“No one could understand the secret of this weaver who, coming into existence, spread the warp as the world; He fixed the earth and the sky as the pillars, and he used the sun and the moon as two shuttles; He took thousands of stars and perfected the cloth; but even today he weaves, and the end is difficult to fathom.”

-Kabir (poet and mystic who was also a weaver)

Kharad Rugs

Once upon a time, like the other crafts practiced in Kutch, Kharad weaving was an important part of the social fabric of the society.

The Kharad (meaning a carpet) was created in close relationship with the pastoralist community in the region. The raw material for the wool was obtained from the local pastoralists who grazed the goats, sheep and camels. The hand spinners then worked their magic and made wool out of the raw material.

  • Passed on from one generation to another, this craft has seen a decline since the entire value chain has been disrupted and the local linkages broken.

  • The camel wool is getting rarer by the day.The craft itself is now practiced by a few families in the Kutch region.

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Bela Stoles

The artisan single-handedly follows the age-old elaborate practice that comprises boiling and washing the indigenous organic cotton fabric from Kutch, preparing the natural dyes, handprinting on the cloth in multiple cycles as well as dyeing and fixing the colours.

The preparation of the natural dyes takes days.Each new colour is prepared using a different process and unique ingredients that include various plant and vegetable parts. The beautiful blue in these stoles is from the indigo plant.

  • The artisan learnt this craft from his father, when it was prevalent in his village and fondly remembers the days when the whole community came together to create these treasures. The river which ran through the village and once was a critical part of the craft, has now disappeared.

  • The advent of machine made goods, changes in the social fabric in the modern times and the disruption of the trade routes has resulted in all the community members leaving the village and the craft.The artisan is the only one who remains to carry the legacy of the craft forward. He wishes to share this craft with the world and invites them to know more about it and to join him in his quest to keep this tradition alive.

Soof Stoles

Each pattern and design communicates a message based on the motifs used. The craftswomen create various detailed patterns by repeating small triangles.

These creations are inspired by nature including the local flora and fauna like the peacocks, mountains, flowers, etc. Our Soof treasure keeper learnt this craft from her grandmother and she hopes to share this craft with the world through unique designs that reflect contemporary design sensibilities.

Morchang

At its core, there is a horse-shoe shaped ring with two elongated prongs on each end. A metal tongue is placed in the middle which is bent at the end. Music is created by plucking the metal tongue and its vibrations create various rhythmic sounds. A small pocket of blacksmiths in Western India create this instrument primarily from iron and brass by applying the traditional techniques.