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The Jangid Artisan Family of Rajasthan: Mahesh Jangid, Mohit Jangid & Rohit Jangid
The Jangid family has its roots in Churu district of Rajasthan where their craft has been one of carving traditional art on wood. The agricultural land that the family owned added to the income. But that was not where they found their fortunes. “The family has traditionally practiced carpentry,” Mahesh said during a conversation.
Mahesh’s grandfather, Mal Chand, was an artist par excellence who was self-taught in the art of miniature carving on sandalwood. He had once told his children that he had seen a dream where God asked him to do miniature carvings to earn a living. He lived up to the dream and soon sat down to work. People in the sleepy town of Churu disregarded his words as that of a maverick. Soon afterwards, when his exquisite carving was ready, it caught the attention of a local businessman. Such was the impact of his skill on the businessman that Mal Chand was told that whatever he made would be bought by him. In the 1950s, for the first piece that he sold to the Nahta family, he got he got a princely (in those days) sum of ₹20 for his effort.
The businessman who bought his art pieces regularly set up the privately-held Nahta Museum which exists at Sardarshahar, some 50 kilometres from Churu. It is not open to the public, but it established the innate skill of Mal Chand, as people could see his amazing work being bought by an influential trader.
When Mal Chand found a ready buyer, the fortunes of the Jangids changed forever. Soon, his sons got involved in the craft.
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