Handmade in India

RESOURCES
Craft Raw Materials Sources
Bullock cart
making
Wood and metal
embossing
Stone carving
Baval wood
Metal-
Brass,Industrial
metal
Wood
Brass
Sandstone or
Dhrangadhra stone
Ahmedabad
North Gujarat
Palitana, Ahmedabad
Dhrangadhra, Shihor
Quarries in and
around Dhrangadhra
Subclusters of
RAJKOT
Rajkot district:
Rajkot
Junagadh district:
Mangrol
Bhavnagar district:
Palitana, Shihor,
Mahuva, Bhavnagar
Surendranagar
district;
Dhrangadhra,
Wadhwan, Halvad,
Surendranagar
Jamnagar district:
Jamnagar
Amreli district:
Amreli
Crafts of RAJKOT
Bullock cart making
Wool and metal
embossing
Stone carving
1. At a ship-making yard at Veraval,artisans affix the curved sal wood planks onto the
skeleton with the aid of khilla,large nails.This is not a permanent fixture for the
planks;wedges are used to tighten the gaps between the planks and the planks are
finally bolted onto the rakia,the main skeleton members.
2. A silversmith engraving the bhandaro,the trunk used in Jain temples for collecting
funds from devotees,is made of silver sheet metal,Palitana.
3. A craftsman executed the figurative narratives inset in the roundels of this pillar
from his perch atop it.
4. Bhedus,brass water pots made from flat sheet into forged components,are assembled
together by brazing.After polishing,the surface is given the characteristic beaten
texture.Brass utensils like pots,plate,bowl and dish are essential dowry given to the
bride.These products made in Surendranagar,are valued for their
craftsmanship,durability and utility.
5. Jotar,animal trappings are crafted from rope and colourful threads,made by
craftsmen in Mangrol,Junagadh district.Seen here is a bullock wearing jotar and
leather trapping.
6. With the growing market demand for bandhani textiles,the craftsmen have begun to
employ plastic stencils to trace the pattern onto the fabric.
RAJKOT metacluster comprising Surendranagar, Rajkot,
Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Jamnagar districts,is
located in the Saurashtra peninsula.At the end of the 7th
century,Saurashtra was inhabited by settlements of the
Jethwa,Chaora,Wala,Ahir,Rabari,Mer,Bhil and Koli
tribes.During the colonial period,the area was divided into
14 states,most of which were ruled by members of the four
major Rajput clans-the Jhalas ruled over Jhalawad,the
Gohils over Gohilwad,the jadejas over Jamnagar and Kathis
over Kathiawad-while a few were ruled by Muslim
Nawabs.The eclectic melange of Saurasthra`s population
and their cultural practices is visible in the contemporary
material culture and in the diversity of the region`s sacred
architecture.Dwarka,dedicated to Lord Krishna,is a major
pilgrimage for the pastoral communities such as the Ahirs
and Bharwads who trace their lineage to the deity;Somnath
is dedicated to Shiva while Palitana is renowed for its
extraordinary cluster of 863 Jain Temples.Saurashtra`s
economic significance also owes and their contribution to
the nationwide trade in precious materials.Stone carvers
belonging to the tradition of temple architecture practice
their craft here.Porbandar and Dhrangadhra sandstone are
quarried from this region.Mochi embroidery,sophisticated
chain stitch work done on silk satin,reflected the tastes of
Kathi rulers.Embroidered and appliqued animal trappings
and canopies were made by the postaral communities.Brass
household utensiles are crafted in Shihor,Wadhwan,Rajkot
and Surendranagar.Jamnagar and Kachchh districts have
been prominent centres for traditional bandhani,tie-resistdyeing
practiced by Muslim Khatris,a traditional
communities of dyers and printers and Hindu
Kshatriya.Shipbuilding skills in wood are found in Veraval
owing to the coastline and Gujarat`s maritime trade and
wooden bullock carts are made in Mangrol,Junagadh
district.
ACCESS
Rajkot is a prominent junction on the Western Railway and
is well connected to all the Gujarat.Rajkot and Jamnagar
have airport linking Saurashtra with Mumbai and the rest of
the country.