Skill training for youths in Rajasthani arts

Jaipur: Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) is going to impart training to youths in the Rajasthani traditional skills in a big way to revive the dying traditional skills and to generate source of livelihood to the youth.

Krishna Kunal, commissioner for skill, employment and entrepreneurship and managing director of the Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) said the rich heritage of Rajasthan is facing threats as the traditionally engaged people are switching over to other professions due to reasons like migration. However, it has tremendous demand and training in these traditional art forms could make not only help to keep alive the art forms but also earn a livelihood to young people.

The skill development corporation is trying to revive these skills with the involvement of experts and framing short term course to impart training to the youth which make them skilled and generate income.

"The course would be three to four months' duration and the aim is to make the youth earn livelihood from these skills imparted to them," he said. Kunal said some of the art forms have been identified includes highly popular classical music forms like the Langa-Manganiyar with its own distinct style is part of the cultural tradition of Rajasthan. Another is Phad painting of Bhilwara and training artisans for restoration of forts and palaces, etc.

Phad painting of Bhilwara is a highly popular art form in Rajasthan. Phad painting or Phad is a style religious scroll painting and folk painting practiced in Rajasthan. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth or canvas known as Phad. The narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly of Pabuji and Devnarayan are depicted on the Phads. Traditionally, the Phads are painted with vegetable colours. These paintings are in great demand and training in this field could create good employment opportunities for youth.

Besides, Rajasthan is known for its forts, places and monuments. Restoration of these monuments is a Herculean task with not much trained personnel hardly come by. So the department wants to create a course in this sector which could be a boom for the young people to find lucrative employment in the heritage restoration sector.

Apart from culture, the other areas where employment opportunities are abound is the wellness sector which is short of trained manpower. Short term course are being framed for therapeutic massage, yoga, naturopathy, spa and wellness, nutrition and health and nutrition and health education are the other sectors identified, he said. Another area of focus is in promoting aquarium fish farming which has huge potential to generate employment.

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