Shilpparichay — Discovering the Soul Within Crafts
Shilpparichay is a journey into India’s living craft traditions—where every product carries a story, every artisan carries a legacy, and every craft reflects a way of life shaped over generations.
The word Shilpparichay comes from two Hindi words—Shilp (craft) and Parichay (introduction). True to its name, Shilpparichay is an introduction to the hands, homes, and histories behind India’s handmade traditions.
Our Beginning
Shilpparichay was born not in a studio or boardroom, but during field visits to craft clusters and artisan homes across India. While exploring handloom villages, bamboo settlements, terracotta clusters, and tribal art communities, one reality became clear—India’s crafts are rich in skill and heritage, yet poor in visibility, fair access, and authentic representation.
Artisans were preserving centuries-old techniques, yet struggling to find recognition and sustainable livelihoods. Stories were being lost, and crafts were often reduced to commodities.
Shilpparichay was created to change that.
About the Founder
Shilpparichay is founded by Soumya, who has spent 33 years of her life in Chhattisgarh—studying here, building her professional life here, and becoming a mother here.
This land has shaped her values, work ethic, and worldview. Chhattisgarh is not just a place she lived in; it is a place that nurtured her, grounded her, and gave her identity. In her words, this state is like a second mother.
Through Shilpparichay, Soumya seeks to give back to the land that gave her so much. The initiative is deeply personal—a way to ensure that the stories, skills, and spirit of Chhattisgarh’s artisans are not forgotten, but respected and carried forward.
At the heart of this effort is a simple yet powerful intention:
to create a living record of the state’s cultural wealth so that her son—and future generations—grow up knowing how rich, resilient, and remarkable Chhattisgarh truly is.
What We Do
We work closely with artisans and craft communities to document, preserve, and present authentic Indian crafts in their truest form. Our focus goes beyond products to include process, people, and place.
Through Shilpparichay, we:
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Collaborate directly with artisans and craft clusters
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Promote fair pricing and ethical sourcing
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Document craft techniques, tools, and traditions
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Share real, unfiltered stories from the field
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Support utility-based, sustainable, and culturally rooted crafts
Every craft featured on Shilpparichay is personally visited, understood, and respectfully represented.
Our Philosophy
Craft is not just an object—it is livelihood, identity, and memory.
In a world of mass production, Shilpparichay stands for:
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Slow craft over fast consumption
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Human stories over factory labels
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Authenticity over artificial perfection
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Sustainability rooted in tradition, not trends
We do not simply curate crafts; we build long-term relationships.
Looking Ahead
Shilpparichay is also an evolving cultural archive. Through stories, visuals, and documentation, we aim to safeguard crafts that are at risk of fading away.
In the future, Shilpparichay envisions expanding into craft-led cultural journeys and responsible tourism, allowing people to visit artisan villages, understand traditions firsthand, and experience the rhythm of craft-based life.
Why Shilpparichay Matters
When you choose Shilpparichay, you choose more than a product.
You choose a land, its people, and their stories.
You become part of an effort to ensure that India’s crafts—and especially the soul of crafts, the artisans—continue to live, breathe, and inspire generations to come.