Kutch everywhere...

It's been almost 3 weeks since we got back from Kutch, but the mind just refuses to let go of the memories of the mystical land.

Mystical it is.

Something one feels through the pores of the skin, the goosebumps that surface while listening to Kabir's rendition by the local sufi singers under the cold starry night, the smoky smell that gets trapped in the coarse fabric of my shawl from the bonfire. The same smell lingers on the surface of the milky chai I had at the bhunga of a Meghwal family.

No amount of eloquent phrases or photographs using wide angle lenses can convey the happiness of strolling in the streets of Bhuj watching the Rabari women glide through the day wearing the veil of night, the hospitality that is so evident even in the most humble households, a glass of water or tea is offered with a warm smile, if you wonder at the source of water and refuse, they cycle up to the local provision store to buy you a bottle of bisleri. Yes, I am talking about the Banni hospitality.

The intense sweetness of thick hot condensed milk khova that melts in your mouth at a roadside shop at Bhirandiyara. The wind burnt face of that little girl with a star motif tattoo on her left cheek. The crunch of hard jaggery that unleashes the pungent flavour of dry ginger in your mouth at a local sweetshop.

Mystical it is.

That it spills on to my blogs and Facebook pages uncontrollably in the form of jpegs sprinkled with magical gold dust.

Please pardon me if I continue to roll in this magical dust for a little while longer.

(Chronologically is what my head said but my heart thinks otherwise;-) Will post about the Mutwa embroidery soon)

The Mutwas| Dhordo Village, Kutch.

Flashback:

Weeks before our scheduled trip to Kutch, travel books were devoured, online friends contacted, gave Tripadvisor.com maximum number of daily hits, spoke on the phone for hours.....

....and then suddenly we stopped.

People travel for different reasons, different interests, different purposes.

What was our purpose?

We wanted to experience the land; the dry, harsh, unyielding land of Kutch.

The people; the strong people who looked at natural disasters in the eye, who boldly faced the fury of nature and yet remain warm; hospitable.

The craftsmanship; the needle & thread combination creating magic along with twinkling mirrors.

The history; the past.

So we re-drew our plan. Re-plotted the destinations on the map.

Last week of December, 2011:

Fueling ourselves with hi-octane enthusiasm, a heavy Lowepro bag and a tube of sunscreen we set out with Akil our driver from Bhuj into the villages.

The Mutwas, a Muslim Community who hail from Sindh in Pakistan, inhabit the Banni area in Kutch. They are known for their extremely intricate embroidery using tiny mirrors. We decided to visit one such community in Dhordo village.

We reached the doorsteps of the very hospitable Miyabhai Hussein Mutwa. The Mutwa embroidery is done by the women of the community and according to their customs outside men aren't allowed inside.

So while Mr. Husband spoke to the men in the outer room, I & the daughter were led into a open courtyard of a traditional Bhunga complex.

Within a matter of few minutes I had shook hands with a dozen smiling women and children, made to sit on a soft quilt covered charpouy and examined by twelve pairs of inquisitive eyes.

They asked me about my life in the city. I inquired about their work, their life there in the village.

Suddenly Shabnam, one of the Mutwa women came to me with her needle & thread, pulled the edge of my mirrorwork shawl and started working on it. Within a minute she had made an intricate eyelet around one of the mirrors.

I didn't need to see any of their work after that.

Before she weaved the magic around the mirror...

After the magic...

A priceless souvenir that will remind me of the Mutwa craftsmanship and hospitality....and of Shabnam.

Will share photographs of Mutwa embroidery work in my next post:-)

Anuradha Vakil's Studio

Anuradha Vakil has to be one of my favourite Indian fashion designer. Her love for traditional textile crafts & her passion to revive them makes her very special.
Anuradha's creations
Why am I talking about fashion & textiles?

Well, She puts in the same passion into designing her workshop-cum-office as she does into her clothes. I have been so inspired by her space I had to share this with all of you:-)

Anuradha states she wanted a very understated look. A contemprory space with an Indian soul.
The reception area with a sofa made of natural fibres and a colourful patch-work upholstery.

I love the simplicity of this space!

Reception area with gorgeous red athungudi tiles with a contemprory black & white border. Antique brocade textiles on walls form an interesting theme. Check out an old sewing machine converted into a table.Anuradha's workspace, where she creates those rich, colourful clothes.

She wanted here workspace to be in neutral colours since she works with colours the whole day. Lovely things that she cherishes & inspires her form this beautiful space.The meeting area, from here one can see her workspace. The floor level seating with fantastic Kalamkari floor cushions gives a great perspective of the neem tree outside her window.
She has a passion for old chests- she stores her accessories in them.
Lovely antique wooden-chests (Sigh*)
Her tiny loo is also beautifully designed. Gorgeous greens & yellows..the walls have stencilled flowers. Isn't this truely amazing!!!

I am so inspired by this kind of interiors where the designer puts her heart and soul into her space.

The home or workspace of an individual should aways be an extension of him/her. That's what works for me.

What do you say?

( images from Anuradha Vakil.com & Inside Outside Magazine, May 2003 issue)

Mallika Sarabhai's Country Retreat.

When I saw this on the cover of Inside Outside Magazine few years back I just wanted to be there on the swing...

This country retreat is designed by Nimesh Patel & Parul Zaveri of Abhikram, for their friend Mallika Sarabhai a famous Indian dancer, activist & environmentalist.

This is a traditional Gujrati Hitchkar (swing) which can be moved either way to face inwards or outwards.

A place in a natural setting where one can rejuvenate and escape from the stressful city life.
A series of wood sculptures of birds & serpents are scattered around the place.
The walls of the house are plastered with mud to provide natural insulation against heat. The wall has mud patterns with small mirrors fixed on them. ( Lovely!)
Her living space reflects her beliefs of conserving natural resources & importance of indigenous traditions. The sofas are made of natural materials like cane, jute & handloom.

Mallika's love for traditional crafts of Kutch can be seen in the hand embroidered covers and quilted bedcovers in her rooms.

( images from Inside Outside Magazine, June 2003 issue)

Shaam-e-Sarhad- A Rural Resort.

Shaam-e-Sarhad translated means 'sunset at the border'. This resort is a joint venture between Ministry of Tourism India and the United Nations.

Using the material available in plenty in this region- MUD, the artisans from the village of Hodka (Bhuj, Gujarat) have created this beautiful ecological & aesthetic architectural splendor.

The public sitting area in different levels is highlighted with various earthy colours.

This region is famous for it's 'Leeppan Kaam'-Mud-Mirror murals and 'Chittar Kaam'-Mud paintings. These have been used extensively in all the circular huts called the 'Bhungas'

Bright coloured fabric on the deck chairs.

Inside view of the 'Bhungas'. (Check out the floor to ceiling headboard in mud.)

A combination of traditional mirror work and modern bathroom fittings.

A canopy of brightly coloured fabrics form the ceiling and monochromatic earth colours form the dining area below.

(Images from Better Interiors- Feb2007)