Significance of Elephant as Design Element in Saharanpur Woodcraft

Abstract According to existing literature, art and craft are the essential activity of human mind featured with imagination and innovation and ornamented by variation of shapes, texture and colors. Itlaid emphasis on aesthetic excellence and creative collaboration through the design element. Through the ages, design component is considered as the visual dialogue and straightest path for the understanding of divergent culture, religion and tradition. The language of design deals with the external and internal aspect of imagesthat creates visual appearance and forms a relationship between art and craft. Over a period of time, elephant form has been applied in various art, craft and architecture. In this regard, Saharanpur woodcraft has been developed under the strong Hindu and the Mughals influence. In Saharanpur woodcraft, elephant as design element has lavishly conceivedwith the abundance of floral and geometrical decorations on wood and stone carving as well as wall paintings. These wide varieties of decorations demonstrate the glimpse of Indian art as well as the mysteries of Mughal art. Despite knowing the existence of the elephant motif in Hindu mythology, it was adopted in the Mughal art with impressive manner. The aim of writing this paper is to study the factors which were largely responsible for application of elephant motif in Saharanpur woodcraft. The special reference is given to symbolic manifestation of elephant in human life. The purpose of depiction of this motif is not only the ornamentation and decoration but also the adoption of it in ...