Check Out The Hidden Villages Of Kutch Which Will Surprise You With Their Artistic Charm

The pop colours they wear stand out amidst the vast expanse of the white sand desert. The bright threads woven with nimble fingers and years of experience present themselves in the form of masterpieces that are worthy of making it to an heirloom collection someday. Even though it is usually the sunsets and moonlit nights at the Rann that attract travellers from around the world to the arid desert of Kutch, we found that it's the story of its gifted artisans that we really wanted to tell. The one that piqued our interest most was the unique art of Rogan and the only family in the world that practices it.

Rogan art in Nirona

The first time most of us heard of Nirona, was when PM Narendra Modi gifted US President Barack Obama an exquisite piece of Rogan. A quick online search revealed that Rogan is a popular art form traditionally used as a part of wedding ceremonies. It is created using special paint, made using oil from the seeds of the castor plant. You’ll see castor growing abundantly on your drive from Bhuj to Nirona. As we navigated our way through the narrow lanes of the village, we were told that while Rogan art was practised by various families in Nirona and some nearby villages, today a lone family that goes by the name of the Gafoorbhai Khatri household, guards the secret to this art form and keeps it alive. Almost every member of this close-knit family has won a national award. When a junior Khatri laid out some of the meticulously-crafted pieces, we couldn’t help marvel at how fine the strokes were.

The process of dishing out a Rogan piece is far from simple. Rogan means 'oil' in Persian. The base of the paint is prepared by heating castor oil and bringing it to boiling point over three days and then cooling it down. Once it thickens, the colour is mixed with this base. The mixture is then stored in earthen pots with water, which stops the mixture from drying up. A flat, thin iron rod serves as the brush. The sticky paint is twirled around the rod that is flat on both ends. Intricate motifs are created without the rod touching the cloth. The small pieces sell for about ₹4,000 while the price for large wall-sized ones could go up to ₹85,000 as well.

Embroidery and woodwork at Gandhi Nu Gam

The first thing that strikes you when you walk into Gandhi Nu Gam, apart from the artwork that adorns the wall, is the exquisite jewellery and traditional Kanjari blouses that the womenfolk wear. We were greeted by little girls dressed in a traditionally embroidered ghagra choli, running after a lone goat and sweeping the little thing off the ground to cuddle it in their arms, once they caught up. On sale are beaded necklaces, armbands, embroidered purses and wallets for as little as ₹100. The embroidery is done in bright colours and can also be found on bed covers, cushion covers, dupattas and dress materials. Don’t miss the colourful hair ties that the little girls will easily convince you to buy. The accessories are made by the women while the men busy themselves with creating carved wooden furniture. A patriarch of the Meghwal community twirls his white moustache and tells us how his ancestors were originally from Jodhpur, Rajasthan but the community made Kutch their home decades ago. The traditional bhungas (mud huts) are decorated with bright painted murals on the outside and mirrors on the inner walls. The village had been completely recreated after the earthquake caused havoc in the state.

Getting there: Gandhi Nu Gaam is 59km or 1 hour 30 minutes away from Bhuj.

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