Unique crafts of Nirona village, KUTCH : Arts and Crafts of Gujarat

In the stark barren landscape of the KUTCH district in GUJARAT lies NIRONA- a unique handicrafts village that shares its borders with neighbouring Pakistan. And despite being part of every KUTCH tour guide's itinerary, I was surprised at how lack-lustre and unassuming this place looked - no sign boards, hoardings or fanfare to welcome visitors. No professional setup or entry fee either.

 

How to reach Nirona village ~

The nearest railway station is BHUJ that is welll-connected to Ahmedabad and and other cities is India. By road you need to drive 40 km from BHUJ on the road leading to KALO DUNGAR.

After rambling around in circles we spotted a young boy who introduced us to our first unique craft for the day ~

ROGAN PAINTING ON  FABRIC 

ROGAN is a Persian word meaning 'oil-based'. Persian because the Khatri family that practices this craft apparently trace their roots to Iran. "How interesting!?" I spoke my thoughts out loud. "Thank you" replied the gentleman in return. "This art form is a family-based tradition and has been in our family for the past 300 years." There are only a few families who practice this craft presently, and the Khatri family is one of them.

The process of Rogan painting 

Is elaborate, requires skill and is time-consuming. The Rogan residue is prepared using castor oil as the base. The oil is initially heated on fire for 12 hours before being cast into water. The sticky residue is then mixed with natural stone pigments for color.

Then comes, designing on fabric; a technique that can take months and a skill that has stayed within the family for generations. "Why not do this on a large-scale by sharing the skill with others." I asked earnestly. But I guess some questions just have no answers.

Just before leaving we were shown a specimen of 'The Tree of Life' painting that was presented by our P.M. Shri Narendra Modi to the then President of the U.S. Barrack Obama. That is how well-renowned these Rogan artists are and yet so poor and humble. We were also shown a few more specimens available to buy. These also accept orders if one wishes to.

Copper bells and  art decor 

As the name suggests, the household of Mr. Husen specialized in the art of hammering copper plates into beautiful bells and wall hangings. With deft fingers Mr. Husen hammered on a piece of meaningless copper plate and turned it into an art decor bell.

Mr. Husen Luhar working on his craft

 

Lacquer art on wood 

Our next stop was the home of a craftsman who transformed ordinary pieces of wood into attractive ladles (wooden spoons), rolling pins. etc. It was fascinating to watch how this skilled craftsman made art into useful items. Watch this video...

The Conundrum of Creative minds with empty pockets

Coming back to my bothersome thoughts~

This village is internationally recognised for its unique crafts, and despite artisans such as Abdul Gafur Khatri who is a National Award Winner (1997) for the Rogan art form besides several state awards. Yet Narona appeared stark and lack-lustre. Certain artisans seemed rather poor - but there's no saying,; I could be wrong in judging by appearance.

Creativity is a fountain from which springs forth a myriad of ideas and creative art forms, music etc. And so is Creating Wealth and Wealth management (in a positive way).

Yet we are often so disparaging and critical of our entrepreneurs and industrialists who with nothing more than a Vision; stick out their necks in an effort to create wealth.

The artisans of Nirona village are experts in their respective art form which they have passed on from generation to generation within their household. They do not share their skills with the outside world as it's a legacy handed down- similar to a piece of property or house for that matter. It is this art form legacy that sets them apart and is their source of livelihood.

They also implement the same centuries old techniques, which probably restricts large-scale production in this age and time.

conventional techniques used by an artisan from Nirona, Kutch to make lacquer finish on wood items

One important thing you would notice (in the videos); is that these artisans clearly create these works of art openly and not in secret. Plus they also explain the techniques used while doing so, just as the Khatri family who say they paint at the spur of the moment and without the help of any tracing paper. 

That proves ~

Art is what come forth out of an individual. The art teacher can train and guide a budding artist - but that's as far as he can go!

Thanks for reading 💗 do share your thoughts in the comments below. Ciao!