Heritage of skill in making clay ornaments in India

Personal adornment is very common feature among human beings. Ornaments have been found from archaeological sites in India even before the onset of Indus valley civilization. Present work is on terracotta ornaments with focus on bangles. Bangles found from Harappan culture is analysed and compared with present day types. Terracotta bangles have a long history of existence in India. The making of bangles needs special skill not only for the manufacturing process but also the choice of raw material, technique of firing and decorating. Present paper deals with this tangible and intangible cultural heritage of India with understanding of continuity of cultural traits.