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Stonework
Agra Marble Inlay (Pietra Dura)
TownAgra
StateUttar Pradesh
Craft typeStonework
GI tagNot yet registered
About
Known locally as Parchinkari, this precision stone-inlay craft embeds finely cut, polished semi-precious stones into white marble to create intricate floral patterns — the very technique used to decorate the Taj Mahal itself.
Did you know? Artisans practicing Parchinkari in Agra today are direct descendants of the craftsmen brought from Persia and Central Asia by Shah Jahan to decorate the Taj Mahal in the 17th century — the craft has survived in the same families for nearly 400 years.