HISTORY:

The history of Gujarat encompasses the Indus Valley civilization.

The Dravidian tribes were the original inhabitants of the region. The
ancient history of Gujarat was enriched by their commercial
activities.
The history of Gujarat saw an Aryan invasion followed by a brief
period of Greek rule. There were a succession of Hindu kingdoms
including the era of the Guptas and culminating in the reign of the
Solankis.
The 9th century history of Gujarat saw the emergence of the Muslims
in the political arena of the state. The Mughals established and
consolidated their rule from Delhi The rule of the Mughals lasted for
two centuries before it was ended by the Marathas in the 18th
century.

HERITAGE
Champaner
Indus Civilization sites
like Lothal and
Dholavera
Ancient Buddhist sites

RECREATIONAL AND
ECO
Nal Sarovar
Gandhinagar
Dunny Point

HEALTH
Ahmedabad
Nadiad
Karamsad
Vadodara
Gandhinagar,
Mehsana

CITIES FAMOUS FOR

SPIRITUAL
Jyotirlingas at Somnath
Temple
Dwarkadhish Temple
Dwarka (Jamnagar
district)
Pavagadh
Mount Girnar at

NATURE
Asiatic Lions in Gir
forest
Wild Ass in Rann of
Kutchh
Indian bustards in bird
reserves
Dugong is found in

ADVENTURE
Aero Sports
Saputara, Pavagadh,
Junagadh
Water Sports
Ahmedpur Mandvi,
Ubhraat, Dwarka,
Nargol, Tithal, Chorwad

TRADITION, CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE :

Gujarat is blessed with rich and vibrant tradition of Handicrafts. It is
widely differing in its proportions of its patterns to the element of
wonderful exquisite Artifacts in various forms. It stands unique with
diverse arts and crafts a mixed combination with aesthetic appeal.
Needlework
Pottery
Tie and dye Bandhani
Woodwork
Bead work
Textile culture
Patola
Zari
Temple culture
Jewellery
Furnishings

As Gujarat stands as Heart of India, Multiculturalism is traced in

Gujarat. Originally known as Gurjars, Gujaratis are influenced by the
waves from the past that inherit values of arts, culture and traditions.
For costumes, traditional outfits like chania choli by women and kedia
dress is worn by men in rural areas or during cultural festivals.
A traditional Gujarati Thali consisting of dal (lentils), roti, rice and
vegetables apart from salads, farsan and sweet dish followed by chaas,
forms the morning meal. A variety of Cuisine sub-ordinates like
pickles, chutney, papad, yoghurt, etc serve as fillings on main menu.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti, January)

Global Garba (OctoberNovember)

Rann Utsav (NovemberDecember)

Tarnetar Fair (August)

Modhera Dance Festival

(3rd week January)

Kankaria Carnival (2531 December)

Origin
Integral part of their lives.
Originally from Rajasthan that came into

Kutch on a south west route from Jaisalmer.

Tradionally : used for dowry.
Was stopped later

Products
Kaftan

Rabari Silk
Skirt on
HauteLook

Potli bag
Cushion

Introduction
Sunni Muslims who

are thought to have

migrated to Kutch
via Sindh from Iran
back in 5th century
They are cattleman
They migrated in
search of new grass

Origin..
It relies on their oral tradition and sporadic

reference : migrated from Greece

Arrived to India, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Iran,
Baluchistan and Sindh.

They have their distinctive embroidery style

Whole cloth is embroidered
Clothes : orange, red, blue and yellow color

are used.
Mirrors are used
Covering of the space around the mirror is
done by chain stitch and creeper stitch

Motifs
Images of the dolls
Birds,
Animals

All these are created in an embossed

manner, using interlace of button hole and
chain stitch

Products

Mutwas

Small group of muslim cowherds

Introduction
They live in a small cluster of 11 villages
Migrated from the middle east around the 16 th

century
Houses are highly decorated
It is mainly geometric and floral

Mirror work

Introduction...
It is type of embroidery which attaches a

small piece of mirror.

Done- throughout Asia.
Also found in Pakistan, China and Indonesia.

History.
Traces- 17th century in

Iran
It was brought in India
by travelers, during the
Mughal era.
It was originally done
by- MICA.
Which was replaced by
glass later.

Sources of Inspiration
In the southern parts of Asia began this

artwork with pairs of scissors.

It was consistently made wet.
This was done to give any different shapes
and trimmed

Materials used
Fabric
Embroidery loop
Needle
Mirror
Embroidery floss

Process

Secure ur fabric.
Place the shisha and secure
with cross stitch

Now duplicate the

foundation
stitch but
turn- 45 degree

 Now duplicate the

foundation stitch but
turn- 45 degree

Do a blanket stitch,
thread the needle under
your foundation stitches
from the center to the
edge

Present Scenario.
It is a significant local craft
Famous for Chaniya Cholis, torans,

accessories, apparels, bags, etc.

Deepika Padukon flaunts vibrant mirror work
in the movie Ram Leela.

Other products
Chaniya choli

Caps for navratri

chapals

-By Arpita Mehta

Summer
clutch

Soof embroidery

Introduction
Done by the Sodha,

Rajput and Megwar

communities.
Counted thread
styles
Single stitch- Soof
Designs cannot be
pre-drawn.

Soof
embroidery

Origin
Various communities.
It was a dowry that a young women is

suppose to learn.

Motifs
Rhythmic patterns.
Begins with triangles
Peacocks, mandals
Geometric patterns

Process
Fine colored threads are used
On the face side, the stitches are 1cm along.
Successive stitches are done on one side

fabric, which makes a dense patterning.

Small mirrors are added
Various items like :bedspreads, wall hangings,
cushion covers , cradle cloth, jackets, atc

Motifs
counted thread
embroidery done
by using darning
stitch. The motifs
are inspired by
nature and are
geometric in form

products

Shawl

tunic

Kharek Embroidery

Kharek with mirror work

Introduction
Done by the

Sodha, Rajput and

Megwar
communities.
Artisans outline the
geometric pattern
first, then fill it.
Reminiscent of the
tactile textural
quality of date
trees

Origin
By the Sindh and was brought

to the regions of the Banni by

Meghwals and Islamic
pastoralist.

Kanjhri using Kharek embroidery

Motifs

Pakko embroidery

Introduction
Done by the Sodha,

Rajput and Meghwar

communities.
Word pakko literally
means solid, referring
to the dense stitches.
Covers the whole base
cloth.
Free hand drawing.
Square chain stitch

Motifs
Peacock
Parrots
Scorpions
Elephants
Flowers
Done in

geometric
Patterns
and are
symmetrical.

Products
Skirt

Cushion cover

bags

Furnishings
Gujarat offers a wide range of furnishings. From simple
and elegant cushion covers to quilts and bedcovers in a
wide range of styles. Quilts are another popular
handicraft item. They come in a variety of styles from
simple geometric designs to more complex patterns.
Other utility items like woven and Kalamkari table
covers, tablemats and block printed bed land table
linen.Totally felted, inlayed namdas and woven dhurries
from Kutch. Kharal, a traditional floorspread from
Kutch, is woven entirely with camel and goat hair.Ari,
embroidered wall hanging and decorative pieces of suff
embroidery are done by the Sodha community.

Textiles
The variety in textiles lies in the differences of
raw materials, the combinations of yarns and
in the effective use of traditional techniques.
Variations in design used by different
communities, castes and regions of the state,
have further enriched the range.

Mashru
Mashru, a mixed fabric, woven with a combination of
cotton and silk, was essentially for the use of Muslim
men as there was a prohibition on them wearing
pure silk. Weaving traditions prevalent in Iraq and
the Arab countries may have influenced the tradition
of mashru.Mashru was woven all over India, though
it survives today only in Gujarat. It often combines
ikat patterns in stripes, along with woven patterns,
through the introduction of extra warp threads, or by
the depression of the warp threads, and is woven on
a pit loom. Today Patan is one of the most important
centres where mashru is woven.

Deesa
Worn originally by tribes of Gujarat, this fabric is
printed in geometric patterns with bold black
outlines, in deep earthy colours.

Dhamadka & Ajrakh

The intricate art of printing fabrics using wooden

blocks thrives in the riverside town of Jetpur,
midway Gondal and Junagadh, and earns valuable
foreign exchange along side the more modern
screen-printing workshops. Wood is cut and
flattened into blocks ranging from around 1 " to
3" thickness, pin pricked with the outline of the
design to be transferred to the fabric and finally
minutely carved by chiseling. Next, the colours are
separated to fill the niches, and the Chhipa or Khatri
expertly runs the block along the length and
breadth of the fabric.

The dyed fabric is then fixed in river Gondali

and kept to dry. Kutch also specializes in block
printing, and vegetable dyes, paraffin wax
resist, patricate-printing material. Bright
ajrakh prints are still used though now
synthetic dyes and modern techniques have
been adopted. Dhamadka are block prints that
derive their name from the village of origin,
well known for its river water that brightens
the colours. A range of contrasting maroons,
yellows, blues and reds with patterns
generated through tiny dots.

Tangalia
This fabric from Surendranagar is inlayed with
thread during weaving to create geometrical
patterns and peacock motifs.

Bandhani
The tie-dyed fabrics of Gujarat are perhaps the
best produced in India. Also known as Bandhej,
it is produced on superfine cotton mulmul,
muslin sometimes combined with gold checks
and motifs worked in the jamdani technique.
The highest intensity of Bandhini dyeing is in
Kutch, but some of the best works are from
Jamnagar and Saurashtra, on the Southern
coast of Gulf of Kutch. The printed portion of the
fabric are pinched and pushed into small points
and then knotted with 2 or 3 twists of thread.

The knotted parts remain uncoloured and the

fabric is dyed in the lightest shade first, retied
and dyed in the darker colour. The fabric may
be tied and dyed several times, depending on
the number of shades in the final colour
scheme. The price of the bandhini depends
not only on the fabric, but also on the number
of times it has to be tied and dyed and the
intricacy of the design. Bandhini sarees are
easily available in all the bazaars and
shopping centres of Jamnagar and here you
can also find them brocaded with fine gold
thread zaris.

Brocade
Sarees woven with gold and silver thread known
as ganga-jamuna. The borders retain the
flowing patterns of old chanderi and paithani
sarees, which were a specialty of western
India.

Tanchoi
Chinese weavers first introduced tanchoi in
Surat and the Parsi community used it
extensively. They continue to be woven into
sarees as well as fabric in silk.

Gharchola and Panetar

These silk sarees from Cambay are first woven
with silk and zari threads and then tie-dyed or
block printed.

Patola - The queen of

Silks
The patola is one of the finest hand-woven sarees
produced today. This is a specialty of Patan, and is
famous for extremely delicate patterns woven with
great precision and clarity. Besides Patan, Surat is
acclaimed for velvets with patola patterns. The salvi silk
weavers from Maharashtra and Karnataka opted to
make Gujarat the home of their renowned patola
fabrics. The salvis are said to have arrived in Patan from
Maharashtra and Karnataka in the 12th century to make
the most of the patronage of the Solanki Rajputs, who
then ruled all of Gujarats and parts of South Rajasthan
and Malva with the capital at Anahilwad Patan.

According to folklore, as many as 700 Patola weavers a

company Raja Kumarapala to the palace of Patan, and the
ruler himself wore a Patola silk robe on the occasion. After
the fall of Solanki dynasty, the Salvis found patronage in
the affluent Gujarati merchant, and the patola sarees soon
became a status symbol with Gujarati girls and women
especially as an important part of stridhan for the
departing wedded daughter. The patola of Patan is done in
the double ikkat style, which is perhaps the most
complicated of all textiles designs in the whole world. Each
fabric consists of a series of warp threads and a single weft
thread, which binds the warp threads together. Each one of
the warp threads is tied and dyed according to the pattern
of the saree, such that the knotted portions of the thread
do not catch the colours.

The result is not only a tremendous richness in colour of the

fabric, but that both side of the saree look exactly alike, and
can be worn either way. In fact except to an expert, a patola
looks like a piece of silk fabric, printed on both sides in the
same design. The weaving is done on simple traditional
handlooms, and the dyes used are made from vegetable
extracts and other natural colours, which are so fast that
there is a Gujarati saying that "the patola will tear, but the
colour will not fade." A patola saree takes 4 to 6 months to
make, depending on how complicated the designs is and if
the length is 5 or 6 metres, it can cause from Rs.50, 000/- to
over Rs. 100,000/- a piece. Patan produces very intricate
patterns worked with precision and clarity, with the
characteristic geometric delineation of the design, while
maintaining the soft hazy outlines, a natural effect of the
technique.

In an area called Sadvi Wada you can watch the complex

weaving of silk patola saris, once the preferred garment
of queens and aristocrats, and now made by just one
family.There were four distinct styles in the patolas
woven originally in Gujarat by the Salvi community. The
double ikat sarees with all over patterns of flowers,
parrots, dancing figures and elephants were used by the
Jains and Hindus. For the Muslim Vora community special
sarees with geometric and floral designs were woven for
use during weddings. There were also the sarees woven
for the Maharashtrian Brahmins with a plain, darkcoloured body and borders with women and birds, called
the Nari Kunj. There was a cloth specially woven for the
traditional export markets in the Far East.

Silver and Stone

Crafts
Gujarat's other paramount craft is silver and iron works, found
nowhere better than in the former princely state of Saurashtra and
Kutch where descendants of the original court swordsmiths and
jewelers, now make fine beetle nut crackers, copper coated iron
bells, knives and cutlery. The brass industry of Jamnagar is one of
the largest in India and from Kutch and Rajkot come the famous
silver engravings and ornaments that are considered so typical of
Gujarat. Anjar is a good place to buy brass and iron utensils,
cutlery, knives and scissors. For classic chunky tribal jewellery, you
should visit Poshina, enroute from Ahmedabad to Mt. Abu, where
silver and imitation silver ornaments can be brought from the
tribals and native artisans for very low prices. You can also watch
arrows being crafted here, and pick up knives and daggers with
beautiful sheaths and hilts.

Gold Embroidery
The history of the zari (gold embroidery)
industry of Surat dates back to the Mughal
period. Even today Surat remains one of the
biggest and most significant zari
manufacturing centres of India. The principal
types of products are zari threads in gold and
silver, embroidery for decorative boarders,
shoe uppers, evening bags and accessories.
Gold and silver threads are commonly used
for weaving the kinkhab

Dhurries
Dhurries, carpets, blankets and rugs are woven on
primitive pitlooms in the villages of Kutch. Wankars
dexterously weave designs with their hands while
the machine is worked by foot pedals. The result,
gorgeous patterns and remarkable colours
combinations. Durries can be made from wool, goat
hair and cotton. Colourful quilts and camel
comparison are also woven traditionally on
pitlooms, shuttle looms and other handlooms.
Handloom weaving is an important occupation in
villages on the Ahmedabad - Bhavnagar highway.