QUEST - a research based journal - July 2015

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This latest issue of QUEST comes combine of the last two issue with theme "Handloom & Handicrafts of North East India : Change and Continuity".

Indian handloom and handicraft products, like that of many other regions of the world, reflect the cultural, spiritual, religious, and aesthetic sensibilities of the country.

In the Northeast of India, myriad communities produce their own hand-crafted objects either for daily use or for ceremonial occasions. The distinctive patterns and motifs have begun to earn wide appreciation for not only the finished products but also for the eco-friendly materials and processes which create them.

The handloom and handicraft items, different as they could be in manifestation, however, have a deeper meaning. Most of them draw inspiration from Mother Nature and not just from the animate and inanimate objects, but also from elements connected with their faiths and beliefs. Symbolic representations are synonymous with many forms of handloom and handicrafts. The famed Brindabani Bastra connected with Srimanta Sankardeva has significance that is no less than that of the object itself. There are numerous instances
which have levels of meaning that can only be construed with very fine sensibilities.

From time immemorial the handloom and handicraft items have wonderfully showcased not just invaluable knowledge and practices of the indigenous communities. They are the revealing examples of their cultural ethos, their emotional wellspring, and a rare blend of innovation and ingenuity. In Sister Nivedita's word, The highest art is always charged with spiritual intensity, with intellectual and emotional revelation, an expression that could be easily applied to the handloom and handicraft heritage of this part of India.