Jaipur, Rajasthan · 6 August 2026
Artisan Stories · The Makers
A question in a Class 12 classroom in Tonk sent Hemraj Kumawat to Jaipur at eighteen. Decades on, his hand-cut mirror work catches light in palaces, temples and hotels across India.
Walk into a Sheesh Mahal, and the first thing you notice is the light.
Thousands of tiny mirrors catch even the faintest ray, scattering it across walls and ceilings until the entire space seems to glow from within. It feels almost magical.
What most people never see is the craftsmanship behind that illusion.
Every mirror has been cut by hand.
Every fragment placed with intention.
Every pattern built piece by piece, long before anyone admired the finished work.
For Hemraj Kumawat, this extraordinary craft began not in a workshop, but in a classroom.
Growing up in Tonk, Rajasthan, he first encountered the magnificent Sheesh Mahals of Rajasthan while studying in Class 12. What fascinated him wasn’t simply their beauty—it was the question behind it.
How were thousands of tiny mirror pieces arranged with such precision?
That single question refused to leave him.
At the age of eighteen, curiosity brought him to Jaipur, where he began training under Master Craftsman Shankar Ji Kumawat. Like every traditional artisan, he quickly learned that Thikri Art is not something that can be mastered through books or short courses. It is learned through observation, repetition, discipline, and years of working alongside experienced hands.
Unlike modern decorative finishes, Thikri Art allows no shortcuts.
Every mirror is individually shaped.
Every edge is refined by hand.
Every piece is positioned with remarkable precision before becoming part of a larger composition. A single installation may contain thousands of mirror fragments, each contributing to patterns that appear effortless but demand extraordinary patience to create.
The process rewards calm hands far more than hurried ones.
Over time, what began as an apprenticeship evolved into a lifelong commitment to one of Rajasthan’s most distinctive architectural art forms.
Today, Hemraj Kumawat leads a team of skilled artisans specialising in handcrafted mirror inlay, creating bespoke installations for luxury residences, heritage properties, boutique hotels, temples, restaurants, and contemporary commercial spaces across India.
His work demonstrates how traditional craftsmanship can find a meaningful place within modern architecture.
Rather than treating Thikri as a decorative element from the past, he approaches every project as a collaboration between heritage and contemporary design. Each installation is created specifically for the character of the space, ensuring that centuries-old techniques continue to evolve without losing their authenticity.
This philosophy has led his work to some of India’s most recognised destinations.
His portfolio includes projects for The Leela Palace Jaipur, ITC Maratha Mumbai, Serai Bagh Ranthambore, Mehr O Man at M3M Gurugram, and Veda Restaurant in Connaught Place, New Delhi. His craftsmanship has also found a place in private residences, including projects for celebrated fashion designer Rohit Bal, entrepreneur Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO of Paytm, and a temple installation at the Delhi residence of Sonam Kapoor.
Beyond walls and ceilings, his workshop creates handcrafted mirror panels, architectural installations, sculptural artworks, and bespoke decorative pieces designed exclusively for luxury interiors. No two projects follow the same template because every space deserves its own identity.
Yet despite working on some of India’s most prestigious projects, Hemraj continues to approach his craft with the same curiosity that first brought him to Jaipur years ago.
Every new commission is another opportunity to learn.
Every design presents a fresh challenge.
Every installation becomes another chapter in the long history of Rajasthan’s mirror craftsmanship.
For him, Thikri Art is far more than an ornamental finish.
It is a conversation between light, architecture, and the human hand.
A craft that survives not because it can be produced faster, but because it cannot.
In an age where technology makes replication effortless, handcrafted mirror work remains deeply personal. Every cut, every reflection, and every pattern carries the presence of the artisan who created it. That human touch is what transforms thousands of tiny mirror pieces into something that feels alive.
Because in the end, Thikri is not simply about decorating a wall.
It is about preserving one of Rajasthan’s most remarkable artistic traditions—one mirror, one pattern, and one masterpiece at a time.
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