Bidri is an exquisite form of handicraft, where metal is skillfully inlaid on a base of zinc and tin alloy. Now flourishing in Bidar, Karnataka, the art originated in ancient Persia. Early artisans would work with copper, gold and silver, but in India, the art form evolved to use rust-proof alloys. Bidri thrived as an art form under the patronage of the Deccan Sultanate. Today, it's famous as an iconic metal craft.

Crafting Bidriware is a meticulous and exacting process involving four steps. First, the artists melt the alloy and cast it into moulds. Then the metal is smoothened, designed, and engraved using hammers and chisels. The artefact is inlaid using metal wires or sheets of metal before the surface is buffed and oxidised. Bidri handicrafts have a distinctive black colour because they are polished with bidari mitti (soil) from Bidar Fort. This special soil is said to contain saltpetre or potassium/sodium nitrate, which helps in oxidation.

Popular items like hookahs, surahis (pitchers), ashtrays, boxes, vases, bangles, and pandaans (boxes for betel leaves) are usually decorated in the Bidri tradition. Artists showcase the Persian heritage with decorative elements like the five-pointed leaf (ashrafi ki booti ), the three-pointed leaf (teenpatti ki booti ), and raw mango (kairi ).

The master craftsman Mohammad Abdul Rauf has showcased Bidri craftsmanship at a global stage. He is a third-generation Bidri artisan and recipient of the Shilp Guru Award.

His work, a statuette of Queen Channamma, was presented as a souvenir to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2017.

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