It is very sad to see these delicate arts losing charm and value these days.
Similarly in South, making beautiful Gods out of stones for temples is an age old art. You must see some of the big temples in tanjore, Kumkbakonam, Kancheevaram, Madurai, Chidambaram, etc. to understand the value of this and the craftsmanship involved.You will be simply shocked with the way they have carved out delicate images out of stones. This art is slowly dying out, as there are no demands for it.
Another art is making idols of Gods from a mixture of 5 metals (panchaloha). This art also is very ancient. You must visit the temples mentioned above in T.Nadu to realize this. This also is dying out due to lack of interest in it by people. To add to the problem, though the temples own a lot of land, most of the leaseholders do not provide anything to the temples, as per terms and conditions of the lease agreement, which leaves the temples in poor conditions.
Another art dying out is weaving silk sarees at Kancheepuram, Thirubhuvanam. These places are known for their pure silk sarees. In olden days atleast at the time of marriages, the bride is supposed to wear atleast 3-4 pure silk sarees. Now-a-days due to the high cost involved, the demand for such pure silk sarees is coming down, and lesser priced artificial silk sarees are picking up.
In olden days, atleast the girl child in any Brahmin family used to learn Bharatha Natyam, vocal singing (Karnatic), playing of Veena, etc. Due to the tough competition in studies now-a-days and lack of spare time due to the ever increasing bookload, children prefer to go to tution or computer classes. They simply argue if I learn Veena or Bharatha Natyam, how will it help me in getting a decent employment at a later date?
It pains to see these centuries old arts slowly dying down in front of our own eyes.
