Timeless Traditions; Contemporary Forms: Arts and Crafts of Madhya Pradesh

The rich cultural heritage of Madhya Pradesh is evident from the variety of traditional arts and crafts produced in the state from textiles to wood work, jewelery to leather products, and toys to bamboo products and tribal arts. Crafts express a community's true cultural identity. Traditional craft works often depict the social and aesthetic character of a society, and have been sustained over time not only because of their rich symbolic content, but also because of their contribution to the socio-economic growth of the region.There is nothing quite like the thrill and awe of seeing a tiger in the wild, or hearing the rutting call of a Barasingha stag and the alarm call of a Spotted deer in its natural habitat. The tiger is India's iconic national animal, and Madhya Pradesh is virtually a 'tigerland'. Places like Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and the nearby forests are home to the bulk of the population of tigers, their co-predators, prey and habitat of Central India. The^state has a diversity of life forms owing to its rich, unique geographical and climatic attributes. The large number of protected areas in the state highlights the concern and efforts of the state government to conserve and protect its floral and faunal heritage.