th and 19th centuries. The art of handmade paper making again revived under the inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi and in the present times, the Indian handmade paper industry holds 167 handmade paper working units all over the country, that produces around 26 crore worth of papers and provides employment to millions of people in the rural areas.

The Fabric Used
In India, handmade paper is produced mainly by recycling waste agro raw materials such as cotton rags, jute, straw, banana, rice and small quantities of waste paper. Some of the heaviest Indian papers contain the straw left over from the sugarcane harvest, called bagasse. The most notable factor that makes Indian handmade paper special, is that is use of rags in papermaking declined in the West because of unavailability and higher costs, but in India a majority of papers are made from waste rags. These papers are easily distinguished from the papers used in the Western hemisphere, with their long acid and lignin-free fibers and nubby textures. Many have a translucent quality which crafters and card makers consider very beautiful.

Centuries old craft of handmade paper has endured the severe tests of time, culture and technology. Today, India responds well to the world's demand for inexpensive, elegant yet interesting, handmade papers. Indians produce a multitude of papers, which ranges from papers fabricated from cotton rags leftover to the lovely Indian flower petal paper embedded with rose petals and marigold petals, to sturdy and bumpy paper, which is perfect for making boxes and other crafts.