Somaiya Kala Vidyalaya: Here begins our short visit to Kutch,India

 

This post was originally published in a saree group on October 28, 2022.

The visit to kutch started on October 28th and culminated on October 30th.

After celebrating Diwali with family in Pune we( my husband and me) arrived in Kutchh yesterday( October 28th). This is a very short visit, solely to meet some really talented artisans who have become dear friends in the course of time. My love for sarees made me reach out to the best of the best and the connections went from business to friendship. 

The Khatris of Ajrakhpur need no introduction. They have lived here for last 22 years but their art dates back to centuries. Ajrakhpur township named after their craft was formed in 2001 after their ancestral town of Dhamadka was devastated from a massive earthquake. Juned Khatri who picked us from the airport yesterday told us he was barely 14 at the time and had it not been January 26th when people go out in the morning for the flag ceremony he would not be alive today. His older sister who stayed home that morning did not survive when the roof came crashing down as the earth rolled underneath violently for 12 seconds! Similar destruction extended to the entire town. 

The art of Ajrakh depends heavily on water. These artisans make their own dyes for the printing. The outcome of colors depends on the water purity. The earthquake not only destroyed their homes, it shook the layers of the earth such that a lot of iron and other mineral content contaminated the water and rendered it unsuitable for creating dyes. As a result the community faced some tough decisions. Either they had to change their profession or go find another location suitable to pursue their craft. Juned told me they divided the community into 10 kabilas ( groups) and each group went to explore locations in different directions. They then returned and shared their observations and zeroed in on this present location near Bhuj where they not just found the water quality to be suitable but also felt welcome by the locals. Juned’s father Ismail Mohd Khatri gave the name Ajrakhpur to this new township. I had the distinct honor to meet him yesterday at their home. 

His contribution to the art of Ajrakh printing is immense and has earned him an honorary doctorate and several National awards and recognitions. But beyond his art, he is much respected for the human being he is, caring for everyone in his community and beyond. When I confirmed with Juned I was coming to visit them the one thing he requested me to bring along was not chocolates or iPhone or Apple Watch or such fare. He wanted me to get a blood pressure monitor with a rechargeable battery for his father to use for members of the community! 

Yesterday when we arrived at their home Ismail Sir came to meet us. I was in awe to be in his presence but he is so simple he put us at complete ease. No airs about his accomplishments or anything. He looked at the saree and glanced at his son( Juned) and asked him if he had made it for me. Juned shyly nodded in confirmation. Ismail sir went on to explain that this design belonged to the nomads who used traditional malirs( cloth around their waists like lungis). These nomadic people relied heavily on weather and water for their travel from one place to next. The flower like motif on the malirs represented the wind indicator. A square motif was representative of step wells. They had camels with them. The camels could swim in rivers and oceans. For the men to swim, they used earthen pots, fill them with clothing and use as floaters. This was a unique application for these pots that were at other times used to store milk or fetch water. One more motif used in these malirs was a cross sectional view of a stack of grass that the tribes used for their homes. Juned looked sheepishly at us when his father asked him why he omitted that motif on my saree! I told Juned that now he needs to make one more for me to correct that error of omission! I actually ended up picking a cotton version of this saree which was complete with the missing motif. I will showcase it sometime in the future.

Earlier that afternoon on our way from Kandla airport to his home Juned took us to see the newly built premises of the Somaiya Kala Vidyalaya( SKV). This institution is instrumental in training artisans in the various crafts that are native to Kutchh. Ajrakh printing, Bandhani tie dye technique, Bhujodi weaving and various embroidery techniques. The new building design has employed elements from antique structures in the state. The earthen curved tiles on the roof called nariya are recovered from old houses as they are no longer made anywhere. Similarly old wooden carved doors and window frames as well as colored glass on the windows are procured from old homes and tastefully used in this new building. Special paste made from gravel and chuna admixed with herbs is used to hold the stone and brick walls together. The bamboo lining on the inside of the roofs and the top nariya tiles kept the indoors unbelievably cool. It has to be experienced to believe! The supervisor at the venue walked us through the premises enthusiastically, showed us a miniature model of the ultimate building project and treated us to tea before we took leave. He even took our pictures at the site. My picture in this post shows me in that mulberry saree in malir inspired design standing in front of one of many doors at the new SKV building.