What To Buy When In Gujarat? - The Indigenous Handicrafts Of Gujarat

Sankheda Furniture

Sankheda furniture is attractive and colorful furniture from Gujarat. Here teak wood is treated with lacquer and painted in the traditional auspicious colors of maroon and gold. The furnitures are manufactured only in the Sankheda village that is about 45 km away from Vadodara. More recently, other shades like black, blue, copper, green, silver, ivory, etc., are also being used to paint the furnitures. The products are meant for both the domestic market and are also marketed abroad. Traditionally, organic dyes prepared from the pulp of kewda leaves was used. The use of chemical pigments now have increased the color range of these furnitures. 

Accounts of writers and British officers mention that Sankheda furniture was traded as early as the 17th century and exported via the Khambhat and Surat ports. An interesting legend is related to the roots of this Indian craft form. It is said that a spiritually oriented person who was trying to flee from the Mughals took refuge in the hut of a kind-hearted craftsman. The next day the guest vanished but the craftsman dreamt of him as a saint who blessed him with excellent craftsmanship skills. Soon after that, the carpenter got the brilliant idea of carving furniture using lacquer coating. 

Elaborate and spectacular swings, rocking chairs, tables, beds, divans, dining sets, etc., are some of the furnitures manufactured by the Sankheda artists. Other objects produced by them include flower vases, wall-hangings, lamps, pen stands, toys, kitchen ware, etc. 

Kutch Embroidery

The Kutch Embroidery, one of the most famous traditional art and craft forms of Gujarat is produced by a tribal community in the state’s Kutch District. The embroidery is done by women on cotton fabrics using threads of silk and cotton. The embroidery is also done on satin or silk in some cases. The most beautiful part is the use of small mirrors sewn over the geometrically shaped designs. The mirrors sparkle over the colorful embroidery providing a pleasing sight. 

The Kutch embroidery style was first introduced in India in the 16th and 17th centuries by people who migrated from the European and Central Asian countries to Gujarat. The art form was first taught to cobblers in the region by a Muslim sufi saint of Sindh. Gradually the women in the region picked up the art form and started producing costumes using Kutch embroidery both for their own clothing and also to sell and earn money in return. Since then, the art form has been inherited from mothers to daughters in the households involved in the production of the Kutch embroidery style textiles. Today, it is also used to produce home decor items and a wide variety of other handicrafts.

To know more, read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutch_Embroidery

Tangaliya Shawl

A tangaliya shawl is a handwoven shawl and textile that is unique to Gujarat. The shawls are made by the Dangasia community in the Surendranagar district of Gujarat’s Saurashtra-region. The indigenous craft form is 700 years old and has several traditional variations. The women of the Bharwad shepherd community use the textile as a wraparound skirt and as a shawl. Dots and other geometric patterns woven in a unique, intricate style are the primary feature of the tangaliya shawl. The craft was promoted by the government of the state and tangaliya style is now used to make dupattas, bedsheets, pillow covers, dress material, etc. Traditionally cotton or sheep wool yarn was used. These products have been currently replaced with eri silk and merino wool.

Gir Kesar Mango

Gir Kesar mango is a cultivar of mango grown in Girnar, Gujarat. The fruit is famous for its bright orange pulp. It was first cultivated in Vanthali in 1931 by Junagadh Wazir Sale Bhai. The mango is cultivated in an area of about 20,000 hectare and has an annual production of 2 lakh tons. The mango is cultivated in the large sections of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat but only the mangos cultivated around the Gir sanctuary are formally labelled as the "Gir Kesar mango.” Cultivation starts in October and produce reaches the market by April. It is one of the most expensive varieties of fruit.

Bhalia Wheat

The Bhalia Wheat is a kind of long grain wheat that is cultivated in Gujarat’s  Bhal Region that is to the north of the Gulf of Khambhat. The Bhalia wheat is rich in gluten content and protein. It also has significant quantities of carotene. The sowing of the wheat is done in between the end of October and the first week of November. The product is harvested in March and April. This type of wheat does not require rain or irrigation as it can cultivated on conserved soil moisture.

Kachchh Shawls

A Kachchh shawl is a traditional shawl woven in Gujarat’s Kutch region. The Bhujodi village of Kutch is famous for this art-form. Embroidered shawls, tie-dyed shawls, and stoles are produced using the Kachchh style.

Agates of Cambay

Khambhat or Cambay is a town in the Anand district of Gujarat that is the only place in India where the Harappan craft of agate bead making still survives. Even though Khambat has no stone deposits of its own, the stones are acquired from  the Rajpipla hills about 200 km away from the town.

Patan Patola

Patola is double ikat woven sari that is produced in Patan, Gujarat. The saris, usually made of silk, are quite expensive. They were once worn by the aristocratic and royal families of the country. Today too the saris can be afforded mainly by the well-off section of the society. 

The art of weaving these saris is a highly guarded secret and only three families in Patan weave the double ikat saris. Only the sons in the family are taught this art. One saree takes 6 months to a year to be completed as the dying process is a long one. Each strand is separately dyed before being woven together. 

To read more about this craft of Gujarat, read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patola_Sari

Surat Zari Craft

The Surat Zari Craft is a textile product of Gujarat’s Surat district. Here, yarns of cotton and silk are mixed with those of copper, silver, and gold. Intricate designs are made and used in the ornamentation of textiles and handicrafts. The zari is either woven or hand embroidered onto the textile borders or in the body of the textile. The Kanjivaram saris made in South India and Banarasi saris made in Varanasi use the Surat Zari extensively. Gold is also replaced by plastic to reduce the cost of the saris.

95% of the zari manufacturing units are located in the Surat city. About 500 manufacturing units and 3,000 households in Surat are involved in zari-making. The use of these zaris is mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts of the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and even the Rigveda. It continued to be popular for centuries and was mentioned in Mughal accounts which referred to Surat as the “Zari City.” During the British rule, the craft managed to survive despite the French using textile machinery to produce zari crafts. Originally silver and gold was used in zari preparation. Here, silver was coated with gold and then fine wires of varying gauges were drawn and then hand woven over the base yarn of pure silk. Later, imitation zari came into being to make the art accessible to a greater mass. 

To know more about there process, read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surat_Zari_Craft


Please Note: The images used here are images that are licensed for reuse. Hence, the images might not be enough to justify the actual beauty of these products. Conduct your own search for the items mentioned here on Google and be prepared to be enthralled by the beauty of Gujarat's indigenous art and craft products.