Charkha

The wooden inlay art of Hoshiarpur, Punjab, which originated around 300 years ago, is a craft of inserting pieces of different material such as bone, shell and wood in the base wooden item to form patterns which are typically found as furniture and decorative artifacts of Punjabi households. An inlay is a technique of inserting pieces of contrasting colors into hollowed-out spaces to form a design. It involves engraving foliage patterns, and simple everyday designs are inlaid with either acrylic, plastic, bronze or camel bone. The ivory inlaid products are most sought not just in India but all around the world which are followed by bone, metal and acrylic inlays.

The Shisham wood(North Indian Rosewood) is used due to its durability and resistance to warping. Traditional inlay work is usually done using plastic and Sheesham wood. The patterns are carved into the wood which are then wedged with plastic wire or the inlay element.