Meghwals and Ahirs of Kutch

The Ahirs of Kutch claim descent from Lord Krishna who, as religious stories tell us, spent much of his divine time among cattle herders. Typically, once widowed, Ahir women wear black.

Embroidery, for the women of Kutch, is work, leisure, creativity, language, skill and pride. It cannot be considered merely another form of textile embellishment.

This is one of the reasons it flourishes and sustains its heritage even today.

Ahir embroidery is known for its prolific use of mirrors, floral designs, parrots and peacocks. Each stitch and motif has a specific name.

They tend to use a variety of base fabrics. These include tie-dye bandhani fabrics inreds and oranges, and satin weave mashru that has a silky feel.

Women embroider their garments, and this is considered the most important form of displaying belonging to a particular community.

Additionally, the style or colour of the garment and its patterning indicate their marital status.

It is interesting that among the Ahirs, there is some degree of transactional embroidery. If for some reason a woman is not able to embroider some thing for herself or her family, she can commission the work to someone else from the community for a fee.

Knowing the skill and time involved in a piece of work, the women tend not to disagree on the correct wages involved.

Many Ahir women of the younger generation, influenced by television that followed the coming of electricity to Kutch, now prefer to wear less elaborate clothing.

Interestingly, bare backs that suit the desert heat have been replaced by clothes that cover their backs.

The head covers have gone and the upper garments could be termed ‘nondescript’ North Indian.

Their traditional clothes are packed carefully away and brought out to wear on ceremonial or festive occasions.

The embroidery speaks a language of its own. Seeing an embroidered piece, a local is able to identify which group and which region the creator belongs to.

With changing times, house appearances are also changing. While dwellings are still decorated with torans above the doors, these now tend to be purchased from the market.

However, despite the outward changes, the basic sense of community remains. Every house has a large courtyard, where much of family life is conducted.

This is also the place where the women gather to embroider together. Whether for themselves or for the market, the shared tradition and labour is a tie that binds them together.

This community has not abandoned its traditional attire.

The women wear clothes and jewellery that present an identity that is visibly different from the Ahirs, and in fact from other social groups as well.

While costume and decoration remain rooted in tradition, styles evolve based on available materials and what catches the women’s fancy. Thus ready-made borders and edgings find their place in hand made pieces.

While the kanjri or long shirt of married women is heavily embroidered, young unmarried girls wear kanjris that are decorative while not being embroidered.

Motifs too change. They are mostly based on elements from the women’s lives: the bird, the scorpion, the water pot, the camel. New influences blend into this traditional vocabulary.

One motif popular with a lot of young girls is the heart, which they are incorporating into their patterns.

Like in other communities of Kutch, when a new Meghwar bride comes to her married home, she brings with her articles of clothing and household use for her new life.

Besides their functional purpose, these also speak of her talent and skill.

A number of kanjris are an essential component of this embroidered wealth.

Other items include quilts and cushions, and cloth purses for specific purposes.

What is not put into use immediately is stored carefully in trunks.

Among other things is an embroidered cover for the surma-dani, the container for kohl.

The Ahirs and Meghwars are but two communities in the Kutch region, a kaleidoscope of ethnic and social groups.

Possibly because of their isolation and the continuation of cultural traditions without outside influences, almost every community, caste and sub group preserved its embroidery tradition.

Read more about Kutch embroideries here:
-Production for Commerce
-Galleries of Embroideries