Craft design in India has an ancient history & was a highly used method for livelihood even before the British & Portuguese came in India. But after the emergence of foreign power and machines, most of the art and craft works lost its value. Indian handicrafts tradition has a unique place in the world, both in variety and in technique & use of materials.

Sargaalaya, the Kerala Arts & Crafts village in Kerala is an initiative by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. The Village is a craft cluster that was conceptualized as a tourism destination, developed and implemented on the Responsible Tourism model. It is an initiative to put Kerala's traditional handicrafts on the tourism trail.

Sargaalaya, the art & craft village at Iringal is designed as an initiative to put Kerala's traditional arts & crafts on the tourism trail. The craft village is set up on 20 acres of land on the banks of the Moorad River, just 200 meters off Kozhikode – Kannur National Highway near Vadakara. The craft village has 27 cottages where, a hundred or even more artisans can work. Apart from showcasing crafts & craftsmen from across Kerala, Sargaalaya has a Crafts Design & Technology development centre that provides training for craftsmen on the latest techniques of production & encourages innovation in the traditional system.