Sidhpur: splendid architecture in a neglected town

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Toothpicker

After a visit to the ghost village Durgapur (see earlier post here) near Mandvi, we visited another sleepy town called Sidhpur in Patan. Both places have exquiste haveli architecture but barely any occupants. What on earth happened to these places? I can’t fathom why these home owners abandoned their beautiful homes. It makes me wonder if Gujarat is full of these demise towns and villages.

Situated on the left bank of the River Saraswati, Sidhpur is in fact a scared town within Patan, one of the early medieval capitals of Gujarat. Named after the great Solanki ruler of Gujarat – Siddhraj Jaisinh, the name literally means ‘a pious place’. It was a prominent town in the 10th century under the Solanki rulers, and home to the desecrated 10th-12th century Rudra Mahalaya Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (now it is a ruin and protected national monument). The town was full of temples, kunds, ashrams and other sacred places that drew pilgrims from everywhere.

Yet our guide did not take us to the archaeological sites, instead he brought us to another part of town where there are rows of abandoned/demolished havelis with few pedestrians and cars. As soon as we saw the architecture, it was another “Wow” moment for all of us. From afar, it reminded me of Cuba; although I have never visited Cuba, these havelis resemble the Cuban architecture I have seen in photograhs/video footage. Perhaps it is due to the European influences and neoclassical features, as well as the colourful facades.

Welcome to the Dawoodi Bohras neighbourhood. The Dawoodi Bohras is a Shia-Muslim trading community, flourished in Sidhpur from the 1820s to the 1930s. These havelis were built by the prosperous Shia-Muslim traders, and they are all highly ornamented. Every house’s façade has an intricate monogram with the initials of the owners, and unqiue decorations that differentiate itself from other houses. The architecture style here is quite eclectic, where you can see influences from Europe, Persia and India, thus it is really a big ‘melting pot’.

The sad thing is that these havelis are mostly neglected, while some are being demolished. Like Durgapur in Mandvi, I doubt these houses are being preserved by the local authority, hence they may all crumble one day and just become piles of dust. I don’t know much about India’s architectural conservation guidelines, but it appears that the authorities tend to focus more on monuments than residential houses that also desreve preserving. If we look at SIngapore, their govenment has made immense effort into architectural conservation of heritage buildings, and have succeeded in conserving iconic monuments and residential buildings (despite that some may think that these buildings look too new and polished). If the local authority has the foresight, they could revive this neighbourhood and make it prosperous again.

After we left the residential area, we saw more activities on the main road, and here the mansions look even grander. I felt like I have travelled from Cuba to Southern Europe within minutes. The facades remind me of the Renaissance architecture in Spain and Italy – amazing!

Since I am unable to do much to save these buildings, I can only write and post these photographs in the hope that more locals would become aware of their existence and persuade the government to protect these invaluable heritage buildings.

Kutch art: Kalamkari & Warli painting

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Toothpicker

Besides embroidery and Ajrakh, there is a lesser known ancient art form called Kalamkari, which literally means ‘pen-worked’. The 23-step process is either hand-painted or block-printed onto a piece of cloth, and only natural dyes are used. The name Kalamkari is derived from the Persian words qalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.

The two types of Kalamkari are Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. With Machilipatnam style, Kalamkari designs are printed by hand using hand carved blocks with intricate details. On the other hand, the Srikalahasti style involves hand-painting and often depicting scenes inspired from Hindu mythology. Kalamakari was born out of story-telling, and the motifs include flowers, peacock, paisleys as well as divine characters from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

We visited the home of a Kalamkari artist who lives with his family in a small Kutch village. He specialises in Srikalahasti Kalamkari, and his hand-painted works are extremely intricate and precise.

Usually, cotton fabric is used for Kalamkari; though silk fabric can also be used. The long process involves treating the fabric first with a solution of cow dung and bleach, and to avoid smudging, it is then dipped in a mixture of buffalo milk and mylobalans. Kalamkari fabric is then washed twenty times and sun-dried. After this, the fabric is ready for printing or painting. Kalamkari designs are usually drawn/outlined by hand using a bamboo pen and black ink, then filled in with natural dyes extracted from flowers and vegetables. Often these paintings depict religious myths and epics stories, so they would feature borders around them.

Interestly, the artist’s wife also paints, but she specialises in another ancient art form called Warli painting. This is a tribal art originated from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. This form of folk art uses geometric shapes such as circles, triangles and squares to form numerous shapes depicting life and beliefs of the Warli tribe. In the old days, Warli art was done on walls on special occasions. The painting would be done over a brown background using a mixture of mud and cow dung cakes. The white pigment is made from a mixture of rice, water and gum.

Since the Warli culture is centered around the concept of Mother Nature, so elements of nature are often focal points depicted in Warli painting. One of the most popular themes in Warli art is a spiral chain of humans around one central motif. This is in accordance with their belief that life is an eternal journey, and it has no beginning and end.

This was the first time that I encountered Warli painting, and it was love at first sight. I love the primitive style and simplicity. It also involves story-telling, but in a more back-to-basic style. After a bit of negotiation, I bought the painting for about USD70, which I thought was a bargain and I know I would not find it elsewhere. Everyone from my group congratulated me on this good buy and I left their home feeling happy. At the back of mind, I was also glad that I supported a local female artist, and I hope that she would continue creating these wonderful paintings in the future.

Kutch textiles: Tangalia & Patola weaving

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Toothpicker

After days of visiting numerous textiles artisans from different tribal communities in Kutch, I was feeling quite overwhelmed. I am no expert on Indian textiles, and after arriving in Kutch, I was surprised by the variety of textiles traditions being practised in just one region. From embroidery to weaving, blockprinting and natural dyeing… every tribal community specialises in one particular (or more) tradition that has been passed down the generations. Many small villages are somehow well-known for an ancient craft or textiles-related tradition, which is quite incredible in this day and age. When you visit these villages, you almost feel like you are entering a time warp… and you can imagine how life used to be hundreds of years ago. The people we encountered in these villages are not rich, but they seem happier (and friendlier) than the inhabitants in big cities; life in these villages is slow and relaxed.

In Kutch’s Surendranagar district, there is a rare 700-year-old indigenous craft native to the region. Tangalia (Tangaliya/Tangalio) is a weave technique practised by the Dangasia community. Surendranagar district has one of the largest handloom clusters in Gujarat, and tangalia can be seen in Bajana, Wadhwan, Sayla, and other villages in this region.

The Tangalia weavers are adept at adding extra knots on the weft which create motifs and figures in a dotted pattern on the woven fabric. Besides dots, other geometric patterns like circles, straight lines, hyperbolic or parabolic designs etc are often seen on these woven textiles. Using this technique, artisans weave shawls, stoles and wraparound skirts worn by women of the Bharwad shepherd community. The single Ikat done at various places in this district, including Somasar and Sayla, creates a less expensive version of the ultra-rich double Ikat Patolas of Patan. Traditionally, black sheep and camel wool is used as the raw material, though cotton and other materials were later introduced for the contemporary market.

Dahyabhai Motibhai Parmar’s studio

In Bajana, we visited the studio of a Tangalia weaver, Dahyabhai Motibhai Parmar, who has been practising this craft for over 30 years. We learned that Dahyabhai’s family has been weaving tangalia textiles for Bharvad Shepherds for the last 2-3 centuries. However, Dahyabhai did not have any finished woven Tangalia shawl to show us at his studio, so we wandered around the village, and soon found a home/shop that selling Tangalia shawls in various colours and designs. The prices of these shawls are extremely reasonable, and I doubt you could find handmade woven pieces at these prices outside of these villahes.

Woven Tangalia shawls

In the nearby Patan, the medieval capital of Gujarat, it is famous not only for Rani ki vav (an UNESCO World Heritage Site), but also for its Patola weaving technique. Patola is an ancient double Ikat weave (meaning there is no reverse side to it, and can be worn from both sides) that involves intricate and complex process of tie-dyeing on the warp and weft before weaving. Patola saris (made of silk) used to be worn only by royalty and aristocracy, so they were (are) seen as luxury items. The weaving technique is a closely guarded family tradition, and there are only three families left in Patan that can weave these beautiful and expensive double ikat saris, which can take six months to one year to make.

About 900 years ago in 1143 A.D., around 700 craftsmen from the Salvi community in Karnataka and Maharashtra were brought by king Kumarpal of the Solanki dynasty (who then ruled Gujarat, parts of Rajasthan and Malwa) to his court in Patan. These craftsmen lived in Jalna, situated in southern Maharashtra, and were considered to be the finest craftsmen of Patola.

In 2014, the Patan Patola Museum, a private museum run by Patan’s Salvi family opened its doors to the public. The three-storey museum documents the history of the Patan Patola, which combines techniques of tyeing, dyeing and weaving. Here, you can watch demonstrations by master weavers, and see rare ikat collection from India, Japan, Guatemala, Bali and Kalimantan. And if you want to splash out, you can also find a small shop on the top floor selling patola saris.

The scene behind India’s cotton production

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Toothpicker

India is the world’s largest producer of cotton (it surpassed China recently), while Gujarat is the largest cotton producing state in India with a production of 125 Lakh Bales. Cotton is considered not only the most important fibre crop in India but the entire world.

Cotton is the most popular cellulose fibre in the textiles and fashion industry, yet it uses more than half the chemical pesticides used in the entire agricultural production in India. In fact, cotton production is very unsustainable and poses serious challenges to the environment through the excessive use of inputs like water, fertilizers and pesticides.

Although most of us consider cotton as a preferable fibre to other synthetic fibres, few of us actually know much about the process of cotton production. Our visit to a cotton production factory in Kutch was an eye-opening experience, and it made me think hard about my consumption habit and how it has to change in the future.

The cotton plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt and India. The essential requirement for growing cotton crop is high temperature varying between 21°C and 30°C.

Cotton is a kharif crop which requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Traditionally, cotton production takes about 10,000 litres of water to produce one kilogramme of cotton fabric. And since India’s cotton is grown in drier regions, government subsidises the costs of farmers’ electric pumps, placing no limits on the volumes of groundwater extracted at little or no cost. This has created a widespread pattern of unsustainable water use and strained electrical grids.

So what happens after the cotton has been picked? Raw cotton is then brought to the ginning mills or factories to be cleaned and processed, and we visited one of them in Kutch. From afar, the raw cotton looked like mountains of snow – I have never seen so much cotton before, and it looked incredibly fluffy!

However, when we entered the factory, it was another story… the dark and polluted environment was shocking. We could barely breathe properly inside, and I had to take out and wear my ’emergency’ face mask immeditately. The factory was filled with cotton dust – a mixture of many substances including ground up plant matter, fibre, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non cotton plant matter and other contaminants. Yet in this appalling condition, none of the young workers there were wearing face masks, which made us question our guide about the ethics of the factory.

The guide told us that the factory boss does provide face masks for the workers, though they refuse to wear them. He claimed that even social workers have tried to persuade them but failed. I found it a bit hard to understand, and said that the government needs to impose stricter safety regulations and fines in order to protect the workers’ health and safety. Even though we didn’t spend a long time inside the factory, we were already finding the air inhalable and very toxic; it was inconceivable to think that the workers have to work in this hazardous environment all day long. I am sure that the young workers here would develop respiratory-related illnesses from this. Yet this factory is only one of many in the region/ country; the overall situation is probably more horrific and depressing.

As we left the factory, I felt quite upset and helpless. The tour has made me reconsider my consumption habit and it reminded me of the importance of supporting eco-conscious fashion and textiles. Although I can’t help the situations of the workers, I hope that I can spread the message and let consumers understand the truth about the cheap cotton t-shirts and other garments that are costing lives of so many around the world.

Nirona village: Rogan art, copper bell & lacquer craft

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Toothpicker

Kutch is a fascinating place; besides textiles, there are various other arts and crafts being practised in the region. Located around 35 km north of Bhuj, Nirona village is a small village famous for Rogan art, a rare traditional art form originated from Persia/Sindh, which almost disappeared until efforts to revive it in recent years. For over three centuries, one Khatri (Muslim) family called Abdul Gafur in Nirona has kept this traditional art form from vanishing completely.

There are only about 5000 people living in this quiet village, and there is nothing particularly appealing as you walk through the village, though I do like the bright colours and geometric patterns on the facades of the buildings.

It is hard to believe that only one family in this world has managed to keep the Rogan art alive. The reason for this is because traditionally the art form was passed on only to the male members of the Khatri family. (Many ancient art and craft forms around the world have died out because of family secrecies, which is a big shame.) Today, Khatri Abdul Gafoor Daud and Khatri Sumar Daud along with five other artists, including a woman are the practitioners at their studio in the village. Abdul Gafoor Daud has also been teaching the art to local women in collaboration with a non-profit organisation as a way of reviving the art.

The family has been presented with the Padma Shri Award (2019), an International Designer award, 5 National award, 8 State award and 3 National Merit certificates over the last four decades. In 2014, Rogan art became internationally known when it was presented to Barack Obama (the then President of the United States of America) by Narendra Modi during his visit to the US.

Traditionally, the Rogan art was painted on bridal clothing of the regional tribes, and on ghagras, odhanis and bed spreads. Nowadays, though, more people used them as wall pieces and ‘Rogan kaam’ has gained immense popularity.

The word rogan means oil or oil-based in Persian. Paint made from thick brightly coloured castor seed oil is used to paint on fabric. Castor is a crop commonly grown in the Kutch region of Gujarat and the artists source it from the local farmers.

To prepare the paint, castor oil is heated in a vessel and continuously stirred for more than 12 hours till it catches fire. The paint-maker has to take extreme care to ensure it doesn’t get burnt. The residue is then mixed with cold water until it thickens into a sticky elastic paste called rogan. This paste is then mixed with stone pigments to lend it different hues. Next, the artisan uses a six-inch metal stick to paint with a fine thread of rogan on cloth.

During our short visit, a young artisan demonstrated his skills and it was jawdropping to watch him apply paint onto the fabric with such precision and focus. If he makes one mistake, he would have to start all over again because there is nowhere to hide the mistakes. It is no wonder this art form is being so highly regarded in India and globally.

After the visit, we went to the studio of a copper bell maker, Mr Husen Luhar, who has been making bell-making since the age of 12. The Lohar community is originally from Sindh, and Mr Luhar‘s family has been making copper bells for at least 7 generations. I have never seen a bell being made before, and I was captivated by Mr Luhar‘s skills and speed. Within 15 minutes of cutting and hammering continuously, he somehow turned a piece of copper into a bell that produces a crisp sound – it was like magic! Besides bells, he also makes wind Chimes, Xylophone and Jhumar etc. I have never given much thought on the different sounds produce by bells or other metal materials, but the visit to Mr Luhar‘s studio has opened my eyes and made me appreciate the craft of bell-making.

Our final stop in the village was to meet the artisans of lacquer art practiced a semi-nomadic tribe called Vadha. Traditionally, artists used to obtain the lac resin from insects found in the forests. Nowadays, lac is readily available in the market.

The resin is mixed with different colours and applied onto carved wooden objects such as wooden spoons, bread rolling pins, containers, toys and utensils etc. The tools to make these objects are very basic: a manual lathe, a hammer and chisels, but it is the bright zigzag patterns that distinguish them from other lacquerware.

It is incredible that such a small village can produce such an interesting variety of arts and crafts. I think all visitors who come to Kutch have to explore beyond the cities to appreciate all the hidden treasures in this region.

Mandvi beach & the ancient craft of shipbuilding

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Toothpicker

I don’t know if Martin Parr has ever visited the historic seaport town Mandvi in Gujarat before, but if he has, he surely would be clicking away on the beach capturing the rather surreal beach scenes. Mandvi beach faces the Arabican sea, and was extensively used by ship merchants in the 18^th century due to maritime trade. Now the beach is recreational but does not get overcrowded.

There are several interesting points about Mandvi beach that differs vastly from non-Indian beaches: there is a windfarm on the beach (I have never seen this before elsewhere); there are camels and horses everywhere (for rides); the oddest, though, is that there are no sunbathers nor swimmers! Perhaps it is due to religious and cultural reasons, but all the men and women I saw on the beach were fully clothed, while a hand full of people would go into the water to take selfies. Most of the activities took place on the beach, and few in the sea, which I found intriguing.

After spending some time walking barefoot on the sandy beach, we headed towards the shipbuilding yard to see Mandvi’s 400-year-old dhow-making tradition.

Founded by Maharao Khengarji I in 1580, Mandvi was a gateway to West Asia and Africa, as it was located at the intersection of the spice route and the camel caravan route. The Kharva community of both Hindus and Muslims became experts in building ships (or dhows) for the thriving maritime trade.

Amazingly, these ships are still being built today – by hand – using sal wood imported from Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, and locally from Gujarat’s babool trees. The shipbuilders are mostly from the carpenter community who learned their skills from their fathers and grandfathers. Yet this is another dying craft as the issue of priracy in Somalia and Yemen is affecting the cargo trade, and fewer ships are being made now.

I have never been inside a handmade wooden ship before, and what came to my mind was ‘Naoh’s ark’ when I stepped in – undoubtedly the sturdy-looking ship can carry many animals, people and withstand a storm. I felt like I was in a time warp. There are hundreds of screws, nuts and bolts being used, and you can truly appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty when you are inside.

Yet how can we preserve this ancient and dying craft if the demand for handmade cargo ships is dwindling? Can the craftsmen apply their skills to another trade? I don’t have the answers, but I think it would be a great shame to lose this craftsmanship, and only see this ship in a museum/virtual museum in the future.

Durgapur: a forgotten village with stunning haveli architecture

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Toothpicker

Before coming to India, many people (who have never been to India before) were concerned about my safety traveling in India as a female, as well as food hygiene, street beggars, the list goes on. Yet during my travel, I was incredibly impressed by the friendly people I encountered, the beautiful places I visited, and the vast array of intricate traditional crafts produced by artisans in all fields. India, is like a treasure chest that I had just opened and I was enchanted by everything I saw.

One of the most surreal and memorable places of the trip is a small derelict village on the outskirt of Mandvi called Durgapur. From the photos, you might think that this is a Bollywood film set, but it isn’t, it is a real village with houses, temple, post office and school. There is no online information about this village, so I am grateful that our guide brought us to this special place.

Our guide told us that most of the havelis in this abandoned village are owned by the wealthy Jain community. According to the 2001 Census of India, there are around 4.2 million living in India, while Gujarat and Rajasthan have the highest concentration of Jain population. For centuries, Jains are famous as community of traders and merchants, and have the highest literacy rate in India, 94.1.% compared with the national average of 65.38%.

Since Mandvi is was once a major port of the region, it would be logical to assume that these havelis were built by Jain traders and merchants over 100 years ago. Haveli is a unique vernacular architecture form originated from Persia but flourished in the 18th and 19th century in Gujarat and Rajasthan, western India. The Persian term haveli means ‘enclosed space’, and they usually contain a courtyard. Judging from the architectural styles and ornaments on the facades, it is not hard to tell that this must have been a prosperous village. The most notable feature is the first floor balconies that extend outwards prominently. And when we looked closer, we could see elaborate decorations around the entrances and on the facades.

As we walked around the village, we barely saw more than 5 people in the streets, it felt like an eerie ghost village. So what happened to this village? According to our guide, these are ancestral homes of the Jain community, but the younger generations no longer wanted to live in these houses and had abandoned them and moved to other cities or towns. Yet the community has refused to sell them to outsiders nor restore them, hence the havelis are now in such dilapidated state.

It is upsetting and frustrating to hear that no one has bothered to protect these hertiage homes or attempt to conserve them. Where are all the architectural conservation groups in India? Our guide said that this village is not an isolated case, there are many villages across India that are experiencing the same fate. My guess is that India already has many important issues to deal with, and architectural conservation is probably low on their list. Standing outside of these heritage buildings, all I could do was to record them before they eventually crumble into dust.

While many houses were boarded up, there was a Jain temple that remained open. This is a highly ornamented temple that looks quite new or has been restored recently. Again, there was no one inside, and it seems odd to have such a decorative temple with no worshippers.

Finally we heard some construction noises coming out from a building, and we went to have a peek. We saw a few builders inside and found out that they were renovating a former school. The site has a wooden roof with beams and a fascinating mural featuring a train, a ship, some angels, birds, flowers and a large clock. The builders told our guide that this mural is over 100 years old, but I presume it will be painted over eventually – what a shame.

Another intriguing aspect of the architecture here is that some of the houses feature painted faces of men and women on the top of doors and windows. I guess they represented the faces of the original owners, and since the houses have no house numbers, these faces were probably used as identity codes for visitors or postal workers.

Bizarrely, although there are rows of abandoned havelis, there are also a few streets of ‘modern’ buildings as we walked further inwards. These modern houses seem to be occupied and the streets are slightly livelier in this quarter.

I was speechless and sad when we left this village. I wished that there was something I could do to save this place, but there was nothing I could do except write about it. Even our guide has tried to persuade the villagers to sell or let or restore the houses, but failed.

I sincerely hope that one day this village would be preserved and restored before it is too late.

Shaam E Sarhad village resort & Hodka village visit

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Toothpicker

Unexpectedly, on the edge of the desert region lies a wonderful eco-friendly and rustic village resort owned and run by the Village Tourism Committee of Hodka village. The village is believed to have been set up by the ‘Halepotra’ clan from Sindh (now Pakistan) who were cattle herders and eventually settled in the grasslands of Banni. The name ‘Shaam E Sarhad‘ means ‘sunset on the border’. There are a number of Bhungas, tents, and family cottages that are crafted with indigenous resources based on traditional architecture and design.

Bhungas are circular mud huts made of water and cow dung. The huts have sloping roofs that are typical of the Banni region. They are made of grass thatch which is an indigenous invention that tackles the extreme climate. The Bhungas keep cool during the hot Kutch summers and warm in the cold desert winters.

We did not stay at this resort, but we came here for lunch during our day excursion in the area. I fell in love with this resort as soon I stepped in. I particularly love all the colourful textiles covering the ceiling of the communal/dining area. Bold indigenous patterns can be seen on walls and mirror work is also incorporated in the design. I would love to stay here next time if I get to return to the region again.

We enjoyed a leisurely vegetarian lunch before heading off to the nearby village for a visit. We were told that the village is not a ‘tourist’ village where all the tourists flock to, but rather an authentic and hospitable one where it receives few foreign visitors.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by some villagers and were then led into the village. The village has a number of round and rectangular bhungas, while sheep, cattle, goats and horses can be seen around the village.

Since it was the first time for me to visit a tribal village in India, I had no idea what to expect. I have had negative experiences before in other countries where locals kept asking for money when we visited local villages, so I became slightly weary when I arrived. Yet the hospitality and warmth we received from the villagers truly blew me away. No one asked for money, and the villagers seemed genuinely happy to see us. All of them, including the children, looked content and at ease.

They were also eager to show-off their traditional embroidery work which features small mirrors. These mirrors are adorned on women’s costumes and sarees so that they can be spotted in the desert when they reflect in the sun. I was fascinated by their colourful outfits, which are conspicuous against the dry landscape and bhungas.

Most of the men in the village were out herding, so only women and children were left in the village during our visit. I have travelled extensively over the years, but I have never encountered a nationality that loves being photographed as much as the Indians – honestly, they genuinely love to be photographed and would even pose for you without you telling them to do so. This is ideal for me because I love taking photographs of people. In this village, the children were excited to be photographed and rejoiced when they saw the results.

I asked the locals for permission to look inside the huts, and they did not hesitate to let me in. Aside from vibrant textiles, there are also many colourful wardrobes and cases decorated with motifs, birds and flowers. I felt like I was intruding as when I saw the elderly napping inside the huts, but they didn’t seem to mind me poking my head into their bhungas.

As we were were leaving the village, many of the villagers came to wave us goodbye. The village experience was extremely memorable and heartwarming, and it reminded me how preconception can be quite misleading sometimes. Although daily life in the village is simple and frugal, I felt that the villagers are happier and more generous than many city dwellers in wealthier countries. I am sure we can learn more from them about the wisdom of true happiness than from self-help books bought from Amazon.

Kutch textiles: Vankar Vishram Valji, the Indigo dyer & weaver

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Toothpicker

*Please do not use my blog photos without consent.

One of the most fascinating studio visits in Kutch was a trip to master weaver, Vankar Shamji Vishram‘s indigo-dyeing and weaving studio in a village called Bhujodi. Shamji is the son of Shri Vishram Valji Vankar, who won the India’s prestigious National Award for weaving in 1974. Shamji started weaving under the guidance of his father at the age of 15 and has been running the studio for over 20 years. The Vankar community are renowned for their weaving traditions, and they often collaborate with the Rabari community who are known for their spinning and embroiderery to make beautiful shawls. Now Shamji and his family train and employ around 60 famiies and 90 hand loom weavers in Bhujodi to preserve the traditional craft.

Soon after we arrived at Shamji’s family home/studio, he started to explain to us his organic indigo-dyeing process, and I was pleased to learn that he only uses natural ingredients found locally. The process of indigo dyeing requires warm and stable temperature for fermentation to take place, hence, the underground indigo vats provide the suitable environment for it. Another important ingredient –alkaline– is extracted from cattle’s urine and dung (ammonia), which undoubtedly is abundance in India.

What I like about Shamji‘s studio is that since it is also his family home, so family members and artisans all work on different tasks around the spacious home studio. It has an open and authentic feel to the place, and visitors can wander from one weaving area to another to observe the spinning and weaving process.

Their high quality woven products brought them important clients like Fabindia, Cottage Emporium, and Nalli, as well as specialist shops from overseas. Again, all of us couldn’t resist trying on their beautiful shawls and scarves at prices that are about 1/4 of what you would pay in the U.K.

Before we left, we were greeted by Shamji‘s mother, who kindly allowed us to take photos of her traditional costume and incredible jewellery. We were told that her silver ankle bands weigh about 1 kilo – Imagine trying to run with them on! Amazing.

After visiting several artisans’ studios in Kutch, it made me rethink my shopping habits – buying directly from the artisans completely change my relationship with the products. There are memories and stories behind the products, therefore I am likely to cherish them more than items bought from a highstreet shop. If we all change the way we shop, I believe it would certainly bring about positive changes in the future.

Kutch textiles: Pabiben Rabari, the female tribal entrepreneur

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Toothpicker

In our current fast-paced and globalised world, we are faced with some important questions about our past, present and future: how to preserve traditions and yet make them relevant today? Can we preserve the skills and knowledge but evolve at the same time? Many artisans, craftsmen and designers around the world are trying to find a balance between traditions and innovations. Traditions have to evolve with time, otherwise they would extinct, so we all need to think out of the box when it comes to preservation.

Originally from (possibly) Iran or Afghanistan, the semi-nomadic Rabari community of cattle and camel raisers migrated to Kutch and Rajasthan about 400 years ago. The Rabari women are well-known for their shisha mirror embroidery, which has been passed on for generations. It is customary for young girls to prepare her own dowries, which include the wedding costumes for the bride and groom, hangings for the new home, and trappings for the domestic animals. However, the dowry-making process could take years, and paid for by the groom; as a way of easing the burden for both sides and the delay of marriages, the elderly in the community decided to ban the making and wearing of hand embroidery for personal usage in 1995.

In order to preserve the Rabari embroidery, a group of Rabari women came up with a new solution without breaking the community’s rules: machine application of readymade elements, which they called ‘Hari Jari.’ One woman from the group, Pabiben Rabari, became a master of this art and created her own style using trims and ribbons, which is later known as ‘Pabi Jari’. She applied this technique onto some shopping bags and they became instant hits. Her Pabi bags are loved by celebrities, and were featured in Hollywood and Bollywood films. As the first female entrepreneur from her tribe, Pabiben has become an inspiration to many women in her community. The mission of her enterprise is to develop a strong viable business model for women artisans, and she works with 50 women in Bhadroi village of different ages and skill levels to create fair trade accessories.

We visited Pabiben‘s house and workshop in Bhadroi village one afternoon, and we were greeted by her and a group of Rabari women who kindly demonstrated their superb embroidery skills and showed us some of their samples. It was wonderful to see these women from the same community working together to bring about positive changes to their village while preserving and reviving an ancient art form.

Interestingly, we found out that traditionally Rabari women would be dressed in black clothing with black veils, meanwhile, men would be dressed in white clothing with white turbans. Legend has it that once a Muslim king fell in love with a Rabari girl, but his proposals were denied by the community, so the king grew angry and threatened to kill them all. The Rabaris were forced out of their land in search of a new safe place and were assisted by a Muslim man from the court. Later, the king found out about this and killed the Muslim man. It is believed that it was then that the Rabari women started wearing black to mourn his death.

Pabiben‘s shop/showroom is packed with colourful, bold and one-of-a-kind accessories and bags. Her products are sold at many high-end outlets in India such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Hotel and ARTISANS’ in Mumbai, as well as some independent shops overseas. She has also won many awards for her inspiring work and achievement. I think if every tribe in India has a woman like Pabiben in their village, then we are likely to see a very different India in the future.

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Category Archives: Kutch