Handicraft, Textile, Fairs & Festivals

• Gujarat has been a field of conquering races, which settled down here from time to time. From ancient times western gateway of India has been a place where lot of action, reaction and interaction between various ethnic and linguistic forces has taken place, which in turn resulted in the synthesis of many races and culture. Different races brought with them different political institutions, unique social customs, varied cultures and creeds.

The Aryans came by land, Persians, Arabs and Africans came by sea through Saurashtra ports for shelter, trade and at times, conquest. Then just before and after Chinese era, lords of Kunanas, Hunas and other tribes descended on Gujarat. The coming of these foreigners resulted in the fusion of various cultures and traditions.

The cultural diversity of Gujarat
The people of Kachha, a low and arid region with less than 15 inches of annual rainfall are hardy and endowed with a rare spirit of enterprise and a wonderful gift for business organization.
The people of peninsular Saurashtra are artistic and have a wealth of romantic and devotional literature.
The people of North Gujarat are simple, sober and more practical in their outlook.

In contrast, the people of Southern Gujarat are soft, pleasure loving, sophisticated and vivacious in their outlook.
The population of the highlands and the borderlands is wholly tribal but hardy and simple.



• All forms of arts and crafts in Gujarat reflect the aggressive individuality and religious impulses of an average Gujarati and his religious impulses. This very emotion has motivated the individual to tune stone, brass, bronze, clay wood etc. into life like objects that speak their own language. The various forms of arts and crafts in Gujarat include

Sculpture and miniature painting
Calligraphy
Music and Stage Art
Dance
Wood Craving
Stone Carving
Metal Work
Pottery
Printing & Embroidery



Gujarat Handicrafts and textiles reflect a love of Colour, an eye for design and form. They are the expression of an initial artistic personality and rich cultural heritage. The state excels in both quality and design of textiles, traditional and modern. The larger variety mills are combined to produce a rich mingling of colours and textures

The widest spectrum of woven fabrics are found in the resist technique. These range from patola, double ikat, to the bandhej tie and dye the woven mashru and the resist or reserved printing on cotton and silk.


Patola
Patolu and patola are the terms normally used in Gujarat for art of silk weaving with design in double ikat i.e. for fabrics where the wrap and weft threads are coloured in section by tie dying before weaving and are then woven to form intricate multi-coloured designs. Today, Patan Patola is one of the finest hand woven textiles produced. Besides, Patan the double ikat is found only in Bali in Indonesia.


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 their wearing pure silk. The tradition of mashru may have been influenced by weaving tradiions prevalent in Iraq and the Arab countries where the habits were strictly adhered to Mashru was woven all over india, though it survives today only in Gujarat. Brocades The brocades has a distinct style of weaving of silk satin cloth, gold brocading with coloured threads on the borders and in the lay technique in some cases. They carried traditional patterns of popat vel, stylized parrot flower border, jhardh, jhardh, flowering strub or tree motiff or the mango and ashorfi curcular gold coin. Today only ismple ashorfi brocade used in the rural areas is woven in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

Bandhani
The tied and dyed fabrics, known as bandhej or bandhani, of saurashtra and kutch are perhaps the finest produced in India. Amongst these, the most intricate and refined styles are to be found in Jamnagar, Bhuj and Mandavi. Jamnagar bandhej is produced on superfine cotton mulmul and muslim, sometimes combined with gold checks and motifs worked in Jamdani technique. The Mandavi and Bhuj work is on silk with a woven gold border, had motifs embroidered in gold wire known as badla. Since the designs were circular and on a blue black background, they were known as chandrakhani or moonshaped. Prints The oldest known patterned fabrics from India are from Gujarat. They are resist dyed and printed cottons excavated at Fostate. Which was the centre of distribution of Indian printed cotton to the west. Their stylic delineation of the patterns was based on the decorative styles of west Indian paintings and designs.


The matani Pechedi
made by the vaghris for ritual purpose used a combinations of block printing for the outline of the pattern and the painting of the mordants. The dominant motif is of the mother Goddess in her many forms and aspects.


Embroidery
Gujarat has the most vibrant, fine and varied collection of embroidery to be found in any part of India. The movement of pastoral no made and their settlement in different parts of Gujarat gave a wide variation in embroidery styles. Strong class and community instincts maintained the distinct style. Kutch in North Western Gujarat, and Saurashtra in western Gujarat have the finest embroidery and variety of styles.

Specimens of folk tradition, with its bold and igorous patterns and colours, are made by peasant women for their own use. It is this embroidery which even today enriched the life of the people of Kutch and Saurashtra.




Fairs & Festivals


Navratri
The longest dance festival of the world

Traditions/Rituals
The nine-day cultural extravaganza wraps the entire Gujarat during the first nine days of Ashwina. The festival is dedicated to goddess Amba, Godess of Shakti or forces which supports the entire universe. During Navratri, a pot with attractive designs is ceremoniously placed a light is placed inside. The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.

Interesting feature of navratri is the " garba " , a circular dance Performed by women around an earthenware pot called a " garbo ", filled With water. As the dancers whirl around the pot, a singer and a drummer Provide the musical accompaniment. The dance usually starts slowly, it gets Faster and faster as the music too gets more rapid. Another dance which is Also a feature of navaratri is the " dandia - ras " or ' stick dance ', in Which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or Dandias together, adding to joyous atmosphere. The dances usually commence Late in the night and continue until early morning, testifying to their Great popularity.

Location : Gujarat
Time : October


International Kite Mahotsava
Traditions/Rituals Started in the year 1989, International Kite Festival attracts the connoisseurs of kite from all corners of the world. Today, the entire sky of Ahmedabad is covered with a plethora of designer kites and the whole atmosphere reverberates with the shouts of over-energetic people. Excited spectators watch shapes like snake and eagles soar into the sky and musicians and singers cheer the winners of the competitions.

Kite-flying starts at dawn and continues without a pause throughout the Day. A tremendous variety of kites is seen and the connoisseur can choose Precisely what he wants. Even the lines with which the kites are flown are Specially prepared by experts. Special mixture of glue and ground glass Cover the lines which are dried and rolled onto reels know as " firkees ". So sharp are these lines that, carelessly used they can cut a finger. At Nightfall it is the time for illuminated box kites, often in a series Strung on one line, to be launched into sky, it is called " tukkals ".

Location : Ahmedabad
Time January - 13th to 15th



Trineteshwar Mahadev Fair
Traditions/Rituals Popularly known as Tarnetar Fair, it is one of Gujarat's most colorful fairs in which tribal from the adjoining districts participate and experience the summits of fun and frolic. Various colorful events including dancing, singing and rural sports are held in the fair in which tribes like Koli, Bharwad, Rabari, Khant, Kanbi, Kathi, and Charan participate and display their skills. The fair is also reputed as 'marriage mart' for the tribal youth who visit this fair to choose a suitable life partner. Tradition holds that if the girl stops to talk to one of the men, it is a sign that she has found the man of her choice. There are exhibitions of rural handcrafted items, embroidery, a cattle show, and competitive sports. The famous ras, garba and hudo are features of the fair. The Umbrellas with intricate embroidery and mirror work are sure to catch your attention. Due to its unique character, the fair is well attended by the tourists from across the world

Location : Near the industial town of thangadh - Saurastra
Time : September


Vautha Mela Traditions/Rituals
Vautha Mela is reputed as the most colorful festival in Gujarat. The fair has both mythological and religious associations and is considered at par with the Pushkar Fair in terms of entertainment and frolicking. However, the animals traded here are donkeys. About 4000-5000 donkeys are brought every year for sale, usually by Vanjara (Gypsy) traders. Every year fair attracts a considerable number of people from across India. The Vautha Mela site is 3 square miles in area. The site, also known as Saptasangam, is at the confluence of seven rivers. During the fair the whole site comes alive with the beats of traditional musical instruments, tribes dressed in colorful attires and breathtaking performances by the jugglers.

Location : Vautha, a place where two rivers Sabarmati and Vatrak meet
Time: November


Dangs Darbar
Traditions/Rituals The annual Dangs Darbar Fair is held every year in the cool and pleasant climate of Ahwa. It is known as Darbar because during the time of British, Darbar of Rajas and Naiks of neighboring districts used to gather here. Today, it is reputed as one of the biggest fairs held in Gujarat and is also known as Janambadi Darbar. Countless tribal people from the adjoining districts participate in the fair dressed in colourful traditional outfits and sounding the shehnai and beating their drums. the fair also attracts merchants from the far away districts of Nasik, Surat and West Khandesh. The major attractions of the fair include ras and garba performances, songs and dramas that give a close look at the local culture and traditions.

Location: Ahwa
Time :March / April


Kutch Fair
Traditions/Rituals Organized by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, the Kutch Fair is a hit event among the tourists from across the world. The itinerary covers a guided tour to mall the important destination in Kutch including beaches, temples, ancient monuments and excavation sites. The cultural events that are held in various destinations make it an exciting and fascinating experience for the visitors.

Location: Kutch
Time: December