Mata Ni Pachedi_Cluster Document

Mata Ni PachediDefining the Craft in Terms of a Sustainable System

Master of Design2012 - 2014

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Table of Contents

} 1 - INTRODUCTION

} 2 - ENVIRONMENT

♦ 2.1 - Geographic

♦ 2.2 - Demographic

♦ 2.3 - Culture

♦ 2.4 - Legalities & Government Initiatives Involving the Craft

♦ 2.5 - Overview of Craft

2.5.1 - The Evolution; From Kalamkari to Mata Ni Pachedi

2.5.2 - Historical Perspective of the Craft

2.5.3 - The Chitara Family

2.5.4. - Upliftment & Contemporization of Mata Ni Pachedi

} 3 - INPUT

♦ Resources, Raw Materials, Tools, Water & Energy

} 4 - THROUGHPUT

♦ The Process of Making a Mata Ni Pachedi

} 5 - OUTPUT

♦ Mata Ni Pachedi and its Various Meanings

} 6 - FEEDBACK

♦ 6.1 – Demand, Production and Limitations

♦ 6.2 - Flowchart: Supply Chain

♦ 6.3 - Identifying & Defining Waste of Cluster

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♦ 6.4 - Reusing / Recycling of Waste

♦ 6.5 - Drivers of Pollution

♦ 6.6 - Individuality of the Craft & Its Sustainability

} 7 - SWOT Analysis

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1 - INTRODUCTION

The tradition of storytelling and narrating anecdotes, particularly conveyed though the medium

of hand paintings, has been an integral and alluring aspect of Indian culture and history.

"Kalamkari", the art of the "kalam" or pen, on cloth has been a legacy that has evolved over a

period of 3000 years, descending from one generation to the other. This exquisite art of hand

painting textiles has come to be renowned as India’s ancient heritage, having provided

creativity and art expressions an ingenious platform since centuries.

There exist some forms of Kalamkari which are still practiced today, such as the Pata Chitra of

Orissa, the Sri Kalhasti of Andhra Pradesh, the Pichwai of Rajasthan and the Mata Ni Pachedi of

Gujarat. Shreyas folk museum- MNP 11 and 13

Mata Ni Pachedi, a sacred ‘chaddar’ cloth upon which meticulous paintings of the Mother

Goddess are painted, dates back to more than 300 years. The term literally means “behind the

mother Goddess”, which constitutes a temple of the Goddess, with her placed in the centre of

the cloth and the stories relating to her surrounding her in the depiction. . DSC 0184 Photos

folder

Over the last few decades, the concept of "sustainability" has evolved out of the need to

balance natural systems and the environment alongside human development. The inception

and progression of sustainable development from around the 1970's aspired to create an

economy that was in tandem with basic ecological support systems, for both present and future

generations.

The notion of high-level sustainable concepts and consciously having it incorporated into the

various spheres of development has not been prevalent in India; it has only gained momentum

since the new millennium or so. In terms of its inclusion into the systems of the traditional

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crafts of India, by and large, there was and continues to be a lack of awareness among artisans

on sustainable practices.

Through various support groups, such as NGO's, government associations and educational

institutions, a certain degree of realization and understanding of sustainable systems has

blossomed among some of the practising traditional craftsmen. However, the majority of

traditional artisans and their groups remain unadopted by any establishment, unaware of the

economic, environmental and social benefits of sustainable development. DSC 04067

The remnants of the group of artisans practising Mata Ni Pachedi in Gujarat were observed and

followed, their history traced and studied and their processes examined from a sustainability

standpoint.

2 - ENVIRONMENT

In the context of a sustainable system, the "environment" refers to all the elements existing

outside of the system that have the potential to affect all or part of the system. In this case, the

reference is to the end-to-end system or process of creating the Gujarati craft Mata Ni Pachedi,

and the impact the surroundings, climate, background, terrain, ecosystem and other such

related factors, have on the craft, the craftsmen and society. DSC_0124

2.1 - Geographic

The water of Gujarat's Sabarmati River contains special properties for the setting of dyes and its

flat, sandy shores are ideal for drying and bleaching cloth. Thus, for hundreds of years, it has

been leading people towards weaving, printing & dyeing. On the banks of the Sabarmati River

falls the city of Ahmedabad, home of the Mata Ni Pachedi craft. Situated in Central Gujarat and

existing across seven talukas or districts (Barwala, Daskroi, Dholka, Dhandhuka, Detroj, Sanand,

Bavla, Ranpur, Mandal and Viramgam) Ahmedabad claims the Sabarmati as its most prominent

water body. The 371 kilometre river flows from north to south, dividing the city into east and

west; the eastern bank houses the archaic charm of the old city and the western side boasts of

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river houses, educational institutions, modern buildings and residential areas. The Vasna

Barrage dam, built on river, finds itself being employed for usage in irrigation, power generation

and flood control purposes.

The topography of the city of Ahmedabad shows that the land slopes towards the south and

the area under water bodies is approximately 38.54 meters that is 2.96% of the total area. At

one point in time, small, multiple water bodies provided the water source for the adjoining

vicinities. Due to the high rate of urbanization, approximately 36 lakes and ponds have dried up

in the last 28 years. Now, there remain two main lakes in the city: the Kankaria Lake and the

Vastrapur Lake. Ahemdabad map take from google

The highest point of Ahmedabad is at 62 meters in the northeast and slopes down to 35 meters

at the southwest corner, rocky in the extreme south with the level rising towards the north and

east sides. Except for the small hills of Thaltej-Jodhpur Tekra, the city is almost flat.

It experiences a semi-arid hot climate which is largely influenced by the Arabian Sea. The

average temperature of Ahmedabad ranges between 12 degrees and 41 degree Celsius.

This terrain and the dry climatic conditions have helped in the growth of the textile industry and

enabled Ahmedabad to acquire the title of the textile hub of India, also procuring the

nomenclature of the "Manchester of the East". The key vegetation which supports the industry

is castor and cotton.

2.2 - Demographic

The city of Ahmedabad comprises a population of 6.3 Million, of which approximately 440,000

inhabit slums. Of these, the Vaghris are a community whose saga, when traced, dictates a story

of struggle, prejudice and victimisation. DSC_0199 Their history also chronicles a tale of

adaptation and resilience, providing an ethnographic account of the ancient and contemporary

practices of a depressed community. Based largely in Gujarat, Rajasthan and also in the

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province of Sindh in Pakistan, the term “Vaghri” is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘wagura’,

which means a net.

The Vaghri’s fall under the ‘Shudra caste’ of the Hindu Caste system, worshipping different

incarnations of Goddess Amba. the mata1 According to their traditions, this community

originated from the intermarriage among the people of the Gujjar, Jat and Rajput communities

and is further divided into five main sub-castes:

The Talpada Vagri, the cultivators

Chunara or lime manufacturers

The Datania, who sell twig toothbrushes

The Patani, who are landless agriculture workers

The Vedu, who sell gourd

The Salaat, who are stonemasons

The people of the Vagri community, residing in Gujarat, primarily occupy the districts

of ‘Sabarkantha’, ‘Banaskantha’, ‘Panchmahal’, ‘Kheda’ and ‘Ahmedabad’. They speak

‘Vaghriboli’ which is very closely related to Gujarati. The Vaghri community migrated to

Ahmedabad because they saw it as an opportunity to promote their knowledge of fabric

preparation, printing and dyeing. They were masters in creating the darkest blues and deepest

blacks and operated in a manner where the entire family was involved in the craft.

2.3 - Culture

The people of Gujarat share their cultural traits and patterns with other regions, particularly

having mutual cultural attributes to that of the state of Rajasthan. ‘Gujarati’ is the official and

local language of Gujarat. The language has been derived from Sanskrit. Gujarati has eleven

dialects, spoken in different parts of Gujarat. Kathiawadi, Pattani, Charotari and Surati are

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some of the significant dialects of Gujarati. Nagari, Bhathala, Kharwa, Patidari, Parsi are some

of the community based dialects that are spoken in Gujarat. The other languages spoken in

Gujarat are Marwari, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu and Sindhi. Kachchi is yet another significant

language of Gujarat, spoken by the people of Kutch. The tribal people residing in Gujarat have

their own dialect, which is very similar to Gujarati.

Handicraft mirrors the vibrant culture of the State. The traditional Gujarati's have safe guarded

their rich cultural heritage for centuries, which is very well exhibited by the art and craft of the

region. Crafts in Gujarat are a way of life, a process that transforms objects of daily use into

aesthetically functional articles; blending the uniquely traditional with a level of intricacy that is

only possible by their skilled craftsman, renowned all over the world. IMG_2250 IMG_2219

IMG_2025

A variety in textiles is available according to different raw materials and different combinations

of yarns used in traditional techniques. Variations in designs used by different communities,

castes and regions of the state have further enriched the range.

Wood carving is another important craft in Gujarat, evident in the many elaborately carved

temples, havelis and palaces as well as objects of daily and ritual use. Exquisite wood carvings

can be observed in the temples, havelis and many houses in various parts of Gujarat, mainly in

Visnagar, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Mahuva, and Bilimora. IMG_8173

The painting of the Mata Ni Pachedi pertains to the depiction of the Goddess, the destroyer of

evil, with weapons in all her ten arms portraying ferocity and authority. During the festivities of

the Navratras, which means worshipping the nine forms of Goddess Durga, the Garba dance is

performed by the Vagheris and Gujaratis to honour the deity and to protect them from any evil.

This particular dance is performed around a clay lantern, known as Garbha Deep. This lantern

symbolizes life, particularly the foetus in the womb. Thus, the dance is performed in reverence

of the feminine form of divinity.

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The barter system had been prevalent in India since the existence of the communities, inside

the Hindu communities as well as between the Hindu-Muslim communities. There have been

economic inter linkages and interdependency found in the textile industry involving dyeing,

printing, tying and zari works.

Each contributing and responsible section of society upholds their tasks during the construction

process of the Pachedi, traditionally and hereditarily divided between the religious

communities of the Hindus and the Muslims; such as the dyeing, done traditionally by the

Muslims and the painting, done largely by the Hindus. Thus, in the process of creating the

Mata Ni Pachedi, a manner of decorum and communal harmony has been maintained and

continues to be carried forward to this day to a great extent.

2.4 - Legalities & Government Initiatives Involving the Craft

Between the years 2003 and 2004, a cluster development scheme was implemented by the

Industries & Mines departments as a definitive step towards the development of artisans of the

handloom and handicraft sector of the state of Gujarat. Under this scheme, various types of

assistance was provided to the artisans with respect to their upliftment in society and

sustenance of the particular craft, such as diagnostic surveys, design development, training,

margin money, managerial subsidy, publicity, export, marketing facility, and more. A cluster

was defined as a minimum 25 Artisan or more than 25 artisans working and producing goods at

a single place. This scheme was implemented by corporations working under the Cottage

Commissionerate and reputed institutions such as National Institute of Design (NID) and

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and others.

Asides from cluster development, other schemes for the Handloom & Handicraft sector include:

State Government Schemes:

1. Shri Vajpayee Bankable Yojana

2. Jyoti Gramodyog Vikas Yojana (Margin Money Bankable Scheme)

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3. Manav Kalyan Yojana

4. Carpet Industries

5. Village Tannery And Flaying Centre

6. Gramodyog Vikas Kendra

7. promotion Of Co-Operative Sector (Package Yojana)

8. Handloom's Schemes

9. Cottage Industries Training Centres

10. Intensive Handloom Development Program

Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Schemes by Govt. of India):

1. Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)

2. Centrally Sponsored Schemes for Handloom Weavers

3. Millgate Price Subsidy

4. Handlooms Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme

1. Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY)

2. Health Insurance Scheme

The Gujarat state government organizes a number of handloom and handicraft fairs that

highlight the local artisans. IMG_3934 In the year 2010-11, the state organized 71 fairs

displaying various handicraft and handloom products. With the help of the government, the art

of Mata Ni Pachedi has gained its popularity locally and nationally. The Awards, along with the

Aids and Pension schemes, retain the artisans wanting to continue the craft, otherwise the

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reducing demands lead to its abandonment for more financially viable income alternatives. The

government schemes encourage the artisans to participate in fairs and festivals and to set up

stalls, as a result of which they are able to occupy twice and sometimes thrice as many stalls as

when they did not receive governmental help. Owing to the national award and recognition,

the concerned family has achieved a social status in society, increasing the influx of orders for

the Pachedi. The highest number of orders comes from the various nationwide and state-level

exhibitions, crafts melas and art fairs where the artisans participate through initiative from the

government. These platforms create immense networking opportunities that cascade to

increased publicity and in turn, more orders for the Pachedi. IMG_3991

The pricing of the Pachedi, measuring around 3 to 4 feet in length, differs drastically depending

on its mode of creation. The hand painted piece costs approximately 15,000 to 50,000 INR,

while in stark contrast, the block printed version can be purchased at no more than 500 to

1,000 INR. Customers that seek the truly authentic craft are far less that those who would

choose to make do with the block printed type, a strong contender for its comparable

difference from a monetary perspective. IMG_7916 IMG_8154

While 50,000 odd artisans are registered with the District Industry Department, as per the

iNDEXT-C data, there are only 200 and steadily decreasing members actively participating in the

fairs. Many artisans tend to avoid participation in events because, while the Department bears

their exhibition expenses, it fails to provide lodging and boarding facilities for them. This

ensues in marginal profits, if any, stemming from these initiatives, decidedly not worth the

entire effort on the artisan’s part. While conflicting views continue to exist on the matter, the

belief by and large still prevails that these events provide the much needed promotion and

platform for the artisans and their craft.

2.5 - Overview of the Craft

The Mother Goddess came to be rendered on to cloth when the people of the nomadic Vaghari

community of Gujarat were barred from entering temples. This led to the ingenuous solution

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of creating their own shrines, believed to be the origin of Mata Ni Pachedi. Vaghari

communities initially known as Parghis were nomadic hunters so they created a portable shrine

which they could carry amongst themselves. They produced this painted and printed Pachedi

‘cloth’ for worshipping the Goddess in her different forms. This tradition was adopted by

different lower caste communities and people eventually started taking vows to offer pachedis

to the Mother Goddess if they overcame some problem in their lives. mata ni pachedi

presentation-32

The priests perform ritualistic ceremonies on the mobile shrine built using the artisan’s work. A

“chandarvo” is made, which is a canopy that forms the roof and another that hangs on the

walls, called the Pachedi. The deity is installed within the frame and worshipped. The central

figure is painted by hand and the motifs on the sides are typically printed with blocks. The

central theme and layout has remained immemorial for ages: figure of the commanding

Goddess is centred in the Mata Ni Pachedi, armed and powerful. A mount or vehicle is under

her and a procession of attendant Gods and worshippers around her. Motifs of deities, priests,

devotees, angels and animals surround the Mata, often performing the “Garba”, a traditional

Gujarati dance in her honour. All the elements combined communicate narratives from age-old

epics, along with the portrayal of various legends as well, usually derived from Puranic myths.

The themes, stories, dimensions and proportions of the motifs are interpreted differently

according to the artist’s sensibility and visualization. What remains constant is the Mata, who

according to the Vaghri tribes, protects and helps the people. . IMG_3856

Red, among the most prominent colours in the Mata is an auspicious colour; the essence of joy

and festive occasions. A sacred feature of the Mata Ni Pachedi is blood sacrifice, as it is believed

by them that both birth and death are bound closely by blood. The red and black colours are

natural dyes sourced from alizarin and oxidized metal with jaggery. Contrasts between the

positive and negative spaces form an important balance to the work in the Pachedi. Red is

associated with the colour of the mother earth and believed to possess healing powers. White

is considered the colour for purity and is believed to be connected with ancestral spirits, deities

and other unknown spiritual entities. The colour black is meant to repel malevolent spirits and Page 12 of 35

intensify spiritual energy. As time went by, the community got introduced to pigment dyes

which had begun arriving in Gujarat to fulfil the demands of a fledging textile industry.

IMG_7884

2.5.1. - The Evolution; From Kalamkari to Mata Ni Pachedi

The term “Kalamkari” in itself can be defined as the art of penmanship, predominantly

suggestive of the technique on cloth as its canvas. Temple rituals have continually been the

inception point for most arts and crafts in India, with the Kalamkari art being one such form of

art where religious mural paintings were highlighted on cloth narrating their stories. Historic

evidence suggesting this includes the discovery of a dyed piece cloth on a silver vase at the

ancient site of Haarappa and the ancient Buddhist Chaitya Viharas which were decorated with

the Kalamkari cloth.

The English first noticed the art of Kalamkari in India in 1886, and similar traditions of cloth

painting and printing found roots in other parts of India. With Kalamkari’s popularization and

with the help of skilled artisans in India, the process of dyeing and painting on cloth also

evolved in Gujarat in the form of Mata Ni Pachedi, wholly symbolic of the Mother Goddess and

providing significance to a certain kind of religious ritual. For this reason, it came to differ from

just being “Kalamkari” and found its association solely with the representation of the Mata in

its midst. Many of the motifs of the art of Mata Ni Pachedi are adopted from the Kalamkari art;

the use of animal motifs, plant motifs and the tree of life are metaphorical in both Mata Ni

Pachedi and Kalamkari. mata ni pachedi presentation-36

While Kalamkari on its own is a broad expression of all forms of penmanship on cloth, it

converts into Mata Ni Pachedi simply by the inclusion of the Mother Goddess and the process

by which she is brought to life via Kalamkari, turning the art form into a virtuous process and

the mere cloth into a sacred article of worship. Mata Ni Pachedi evolved out of an alternative

solution where a certain community was forbidden from entering temples, steering the exiled

people to a means of articulating their devotion through the medium of Kalamkari.

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2.5.2 - Historical Perspective of the Craft

The Sabarmati River contains elements that aid and enhance the setting of dyes, while the

levelled, sandy shoreline prove idyllic for carrying out processes such as drying and bleaching

the cloth, driving people and their entire families towards weaving, printing and dyeing for

hundreds of years. mata ni pachedi presentation-19

According to Joan Ericsson, during her interaction with the artisans in the 1960's, printers

claimed they had been living in the same neighbourhood for hundreds of years, anxiously

holding onto their land, uncertain about the future because their livelihood and traditional

ways of living and worshipping were under threat. Many of the young men were choosing to

no longer following the family lineage in the trade. The new Pachedis were being made without

regard for the accuracy and time-consuming older processes, appearing with new floral designs

and stylized block prints. Printers may have enjoyed greater prosperity and security at one

point in their trade, but by the 1960’s they were destitute, and encroachment of the city had

brought competition for them and suspicion against them.

Ericsson noted that once the Mata was painted onto the blank cloth, it would at once become

sacred, extra care taken in completing the process of its creation. It was closely tended and

supervised, so that no foot, man, or animal could be placed on the cloths and disrespect it. At

the point of sale, the artisans’ would seek to confirm the purpose of the purchase, ensuring the

Mata would be used only for worship. A buyer could be turned out if his intentions were found

to be suspicious. The larger Pachedis could cost anywhere between fifteen to forty rupees. It

was solely printed to please and worship the Mata and no effort was made to satisfy or lure

possible customers. As per Ericsson, these were claims from the master craftsmen of the

sixties, however she had uncovered that the Pachedis back then could also be bought without

investigating into the buyer's plan for its usage and could be ordered and placed on short notice

from some of the younger craftsmen.

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Even today, the craftsmen claim to uphold the same sanctity of the end-to-end process carried

down from their ancestors, including filtering customers on the basis of their intentions.

However, with the incursion of money-making sensibilities into the craft and a substantially

larger customer base, in reality craftsmen no longer have the time nor the patience to

delicately handle the Pachedi question each and every customer on the motives behind the

purchase. A crucial step, as well as sentiment, in the creation of the Mata Ni Pachedi is the

reverence and care with which it is constructed and handled, now seemingly tainted by the

invasion of commercialisation into the art form.

Previous Process of Colouring & Dyeing the Pachedi

The master craftsman, when printing, would sit on the floor at a low box with soft padding on it,

surrounded by his blocks. Later processes could be done by others, but the printer formed the

design and gave the Goddess her character, with appropriate symbols, surrounding her with

her worshippers. The master printer would correct and finish lines with a pointed bamboo

stick, exacting and painstaking work. Minute improvements were never questioned because

the Mata was believed to notice what the average person could not see. . mata ni pachedi

presentation-13

The black paste was prepared in a time-consuming manner. Rusted iron pieces were collected

and fired red hot. Two maunds of these preheated pieces were then placed in an earthen pot

and an equal amount of water and four pounds of jaggery (boiled cane juice) were added. The

pot had to remain open-mouthed in the sun for eight days during which time the iron dissolved

in the solution. The printers could detect the readiness of the solution by its bad odour, which

was when they added Kachuka flour and brought the mixture to a boil, thickening it to ready for

use. The family of the printer would step in and fill yellow paste, a mixture of liquid alum and

kachuka flour, around the printed figures. The paste turned the cloth red when the pachedis

were boiled later in alizarin liquid. iron+jaggery for black pigment mata ni pachedi presentation-

23

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The painting stick is a twig of the babu tree, which was chewed to soften the end until it was

porous and flexible. The twigs could be bought in small bundles and were in great demand. Its

soft texture and durability would serve for not only a variety of painting jobs, but also as a

toothbrush.

Once done, the cloth was carried to the river and kept moist for three hours on the sand,

digging a small hole nearby which filled with water. Later the cloth was rinsed out for any extra

dye to be washed out. mata ni pachedi presentation-21

The cloth was then ready for the dying process, and as stated by Ericsson, a process that was

carried out by the Muslims. The printed cloth was dyed in large pots in quantities of eight

hundred yards in one lot. Ingredients were: three to four pounds of alizarin, a yellow powder

made from the root of the madder plant, which produced jet black when applied to iron and

bright red where alum mordant has been used. Only those areas printed with iron and alum

mordant were affected by the ailzarin bath. Four pounds of Sakur (a kind of fruit) and eight

pounds of Dhawada flowers were added to the alizarin and water mixture after this had been

heated to the boiling point. These two elements helped to maintain the white areas of the

cloth which were not printed. Then, the boiled cloth was rinsed in camel dung and water to

restore the whiteness of the unprinted portions of cloth. Returned to the river once more for

rinsing, the unfixed dye reddened the surrounding waters. The cloth was then bleached and

dipped in a blueing agent so that the white areas were fully re-established to contrast with the

red and black printed design. The cloth was then stretched out on the moist sand to set the

colour, taking three whole days and turned from side to side for the colour to become bright,

strong and permanent.

2.5.3 - The Chitara Family

The Chitara family and its extended members, the only ones of the Vaghri community practicing

the art of Mata Ni Pachedi, are spread throughout Vasna, Mirzapur and Dholka. Although this

technique is now practiced by a handful of Vaghri families settled in Ahmedabad and the Kheda

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district, the craft was previously prevalent in the region of Aghar and Dholka as well. With

differences of opinion having cropped up in the value systems and functioning practices of

individual members of the family, a bifurcation has taken place within the Chitara Family. They

all continue to sustain and practice the art of Mata Ni Pachedi, on the whole following the age-

old construction methods, but differing in their ideals and viewpoints, particularly in regards to

the involvement of the community’s womenfolk in learning and creating the Pachedi.

In the Vaghri community, the women folk were especially not allowed to work outside their

home, restricted to household chores. Over time, due to economic setbacks, working with their

husbands arose out of survival and necessity for the married women, however the art was

never taught to the daughters of the family for fear of losing its exclusivity to “outsiders” or

other communities. Recently, however, the women have started working and participating in

developing the economic conditions of their families. Generally, the men sketch all the motifs

and the women colour them in, along with the background of the cloth. ‘Manu bhai’, master

craftsman and one of the heads of the Chitara family, makes his Pachedis with both his

daughter and daughter-in-law, believing instead that the tradition and cultural significance of

the craft will withstand the test of time and be shared with future generations in this way.

These juxtaposing views have given rise to a rift in the Chitara family, bringing about a

separation between them and generating individualistic approaches to the craft.

A fragment of the family tree advocates the addition of women into the trade for economic and

progressive reasons, while another division of the Chitara family persists that the craft should

remain within the immediate family. Its knowledge should be segregated and immersed within

the menfolk and only those women who are brought into their families through matrimony. It

is believed that engaging the daughters, who would eventually have to move away with their

husbands after wedlock, would lead to embezzlement of the family craft and the dilution of the

sanctity and exclusivity of it, distinctly their own.

(INSERT FAMILY TREE)

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Vasna vs. Mirzapur vs. Dholka

Around 40 kilometres away from the thriving city of Ahmedabad, is the main breeding ground

of the Vaghri community, housing one of the treasured arts, the Mata Ni Pachedi. The main

trading grounds are the Tower bazar and the Cokhri bazar. The Pachedis are mainly screen

printed with three colours; red or maroon, black and white. screens at vasna The Mata Ni

Pachedi of Dholka is renowned and its origin of trading founded from such sub-urban places,

later on dispersing into the main city. Although the community shifted its initial centre and

disseminated, the trade sustained. The family practicing the art of Mata Ni Pachedi moved to

the city of Ahmedabad, taking along with it its sourcing and production. The Pachedis are either

bought by store owners from the main city or acquired via members of the Chitara family

directly visiting the shopkeepers. During the Navratri, the market areas are flooded with Mata

Ni Pachedi, seen on display across store fronts. mansukbhai ramjibhai patel_ kapda bhandar_

dholka_giving overview of mata ni pachedi

Mirzapur, nestled in the heart of the old city of Ahmedabad, is home to a cluster of the Vaghri

community practicing the craft of Mata Ni Pachedi. These are the families largely sourcing the

supply of the Pachedi to the Dholka market, because of which the products are identical, with

no perceptible difference. The product range is limited to “chaddars”, or sheets and bed sheets,

and explorations are almost nil in terms of diversification and variation in the designs. Although

the process and preparation for making the chaddars are similar in these families of Mirzapur,

the use of chemical dyes are more prevalent along with the use of natural dyes. The products

being made by blocks and screens are comparatively more economical and less time-consuming

than their Vasna Counterparts, with less detailing in the Pachedi as compared to the hand

painted versions.

Throughout the year there are four seasons or periods where the focus is on making the

Pachedi, particularly during the Navaratra. In the interim, the breadwinners of these families

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spend their remaining time in other income substitutions to sustain a livelihood, such as

engaging in occupations like soap manufacturing, driving vehicles, and so on. The revenue

generated solely from selling the Pachedis is highly insufficient for their survival, steering them

towards options that they can pursue when they not catering to the market demands for Mata

Ni Pachedi.

The old city is home to yet another cluster of the Chitara family, wholly emerged in the craft of

Mata Ni Pachedi and its expansion. The Chitara Family moved to Vasna in Ahmedabad 30 years

ago, after constantly fearing communal clashes within the old walled city areas of Khanpur and

Mirzapur. The family in Vasna mostly utilizes natural dyes and partakes in hand painted

Pachedis, debarring the use of blocks and screens in the process. Their solitary source for

wages, they sell the Pachedis throughout the country and at an international, with a vastly

assorted product range including saris, stoles, dupattas, bed covers, and customized items like

jackets, kurtas, and others. Here, the craft has fostered a contemporary taste and received

acclamation throughout the nation. Nonetheless, the traditional Pachedis continue to be

crafted, albeit alongside their contemporary versions.

To meet contemporary tastes, the Vaghris have started using other natural colours, adding

yellow, blue orange, rust, grey and even pink to the colour palette. The craftsman opts to draw

each pictorial element rather than use the conventional block printing. A new colour palette

has been explored and derived from indigo, ferrous sulphate, turmeric and pomegranate

powder, alizarin, iron filings and the mordant alum. Exposure to a wider palette means a

cacophony of colours in the Pachedi, used purely for decorative purposes and not religious

reasons. All the materials used in the creation of Mata Ni Pachedi are organic: the dyes, the

fabrics, such as cotton, khadi, silk, and the bamboo stick kalams are all made up of naturally

available products. Extremely eco-friendly in its nature, Mata Ni Pachedi reinforces the use of

non-polluting, wholesome materials which do not compromise in making visually aesthetic

pieces. IMG_8622

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Every member of the family, from the elders to the children, is dedicated to practicing the craft,

committed to its preservation and sustenance. The government has recognized Mata Ni

Pachedi as an art form and taken measures to give the artisans their due. The head of this

branch of the Chitara family, ‘Sanjay Bhai’, realizes the importance of marketing and selling the

craft, and travels extensively to spread awareness to a wider audience.

2.5.4 - Upliftment & Contemporization of Mata Ni Pachedi

‘Gaatha’, based in Gujarat, was initially only an academic research project, focused on archiving

the process and heritage behind crafts. However, they soon realized that artisans were tired of

facing “welfare” research groups and giving interviews, not necessitating policies and hand-

outs, but stable businesses and revenue. They sought to make future generations see craft

techniques as an aspiration and not an inherited burden. Today, Gaatha not only educates but

also sells a whole range of products made by these artisans. Similarly, brands such as ‘Jaypore’

and ‘Wildflower’ discover the best designs from artisans and craftsmen from all over India, and

deliver them directly to consumers.

Realizing that any product with connotations of religious sentiments attached to it can have

limited means of experimentation and contemporatization, there have been numerous ways in

which the craft has been adopted into the mainstream market and garnered some spotlight in

the recent past. Some have chosen to remove any semblance of idolization and devotion from

the products and have used other motifs in the forms of animals or plants as the primal focus.

In this case, it is considered that the article no longer stands to be a form of Mata Ni Pachedi, as

the nomenclature itself specifies the criticality of having the “Mata” in it. Omitting the Mata is

an exclusion from the craft per se, decreeing the article to simply being a work of Kalamkari,

and not Mata Ni Pachedi.

While the craft, or its variant form excluding the Mother Goddess, has been absorbed into a

broadened product range, such as shoes, boxes, badges, photo frames, and more, it has also

found some niche and uniquely creative functions in unexpected avenues. Fashion designers

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have expressed the desire to captivate audiences with collections that imbue or take inspiration

from Mata Ni Pachedi. Publishing companies have hired members of the Chitara Family to

provide illustrations, in the typical style of the craft, for their storybook publications. Art and

Fashion students continue to undertake studies on the art form and delve into not just means

of sustaining the craft, but also expanding the creative possibilities through which Mata Ni

Pachedi could be explored; all the while, paying utmost respect to the Mother Goddess,

essential to the existence of Mata Ni Pachedi.

3 - INPUT

Inputs, within the framework of a sustainable system, are the resources that are taken or

received into the structure from the external environment. As the Pachedi is of sacred value it

is made with raw materials close to Mother Nature, which, once the Pachedi is utilized, can be

easily immersed back into its organic form. Energy resources consumed in the process of

creating the Pachedi include the limited amount of electricity used, water from the Sabarmati

dam and firewood from the market. The Sabarmati River as the single source of water plays an

important role in the lives of the Vaghri community, especially in the making of the Pachedi.

Some of the commonly used raw materials for both Kalamkari and the block printed Mata Ni

Pachedi are:

Fabric: cotton (sourced from Sindhi market, Ahmedabad) and silk (sourced from Navrangpura,

Ahmedabad). Preparing the fabric for printing is done through the water from the Sabarmati

River along with employing electricity, Tamarisk (salt cedar), Molasses, Dried Lemon, Soda khar.

For the preparation of dyes, the dye itself is sourced from Dai Limbda Naroda, Ayurvedic shops,

and Janta Kirana, near Fernandis Bridge, Madhupura. Rusted iron pieces are essential for the

red and black dyes, Jaggery for the black dye, Castor oil, Kachuka flour (rice flour and water),

Harda (Black Myrabolum; Terminalia Chebula) for yellow dye, Bahada (Myrabolum belliriki) for

yellow dye, Alum, Alizarin (a mordant dye-yellow powder made from the roots of madder

plant). 20130921_143159 20130921_144000

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For creating the kalam, bamboo, date and babool sticks (Acasia Arabica) are used.

For preparing the blocks (Kapalo), the source is Pethapur in Gandhinagar. Teak wood, Cutting

machine, Hammer, Stone are some of the tools used to make the blocks smoother. Chalk and

gum paste, oil, design paper, bamboo sticks are the instruments employed in cleaning the

blocks. IMG_2278 IMG_3686

For boiling the cloth after application of colour, the ingredients are water, Sakur fruit (to

maintain the colourlessness of the unprinted white portions), Dhawada flowers (‘Anogeissus

latifolia’, again to safeguard the spreads of white), Firewood (sourced from lakripethas or local

timber shops). Firewood at Vasna

Additionally, the contemporary changes in raw materials are readily available, such as wood,

chemical dyes, screens and blocks.

4 - THROUGHPUT

Within the context of a sustainable structure, throughput can be defined as the flow of

activities and materials consumed and deployed through the system, in such a manner that it

results in yielding productivity which can be exported back into the environment.

The Initial Process

The fabrics required for the making of the Mata Ni Pachedi are usually restricted to cotton and

silk. The process starts off with the fabric being washed in the water in order to remove the

impurities. This is done so with the Soda Khaar treatment. The fabric then goes through the

steaming process in a closed vessel for 8 hours and is then taken for washing, after which is

dried out in the sun. The fabric pieces are then cut to the required length, in rectangular

shapes, as a classic Pachedi is always executed in that form. It is then wrapped in a sack cloth,

sealed from the outside air and kept in a closed room. The fabric pieces then go through the

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soda khaar treatment four times before it is taken for printing. Subsequently, it is treated with a

mixture of Tamarisk, Molasses, dried Lemon, Caster oil and Water before printing; starting with

the border and then moves inward to the Goddess. fabric being washed, drying

bleached+destarched fabric at vasna

Adhering to the traditional methods of preparing and creating the Pachedi meant undertaking a

lengthy and cumbersome series of tasks that were attesting to be less and less practical in the

modern times. Over the years, more suitable techniques and solutions were derived to cut

down on the duration and the effort invested in producing the Pachedi. These stand-in

methods soon came to be embraced entirely and the ancient protracted process was forsaken

for easier ways. All the while, it was ensured that the nuances and the essence of the

traditional methods was somewhere preserved and not lost in the midst of condensing the time

and manpower spent in the making of the Mata Ni Pachedi.

The Process for Extracting the Dye

A procedure evolved over years of experimenting, practicing and trial and error, the means of

extracting the dye in the construction of the Mata Ni Pachedi is an essential, and amongst the

most tedious, components of the entire process.

The rusted iron pieces are collected and heated in the fire, with two mounds of the preheated

iron pieces then placed in an earthen pot. An equal amount of water and two kilograms of

Jaggery (boiled cane juice) are added to the vessel. The pot remains uncovered in the sun for

eight days, during which time the iron dissolves in the solution. Owing to their experience and

the adherence to age-old customs, the printers are aware of the exact moment when the

solution is ready for usage. Detection by its bad odor, they recognize the signal to add Kachuka

flour, successively bringing the mixture to a boil. When the liquid has thickened, it is ready for

use in the drawing and printing process.

By and large, the ritual practices of creating the dyes were laid down by the ancestors through

means of research and testing. These methods, even today, prove to be as equally effective,

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extremely economical and safe for the artisans and the environment. For these reasons, the

traditional ways of producing the dyes from natural colors is still followed in precisely the same

manner by the artisans in the present day.

The Drawing Process

Using a “kalam” or a makeshift pen made of bamboo stick dipped in the black dye, the artists

start drawing on the fabric and filling in exhaustive details by hand. The fabric is divided into

seven to nine columns and the Mother Goddess is always placed in the center. This makes it

easier to impart a chain of stories within the same piece; an established format that has always

been followed to compose a Pachedi. Surrounding the Mother Goddess are her procession of

worshippers, incidents related to the myth of the Goddess as well as scenes from the everyday

life. The image at the center and the surrounding figures vary in size and position depending on

the artist’s individual style and their own creativity. mata ni pachedi presentation-12

The Mata came to be rendered onto the cloth by hand in order to supplement exquisite

detailing in her form and evoke awe in her demeanor, also symbolic of the artisan’s exertion

and devotion to the Mother Goddess during the process. In difference, her accompaniments

were replicated and mirrored through the use of blocks in block printing, reducing the input of

time and energy by a drastic measure. Recently, however, the artists have started using block

prints in the making of the Mata as well. Via this route, the work is now sped up and visually a

uniformity is maintained in the design layout, turning out to be more cost-effective. The

Pachedi is always framed with a bold border which is divided into a line of single color and a

band of decorative patterns. The border is filled in with blocks, whereas the rest of the Pachedi

is painted with the kalam. DSC_0023

The Boiling Process

After the drawing and painting is completed, the cloth is taken for being dyed in entirety. The

printed cloth, up to eight hundred yards in one lot, is soaked and dyed together in large pots.

One of the ingredients required for this is three to four pounds of alizarin, a yellow powder

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made from the root of the madder plant, traditionally used as mordant dye. This ingredient

produces a jet black color when applied to iron and a strong turkey red where an alum mordant

has been used. Secondly, two kilograms of Sakur (fruit) and four kilograms of Dhawada flowers

are added to the alizarin and water mixture after it has been heated to the boiling point. mata

ni pachedi presentation-24

Through means of experimentation, the forefathers of these artisans learnt that only the

printed areas where iron and alum mordant were used were affected by the alizarin bath.

These specific segments of the Pachedi turned darker and stood out more noticeably, against

the contrast of the blank portions. Through their trails they also discovered that the ingredients

of Sakur and the Dhawada flowers helped to maintain the white areas of the cloth which were

not printed. Alongside the colored sections of the Pachedi, these areas gained a starkly

bleached effect. The learnings were carried forward and these techniques continue to be used

even today by the artisans in the making of the Mata Ni Pachedi.

5 - OUTPUT

The output is the work of the sustainable system that is exported back into the environment. In

this case, it is both the end product fulfilling a purpose, as well as the reaction and intentions it

aims to conjure after it has been transpired. kokai mata central motif

The Mother Goddess appears in various avatars, each rendition signifying a different purpose

and meaning. In the art form of Mata Ni Pachedi, she has been depicted in many ways since

time immemorial. The decision usually rests with the master artist creating the Pachedi, who

presents a particular avatar of the Mata depending on the associated tale that is to be

conveyed through the single Pachedi. Some versions of the Mata are as follows:

Vahanabati Mata: seated on lion

Bahuchari Mata: seated on a rooster

Korhia Mata: seated on an alligator

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Meleri Mata: seated on a goat

Chamunda Mata: twin-headed Mata seated on lion

Gael Mata: seated on a “Nilgai”, an Asian antelope

Harakmai Mata: seated on a dog

Harkai Mata: seated on a sheep

Bishaat Mata: a 20-handed goddess seated on a calf

Kalka Mata: the daunting Goddess Kali

Shakti Mata: the Mata on a balcony with children and two elephants

Momai Mata: seated on a camel

Bathijimaharaj: riding a horse over a snake

The motifs surrounding the Mata are “Gopa” or “Gooa”, the closest to the Mata as he sacrifices

the goat to her. There is also the inclusion of the goat in the Pachedi, an offering to the

goddess. “Vajantar” is another common character in the Pachedi, who welcomes the mother

Goddess by playing his “shehnai”, a flute-like instrument with a double-reed. The upper motifs

in the Pachedi are all of the various Matas. The seven fish represent the seven daughters of the

“Koel Mata”. Accordingly to folkloric legends, when the prince passes through the river he

comes upon the seven bathing daughters of the Mata and immediately wants to marry them.

On rejecting the prince, the daughters take the form of fish in the river, thus the corresponding

motifs on the Pachedi.

The religious significance of the Mata Ni Pachedi and its prominence, although among the lower

cast communities, has declined drastically over the years. The long-established artists and the

families immersed in the craft, mostly belonging to the Vaghri community, have accordingly

faced the impact of these changes. The families embroiled in the craft of Mata Ni Pachedi went Page 26 of 35

from a flourishing dynasty of more than 30 odd descending families to only a handful of

members originating from the Chitara family. The passage of time brought about a changing,

fast-paced economy, and in its onset was an out-dated craft with several redundant practices

that did not seem to correspond with the exigencies of modern times. In this situation, most of

the practicing craftsmen of Mata Ni Pachedi turned penniless and had to opt out of perusal of

the craft for other more financially viable alternatives.

Today, crude workmanship has mostly taken over Mata Ni Pachedi, with a small minority

aspiring to preserve the craft as it has been. Frenzied practices in the craft have led to its

bountiful appearance in markets, at a far lower cost and of sub-standard quality. Small but

significant efforts are being made, on the part of the artisans, the government and the society

at large, for the revival of Mata Ni Pachedi, in a bid to save this charming icon belonging to the

legions of India’s sacred art on textile.

6 - FEEDBACK

The feedback obtained from a sustainable system pertains to the continuing source of

information concerning the relationship with the external environment, used to make the

necessary changes in order for the framework to grow and survive in the long run.

6.1 – Demand, Production and Limitations

The demand for Mata Ni Pachedi has been shown to peak the most during three seasons, or at

three intervals during the year:

Chaitra (In the month of March)

Navratri (In the month of October)

Maha Mahina (In the month of February)

Presently, an original Pachedi is priced at approximately 8,000 INR, an expensive prospect for

the average consumer. However, given the amount of workforce and toil inputted into

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constructing a hand-made Pachedi, the artisans, on their part, find it to be an adequate

assessment and evaluation of the piece of art. Conversely, to facilitate the demand, artisans

took to screen printing the Pachedis, a far more convenient, cost-effective and rapid option.

These have brought the cost of a single Pachedi down to just 100 INR onwards.

The easy availability of synthetic pigments and an endless color palette gave way to more

modern hues being introduced into the Pachedi, immediately dismissed by the purists. This

leeway for some artistic freedom gave scope for a degree of tweaking to take place in the

patterns within the traditional matrix. In attempts to cater to the demands of the market for a

smaller and cheaper version of the art form, “miniature Pachedis”, a single block of the main

frame, starting coming about. Scrolls are also bought as wall pieces, which sell at prices fixed

according to their size and the intricacy of the hand-work, with the artisans claiming that a

particular piece was auctioned for as high as 400,000 INR.

These less expensive versions have turned out to be a treat for the average customer, but many

of the artisans feel these cheap alternatives pose a real threat to their livelihood and art form.

The irony lies in some of the members of Chitara family themselves selling screen printed

Pachedis in the market to secure extra income from this share of the market fundamentally

untapped by them. ‘Mahesh Bhai’ of the Chitara family quoted, “till the time the Pachedi is

sought after and sold in the market, we are satisfied.”

'Manu Bhai' and his extended family have taken up the mantle to salvage the art that has been

passed on to them as an heirloom, straining to bring it back from the brink of extinction. “We

also conduct workshops for students of National Institute of Design and National Institute of

Fashion Technology,” said 'Sanjay Bhai', claiming they had diversified their product range into

silk scarves and sarees. “We want our legacy to live and thus have modified our art over time to

make its presence widely known.” Under the expert mentorship of five-time national award-

winning craftsmen in the family, the toddlers are being driven towards the craft and fast

absorbing the skills in creating a Mata Ni Pachedi.

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6.2 – Flowchart: Supply Chain

6.3 - Identifying & Defining Waste of the Cluster

From its inception, the artisans of Mata Ni Pachedi were using natural, locally-available raw

materials for its processing and preparation, all within the realms of their own households. The

majority of the processing steps were carried out on the banks of the Sabarmati River, however

the waste left behind by the artisans on the river side was hardly substantial enough to leave a

resounding impact in its aftermath. The processing steps by the river banks typically involved

washing and drying, with nothing but the residue of natural ingredients left behind on the

shores. In present times, however, the introduction of some chemical ingredients in the dyes

can thus be said to have a more polluting effect on the environment.

The process for making a Mata Ni Pachedi includes washing, de-starching, boiling, preparing

dyes and fixing colors with water and different agents. A repercussion of all these processes is

the liquid, solid and semi-solid waste material that gets produced. The waste coming out from

these disposals are the main drivers of pollution in the artisans’ own locality, as well as that of

their surrounding vicinities. Within this system of creating the Pachedi, there are no such Page 29 of 35

organized mechanisms or models in place for the disposal of waste. Waste materials that are

produced as an outcome of the Mata Ni Pachedi go into the open garbage bins of the locality.

discarded dye

Water is a core ingredient in the making of a Mata Ni Pachedi; its usage is critical in the

formation of dyes, during the course of painting and in the preparation of the cloth through

several rounds of washing, starching and dyeing. While the Sabarmati River has historically

been their single water source out of a lack of convenient options, with modern advents have

come modern amenities, making water more readily available in households and

neighborhoods. Thus, a large part of these processes were shifted to the convenience of the

artisans’ locality and inside their homes. This in turn has brought about the production of

waste, generated from utilizing large amounts of water and conducting these activities within

the city alleys, as opposed to along the riverside. No organization has taken the lead in

studying the water pollution caused by the craft of Mata Ni Pachedi.

The craft of Mata Ni Pachedi has been touted as being a highly sustainable and environmentally

friendly craft, however of late, with the arrival of modernization and easily obtainable faculties,

such as chemical dyes and running water, the traditional processes in the craft have

unknowingly started creating a degree of endangerment to the environment.

6.4 - Reusing / Recycling of Waste

Mata Ni Pachedi continues to be regarded as a craft that employs minimal wastage and

produces almost no environmental hazards. The craft originally stemmed from a lower caste

community and came about as a result of their prohibition from entering temples, therefore

the principles of recycling were unintentionally ingrained into their processes from the very

start. The miserly artisans had to resort to penny-pinching to create their own adaptation of a

temple, their portable shrine, constructed out of a process that may have been lengthy and

cumbersome, but had minimal investment in terms of any financial funding. All their

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ingredients were natural, home grown and self-made, with hardly any waste being produced or

materials being discarded.

Overtime, more tools and materials have become accessible to the artisans, yet they have still

continued to carry forward the mantle of economizing and frugality from their ancestors, thus

recycling wherever possible. It is only the unusable or severely damaged goods and materials

that are disposed of, for wake of newer ones.

The Mata Ni Pachedi in itself is recycled, indicating that the roots of salvaging old items and

extracting the most out of them are fixated into the very core of the craft. It is brought out of

storage for religious purposes or at times of important festivals, converted into a shrine or

mounted as a sacred ornament. It is only when it is worn out to the point of being tattered or

torn, that the Pachedi is no longer used, and is taken to be immersed into the very river that it

was constructed from. It is believed that the Pachedi goes back to the Mata if it is drawn into

the river after its complete usage, never recycled again for any other purpose. waste pachedis

being utilised

6.5 - Drivers of Pollution

Water and Dyes: As the process of making a Mata Ni Pachedi is lengthy, huge quantities of

water are utilized at various stages of the construction. The water leftover from the dyes is

inadvertently thrown into the open sewage line around the homes of the artisans and within

their locality. Throwing dyes directly into the open sewers, especially of the chemical variety,

could be hazardous to the health of the artisans, their neighbors and the surrounding

ecosystem. There is also alleged to be a shortage of water in the area of Vasna where the

Pachedi is made, thus the craft is further attributing to the problem by consuming large

amounts of water in the creation process.

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Chemical Colors: Natural dyes were used by the ancestors of the artisans, as they had neither

any options nor the know-how behind creating synthetic dyes. Additionally, natural ingredients

were symbolic of the purity of earth from which the Mother Goddess would be constructed.

Development in technology gave their successors the possibility to consider chemical dyes over

natural ones, overlooking the underlying belief that the later once held. Chemical colors

proved to be more suitable for bulk and fast delivery orders. As a downside, these artificial

substances brought about a degree of contamination and health hazards that were nonexistent

before. Moreover, once these chemical dyes were mixed and not utilized within a day or two,

they had to be disposed of, yet again polluting the environment.

Waste Bins: In Vasna, where the Chitara family primarily resides and produces the Mata Ni

Pachedi, there are open bins in their neighborhood for waste disposal, provided by the

municipality corporation. In the open grounds directly adjacent to these garbage bins, the

artisans conduct a great deal of the work, particularly drying the Pachedis. Uncovered and

unhygienic, these bins are a danger to the health of the artisans and their entire families, who

spend long hours around the bins. Even their children are seen playing in the foul conditions, a

clear determent to their wellbeing. Furthermore, all old and damaged items that can no longer

be used in the making of the Pachedi are dumped in these bins, adding to the existing waste

that the municipality group has to deal with disposing of.

6.6 - Individuality of the Craft & Its Sustainability

The Craftsman names a basic human impulse: the desire to do a job well for its own sake.

Although the world may suggest a way of life that waned with the advent of industrial society,

Sennett argues that the craftsman’s realm is far broader than skilled manual labour; the

computer programmer, the doctor, the parent, and the citizen need to learn the values of good

craftsmanship today. The significant past forms a bold line dividing practice and theory,

technique and expression, craftsman and artist, maker and user; but sadly the modern society

suffers from this historical inheritance. The past life of craft and craftsmen suggests ways of

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using tools, organizing work, and thinking about materials that remain alternative, viable

proposals about how to conduct life with skill.

The significance of individuality and the crucial role of one’s taste in expressing individuality,

perfect expression of individuality can only be achieved by a discerning judgment – which, in

itself, is an important cultural construction. By feeling somehow connected with unknown

producers through social imagery, and by successfully incorporating their products into their

own lifestyle

The true identity of a craftsman dwells in Indian villages where one can find the essence of

individuality. In the nimble fingers that weave intricate designs, in the hands that shape our

pottery, in the deft strokes that create masterpieces of tribal art or in the carvings by stone

artisan, the untold tales of who we are and where we come from is portrayed. It is these craft

communities that form the core of our identity.

For instance the craft of Mata Ni Pachedi carries the uniqueness of being portable shrine of the

nomadic community. As being not allowed to enter the temple, they are proud to have their

special movable shrine always with them. The creative use of Kalamkari through Mata Ni

Pachedi signifies their individuality as Devipujak.

Is it at the same time essential to understand craft for a craftsman is his way of life; it speaks

about their surrounding and incorporates the floras and fauna which the craftsman has seen

around him. Due to commercialization and his want to sustain his living they listen to what the

designers want and too much interference of the designer creates a loss to the original essence

of the craft. The craft should speak the language of the craftsman, there is a vast difference

between what they do for themselves and what they commercialise and sell to the consumers.

A craft should be unadulterated and not tampered with by the designers. According to Ms.

Meena Rajput ‘’ do not destroy your own creativity or anybody else’s.”

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Chapter 7 - SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths

Government recognition at various

platforms

Identified as Geographical Indication

of Gujarati Kalamkari.

Monitory rewards and Pensions to

award winning artisans for their

encouragement and motivation.

Exclusivity to one particular

community (Chitara)

Communal harmony: both the Hindu

and Muslim Community are involved

in the processing and sales.

Natural raw materials are used till

date.

Less energy usage.

Weakness

Unawareness to Artisans about the

Geographical Indication status of the

craft and its benefits.

No diversification of product range

and unwillingness of Artisans for

experimentation in developing new

products.

Rift within the Community for

involvement of daughters in the

craft.

Lengthy and slow process due hand

work and weather constraints.

Use is restricted to religious purposes

only.

Communication barrier due to lack of

education and language.

Less awareness of craft among

people of the city itself.

Opportunities

More participation in Exhibitions and

haats could be encouraged.

More scope for Gov. recognition at

national and international levels.

Scope for involvement of private

Threats

Knock offs such as Screen printed

Mata Ni Pachedi in Dholka are the

biggest threats.

Seasonal threat from rainy season

Lineage diversifying from practising

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parties which include Local

Communities, Designers, NGO’s etc.

Could be taught to visiting students

and willing participants

Product range can be diversified to

reach out to more costumers.

the craft.

Varying water flow due to recently

built dam on Sabarmati river.

Artisans’’ approach towards chemical

raw materials due to

commercialisation.

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