India Travel
Kutchi tribes in Northern Gujarat
Kutch has the most significant and conspicuous population of tribal communities in Gujarat, most of whom migrated from east and west from the seventh century onwards. Each tribe can be identified from its costume, and gains its income from pastoral farming or crafts such as weaving, painting, woodcarving and dyeing. Traditionally, each has concentrated on different crafts, although the distinctions today .ire far less clear-cut.
The Rabari is the largest group in the Kutchi pastoral community, with three main tribes hailing from Marwad in Rajasthan. They rear cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep and camels, sell ghee, weave, and arc known for fine embroidery, The men, most of whom sport a white turban, wear white cotton trousers tight at the ankle and in baggy pleats above the knee, a white jacket (kehdiyun) with multiple folds tucked around chest level and overlong sleeves, and a blanket thrown over one shoulder. Rabari women dress in black pleated jackets or open-backed blouses, full black skirts and tie-dyed head cloths, usually black and red, and always deck themselves with heavy silver jewellery and ivory bangles around the upper arms. Typical houses made of mud or brick are decorated inside with gatgtonctti - a raised pattern of whitewashed mud and dung inlaid with mirrors. Child marriages, customary among the Rabari, are performed over a four- or five-day period in the summer; immediately upon the birth of a daughter, a mother starts embroidering cloth to form the most valuable basis of her dowry. In Bhujodi, near Bhuj, the Rabari weave camel wool on pit looms into blankets and shawls.
Claiming descent from Krishna, the Bharvad tribes infiltrated Gujarat from Vrmdavan, close to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Their dress is similar to that of the Rabaris, though the men are distinguishable by the peacock, parrot and flower motifs sewn into their khediyun, and the women by their bright backless shirts, kapaduii, rarely covered by veils. Both men and women wear a thick bori cloth around the waist. Mass marriages take place among the Bharvad every few years, a custom originating as a form of protection in the Muslim period when single girls were frequently victims of abduction (the kidnapping of married girls was heavily punished). In the first week of each September the Bharvads gather at the Trinetresvar temple in Tarnetar, 65km from Rajkot, celebrating with dances and songs and sheltering undeT the shade of embroidered umbrellas made especially for the occasion.
The wandering Ahir cattle-breeders came to Gujarat from Sind, and settled as farmers in Kutch and at Morvi in Saurashtra, where they mixed with other tribes. Baggy trousers and khediyun are worn by the men, together with a white loosely wound head-cloth; the women dress like the Rabaris, with additional heavy silver nose rings.The children’s bright topis, or skull-caps, overlaid with neat fragments of mirrors, are like those common in Pakistan, During Diwali,Ahirs lead their cattle through the streets to be fed by other local communities, which bestows merit on the giver and is good for karma.
The Charans. the long-established bards of Gujarat, encompass in their clans the Maldharis, who raise prize cattle in southern Kutch and the Gir Forest, and the leather-workers known as Meghavals. They claim descent from a celestial union between Charan and a maiden created by Parvati, and many gain almost divine status after death. The women are often worshipped by Other tribes, since their connection with Parvati links them closely to the mother goddess, Ashpura, who is popular in Kutch. The men’s curses were once considered so powerful that they drove their opponents to kill themselves in the hope that the curse would be deflected upon the Charans: such “heroes” are remembered by stone monuments around Kutch depicting a man piercing his neck with a dagger.
Said to have migrated from Pakistan, the Kutchi Jats can be identified by their black dress. Young Jat girls have dainty plaits curving round the sides of their faces, and wear heavy nose rings. Tradition ally semmomadic camel- and cattle-rearers, with houses made of reed (pakha) that aie easily folded and carried from place to place, they have recently begun to settle more permanently.
ing port; few remained, but they left behind grand mansions, imaginatively painted and carved in a style clearly influenced by European tastes.
Mandvi has a leisurely feel, with several chai stalls set among the old houses and cluttered shops stretching west of the estuary. The markets are stocked with bandhani and silver, and one street crashes and clanks with the noise from the iron-forgers’ blackened stalls. The estuary is blocked on the south side by shifting sands, forming a long, uncrowded beach offering good swimming, although camel and horse rides are more popular with Indian tourists. The beach is also the site of the tall windmills that power an electricity plant. Beside the estuary you can see the dhows being hand-built from long wooden planks, with nails up to lm long forged by local blacksmiths. Fifty men spend two years building each ship, many of which still make the long journey to ports in the west, often carrying Muslims to Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage. Flamingoes and other wader birds frequent the mud flats when the tide is out.
Mandvi’s neglected and little-visited Vijay Vilas Palace (daily 8am-lpm & 2-6pm; Rs10, Rs25 extra with camera, Rs100 extra with video), 8km west of town (turn left after 4km), is a sandy-white domed building set in almost 700 acres of land, built as a summer retreat by Kutch’s maharao in the 1940s. Inside, Belgian, British and Italian furniture fills the high-ceilinged carpeted rooms, hunting trophies deck the walls, and a grand stairway leads to the ladies’ quarters on the first floor. Small apartments and cool marble courtyards lie open to the sky, and a pavilion projecting from the roof catches fresh sea breezes and commands excellent views.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Villages around Bhuj in Northern Gujarat
Bhuj is a useful base for visiting the outlying villages, whether by bus or taxi. If you go by bus, you will have to do some walking to reach some of the most interesting Kutchi settlements, which lie a few kilometres from the nearest roads. There are regular shared taxis for Mandvi, Mundra and Gandhidham, but for most other Kutchi destinations you will have to charter one. In November 2000 access to the villages of northern Kutch became unrestricted on a trial basis; prior to that, due to the sensitive Pakistani border, you needed a $30 permit. Many trips in this
Kutchi tribes Practicalities in Northern Gujarat
Hourly buses run between Bhuj and Mandvi (lhr 30min); taxis crammed with as many people as possible make the journey when full, for Rs25 a head. Of the town's few guesthouses, the clean, modern Sahara, adjoining the city wall some 300m west of the bus stand (02834/20272; 0-6) is the best, and has a dorm (Rs50); the Maiiri Guest House in a smartly painted building 200m further west (02834/20183) is also good; the Shital, near the bridge (02834/21160; 0), is cheap and cheerful. A few kilometres east of town the GTDC Toran Beach Resort (02834/30516) has tents and more luxurious
Bhuj Practicalities in Northern Gujarat
Transport connections to Bhuj made a swift recovery in the wake of the earthquake, with timetables resuming as normal. The airport, from where Indian Airlines and Jet Airways have one daily flight each to Mumbai, is 5km north of town and 15min by auto-rickshaw. Trains arrive at the railway station a little over 1 km north of town, from where rickshaws can take you anywhere in town. The conversion of the track from metre to broad gauge is expected to be complete in 2001, so that long-distance trains can reach Bhuj; currently there are only five daily passenger trains to
Kutchi handicrafts in Northern Gujarat
Kutch is known for its distinctive traditional crafts, from embroidery to jewellery-making and carving. The northern villages of Dhordo, Khavda and Hodko are home to the few remaining communities of leather embroiderers, who soak hide in a solution of water, latex and lime in an underground earthen pot before stitching it with flower, peacock and fish motifs.The finished bags, fans, horse belts, wallets, cushion covers and mirror frames are sold in villages all through the region. Dhordo is also known for its woodcarving, while Khavda is one of the last villages to continue the printing method known as ajrakh. Cloth
Other museums in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad's museums are strong in arts and crafts. Among them, the informative Shreyas Folk Art Museum, way out to the west near the city limits (Tues-Sat 3-6pm, Sun lOam-noon & 3-6pm; free; bus #41 from Lai Darwaja), displays the traditional work of Gujarat's many tribes. The Tribal Museum (Mon-Fri noon-5.30pm, Sat noon-5pm; free) in the northeastern corner of Gujarat Vidyapith, on Ashram Road 100m south of Income Tax Circle, is also illuminating, detailing the various peoples of the state and their customs, such as the painting of "magical" pictures by Bhils (see p.695) to ward off" disaster: N. C. Mehta
Some history in Northern Gujarat
Remains from the third millennium BC in eastern Kutch suggest that migrating Indus Valley communities crossed the Ranns from Mohenjo Daro in modern Pakistan to Lothal in eastern Gujarat. Traditional history recounts that Kutch belonged to the Yadavas, when it was known for the rich grasses that flourished on the ash manure that tell from heaven at the request of a wandering sage. Despite being so cut off, Kutch felt the effect of the Buddhist Mauryan empire, and later came under the control of Greek Bactrians, the Western Satraps and the powerful Guptas.The Arab invasion of Sind in 720 AD
Mandvi in Northern Gujarat
The compact town of MANDVI, on the west bank of a wide tidal estuary 60km south of Bhuj, faces the Arabian Sea to the south and supports a dwindling dhow-building industry. In the late eighteenth century it was the docking point for a fleet of four hundred vessels exporting goods from a hinterland that encompassed Gujarat and the lands to the north as far as Jaisalmer. Merchants, seamen and later the British were all keen to settle in this flourish
The Town in Northern Gujarat
Bhuj is overlooked from the east by the old and crumbling fort on Bhujia Hill, while the vast Hamirsar Tank, with a small park on an island in its centre, stands on the western edge of town.
Some history in Gujarat
The first known settlers in what is now Gujarat were the Hardpans, who appeared from Punjab in around 2500 BC and established over a hundred towns and cities. Their skilful craftsmanship, combined with important trade links with Africans, Arabs, Persians and Europeans, won them prosperity; despite this, the civilization fell into decline in 1900 BC, largely because of severe flooding around the Indus delta. From 1500 to 500 BC the Yadavas, Krishna's clan, held sway over much of Gujarat, with their capital at Dwarka on the western tip of Saurashtra. Gujarat's political history begins in earnest with the powerful Mauryan empire,
Mahatma Gandhi - India’s great soul Eating in Gujarat
Although Porbandar is well known in Gujarat for its seafood, you'll have a job finding it. Outside the hotel restaurants, there's a fairly uninspiring choice of places to eat; many seem to serve only a limited number of the dishes listed on the menus.
Modhera Northern Gujarat
If you visit only one town in northern Gujarat, it should be MODHERA, where the eleventh-century sun temple (daily 8am-6pm;$5 [Rs5]) is the best example of Solanki temple architecture in the state. Almost a thousand years old, the temple has survived Muslim iconoclasm and nineteenth-century earthquakes; apart from a missing shikhara and slightly worn carvings, it remains largely intact. The Solanki kings numbered Jains among their courtly advisers, and were probably influenced in their temple design by jain traditions; deities and their vehicles, animals, voluptuous maidens and complex friezes adorn the sandy brown walls and pillars. Within the trkimdapa, or
Shilpgram of Udaipur in Rajasthan
The road running around the north of Fateh Sagar leads to the rural arts and crafts centre ot Shilpgram (daily 9.30am-6pm; Rs10), near the village of Havala, 5km out from town and best reached by bike. This exemplary crafts village - one of the best in the country - was set up to promote and preserve the traditional architecture, music and crafts of the tribal people of western India, and holds displays of the diverse traditional lifestyles and customs of India's rural population. Dwellings arranged in the compound include a solid two-storey wooden house from northern Gujarat, exquisitely carved throughout, circular
Northern Gujarat
North of Gandhinagar, the district of Mehsana was the Solanki's seat of government between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Some remains of their old capital - including the extraordinary Rani-ki-Vav step-well - still stand at Anhilawada Patan. just outside the modern city of Patan, which is home to Gujarat's last remaining patch weavers. From the city of Mehsana. at the province's centre, it's easy to get to the ancient and well-preserved sun temple at Modhera. jain temples in the hills at Taranga and Idar can be reached from Mehsana, or directly from Ahmedabad.
Jharkhand
On the eastern extremities of the Vindhya hills, at the northern fringes of the Deccan, lie the forested hills and escarpments of the rugged Chotanagpur plateau.The area became a new state,JHARKHAND, in 2000, after years of agitation by its largely tribal population, though it seems unlikely that its extreme poverty and lawlessness can be dealt with by creating a slew of new government positions and changing some names. The state capital is Ranchi, although Jamshedpur in the southeast corner is one of eastern India's most important industrial towns, the headquarters of the steel conglomerate TISCO. The forests that surround Jamshedpur, at
Southeast to Kandla in Northern Gujarat
The fifty-kilometre journey southeast from Bhuj to KANDLA, India's busiest port, takes you past dry scrubland. In the small village of Bhujodi. less than 10km out of Bhuj, Rabari men weave thick shawls and blankets on pit looms dug into the floors of squat mud houses decorated with gargomati. You can buy their products from a small shop run by the Bhujodi Handweaving Co-op Society. The first main town beyond Bhuj, ANJAR, was the capital of Kutch until 1548. It's an important centre of bright and intricate Ahir embroidery, bandhani, batik and nut-cracker making, and holds busy markets once or twice
Self-Employed Womens’ Association SEWA in Ahmedabad
Almost ninety percent of women who work in India are self-employed. Existing outside the protection of labour laws and the minimum wage, they are particularly subject to exploitation, often at the hands of unscrupulous banks and private lenders. Ahmedabad, however, has maintained a tradition of self-help since the davs of Gandhi, and has achieved world recognition as the home base of the groundbreaking Self-Employed Womens' Association, SEWA (079/550 6444. 550 6446), founded in the early 1970s by Ela Bhatt. Originally set up to offer legal advice, provide training and child care, negotiate with police and local government for vendors' licences
Mehsana in Norhtern Gujarat
The crowded residential city of MEHSANA. less than 100km north of Ahmedabad, doesn't merit a visit in its own right - the one building of any interest is the old Rajmahal palace, now used as government offices. As the only place in the area to offer a choice of accommodation, it does, however, make an obvious base for visiting any of the towns in northern Gujarat. The centre of town is compact, with the train and bus stations only 500m apart. Avon Guest House (02762/51394) is the best of the four cheapies opposite the former, while the Hatel Apsara (02762/51027)
Mundra in Northern Gujarat
The small, lively fishing port of MUNDRA. 20km east of Mandvi, has tew sights of particular note of its own, but it's a pleasant place to catch the sea-breeze and buy local crafts. These include batik prints, heavy silver jewellery and unusual woollen namadas, as well as floor coverings, wall-hangings and camel saddles dyed in earthy maroons, blues, yellows and black. A bus ride and a short walk will get you to several small Rabari and Jat villages nearby and, to the east, the Jain temples at Bhadreswar. decorated with immaculate white sculpture, are a focus for pilgrims from all
Bhavnagar in Gujarat
The coastal pore of BHAVNAGAR, founded in 1723 by the Gohil Rajput Bhavsinghji, whose ancestors came to Gujarat from Marwar (Rajasthan) in the twelfth century, is an important trading centre whose principal export is cotton. With few sights of its own, Bhavnagar does, however, boast a fascinating bazaar in the old city, and is an obvious place to stay for a night or two before heading southwest to the wonderful Jain temples of Palitana. Incidentally, it is one of the few places (Ahmedabad is another) where you'll see hand-carts being pulled by man and wife, or by women alone.
The I public Day earthquake in Northern Gujarat
On the morning of Friday January 26, 201)1, Gujaratis, like their compatriots all over India, were preparing to celebrate Republic Day with parades and family gatherings, when the world caved in on them. At 9.15am, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Kichter scale rocked the state and. within minute- entire towns were reduced to heaps of fallen masonry. The epicentre was near Bhachau, east of tthuj, which, along with other Kutchi towns, bore the brunt of devastation.The earthquake was unusually shallow and the impact movement of plates was particularly severe. In Bhachau alone, only 5000 of 25,000 inhabitants survived the immediate