Crafts of Kutch

The colourful and vibrant crafts of Kutch are all handmade. The artisans of Kutch behind each of these crafts have perfected the techniques through generations. Whether it is embroidery, metalwork, painting or woodwork, the weaves of Kutchi craft are brimming with innovative designs so that it appeals to the current generation. These handicrafts of Kutch are perfect souvenirs for gifting or as home accessories. Let’s dive into them!

It is possible to see artists work on each of these crafts of Kutch. Most artists work from their homes in Kutch villages. They will be happy to invite you into their homes too!

Beadwork

Gujarat is the centre for Moti Bharat (Beadwork). Bead craft is the art of making household decorative items and jewellery using beads of various sizes and colours. Although the Saurashtra region is more involved in beadwork, Kutchi locals have also adopted this art. Over the years, bead craft has undergone a number of changes in motifs, colours and production of articles which has now been diversified with new forms of motifs and colours. 

Traditionally glass beads were used in beadwork, however, to lower the production cost, nowadays plastic beads are being used. The beads are tightly held together with plastic thread and tied to form designs.

Kutch village famous for Bead Work: Bhujodi, Rann Utsav Tent City (Dhordo)

Bead art items range: INR 250 onwards

Hand embroidery | The best embroidery of Gujarat

Hand embroidery in India is synonymous with every state and some of the famous works include Katha work, Chikankari work, Phulkari, Aari work, Zardosi work and many more. Hand embroidery in Kutch uses colourful threads, mirrors and other embellishments. The regional techniques used in Kutch embroidery include – Soof, Kharek, Pakko, Rabari, Jat and Mutwa. Women in each community embroider using specific stitches and motifs as a form of individual and community expression.

Pakko work and Rabari work is more popular amongst the visitors. ‘Pakko’ means solid and this stitch is characterised by compact stitches of square chain and double buttonhole stitches. It uses mirrors and a unique black outlining using satin stitch. The Rabari embroidery originates from the Rabari community, which uses mirrors of different shapes and sizes along with a complex pattern of chain stitches. A number of colours are utilised for decoration.

The utility items made using hand embroidery include bed sheets, table runners, cushion covers, bags, wallets, etc.

Kutch village famous for Hand Embroidery: Hodka, Gandhi nu Gaam (Ludiya)

Hand Embroidery items range: INR 100 onwards

Rogan Art | Crafts of Kutch famous worldwide

Rogan Art seems to have descended to Kutch from Persia over 400 years ago. The art is now practised by only one family – Abdul Gafur Khatri of Nirona village in Kutch. Abdulbhai is a celebrity of sorts as his art has a place in the White House, United States of America. He is also a recipient of the Padma Shri Award. His most famous painting is ‘Tree of Life’. Read more about Rogan Art Nirona.

Rogan Art is a freehand artwork that requires extreme patience and skills. Rogan Art uses oil of castor seeds which makes an oil paint-like consistency of paint. Natural colours are then mixed in the oil. This coloured paint is later used to paint on different kinds of fabric using a metal stylus. Geometric designs, motifs and various other designs are drawn freehand. After painting, the fabric is sundried.

Due to the freehand nature, it could take days and weeks to finish a painting. The paint is known to be extremely long-lasting and does not fade in spite of multiple washing. Contemporary art has found its presence on kurtis, purses and stoles.

Kutch village famous for Rogan Art: Nirona

Rogan Art items range: INR 500 onwards

Wood Lacquer Art – Famous Kutch handicraft

Wood lacquer uses tree glue that is extracted and mixed with natural dyes and used as a design on wooden items. The artists use a small hand-operated lathe and a cloth to colour the wooden items. The items range from wood crockery to showpieces and stand out due to their colourful designs.

Kutch village famous for Wood Lacquer Art: Nirona

Wood Lacquer Art items range: INR 250 onwards

Leather work – Best Kutchi handicraft

The Meghwal community which practices leather art in Kutch brought this art form from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. Leather work is one of the timeless crafts which has grown to combine traditional methods of design with modern functionalities. Items made with leather include footwear, bags, cushion covers, and artefacts. The Kutchi touch to all of these items includes mirror work and colourful embroidery. 

Kutch village famous for Leather Work: Bhirandiyara, Bhujodi

Leather work items range: INR 500 onwards

Mud work | Lippan work of Kutch

Mud work, a traditional mural craft of Kutch, is locally known as Lippan Kaam. Lippan means adorning things with hands, is the craft that traditionally uses mud and camel dung for decoration. The art is mainly practised by the Rabari community and has been in use for decades to decorate the interior as well as the exterior of their homes called Bhungas. 

The artisans make it even more attractive by adding mirror embellishments to these designs. Inside the bhungas, because of the mirrors used, a single lamp lights up the home considerably. The designs in mud work range from local flora and fauna to geometric designs which are then painted in colours. One of my favourite artists for Mud work is Iram Mara.

Kutch village famous for Lippan Work: All villages in Kutch

Lippan work items range: INR 500 onwards

Kutchi Silver Jewellery

Along with colourful outfits that are embellished with mirrorwork, Kutchi silver jewellery is a show stopper too! The folks of Kutch are high on jewellery and leave no body part that can be bejewelled. The reason behind this is that silver jewellery is part of the culture and traditions of Kutchi men and women. Each tribe wears different jewellery that has specific designs. 

Being a nomadic tribe in earlier times, the Kutchi people invested in silver jewellery that could be worn all the time and sold if the need arose.

Jewellery includes oxidized jewellery, brass jewellery and other materials. Jewellery items include – earrings (for different placements), nose rings, necklaces, waist belts, anklets and toe rings.

Kutch villages famous for Kutchi Silver Jewellery: All villages in Kutch

Kutchi Silver Jewellery items range: INR 250 onwards

Copper Bell Art

Scrap tin and iron are converted into utility items by the Luhar family of Nirona. The speciality of these copper bells is that they are made by beating strips of metal to the desired shape and interlocking the pieces. Each piece makes a different noise.

Traditionally these bells were used by cattle rearers to help the herder identify its cattle. Nowadays they are used in making home decoration items like wind chimes and keychains.

Kutch village famous for Copper Bell Art: Jhura, Nirona (Main Bazar, P.O Nirona, Tal: Nakhatrana, Kutch)

Copper Bell items range: INR 250 onwards

Ajrakh Block Print

Hand Block Printing is traditionally a Gujarati craft. Gujarat is the oldest and biggest centre for this artwork. Having seen this artwork come alive at Anokhi Museum Jaipur, I have major respect for this art, especially because of how tedious it is.

Ajrakh is a type of block print that is practised in villages of Kutch. Azrakh is an Arabic word for indigo, which is where the printing got its name. The colours of a true Ajrakh textile are fast. The cloth is made in a sixteen step process of washing, dyeing, printing, and drying, which requires a high level of skill and concentration in order to keep colours fast and even. Pomegranate seeds, gum, Harde powder, wood, flour of Kachika, the flower of Dhavadi, alizarine and locally cultivated Indigo are just some of the natural resources that printers use in this craft. Ajrakh patterns use complex geometry to create architectural forms of Islamic architecture’s intricate jali windows and trefoil arches.

Nomadic communities – Rabaris, Maldharis, and Ahirs wear Ajrakh printed cloth as turbans, lungis, or stoles. 

The contemporary products made with Ajrakh Block Print include ladies’ suits, men’s kurta, bed sheets, pillow covers, purses and footwear.

Kutch village famous for Ajrakh Block Print: Ajrakhpur

Ajrakh Block Print items range: INR 1000 onwards

Bandhej | The pride of Gujarat

Bandhani, Bandhej or tie-dye is a traditional Gujarati clothing style. It is a special dyeing technique to produce a design on a cloth. The word Bandhani comes from ‘Bandhan’ which means tying up. Thus, it has special importance in marriages where Gujarati brides wear a Bandhani saree called Gharchola and the groom wears a Bandhani turban.

Plain cloth is tied tightly using thread in multiple locations. Post dyeing it results in a complex pattern comprising dots, squares, waves or stripes. The most gruelling and complex design of them all is using mustard seeds for tying known as Rai Dana Bandhej and made on silk fabric.

Traditionally, bandhani work was limited to cotton fabrics using natural dyes, however, due to huge demand, the tie-dye is made of a variety of fabrics and now uses chemical dyes.

Kutch village famous for Bandhej: Abdasa, Mandvi, Mundra, Anjar, Bhuj, and Nakhatrana

Bandhej items range: INR 500 onwards

Knife Work

There are two types of knife-making traditions in Kutch – the Chari and the Chappu. The Chari has a steel or iron blade and a handle made from wood, plastic, or brass. The Chappu is composed of the same parts with an added spring that allows it to fold. Some artisans specialize in crafting the blade, some in casting the handles, and others in polishing the final product. In this system, each knife is the result of many artisans’ collaborative work. 

Kutch villages famous for Knife work: Nani Reha, Moti Reha

Knife work items range: INR 500 onwards

Wood Carving

The crafts of Kutch have another wonder called wood carving. Teak wood and local babul is used for the wood carving. The wood is chiselled as per the design. The wood surface is polished and the product is ready. Wooden stools, cradles, jewellery boxes and other utility items are made.

Kutch village famous for Wood Carving: Ludia, Dumado, Dhordo

Wood Carving items range: INR 500 onwards

Kharad Weaving | Age-old crafts of Kutch

Kharad Weaving belongs to the pastoral communities of Kutch wherein they sheared hair from their camels, sheep, and goats to weave utility products to shield them in winter. They traditionally weaved with undyed wool of sheep, goat and camel for essential items such as camel udder bags, tiffin bags and sacks for carrying grain which were tightly woven so that they were water and insect-proof and no grain could escape. 

Traditionally kharads were used for warmth on floors and for special gatherings of people and meetings. People would bring their rolls of carpets for an important occasion to give comfort as well as to show respect. Kharad lasts long due to the tough fibres.

Kharad were later made into different patterns and colours due to which the kings of kutch took notice. Rugs for palaces were commissioned and that is when this art form got its recognition and sustained over centuries. The Kharad weaving is nowadays used for rugs, carpets, bags, and mats. Check out the Instagram account of Kharad Weaving to order online here.

Kutch village famous for Kharad Weaving: Sanjotnagar, Kuran

Kharad Weaving items range: INR 500 onwards

Kala Cotton Weaving

Kala means Black and it is called so due to a black tinge of black colour in the undyed cloth. Kala Cotton is one of the few genetically pure cotton species remaining in India. Kala cotton is a purely rain-fed crop, organic and indigenous to the Kutch region, which makes it more tolerant to temperature fluctuations. 

Kala cotton is not frequently used in the textile industry as there are spinning and weaving challenges due to its coarse nature as compared to genetically modified Bt cotton. 

Clothes made from Kala Cotton are more comfortable in hot temperatures which is why there is a certain clientele that swears by these products. Shirts, pants, kurtas and bags made from Kala Cotton are available at some markets in Bhuj. Also, read – Is Bhuj worth visiting?

Kutch organization famous for Kala Cotton Weaving: Khamir

Kala Cotton Weaving items range: INR 1000 onwards

Applique work | Dhadki Work

Appliqué is the process of sewing smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger background fabric. Appliqué work actually originated where the clothes were ripped and needed fixing to appear decent and classic. it is one of the most popular crafts of Kutch.

The artists in Kutch sew different fabrics on the garment to make bedspreads and quilts. Block print designs and Ajrakh design blocks in different colours are used to make them look vibrant. Traditionally the nomadic communities of Kutch used this technique who did not have enough money to buy new bedspreads and used waste pieces of garments to sew into quilts to keep them warm.

Locally it is also known as Dhadki work.

Kutch villages famous for Applique Work: All villages in Kutch

Applique work items range: INR 250 onwards 

Sustainable tips for buying Crafts of Kutch & Photography in Kutch villages

• Carry a bag while shopping and avoid plastic bags.
• Encourage shopkeepers to pack fragile items in a newspaper instead of bubble wrap.
• Do not bargain too much. The artisan’s livelihood depends on this.
• If you enter the artist’s home, be respectful of the belongings. Remove footwear before entering and ask for permission before clicking pictures.
• Photography of women in some villages is prohibited. Always ask for permission before clicking.

Read More articles on Souvenirs:

• Souvenirs from Jaipur
• Souvenirs from Vietnam
• Food Souvenirs from Japan
• Souvenirs from Kenya
• Souvenirs from Taiwan
• Souvenirs from South Korea

Read More about the Handicrafts of India:

• Chendamangalam Handloom of Kerala
• Sabai Grass Handicrafts of West Bengal

Disclosure: I was invited by Gujarat Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India to explore Vadnagar. However, all opinions in this post are unbiased and of my own. Special thanks to the team for taking take of everything during this trip.

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