Women Who Embellish Their Environment
In a stark, barren, and monochromatic landscape, Kutchi women add colour and embellishment to everything they touch
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Homes in Kutch
Kutch is located in western India in the state of Gujarat. The western portion is along the coast edging the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Kutch. The northern region shares a border with Pakistan. Heavy rains or drought, and marshy lands that become unusable in the monsoons are part of the perennial rhythms of this area.
Kutch Embroideries: Outside the home (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Traditional houses in Kutch were made with locally available materials: mud, wood and thatch, which blended into the stark landscape.
Kutch Embroideries: Outside the home (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Much of the new construction in recent years is in cement and concrete. But this does little to change the barrenness of the surroundings.
Kutch Embroideries: Meghwar women continue to wear their traditional attire (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The women of Kutch have found a way to relieve the starkness around them.
They bring out the most vivid and colourful threads they can find in the market and embellish everything around them that is made of cloth.
Courtyards in Homes
Over the years, most have rebuilt their homes in cement, with elements of traditional structures and techniques. Families live in a cluster of huts. They all have courtyards and other spots where they can gather to work or socialize. An odd tree gives shade and relieves the monotony of the brilliant sun shining down on them for most of the year. The landscape for miles on end can be in a flat, pale brown monotone. The well-tarred roods connecting some regions within Kutch offer mirages in the heat, and an occasional water body relieves the overwhelming feeling of dryness.
Kutch Embroideries: Ahir women in their internal courtyard (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The landscape for miles on end can be in a flat, pale brown monotone.
Kutch Embroideries: Artisans from the Ahir community (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Against this pale and monotone backdrop, the women of Kutch colour their surroundings with their skills and creativity.
Kutch Embroideries: Ahir women in their internal courtyard (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
With equal vigour they embroider the covers to be slung on the backs of their cattle and camels, or their stacks of quilts.
Kutch Embroideries: Ahir women in their internal courtyard (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
They spend their leisure time in the creative pursuit of embroidery.
Kutch Embroideries: Women sitting together to embroider (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Whether in their courtyards or inside their homes, they sit together making exquisite pieces based on a shared language of stitches and motifs.
Kutch Embroideries: An artisan at work (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Whether old or young, all wear decorated garments.
Kutch Embroideries: A little girl in her embroidered kanjri (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The vivid and colouful embroidery threads embellish the garments of children as well.
Kutch Embroideries: Debhariya Rabari Kediya (1960)Dastkari Haat Samiti
They even embroider the garments of the menfolk.
Kutch Embroideries: Detail of Debhariya Rabari Kedia (1960)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Seen here is a detail of a traditional men's garment worn by the Debhariya Rabari community.
Embellished Homes in Kutch
In this landscape, the women of Kutch, carrying their old histories and cultural influences like precious baggage, have found a way to relieve the starkness around them. They bring out the most vivid and colourful threads they can find in the market and embellish everything around them that is made of cloth. With equal vigour they embroider covers to be slung on the backs of their cattle and camels, or their stacks of quilts.
Kutch Embroideries: A Meghwar home (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The urge to beautify touches every thing around the women. Even the simplest of huts is decorated with a door hanging or toran.
Kutch Embroideries: Water pots (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The water pots are often covered with a decorative cloth. All of this was hand made by the women in earlier times. Now some of it is purchased from the market.
Kutch Embroideries: The interior of a Meghwar home (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Inside, a shelf runs along the wall, containing vessels and other articles of every day use.
Kutch Embroideries: Decorated rafters (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The beams and rafters are ornamented with pieces of mirror.
Kutch Embroideries: Homes have a pile of hand made and embroidered quilts, ready to welcome visitors from afar (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Every house has a pile of quilts to welcome travellers who often come from afar.
Kutch Embroideries: Homes have a pile of hand made and embroidered quilts, ready to welcome visitors from afar (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The quilts are made by the women, and the pile itself is covered with a decorative quilt.
Kutch Embroideries: For their own use, women often reinforce the embroidered fabric with a backing of old used fabric (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
All sorts of materials – old and new, bought from the market as well as hand crafted by the women – are used in this creative venture.
Kutch Embroideries: Sitting down to embroider (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
It is as if the urge to embellish and decorate encompasses every thing that touches their lives, adding colour and character against the backdrop of the endless monotonous expanse outside.
Kutch Embroideries: An embroidery panel showing different styles of embroidery (2017)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Read more about Kutch embroideries here
-Production for Commerce
-Embroidery as Identity: Meghwals and Ahirs of Kutch
Text: Aloka Hiremath, Jaya Jaitly
Photography: Suleiman Merchant
Artisans: Pankaj Shah, Meena Raste, Punit Soni and Namo Ben at Qasab Kutch Craftswomen Producer Co.
Ground Facilitator: Aloka Hiremath
Documentary Video: Suleiman Merchant
Curation: Aradhana Nagpal
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