Bhujodi: Part 4: All in the family
Organic cotton and timeless tradition Chamanlal Premji Siju is a 11th generation weaver. His father, Premjibhai won the Shilp guru award. He now works at...
Kutch
Bhujodi: Part 3: From cotton to weave
Bhujodi weaves are not as wide as a saree. Usually these narrow weaves are stitched together using the classic herring-bone motif....
Ajrakh: Part 5: Web of connections
It takes a village to raise a child, goes the old saying. Well, it takes a village to make Ajrakh as well....
Ajrakh: Part 6: Motifs and meanings
Ajrakh motifs and their meanings The traditional ajrakh motifs combine the floral with geometric designs. They have names in the local language and are drawn...
Ajrakh: Part 3: History across Asia
The word "ajrakh" comes from the Persian "azrak" or blue. It refers to the indigo hue of these textiles. Ajrakh was the traditional fabric used...
Bhujodi: Part 1: Between nature and tradition
Bhujodi is arguably the prettiest village in Bhuj. There is a neat main street with shops lining either side. When I drove in, I saw...
Bhujodi: Part 2: The Vankar community
The Vankars (or weavers) of Bhujodi made dhablas or thick shawls for the Rabaris (pastoralists/herders) who wrapped these woolen shawls around themselves to keep the...
Elegant Bhujodi: Part 5
Tassels– the last step in ornamentation Here is a national award winning artisan, Smt. Bayaben Devji Vankar. She is creating the tassels that appear at...
Bandhini: Part 3: How to judge
How to judge good bandhini? Watch Abduljabbar Khatri explain how you can judge the quality of a bandhini....
Bandhini: Part 1: History and geography
“ Many years ago, a holy man went to a khatri's house, and as the story goes, the sadhu was doing his meditation (jap) and...
