Craft Villages of Kutch

Kutch holds one of the densest concentrations of living craft traditions anywhere in India, distributed by community and village: Rabari, Ahir, Jat and other groups each with their own embroidery styles and stitches; Nirona for rogan painting, a technique of drawing with a thread of thickened castor oil paint that survived in a single family, and for copper bells hammered without solder and tuned with a mix of clay and copper dust; Ajrakh Pur for resist block printing in indigo and madder; Bhujodi for wool weaving. Most workshops are in family houses and sell directly.

What you actually see

• The embroidery styles - distinct stitches and mirror work by community.
• Rogan painting - designs drawn with a thread of thickened oil paint.
• The copper bells - hammered, riveted and tuned with clay and copper dust.
• Ajrakh printing - multi-stage resist printing in indigo and madder.

When to go

November to February; the Rann Utsav festival runs through winter and brings crowds. Kutch is extremely hot from March to June. A car is needed as villages are spread widely.

Honest expectations

Villages are far apart and visiting several needs a full day and a driver. Some workshops have become heavily commercial with mass-produced goods sold as handmade. Asking about technique before buying separates them.

Nearby

Bhuj is the base; the Great Rann and Dholavira lie north.