Needlework and Fish-shaped Mirrors.

Of course the purpose of this part of the trip was the handicraft tour of the local artisans organized by matsya. Each community specializes in one kind of craft, putting all their dreams, traditions and lives in the patterns. The daily chores, their skills and talents, the weddings and the sorrows. Every step of the process is meticulous but usually done during the free time from the necessities of life.
Materials and final products change hands seamlessly. And be it hand decorated silk in incredible fashion, welding-free cow bells, geometric needlework on cotton or fine-detailed woodwork and block printing, everything is made to be used and worn. This is living in Kachchh.

* As usual my photos might not be as informative or to anybody's taste. For a much more thorough record of the handicrafts and artisan's tools, please visit Diti's blog post. There's more to see there too!

Kachchh.

The setting is Kachchh. It literally means "something which intermittently becomes wet and dry". It is a large district in the state of Gujarat and a big part of it is the Rann. Marshy salt flats during the dry seasons, a vast wetland during the monsoons. This is practically a desert, a marsh, an island and a huge peninsula at the same time, depending on the season and your point of view.
The purpose is the handicrafts of the local nomadic and artisan communities.
The vehicle is matsya and the company is eclectic. It is hot and alien and it'll take five days.


To be continued.