The Kutch Chronicles: A journey into the arts and crafts of Kutch

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The Kutch Chronicles: A journey into the arts and crafts of Kutch

by Aparna Sharma

 

 

I was super excited to go to Kutch, it has been on my travel list for sometime now and I am happy I can finally tick it off. Although I grew up in India, it was not untilThe Kutch recently that I decided to travel solo to one destination in India whenever possible. I have been interested in fashion and textiles ever since I was a kid and the concept of ‘Farm to Fashion’ is intriguing to me. I wanted to go to the grassroots level of block prints, tie and dye and the stunning embroidery made by the women of Kutch.

 

There are so many different textiles and crafts in this area which spans across forty-six thousand square kilometres of land, I have been to a few textile rich areas before but the astonishing diversity of crafts found in this area is perhaps unmatched anywhere in the world. Travelling within Kutch is time consuming because everything is spread out but I managed to see a few interesting textiles and crafts related villages in my six days there. From block printing to tie and dye, from bell making to woodcarving, Kutch has a colourful crafts tradition that has been maintained over the centuries by the communities that have migrated to this region. For anybody who has a love for crafts and textiles and wants to visit this region, I have shortlisted the villages you should include to your itinerary.

 

Tie and dye -Anjar:
Anjar, this a region best known for the Jesal Toral Samadhi and its very busy with many artisans at work. The art of tie and dye has been practiced in this region for centuries. I enjoyed visiting the factories or Khar Khaanas as they are called locally. Most people are extremely patient and they show you the entire process from dipping into the dye and tying it. There is a local market in Anjar to shop the finished products. You can also buy finished products directly from the factories.

 

Blockprint – Ajrakhpur:
This was my personal favourite place. I love the different block designs used in this region, I probably shopped the most in this village. It is fascinating to watch the process of block printing that uses natural dyes made from turmeric, pomegranate, ink etc., to create endless yards of fabric. The printing blocks are carved and shaped with absolute precision and skill and the designs are beautiful. Traditionally, ajrak is the name of a block printed cloth with deep crimson red and indigo blue background, they have symmetrical patterns interspersed with sparkling white motifs. 

 

Khavda pottery:
This village is very popular for the famous flamingos and its a treat for wildlife photographers who love to click these beautiful birds in this unique landscape. It is very close to the Indian border. I visited a family which specialises in the art of making pottery. The terracotta pots of Khavda looked different from the ones I saw elsewhere, the lady whom I visited was unfortunately not well on the day I visited and could not show me the entire process but I definitely enjoyed visiting this remote village.

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/travel-and-leisure/the-kutch-chronicles-a-journey-into-the-arts-and-crafts-of-kutch/

 

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