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What does a tailor, a potter, a ceramist and a weaver have in common? They are all artisans who are now challenged by a loss of market to commercially-made cheaper alternatives and most of them are living in poor economic conditions.

Dhokra (also spelt Dokra) is non–ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been used in India since Indus Valley Civilization which dates back around 4,000-5,000 years old and is still used.The product of dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, enchanting folk motifs and forceful form.The lost wax technique for casting of copper based alloys has also been found in China, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Central America and other places. Variant products were made by manual hand work which is not only prominent in the domestic market but has even a greater demand in the foreign market. 

Appliqué work has become a popular craft used in almost every ritual celebration or festival in the country. In India, applique has been a part of religious traditions for centuries, though it also holds historic prominence in countries such as China, Benin, Pakistan and Egypt.  The applique technique has been adopted by people all over the world to provide bold, brightly colored, sometimes three-dimensional designs for use in various situations. The work is generally done by hand.