The nomads of Kutch
Kutch is home to the culturally rich Rabari tribe. Subhshish Chakraborty tells us of their heritage and culture, and how they are in danger.
Photo credits: Jimmy Nelson
Recently I had the fortune of visiting the Western most state of India – Gujarat, courtesy the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat. Being a travel writer, I was scheduled to visit the entire length and breadth of the state of Gujarat. However, I had a particular fascination to visit the Kutch area, which I knew were the home of the nomadic Rabari people.
I had first heard of the Rabaris from my archaeologist aunt, who spent many years in Gujarat in the 90’s. Ever since, I had a burning desire to know more about the Rabari people. So the first thing I did upon my arrival at Ahmedabad was to ask the Tourism Officer to provide me with an opportunity to spend more time at Kutch, which is where most Rabaris live.
We started our journey to Kutch, Bhuj in the morning. It was a 6 hour drive from Ahmedabad, but the road was excellent and the drive was beautiful, too. We arrived at the Bhuj Tourist Bungalow that evening.
The next morning we proceeded towards the Rann of Kutch, the heartland of the Rabaris. My guide, Pavitran, told us that we needed to drive 80 kilometres away from Bhuj to a place called Parkar Vas, which is where the Rabari influence is strong. The Kala Raksha Trust, run by a selfless American woman, Judy Frater, who has spent nearly 25 years living in Kutch, is also located at Parkar Vas.
As our car sped out of the narrow alleyways of Bhuj to the deserted highway, I could sense an all-encompassing silence descending. The population was sparse and the landscape desolate. After around 25 kilometres, the car took a sharp right and I saw groups of Rabaris with camels on the move, probably looking for a quiet place to pitch camp. The men folk wore turbans and were dressed in white while the women wore gorgeous black skirts with tiny mirrors embroidered on them.
The Rabari people can be nomadic or semi-nomadic, with about 2,500-3,000 families in Kutch. There are two types of Rabaris – the Vagadias from Eastern Kutch and the Dhebarias from the Anjar Taluka. The white dress is common to all Rabari men.
Most Rabaris are still illiterate with a staunch faith in religion and nature. They worship Mataji Sikotara, Momaya, Loladi, Bhed, Vankol, Amba, Khodiar and Hinglaj. Women do household work while the men folk are mostly in the desert with their sheep and camels. They don’t trust doctors and use only Ayurvedic medicines. Rabari women are known for their embroidery like Toran, Thela, Popat, Blouse, Gagra and intricate decorations for camels.
Legend has it that all the Rabaris once lived in Jaisalmer in the neighboring state of Rajasthan. Over the centuries they spread into many other states, integrating themselves into Hindu culture as they went, splintering into countless sub-castes, but always retaining their unique ways and differences.
We visited Judy Frater’s Kala Raksha Trust and were very fortunate to find her at the reception counter at her modest cottage, which was designed in the traditional Rabari style roundhouse. She has set up a museum and a production center within the small premises far away from metropolitan India with a handful of dedicated staff who work around her vision.
According to Judy – “ A wedding proclaims the best of a community through embroidery. The bride’s home is lavishly decorated. In the midnight ceremony the bride’s embroidery (only glimpsed beneath her veil), the groom’s proudly displayed dress, and the uniform embellishment of guests, from adults to children, all identify them as unmistakably members of one community.”
Among the Rabaris, fashion has changed over time. Yet, at any given time it is important to conform to the current style of the community. Fashion includes choice of cloth and style of embroidery. The bride’sghaagharo (skirt) worn only until marriage is made from “mashru pattern” traditionally used for that purpose. Her woolen ludi (veil) is embroidered with medallions used only by the “Kacchis” and only for the veil. The bride’s outfit, the Torans, the girl’s blouse and the groom’s “Bokanni” scarf has embroidery of the people of Kutch from 1960s to 1980s. The groom’s adan (jacket) depicts the style of embroidery popular earlier, up to the middle of the 20th century among the Kacchis.
Having spent years in this part of the world promoting Rabari craftsmanship, Judy is very concerned seeing the disparities of pricing in the international market for textiles. A hand-woven Rabari bag costs around Rs.150/- in India but the moment these products reach any Western country, their price is hiked by ten times to around USD 80. Also, Western craftsmen are paid more than Rabari craftsmen. It is this disparity of income that Judy is fighting for.
It is clear that in modern India, their way of life is in trouble. The Rabari population is estimated to be about 2,70,000. They now often keep only a few camels for transport. Many earn a living by selling sheep and goats for meat, dung for fertilizer, and wool. With open land filling up through development and conflicts with settled people increasing, more and more Rabaris are forced to give up their herds and look for alternatives.
An early September morning in Kutch finds the Rabari camped in tarpaulin shelters, preparing for their annual migration they call the “Dang”. This is when groups from five to fifteen families set out with their livestock in search of greener pastures. They wander from autumn through the following spring, during the dry months between the Southwest monsoons. There is urgency to get all the work done in preparation to decamp. Women run barefoot over stones and thorns, chasing lambs. The shepherds pound the ground with their staffs and curse the sheep as they corral them into makeshift pens. Each shepherd has a slightly different call, whistle or shriek to call his flock and the noise is deafening. The gentle firmness with which a herdsman will get a reluctant goat to suckle a kid will make you realize how precious these animals are to the Rabari.
In a typical village, their rectangular houses, called “Vandhas” are built in rows. The whitewashed mud walls and tiled roofs may have an appearance of starkness when viewed from outside. But within each house, the Rabari’s fondness for patterns is easily visible from the many geometric designs that adorn its interiors. The tiny mirrors embedded into these mud-plaster patterns only enhance their beauty as they catch the faint glimmer of light streaming in from a small window or a low doorway. A home usually consists of two rooms and an extended verandah, which forms the kitchen.
The room at the back is normally used as a storehouse – a virtual treasure house of embroidered clothes and quilts in carved wooden “pataras” (chests); and the “kothis” and “kothlas” (granaries) made of mud and cow dung. The other room is mainly a living room decorated with embroidered Torans or decorated doorways, while the doors are covered with brass foil etched in myriad patterns. Often, the only piece of furniture that one might find is the carved, wooden cradle.
To me Kutch is a place where time appeared to have stopped. No visit to Gujarat is ever complete without a trip to this Northwestern district of Gujarat. The Rabaris of Kutch are renowned for their temperate nature and warm hospitality. For the traveler in you, Kutch offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to actually lead a nomadic life in complete harmony with nature.
As life goes on, spare a thought about the nomadic Rabaris of Kutch. If possible come and discover their land and you surely will go back with a changed perspective on life.
Traveler’s Fact File:
Bhuj is located about 310 kilometers from Ahmedabad, and is connected by both rail and road. Ahmedabad is well connected by flights from Mumbai and Delhi.
Bhuj is located about 310 kilometers from Ahmedabad, and is connected by both rail and road. Ahmedabad is well connected by flights from Mumbai and Delhi.
The nearest airport to Bhuj is Jamnagar, which is connected by regular flights from Mumbai.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is sketchy, at best. But you can be assured of cleanliness, hygienic food and stunning views at this pretty Gujarati town. Apart from the Department of Tourism run Tourist Lodge, there are decent hotels at Bhuj like the Mahalaxmi Guest House and the Panchayat Guest House. There is also a Circuit House that offers comfortable accommodation.
Accommodation is sketchy, at best. But you can be assured of cleanliness, hygienic food and stunning views at this pretty Gujarati town. Apart from the Department of Tourism run Tourist Lodge, there are decent hotels at Bhuj like the Mahalaxmi Guest House and the Panchayat Guest House. There is also a Circuit House that offers comfortable accommodation.
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