Karnataka’s silverware tradition is a refined craft form, primarily seen in Mysuru, Channapatna, and Bengaluru, where artisans create devotional, ornamental, and functional silver objects using time-honoured techniques. These include repoussé (raised relief), chasing, embossing, engraving, and hammering of pure silver sheets.

The products range from puja thalis, deepams (lamps), idols, betel boxes, trays, and utensils to wedding gifts and ritual items. Artisans often work with 99% pure silver, enhancing the metal’s luster and value. Designs are deeply inspired by temple iconography, nature, and geometric patterns, with motifs like lotuses, creepers, elephants, and conch shells.

This craft is practiced by traditional silversmith communities such as the Kammalar and Vishwakarma, where skills are handed down over generations within families or through guild-like setups. The meticulous attention to detail and ornamental elegance make Karnataka’s silverware both a sacred necessity and a collector’s delight.

Silver has long held a sacrosanct place in Karnataka's cultural and religious fabric, especially under the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore, where silver artisans were commissioned to create ceremonial pieces for temples and royal households.

Mysuru, as a cultural hub, continues to support numerous workshops producing silver items for major South Indian temples and religious trusts. In many traditional homes, silver items-like lamps, tumblers, idols, and katories-are part of bridal trousseaux, serving as tangible embodiments of spiritual and familial continuity.

Craft practices remain deeply tied to temple rituals and festivals, with silver often being used in procession icons (utsava murtis), decorative arches, and altars. Despite modern competition, Karnataka’s silver artisans have retained the integrity of their art by adapting design sensibilities to suit contemporary tastes while maintaining traditional methods.

One of the most celebrated examples of Karnataka silver artistry is the silver palanquin of Goddess Chamundeshwari at the Chamundi Hill Temple, Mysuru. Created by local artisans in the early 20th century, the palanquin features intricate repoussé work depicting mythological scenes and is used annually during Navaratri Dasara.

In Channapatna, families engaged in both toy-making and metalwork continue to produce engraved silver betel nut boxes and ritual containers, often customized for specific ceremonies. In Melkote, several temple artefacts used during Vairamudi Utsav are made in pure silver by Mysuru-based craftsmen.

In recent years, Karnataka’s silver artisans have participated in craft revival initiatives by organizations like Dastkar and KSHDC, helping take this regal craft from temple sanctums to design studios and modern homes across India.

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