Dastkar Ranthambore
Supporting craftswomen through crisis, restoring livelihoods and reconnecting traditional crafts with markets
1989-2004
About the Project
In 1989, the creation of Ranthambore National Park displaced communities from Sherpur and Khilchipur, disrupting traditional livelihoods and leaving many families uncertain about their future. The Ranthambore Foundation approached Dastkar to help develop alternative livelihoods, particularly for women. The surrounding villages were dry, isolated and economically vulnerable. Many traditional craft skills had been abandoned, with some craftspeople turning to agricultural labour instead. Dastkar began by spending time in the villages — documenting existing skills, understanding the communities and building trust. Ms. Laila Tyabji spent three weeks living in the villages in December 1989, helping establish these early relationships.
What began in a small room in Sherpur gradually grew into the Dastkari Kendra, a permanent space for craft production, training, sales and community activities. The Kendra brought together craft development with design, production planning, costing, pricing and market access. Designers, along with other specialists, worked with the craftspeople on product development, tailoring, cutting and sizing, natural dyes, firing, glazing and other technical skills.
Over time, the Kendra became more than a place to make and sell crafts. It became a shared space where women could work, learn, organise and build confidence in their own skills and livelihoods.
Crafts & Communities
The project grew around the skills of women and craftspeople in Sherpur, Khilchipur, Kutalpura and Shymota, while also supporting craft communities in the wider Sawai Madhopur area. Women at the Kendra worked with quilting, patchwork, block printing, Bandhani and sequin embroidery. Beyond the Kendra, Dastkar’s work helped revive block printing and Bandhani in Sawai Madhopur, as well as leatherwork in Kundera, pottery in Shymota and lac bangles in other nearby villages.
The approach was practical and market-facing. Craftspeople received training in design and product development, tailoring, cutting, sizing, costing and pricing, as well as indigo and natural dyes and other technical processes. The aim was not simply to preserve a craft as it was, but to help craftspeople understand how their skills could be developed into products that people would choose to buy.
Impact
The impact of the Ranthambore project can be seen in both income growth and the changing confidence of the craftspeople. What began with a small group of women grew into a network of hundreds of craftswomen across villages, working in quilting, patchwork, block printing, Bandhani and embroidery. The revival also encouraged neighbouring communities to return to traditional crafts such as leatherwork, pottery and lac bangles, creating new opportunities for livelihoods.
Women who had once been hesitant to step outside their villages began travelling to bazaars across India, interacting with customers and taking greater responsibility for their work and earnings. The Kendra became an important space for training, adult education, health and legal awareness, accounting, savings and micro-credit. It also brought women across caste and community together to work and learn collectively. Over time, the project contributed to wider changes within the community, including greater attention to girls' education, women's financial participation and awareness of health and rights. The Kendra evolved from a workplace into a space for learning, confidence and collective decision-making.
In 2004, Dastkar Ranthambore became an independent organisation, with artisans taking part in its governance. What began as a craft livelihood initiative had grown into a community-led institution with its own identity, leadership and aspirations. The story of Ranthambore shows how craft, when supported with the right skills, design, markets and organisational structures, can become a pathway to growing incomes, greater confidence and long-term community-led change.