INDIAN EDITIONTHE LAST WORD IN TRAVELOCT-NOV 2016 | 150

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PRIYANKA CHOPRA

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WHY WE TRAVELSakshi Malik Manu JosephSiddhartha Mukherjeemelinda gatesSuketu Mehta SANDIP ROY

TANTALISING TEXTILES One of the most remarkable legacies of Gujarat’s crafting skills is its rich and varied weaves—a combination of neat stitches, exotic patterns and an assault of colours—each made with high-precision techniques passed down from generation to generation. Among Gujarat’s weaving traditions, the double Ikat technique is one of the fi nest hand woven textiles originating from Patan. The magic of this textile is created by the process of the wrap and weft that is at fi rst tie-dyed and then woven together, a colourful and ostentatious weave along with a subtle merging of one shade into another. Another famous art of Gujarat is block printing, where motifs draw from the 17th century reign of the Mughal Empire, and are mostly fl oral, vegetal and animal fi gures like elephants and peacocks. The prints are captivating with bright colours printed on light backgrounds. The ajrakh prints of Kutch (resist block printing) and the sodagiri prints of Paithapur are just two examples of Gujarat’s excellently printed textiles. Other block prints include vegetable prints from Dessa, Ahmedabad and Kutch, batik prints from Bhujpur, Mundra and Mandvi villages of Kutch and saudagiri prints of Ahmedabad are famous as well.

TANTALISING TEXTILESOne of the most remarkable legacies of Gujarat’s crafting

precision techniques

generation. Among

traditions, the double Ikat technique is one of the

Down the crafted path of Gujarat

One of India’s most unspoken stylish regions, Gujarat o� ers aesthetic experiences—in culture, festivity, arts and handicrafts—and stands unique from the rest of the

country. Explore, experience and embrace the best of India’s most vibrant state

Far from the runways of the world’s fashion capitals and red carpets, here’s a window to a whole di� erent

world of art, colour, fashion and style. From traditional jewellery to vintage brass showpieces and deliciously tangy pickles. From the colourful festivities, unique landscape, gifted artisans and e� ervescent tribals—every nook is seeped in history, creativity and colour. And every part of Gujarat has something di� erent to o� er. From appliqué to bead work, exquisite embroidery to the signature block print, kalamkari to patola and so much more—there’s always something extraordinary to uncover. All you have to do is arrive. AN EMBROIDERED EPIPHANYAs you dive into the depths of Gujarat, you will discover that embroidery is not just a fashion term, but very integral to the fabric of this state. Rich embroideries like ari and soof are from Banaskantha, while kathipa, mahajan, kanbi and rabari embroideries are from Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Rajkot and the Junagarh regions of Saurashtra. But the all-famous ones that come out of Kutch are ahir, mutwa, soof, neran and kharek. Here, embroidery is not reserved solely for cholis and ghaghras, but is adopted to decorate the house as well—for example, pachhipatis (embroidered friezes) which adorn doorways of homes while bhityas make for excellent wall hangings. Although Gujarat is known for its exquisite embroidery, the lesser known art of kalamkari is equally appealing. Kalamkari refers to a method of hand painting natural dyes onto cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. This form or art is practiced by the Vaghri community to celebrate mother goddess.

THE PATCH OF PASSIONAs you trail along, you will discover the beauty of appliqué or patchwork, one of the oldest and fi nest crafts of this state. Celebrating beautiful forms of fl oral and animal designs, patches of fabric are pieced together in a jigsaw-style to create gorgeous quilts, hangings and modern household products and clothing. A craft that has come to life in Saurashtra, Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch, here old-world marries avant-garde via art and design. Another gorgeous art form is tie and dye (bandhani). The method entails gathering up bunches of fabric with strings and immersing them in a dye tub. When done and unfolded, the entire swathe of fabric has magical patterns that appear in a spectrum of hues—the beauty of bandhani fabric is timeless—and Navratri is the perfect time to discover the most exquisite bandhani’s in the market. BEADED & THE BEAUTIFULPerhaps one of the most memorable parts of your trip to Gujarat will be discovering beautiful beaded works of art. Gujarat is the centre for bead craft, vernacularly known as Moti Bharat, across India. It is the art of making household decorative items like chaklas, indhonis, mangal kalash and nariyal, torans and jewellery like necklaces, bangles and earrings. Motifs and patterns are dictated by the technique of beads symmetrically and meticulously being intertwined, an art that has originated from the Saurashtra region, Rajkot, Bhanagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Ahmedabad. As a visitor, you will soon get used to the indelible talent that exists here.

WHERE TO BUY Gujarat State Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (GarviGurjari) has stores all across India. Purchases can also be made at Craftroots (+91-79-27522248, craftroots.org), Banaskraft (banascraft.org), Ahmedabad Haat (in Vastrapur) and Bhuj Haat, Shrujan shops in Kutch, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru (shrujan.org), Khamir Craft Resource Centre in Kutch (khamir.org), and Kala

Raksha (kala-raksha.org). Handicrafts and handlooms can also be bought at Estoregurjari.com

HANDICRAFTS/TEXTILE TOURSOne can opt for handicraft/textile tours with these operators: Compass Tourism (+91 73747588; compasstourism.com), Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd (9825707748; akshartours.com), Mystic Gujarat Tours (08469784668; mysticgujarat.com), J N Rao Travel Consultancy Services

Pvt Ltd (9909011509; jnraoindia.com), 99 DESTINATIONS (9913137799; 99destinations.in)

MARQUETRY MARVELS Triangles, squares, rhombuses, and zigzags composed to form geometrical kaleidoscopic shapes on wood—marquetry design is a very poetic art form. The wooden mosaic worked around the panels created in Surat is well renowned and locally known by the name of sadeli. The splendour and complexity of design forms with an arithmetic precision will mesmerise one and all. Traditionally utilised for decorating structural elements like doors, windows and furniture, today it is being seen on display objects like photo frames, jewellery boxes and more. LOVE FOR LACQUERWORK For Gujarat’s famous lacquered woodcraft, you have to visit Sankheda town. The kharadi suthar community have been passing on their skills from one generation to the next. While the tools they use may be simple—lathes and handheld equipment—the mastery of their work is nothing less than extraordinary. Sankheda furniture features hand painted exteriors in greens, browns and reds with motifs drawn from nature, picked out in silver and gold. To protect the elaborate embellishments, a layer of lacquer is added to the product, giving it its distinctive sheen. TRYST WITH TERRACOTTA The Gundiyali crafts people hailing from Kutch are renowned for their beautiful terracotta clay work—matikam kalakari. Featuring clay platters which are then painted in black and white after the potters are done with their task of turning on the wheel and fi ring their pots in a simple kiln—this ancient artwork is intrinsic to

Gujarat. Terracotta fi gures may include horses, elephants, tigers, cows, bulls, bu� alo, and replicas of insects or pests which damage the crops, as well as human fi gures. Dhabu is also a great form of terracotta work in Gujarat. They are dome-shaped houses which are o� ered to house the spirit of the dead. Of all the clay fi gures, the horse is the most important and o� ered the most frequently. ROGAN REVELATIONSBut as for the most ancient art, it would have to be the rogan art of painting. The traditional rogan fl ower designs speak of a Persian infl uence and the word itself

means oil-based in Persian. Today, Nirona in Kutch is the only place where this work is created. When castor oil is heated over fi re for more than twelve hours and cast into cold water, it produces a thick residue called rogan, which is mixed with natural colours obtained from earth. With a six-inch wooden stick or pen, the craftsperson then draws out from this a fi ne thread which is then painted to the cloth. Rogan painting is delicately and precisely painted from one’s own creative imagination without using any outline. An extraordinary aspect about this technique is that during the entire process of the gummy paint being carefully twisted into motifs, the blunt needle never comes into contact with the cloth. The family of artists, the Khatris, living in the sleepy hamlet of Nirona who practice rogan painting have become quite famous, as their art today even adorns the walls of the White House. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, gifted exquisite rogan paintings to the US President, Barack Obama, during his visit to the US in 2014.

What’s really amazing is how these artisans apply rhythm to their design and even use the latest colour trends—pastels, psychedelic, complementary—with a confi dence that is astounding and completely instinctual. Gujarat has a world of beauty hidden within its realms—from the sky that changes colours every minute and to the moon that won’t wait until dark to make an appearance, from the ochre landscape dotted with camel, cattle, sheep and the occasion donkey to the beautiful weaves, artefacts and creations you will discover—you just have to keep moving, fi nding and seeking—all that Gujarat has to o� er.