On my 3rd day in the wonderful area of Kutch, I decided to venture into the villages to see the work and lifestyle of the artisans. I started roughly 60 miles north of Bhuj close to the Indo-Pak border at a village named Hodka. As I entered the village, I was greeted by a bunch of small children and young girls all giggling and happy. The children were interested in what sweets I had got for them. Apparently, many tourists stop by with sweets and enjoy capturing the life of the village.
Initially I filmed two girls Jayva and Neeta, both probably 14 or 15 years old, doing embroidery that will probably take them 2-3 months to finish. The women in this village start doing embroidery when they are 7-8 years old. They don't get an education and are expected to do housework and embroidery only. The men of the houses do the marketing and selling of the finished products that range from purses, jewelry to quilts and wall hangings. The work is laborious and usually starts with a plain unprinted cloth on which the women create motifs from their experiences and everyday life. There is no prior print or design given. Once a woman is married she is expected to take her work to her husband's house where he will sell her products and get money for the family. What blew me away was how these artistic and creative women manage their homes (cooking, cleaning and children) as well as doing embroidery during their breaks that range from 5-7 hours.
The second part of the video is of Komaben and her family. She is the neatest and most talented artist in the family and tries to do as much embroidery as possible. These women seemed happy and content, contrary to the harshness of their lifestyle. I guess ignorance is bliss in some ways:). The two embroideries shown are called Kharek and Pako. Enjoy the video.
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