Mirrorwork Murals of the Kutch

About 63 km north of Bhuj lies some remote Banni villages in the Kutch region of Gujarat. We made the dusty drive there to appreciate the architecture and handicrafts of the people living here. Many of the people still live in these circular bhoonga (also spelled bhunga) huts, whose shape and mud walls are conducive to counteracting the oppressive heat of the region. In direct contrast to the drab surroundings, the exteriors of these conical dwellings are painted with brilliant colors. Traditional bhoongas have thick mud walls and conical thatched roofs, but some of the ones rebuilt after devastating earthquakes in 2001 were constructed from cement. 

Enter these bhoongas, and you'll be treated to some intricate mirrorwork murals. This mud relief mirrorwork is known as Lippan kam or Chittar kam. There are variations of this relief mudwork in various communities throughout the Kutch region. Equal mixtures of dung (either from wild ass or camels) is mixed with finely sifted clay. Men traditionally are in charge of gathering the clay and hauling it to the village. Some use millet husks, which provides a natural repellent to termites. Very fine coils are rolled on top of fresh slabs of clay. Round, diamond, or triangular mirrors known as aahbla are interspersed. Muslim artists generally constrain their motifs to geometric or floral designs. Women, often working together, form communal bonds as they work on the creative process, much like our quilting bees.

Lippan Kam is also functional. When placed on the outside, it acts as an insulator by reflecting heat. interior work helps magnify the effect of limited light sources. Imagine even how a single candle could magically light up an entire room, reflected by all the mirrors! 

A Rabari woman demonstrates how to make Lippan kam

A Banni woman with Paako embroidery

Interior of a Muslim Mutwa home

Lintel above a doorway

Mutwa embroidery

The designs of the Lippan kam are strongly reminiscent of their highly intricate embroidery. Beauty times two!

The Lippan Kam mirrorwork has currently appeared in two of my artworks, seen below.

Two of My Favorite Things. Color pencil, 2018 by Melissa Enderle

Bhunga and Bhandani. Color Pencil, 2017 by Melissa Enderle

See more of my artwork at www.melissaenderle.com.

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My latest Artwork: Bhunga and Bandhani, Gujarat (Color Pencil)

Here is my latest artwork, a color pencil composition of a Gujarat woman inside a Bhunga home in the Gujarat, whose walls were covered with mirror-work known as Lippan. She was wearing a heavy silver necklace, anklets, bangles, and gold earrings and nose ring. Her clothing is in Bandhani tie-dye. 

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Shadowebs

When walking through a small Banni village in remote Gujarat, I was intrigued by the shadows cast by an incomplete conical thatched roof. Many of the buildings (mud and concrete alike) in the Kutch region of Gujarat were flattened during the devastating earthquake in 2001. Many of the mud huts are being rebuilt using concrete. 

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Reflections: Gujarat

Despite the heat, we had an awesome time in Gujarat. It’s a pity that the neighboring state of Rajasthan commands all of the attention on touristic scene. While Gujarat doesn’t have the sheer numbers of forts and palaces of which Rajasthan can boast, its stark beauty, vibrant rural life, exquisite step wells and Jain temples, incredibly warm, authentic people, and magnificent crafts puts Gujarat on par with its neighbor. Considering that most of the textile pieces I had purchased in Rajasthan were actually from Gujarat, it was only fitting that I traveled to see where they were created. Going into the homes of the artists and seeing the process made me appreciate the demonstrated art form even more. Having a car and driver, along with a knowledgeable guide, enabled us to spontaneously stop or stay longer at things that particularly interested us. While this method is more expensive than traveling by public transport or going on a bus tour, we experienced so much more. Gujarat will forever hold a special place in my heart.

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The Kutch Museum, Bhuj

Likely to my father’s delight, he had only been to only one full-fledged museum so far on the trip. Today would visit a second- the Kutch Museum. Established in 1877, it is Gujarat’s oldest museum. Once only for the eyes of the ruler’s guests, it has in its collection ancient Kutchi script writings, local silver, gold, and enameling work, would work, coins, musical instruments, and the ever–present artillery display. My favorite part though was a section devoted to the tribal people and their arts. Life–size dioramas were made depicting the various tribes showcasing their unique clothing, homes, and ways of life. Beautiful examples of the different styles of embroidery and other textile arts were preserved under glass. It made me want to visit the villages all over again and perhaps do a bit of shopping.

Photo from http://gujaratgumo.blogspot.com/2011/05/kutch-museum-bhuj.html, as photography was not allowed.

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Aina Mahal, Bhuj

In the same compound as the Prag Mahal was the Aina Mahal, heavily affected by the 2001 earthquake. A portion of it has been made into a museum. Meaning “palace of mirrors,” the 18th-century palace’s name to fame is its Hall of Mirrors room. Though its splendor didn’t quite match that of the palaces I had visited in Rajasthan (not to mention the earthquake tarnishing some of that beauty), there still was some to see. The wall still contained portions covered with white marble. Gilded mirrors covered the majority of space at eye-level. Venetian glass candelabras and colored glass lamps dangled from the ceiling. For me, the room’s most striking feature was the floor, decorated with blue china tiles manufactured in Bhuj.

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Prag Mahal, Bhuj

Walking past a large mound of rubble from the earthquake (including portions of more colonial sculptures), the first building we saw was the Prag Mahal.
Bui 1865-79, this Gothic-style building was constructed by Italian architects. From the outside, it looked like this part of the Prag Mahal fared better than many buildings in this area. Looking up at the towers, one could see huge cracks zigzagging down the large bricks.

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Gateway of the Nagar Khana, Bhuj

On our last day, we visited a part of Bhuj where older buildings still remained, albeit with earthquake damage. Although I would not be able to see the walled city with beautiful palaces and havelis and famous bazaars, as described in older guidebooks, I would try to appreciate what remained. At one time, Bhuj (and the region of Kutch) was a wealthy city due to its sea trade with East Africa and Persian Gulf countries. We started by entering through the arched Gateway of the Nagar Khana that leads to the Prag Mahal (new palace), Rani Mahal (Queen’s Palace), and Aina Mhaal (old palace). Once three-stories high, only the front shell of the second floor remained. A few sculptures on the lower level looked very colonial European – a visual reminder.

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Bhuj - Kutch Area Headquarters

While visiting the various villages in the Kutch area, we used a larger city of Bhuj (population 137,000) as our headquarters. Our hotel was located on a rather drab street, whose stores only sold items such as motorbike parts, hardware, and auto parts. The dusty street was shared by ambling cattle, the occasional camels, cow–pulled carts, tractors, large trucks, and various public transportation vehicles such as trucks, motor bikes modified with a wagon on back. If we wanted to get something to eat at a place other than our hotel, we would need to be satisfied with packaged snacks from the tiny convenience shack. At least there were ATM machines, enabling us to make additional crafts purchases!

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Rabari Women, Bhujodi

Walking around the village, we met a Rabari woman was sewing on a mirror to an embroidered piece of cloth. Her long, dangling earrings particularly fascinated us. How heavy those earrings must have been to have weighed down her earlobes with such a large hole! Another Rabari woman squatted as she washed metal eating containers outside. She also had the same style earrings, in addition to tattoo tribal designs on her arms, feet, and lower legs.

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Under the Flowering Tree

Under the shade of a flowering tree were two cattle, which had just been brought in by Mr. Valji’s father. While they were eating, the father knelt next to them and began carefully inspecting them. Mr. Valji explained that this was done every night to ensure that no tic-like insects were on the cattle after a day of free grazing. Such tender treatment of their cattle!

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Kutch Kitchen and Silver Jewelry

Mr. Valji then showed of his house. One white wall of the kitchen was decorated with the same relief design and mirrors as we had seen in the Banni region. Family–woven blankets covered the refrigerator sides and door. In the next equally clean room stood two storage cab made out of mud and decorated with the same relief/ mirror design combination. Elevated off the ground and away slightly from the wall in case of condensation, this is where they still stored their food grain. Mr. Valji’s mother was on the floor on a carpet, working on a quilt. Along with her colorful, traditional dress, she wore some chunky looking jewelry. Her two silver necklaces weighed 800 and 200 g respectively (1.76 lb and .44 lb), while her two anklets weighed 500 g (1.1 lb) each.

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Bhujodi Harijan Weavers, Gujarat

In the Harijan village of Bhujodi, just a few kilometers from Bhuj, we met Mr. Valji. His family was engaged in the art of weaving. We commented about his beautifully carved wooden door that opened to the entrance of his courtyard. He explained that it was one of the things that he had salvaged from the earthquake that had destroyed his family house as well as most of the village. Although I’m sure was quite devastating, the way he spoke about it demonstrated the resilience that I saw in so much of the state.

Under a small shelter were below–ground containers. Lifting up the lids, he showed us their contents - a fresh and older batch of indigo dye mixture also containing lime and dates. To achieve the intense, dark indigo color, pieces would need to be dipped about five times. Beneath the containers (1.06 m or 3 ½ feet in height), goat dung was placed. All of this provided insulation from the heat and helped preserve the valuable dye. Inside one of the buildings, several people were engaged in different stages of the weaving process. Some were cranking a machine that spun the thread onto a spindle. A woman worked at high-speed to prepare the warp thread. In the corner, a man was weaving on a shuttle loom. Mr. Valji explained that such looms have replaced most of the pit looms that were almost exclusively used prior to the earthquake. While some wool from locally grown sheep is still used, his family has now also begun using synthetic wool and fine cotton. The fine cotton has enabled him to create more intricate, colorful designs. Such pieces had 90 threads per square inch instead of the usual 24. Although he has done some experimentation, traditional designs are still a major part of his work. About one plain shawl can be a woven in a day.

Inside his showroom, blankets, shawls, bed covers, bags, and placemats were neatly piled. Some had bright colors others dark, and still others retained the natural color of the fibers. Many of them contained small round mirrors that were so naturally into the woven design. As our conversation continued, Mr. Valji explained that he had been invited to attend the Folk arts and crafts festival in Santa Fe. Curious, I asked if he had met Nancy Walkup, an art teacher (an ArtsEdNet member I had known online for over 15 years) heavily involved in the festival, to which he replied, “Yes, I know Nancy.” Small world indeed.

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Mutwa Embroidery, Dhordo, Gujarat

In the Banni village of Dhordo, we met an artist named Sofiya. She demonstrated the Mutwa style of embroidery that incorporated tiny, round mirrors that she cut, along with intricate stitching using the buttonhole and chain stitches. Motifs were mostly geometric, in keeping with Islamic rules forbidding depiction of human and animal forms. Even during this short demonstration, she had to stop a few times to tend to her young son. Therefore, it was understandable when she regrettably replied that she did not have any larger pieces to sell. Such exquisite stitch work is passed down from the mother and learned at an early age (5-7 years old), which is when a girl begins preparing dresses that she will embroider, as part of the dowry.

Due to the increasing salinity of the ground, receding of rivers, and loss of grasslands, the people of the region have shifted their main livelihood from cattle breeding (as well as ghee and butter products) to handicrafts. For such women, belonging to a cooperative where they can retain a higher percentage from their embroidery work becomes even more important.

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Kala Raksha Organization

We then took an impromptu visit to Kala Raksha, of grassroots social enterprise dedicated to the preservation of traditional Kutch arts. ( I had been enamored by some pieces I had seen at a craft fair in Chennai a few years ago and had kept its business card). Our guide was keen for us to meet Judy Frater, an American who visited the area as curator at the Textile Museum in Washington DC, fell in love with Kutch embroidery and subsequently stayed and founded the organization. While we were waiting for Judy to arrive, we were shown the room where exemplars of traditional pieces of varying styles were preserved in museum–quality format. Such preservation with accompanying documentation not only served to ensure that Kutch-style embroidery can be seen in the future, but it also provides inspiration to artisans as they create new designs.

In another building, we saw some women of the Artisan Pricing Committee inspecting pieces for quality. Not only does the organization provide these rural women with a viable means of income, it also provides education programs focused on health, economics, and management. Such earning has empowered these female artisans, enabling them to use income and instant loans for building homes, celebrating weddings, and purchasing sewing machines. Rather than seeing such gorgeous handicrafts dying out, such organizations serve to ensure a market for years to come.

For more information on Kala Raksha, visit their website http://www.kala-raksha.org/

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Bandhani Tie Dye, Gujarat

The tie-dye technique known as Bandhani is renowned in the Kutch area. Is considered a symbol of married life and is often incorporated in both Hindu and Muslim marriages. Typically, each village would have its own color scheme and design. Tie-dyeing in the area can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilization around 5000 years ago. Now, many of the designs are machine printed, but there still are places where the craft remains intact, particularly in Jamnagar, Anjar, and Bhuj. We visited the home of Mr. Ali Mohammed Isha in Bhuj.

First the cloth was laid on a table, on top of which stencil paper was laid. Thinned dye was brushed over the paper, with the color penetrating into the holes of the design. Tiny knots (whose positions are indicated by the dot design) are then tied in the folded cloth. The areas tied with string retain the color of the fabric. To remove the stencil marks, the cloth is bleached. It is then dyed in a light color, after which the areas that are to remain in that color are tied. The number of times that a piece is knotted is directly proportional to the number of colors used. A skillful person could tie about 2500 knots in about six hours. Imagine how many knots were made in a piece that took 15 to 20 days to tie! Seeing this process in action prompted me to purchase a Chandro Khani, a marriage shawl from the Khatri community. Along with such traditional designs, Mr. Isha had many contemporary pieces as well.

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Ahir Embroidery, Kutch Region

Our next stop was the house of Geetha Laxmiben in the town of New Dhaneti. The Ahir style of embroidery is similar to that of the Rabaris (another agricultural community), but only round mirrors are used with geometrical and floral motifs. It was amazing to see Geetha transform the red silk cloth into designs incorporating the finest of stitches. Even rather small designs could take up to seven days to complete.

On our way to Bhuj, the flat land on both sides of the road contained many factories, particularly those that made tiles. Most of these factories, enticed by a tax-free holiday, were erected as incentives for business development after the area’s devastating quake in 2001.

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Ajrakh Block Printing, Gujarat

Now in the Kutch area, we visited two towns engaged in block printing. The Arabic name Ajrakh denotes the blue color, an essential component of this style. Typically there is a central design surrounded by a series of borders including around the periphery. In both places we observed in Dhamanka and Khavda, machine spun cotton cloth was used. After the cloth was washed to remove sizing, a pre-mordant was added to increase color intensity. The color of the cloth was preserved through the printing of a resist consisting of line, gum, and water. In one place, they sprinkled sawdust used to strengthen the resist. Both sides of the cloth are printed. The black outlines of the design and then stamped, with the color being made from rested iron and Jaggery (raw cane sugar). Read is then printed using alum as a mordant. The cloth is then boiled in a mixture containing Alizarine or madder root, after which it is dried in the sun. Other colors are then added in order to achieve the desired color combinations and depth. For each color, the cloth is both printed and dyed. To achieve green, pomegranate shells with yellow made from a local nut are combined. Although natural indigo is sometimes used, synthetic colors are now common. In all, the fabric is typically washed 13 to 14 times. Around 20 different wooden printing blocks would be used. Some of the cloth we saw was destined for Fab India and others for international markets.

For more information on Ajrakh block printing, visit: http://www.craftrevival.org/CraftArtDetails.asp?CountryCode=India&CraftCode=003664

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Working in the Heat - Dasada

Near a small village, the saw some men weighing newly harvested wheat using a crude scale with a large weight hanging from the opposite string. Nearby was a truck with a full load of cotton. Next to it was a farmer all dressed in white. It amazed me they could keep their clothes so clean looking. On the road back towards the resort, some workers including women wearing saris were repaving the road in the searing heat. Running out of an Islamic school where some children, still clutching their slates.

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By the Reservoir, Little Rann of Kutch

Crossing the cracked earth still sparkling with white salt residue, we once again reached the narrow road. In a field, women and children were squatting, gathering up cow pies. Immediately, lots of happy children ran up to greet us asking in English “What’s your name?” One of the girls had a pile of fresh dung in her hand. We reached into our pockets and gave the children some little prizes including matchbox cars, candy, and whistles. From the looks on their faces, you would think we had given them treasures. A small reservoir of water, now nearly dried up, was a source of activity. Water buffalo cooled themselves. Birds with stilt-like legs stood in the shallow waters. Young men formed bricks out of mud. Older women carried bowls of dirt on their heads. In a small clearing between thorny Acacia bushes, a mother and some children gather twigs, placed them in piles near their campfire pit. Judging from the presence of some cooking bowls and a crude tenant made out of sticks and plastic, I presumed this was their home.

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