NIFT Gandhinagar Craft Cluster Initiative

SOOFIANA
SAFAR CAPTIVATING EMBROIDERIES OF KUTCH
By FD Batch 19-23
CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHY LAYOUTING AND COMPILATION

Freya Fernandes Bhakti Popat
Meemansa Murariya Meemansa Murariya
Navya Pali Navya Pali
Ridhi Khattar
ILLUSTRATION
Outsourced RESEARCH (PRIMARY)
Freya FernandeR
MOTIF DESIGN Meemansa Murariya
Srith Varshini S Navya Pali
Vaishnavi Sagwekar
PHOTO EDITING
Bhakti Popat RESEARCH (SECONDARY)
Freya Fernandes Bhakti Popat
Freya Fernandes
CONTENT WRITING Meemansa Murariya
Bhakti Popat Navya Pali
Freya Fernandes Ridhi Khattar
Vaishnavi Sagwekar Srith Varshini S
Vaishnavi Sagwekar
COVER DESIGN
Meemansa Murariya MAPPING
Meemansa Murariya
LEAVES DESIGN Srith Varshini S
Ridhi Khattar

COPYRIGHTS

© Published in the year 2021 by Fashion Design Department

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY (NIFT)
Ministry of Textile, Government of India
GH-0 Circle, Gandhinagar - 382007
Gujarat, India
Tel: 079-23240832, 23240834, 23265000
Fax: 079-23240772
www.nift.ac.in/gandhinagar

All images and text © NIFT

This research was originally submitted as a part of academic learning to National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Gandhinagar and is for the same purpose only. The opinions
expressed in the document are solely those of the authors and NIFT does not bear any responsibility for the nature of its content. Reproduction of any part of this document should duly
acknowledge the authors and NIFT Gandhinagar.
ABOUT NIFT

Set up in 1986, NIFT is the pioneering institute of fashion education

in the country and has been in the vanguard of providing profession-
al human resource to the textile and apparel industry. It was made
a statutory institute in 2006 by an Act of the Indian Parliament with
the President of India as ‘Visitor’ and has full fledged campuses all
across the country. Over the years NIFT has also been working as a
knowledge service provider to the Union and State governments in
the area of design development and positioning of handlooms and
handicrafts.
A flagship program of NIFT, the Fashion Design
program has played an influential role in the
growth of the Indian fashion industry. In the 3
decades of its existence the graduates of the
department have had remarkable presence in
the Indian as well as global fashion scenarios.
The curriculum hones a design sensitization
that balances global fashion aesthetics with an
Indian soul. It addresses the needs of the ex-
port market as well as both couture and pret-

ABOUT NIFT
a-porter in India. Holistic inputs on generic de-
sign with focused approach towards apparel

Fashion
inculcates the ability to develop and channelize
creativity. A logical, sequential hands-on experi-
ence enables students to conceptualize design,

Design
make patterns, drape and construct garments
of impeccable quality.

The course incorporates traditional rural craft-

work by working with indigenous rural artisans Department
via the cluster program. Students gain valuable
insight into the broad spectrum that Indian
fashion encompasses through internships at
leading fashion houses/ manufacturing units
to improve knowledge and overcome the practi-
cal challenges faced. This versatility is evident
in the final year through the graduating fashion
collections, conceptualized and constructed by
the students at the Design Collection showcase.
 The range of diversity in living tradi-
tions in handicrafts and in textiles par-
ticularly handloom in India is nothing
short of breathtaking and it has been
an ongoing effort in NIFT to document
and showcase that knowledge and to

NIFT Craft
impart to its students a heightened un-
derstanding of the legacy and technical
skills of the multitudinous Indian craft

Cluster traditions. This effort has gained a fil-

lip through the Craft Cluster Initiative

Initiative
supported by the Development Com-
missioner Handlooms and Handicrafts
which has institutionalized the initia-
tive in the curriculum of all design and
management courses of NIFT so as to
build on the synergies of sustained in-
teraction with craft communities in all
corners of the country.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to extend our gratitude to the director of Na-

tional Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar, Mr A.K
Khare, for giving us the opportunity to expand our knowledge
about the traditional craft of Gujarat, Soof embroidery. In the
document we appreciate the guidance and feedback offered
by our mentor Mrs Japjee Kaur Kohli, who provided us with
the required inputs to use, all the sources needed, and made
all the interactions possible. We are extremely grateful to-
wards Mr Ravi Joshi without whom this diagnostic research
would not be possible. Another person who we are indebt-
ed towards is Judy Frater Ma’am who graciously shared
her research with us. We would like to express our deep re-
gards towards the craftswomen, Mrs Daya ben Dohat, Mrs
Gordiya Parvati Ben and Mrs Bijalani Shardaben Anchalbhai
who undebatably are huge players in this document. They
open-heartedly welcomed us and gladly shared their experi-
ences with patience throughout the time period and gave us
the required details which strengthened the outcome of this
documentation.

Women in Tharad carrying home drinking water

vv

CONTENTS
3 4
1 2 Communities
Materials, Tools and
Techniques

History of Craft

Background
and Prove-
nance
 9 10
7 8
NGOs Associations

6
- Glossary
- References

5
Artisan Profile

SWOT Analysis

Marketing and qual-

ity assurance

Traditional Products
and Recent Devel-
Motifs and Colours opments
 This document journals the tale of the Kutch craft, Soof. Situat-
ed in northern Gujarat, Kutch is world renowned for its traditional
handiwork. Wizened, expert hands pulling the needle through the
fabric, creating dazzling arrays of geometric embroidery. Atten-
tive eyes count the threads with precision, forming shapes and
figures onto the cloth.he kutch craftswomen are truly remarkable.
This place is home to welcoming and friendly souls. Inherited by
the legacy of craft, the Kutchi people weave their dreams in dif-
ferent forms of embroidery. These embroideries are traditionally

INTRODUCTION
stitched by village women for themselves and their families, for
various purposes, be it for festivities, for the health and happi-
ness of a marriage, or to pay tributes to deities.Over 20,000 wom-
en earn their living through this art form. During calamities they
become the sole breadwinners of the family.
In the vast white desert myths and tales give meaning and colour
to everything around them. There is a mythological story of Krish-
na that describes the origin of the embroidery of Kutch. Krishna,
on his way to Dwarka fought and killed a demon who had impris-
oned a 100 women hailing from every part of India. The liberated
women became his devotees and companions and through them
came different embroideries to the area. A beautiful story to ex-
plain the diverse embroideries in Kutch.

Right Page; Meghwal Man hearding his sheep

GUJARAT

Gujarat sits on the western coast of India. It has the longest coast-
line and sits on the Kathiawar peninsula. It is the 5th largest Indian
state and is encompassed by, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman
and Diu to the south, Maharashtra to the southeast, Rajasthan to
the Northeast of the territory, Madhya Pradesh to the eastern part,
the Arabian Sea and the Pakistani province of Sindh to the west.
One of the most important industrial and economic hub, Ahmed-
abad is situated in Gujarat with Gandhinagar as the states capital.
The state is known for its food, natural landscapes and traditional
clothing. The white desert i.e the Rann of Kutch, its colourful festi-
vals, the intricate handicrafts and culture is what makes Gujarat to
famous. The only existing population of the Asiatic lion in the world
resides in the Gir Forest National Park of Gujarat.

Gujarat has a rich heritage.The state has numerous ancient sites

like parts of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Dholavira, Golo
Dhoro and Lothal. Dholavira, Champaner near Pavagadh, Rani ki
Vav in Patan and the Historic City of Ahmedabad comprise of the
four World Heritage sites of Gujarat.

The vibrant state of Gujarat is a remarkable endowment to the cul-

ture of India. The absolute simplicity and neighbourly spirit of the
Gujaratis have made them a flourishing community. The territory of
Gujarat flaunts a dynamic craftsmanship, engineering, culture, and
legacy; which is all very obvious in the everyday existences of local
people. The variety displayed by Gujarat is a consequence of the
different ethnic gatherings establishing Gujarat’s populace; includ-
ing Indic and Dravidian gatherings
 The land of kutch is a source of end-
less fascination. The community pos-
sessing a candid, simplistic quality yet
producing enchanting musicians and
dancers and craftspeople producing
intricate handicrafts. Besides that the
geography, ecosystem, and the com-
munities that inhabit the place make
Kutch extremely unique.
This piece of land existed even before

KUTCH
the Jurassic period and the east-coast
has emerged from the sea. We know
this to be true due to the presence of
fossils of sea creatures such as the
ardhlakhya or ammonite and dinosaur
eggs that have been found in the area.
Now as this region has emerged from
the sea, this emergence is known as
the Bhuj-ridge. The name kutch comes
from the shape of the land which
looks like the shell of a tortoise from
the top or kachua.

Woman in Tharad carrying drinking water

Kutch ia as old as the Jurassic period that dates
back to 213-144 million years ago. Following the
Jurassic period was the Cretaceous period which
was when the rivers began to flow and water hold-
ing sandstones were formed.The Jurassic and
Cretaceous rocks were broken by the underground
volcanic eruption during the tectonic movement
which further formed the black basaltic hills and
the fertile soil giving birth to the thorn forests. Fi-
nally, the Alluvial plains making the grasslands
were formed in the recent period.

Kutch is situated in Gujarat in Western India .It is

the largest district in India with Bhuj as its capital.
Kutch District is bordered by the he Great and Lit-
tle Rann in the northern and eastern parts , while
the south and west are surrounded by the Gulf of
Kutch and the Arabian Sea.
The term Kutch translates to something that pe-
riodically becomes wet and dry.A huge part of
Kutch, the Rann of Kutch is a shallow wetland
which submerges in water during the monsoon
and then turns dry in the other seasons.
Kutch is the most diverse district of Gujarat, be it
ecologically, culturally or ethnically. Inhabited by
numerous groups and communities that migrat-
ed over the years, one can find various nomadic,
semi nomadic and artisan groups living in Kutch.
It is a celebratory land of festivals, arts, crafts
Safeed Rann, The Rann of Kutch
music and people. The shallow water of the rann Source: CNN Travel
of Kutch dries up every year before the monsoon
rains leaving behind a serene snow white salt des-
ert known as salt flats. People from all over flock
to this place during the winter, when the moon is
complete and shines across the white sand bright-
ly to attend a 3 day festival of colour, hospitality,
tradition and vigor.
vv

BACKGROUND AND
PROVENANCE
SODHA RAJPUT
Community
Bhungas in Kutch, traditional circular walled houses with thatches roof that are unique
to Kutch.
Source : Shutterstock
The Sodha community comprises of the descen-
dants of the Parmara Rajputs (that travelled from
Ujjain to Sindh in 1226) who used to rule over
parts of the Malwa Plateau from 9th century CE
to 13th century CE. They used to rule over Surat-
garh and their abode was ‘Sodhawati’. They were
later displaced by the Bhatti Rajputs and moved
to the Thar desert in the North west region of Gu-
jarat and Umerkot district in Sind (South- Eastern
Pakistan).
They had not conquered the local ruler of the re-
gion until the 16th century. However, they were
overthrown by the Kalhoras soon after.
Map of the Umerkot kingdom of the Sodha Jain architecture of Nagarparkar Rana Prasad was the Sodha ruler of Umerkot and
community Source: Wikimedia commons had provided refuge to Humayun and Akbar was
Source: Alchetron
also born in Umerkot. Apart from which, this is
the place where Humayun fled after his defeat to
Sher Shah Suri.
The traditional garments for
Sodha men are a white co-
loured Adhita (which is sim-
ilar to a dhoti) and a shirt or
Kameez. The women usually
wear a Ghaghra and Kurta.
They also cover themselves
with an Odhani. The women Kadla- a traditional ornament
also wear jewellery like naths, of the Meghwal community
‘Image courtesy of the Kala
Bangles and earing lobes.
One way to distinguish be-
tween young girls and Mar-
ried women is by their ear-
rings- The young wear ‘disca
earrings’ and the older wom- Culture-
Clothing
en wear earring lobes with a
pendant made of some type
of stone. Married women may
also wear gold earrings which
are leaf shaped.

The Rabari and Sodha Rajput

communities of Kutch do not
wear saris- their embroidery is
consisted of interlacing stitch-
es which was earlier practiced
in Spain which was perhaps
introduced in Pakistan and
Western India by Arab Traders
Dayaben in a traditional Man in Tharad wearing
in the 9th century CE. Meghwal garment Adhito (Traditional Sodha garment for men)
 This is a passionate, patriarchal com-
munity that prides themselves on pro-
tecting their women and hence even
have reversed some traditional gender
roles to uphold their authoritativeness.

The Sodhas are a simple community

and do not like to make prominence
of luxury in their lives. The women are
pure vegetarian and the men too can-
not eat non-vegetarian food inside the

Community
house. Many of them do not even take
addictive beverages such as tea. There
is however a provision where they may
eat non- veg when they sit at the ‘Otara’
which a communal place in the village
for the men to
sit and have meetings. Their diet most-
ly consists of Bajra and Gheo chapatis
and Khichadi. They are fluent in Guja-
rati, Kutchi and Hindi languages and
some may also speak Marwadi and
Thari Sodha (which was popular in
homeland). Poetry is also pursued by
some in this community.

Woman in Tharad
 The community to this day lives in residences
called the ‘Bhungas’. This is a way of preserving
their culture.
The popular Sodha festival include Diwali and
Gokulashtami when the women of the communi-
ty make ‘Geriyu alekh’ drawing at the village cen-
Bhungas in Kutch
Source: Amazonaws tre. The walls are chipped off and new plaster
is applied on these days. When the new plaster
dries, they draw ‘torans’ and other colourful dec-
orations on the walls.
The Sodha weddings feature a bride with a veiled
face as she visits the important sacred spots of
her husband’s village. She is preceded by her tur-
baned husband and a cloth is tied between them.
The women also carry e broidered clothes and
goods which sever as dowry in her new home.

Goshala at Dayaben’s
house
Their belief lies in Pithora Pir and
Satya mataji. Temples of the Pitho-
ra Pir are located in all villages of
the community. All their festivals
are celebrated by Brahmin, Ksha-
triya, Vaishya and Shudra commu-
nities among Hindus, Dusshera,
which used to be a festival for the
farmers, later became a Kshatriya
festival.
They also celebrate Holi, Diwali,
Satam Atam and most other Hin-
du festivals. No embroidered gar-
ments are worn on Satam Atam.
The agrarian Sodhas worship Lord

Festivals
Krishna, Rama, Sachiya mata and
a mother goddess in multiple oth-
er formats. They tend to follow
customs that blend Hindu and
Muslim cultures.
This culture is very proud of their
craft of embroidery which is most-
ly done by women of the commu-
nity. Sodha embroidery centres
include the villages of- Loriya, Bib-
A Rumal of the Maru Meghwal community
bar, Godhjar, Sumrasar Shekh , Far- ‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
adi, Godhiar and Jhura.
Suf embroidery is specifically done
in the villages of Jhura, Sumraser
and Banaskantha. These villages
are a part of the larger area called
Sodha Bharat.
Scenes from the village of Tharad, the artisans sitting and working together.
MARU
MEGHWAL

The word ‘Meghwal’ literally translates to ‘rain

worship’ and implies that this is a community of
people that prayed for the rain. The Maru Megh-
wal community had always paid heed to the caste
system of India and the Chamar and Bhangi tribes
were considered to be beneath them.
As the Meghwal men were weavers, so the com-
munity understood the structure of the fabric well
which is why they are presumed to have chosen
to do a counted thread embroidery.
The Rajmata of Kutch had mentioned how the low-
er castes were not allowed to wear the luxurious
woven Brocades. Embroidery was never done on
fabrics for the rich, in fact it was considered daily
wear as opposed to festive wear. It was second
class fabric and the vwealthy decorated them- A woman working under Dayaben
doing Soof embroidery
selves with gold and silver brocade. And embroi-
dery was used by the people of the lower caste to
decorate themselves.
The Meghwal’s migrated to India in 1972 after the
India Pakistan war.
A Batuvo with Kharek embroidery Of the Sodha community Puthiyo- A garment worn by children in the Maru Meghwal community
‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’ ‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
 The community had different names at different points of time depending
on their occupation- When the men used to weave fabric, it was called
‘Vankar’, ‘Dedh’ has some association with the dragging of dead animals
and ‘Meghwal’ comes from Rishi Megh. They
were among the lower caste and religion helped emancipate them to a
certain degree which eventually led them to evolve into a Polytheistic com-

Community munity.
As this community is a subset of the larger Dalit community in India, there
isn’t a large written account of the people or their historical origins as all
such resources were controlled by the higher castes. And the Dalits were
not even allowed education in most places- so almost all of their history
survives as oral account.
This community originally lived in the Nagarparkar region of Eastern Sind,
Pakistan.
 In olden times, this community used
to eat beef and even dead animals at
times. However, this is not practiced
anymore. Meat eating was looked
down upon by the upper casts and in-

Food
stantly made them stand out as the
lower caste members. In order to avoid
discrimination, a lot of them gave up
eating meat.
However, they are only allowed to eat
Cow’s beef- eating Halal meat is not al-
lowed.

Bottom thali - Rotli, dahi, chundo(sweet pickle), tinda nu shaak, fulkobi ni sabji.
Top thali - Saatpadi pakwan, sakarpara, gathiya, kachori, laadwo.
Food for lunch in a Gujarati family.
The Meghwal’s are known to have started wor-
shipping deities only upon influence by the Brah-
mins. They also used to reside in houses facing
the East in the past and worship the Sun. When
the community was montheistic, they used to
worship a common god- ‘Oliva’. The worship of
multiple gods also came after the Aryan invasion.
The Meghwal’s also have a different ‘Kuldevi’ for
each family. Meladi maa and Bahuchara maa are
important goddesses. Later the worship of an ‘in-
visible god’ called ‘Palan Pir’ began as well.
They are from the Sanatan Dharma and don’t
identify as Hindu or Muslim.
As the Meghwal’s were of the Dalit caste a lot
of their clothing was decided by the Brahmanas.
They were required to wear three rings that would

Religion
distinguish them from the upper caste. They were
also required to tie a broom around their waste

and
so as to erase their footprints. A Batuvo used to store
Their marriage has a peculiar practice where they a small dagger and
Mukhwas
take only four rounds around the fire as opposed
to seven in a traditional Hindu wedding. The
bride also embroiders her own dress and an ab- Festivals
ochhani/ shawl for her groom which is wrapped
around the chin and turban. The grooms family
arranges head ornaments for the bride and the
groom. The also make a Patchwork Ralli for the
couple and a Vinjhano (hand fan) is used to cool
them during the ceremony.
When the engagement is finalised the groom’s
family presents the bride with a ‘Chudadi’, a co-
conut and gud (jaggery).The bride’s side recipro-
Vinjhano, a fan used during the
cates with a decorated coconut, handkerchief, a Maru meghwal wedding ceremony
shawl and some sweets. ‘Image courtesy of the Kala
Raksha Museum.’
The bride is gifted silver Kadla, A gold phul neck-
lace, phudadi/ nose pin and Nevar/ anklets. The
girl then sends over her samples of embroidery,
a vahaani/ belt, a baagchi filled with toiletries and
butuvo.
An Illustration of traditional Maru Meghwal wedding
 The Maru Meghwal jewellery included necklaces like Vadhlo, a nose ring called
Phudadi, Bangles called Dadi, a foot ornament called Gogi, Boriyo

Jewellery
was an ornament for the hair, sati which were like foot rings, a Hallh which was
an ornament on a necklace, Pandadi (earrings), Poptiyo and many
more. The groom’s family gifts the bride ‘Balaiya, which signifies that she is a
married woman.
Row 1- L to R, Pandadi, Phudadi,
Boriyo

Row 2- L to R, Vadhlo, Sati, Dadi

Row 3- L to R, Gogi, Popatiyo,

Hallh
 The communities of Kutch had begun the process of migrating to India from
1945 and expedited it after the separation of India and Pakistan. The Sodha Ra-
jputs migrated in 1965 while the Maru Meghwal’s made their move in 1972 and
got Indian citizenship in 1978. Both communities were from
the Eastern part of Sind the former from Tharparkar and the latter from Nagar-
parkar. They moved initially to the Rapar and Bacchau district of Kutch, Gujarat,
India. As they were forced out of their motherland, The government of India had
arranged holding camps for members of this community to

Recent
find refuge for a while. These communities still live here and practice their crafts
maintaining the Pakistani flair while also taking inspiration from local cultures at

Events
the time.
After the war they settled in 32 small villages across Kutch with a population of
25,000 and 4000 artisans. They settled in the Jhura camp in India. The sheltered
women of this tribe settled in the mountains of Bhuj.
Umerkot used to be the only region in Pakistan with Hindu majority and was ruled
by the Rajputs. After the partition of India, the tradition of marrying only within
the Hindu Rajput caste has continued in this community and the members of this
community from Pakistan still marry their daughters to men of their community
and come to look for grooms in Rajasthan. Albeit the strange relations between
India and Pakistan, provisions have been made by both Governments for special
visas to facilitate easy cultural intermingling and cross- country marriage.
The legends of the embroi-
deries in Kutch goes back to
the mythological times, when
Lord Krishna was the ruler of
Dwarka. He had slain a de-
mon on his way to his king-
dom who had imprisoned
close to a thousand women in
his kingdom who were from
various parts of ‘Bharatvarsh’.
They were now freed and they
became Krishna’s associates
and companions as a result,
the region was enriched with
embroideries from different

HISTORY OF
parts of the country.
A famous warrior of the

KUTCH
Mahabharata called Kama
opened the region up to a
tribe of cattle breeders who

EMBROIDERIES
intermingled with the gopis of
the area and gave them cer-
tain regional motifs for their
embroidery.
Sind, Kutch and Kathiawar
were annexed by Arab rulers
in the 9th century and estab-
lished themselves in Sind
and Kutch bringing with them
embroidery influences from
several parts of the world
which they had trade relations
with. Furthermore integra-
Process of a basic Soof embroidery motif
tion became possible when
Kutch came under the rule of
Ahmedabad kings in the 15th
century CE.
 Many of the Indian embroidery influences have
come from Sind (Present day Pakistan). As the
Arabs were close to this region through Afghan-
istan and Baluchistan, they soon entered and
made their way to Sind where they introduced an
interlacing stich called which traces back work
Dayaben near her
home in early Germany and the Middle East. The Sind-
hi embroidery is categorised by vibrant colours,
different pieces of fabric attached together and
also by the addition of elements such as tiny mir-
rors, silk tassels, glass beads, cowrie shells etc.
The stitches included in this embroidery are- Her-
ringbone, Darning stitches, Satin, Straight, back
chain, open chain, couching stitches, interlacing,
stem, fly, crossed herringbone, laid threads and
oversewing on the edges.

Sewing embroidery to
products
Interlacing is done around the mirror to trap it in place.
The Sindhis brought these embroideries with them after the par-
tition of the cou try assimilated with the local culture and soon
gave rise to the characteristic embroidery of the region.
As will be discussed further, Kutchi embroidery is not limited to
fabrics like silk and cotton. It also finds home on leather goods
which were also a source of trade for the mochi community. To
embroider on leather a tool similar to the ‘Ari’ needle is used upon
being altered slightly. Now Suf embroidery is also done on leath-
er.
(Indian embroidery by Arvind Gupta)
The women of the Sodha community are also trained to do Pako,
Nain embroidery and applique work.

Contemporary Soof embroidery motif

 Suf is an art form that is passed down from gen-
eration to generation and since it is done only by
women it is customary for all women to teach this
to their daughters. It is hard to trace it back one
place of origin since it has been influenced by so
many communities and historical events. Howev-
er, the inspiration is quite discernibly from coun-
tries such as Afghanistan, Greece, early Germa-
ny, Iran and Iraq from 16th and 17th century CE).
The Mochi (the cobbler community is also said
to have been gifted this craft by the Sufi saints
of ancient India. It was done by women not only
as clothes for their community but also to occupy
themselves in paid labour in the arid, desert lands
of Kutch. Unlike a lot of Indian crafts- Kutch em-
broidery was a means of expression for the tribes
Embroidery done on leather by Sarda and never really a commercial activity. Such de-
Ben’s velopments have been only recently. Embroidery
A cushion cover at Dayaben’s house may be stitched for festivities and to honour com-
sporting Soof embroidery munity deities.
Different Kutchi communities have their own dis-
tinctive embroidery styles. Each piece takes sev-
eral weeks and large, intricate pieces may span
into several months of work.
Each community has its own style of adornment
expression and however all of them tend to have
similar motifs. Repeating forms include peacocks,
flowers, parrots, temples, elephants and camels.
The motifs may be inspired by ancient beliefs, oc-
currences of daily life and have been passed by
mother to their daughters in all families for centu-
ries. The way the motifs are placed on a product
and the combination of stitches (previously men-
tioned) quickly becomes a recognising factor of
the community.
EMBROIDERIES OF
KUTCH

· Ahir- It is a community of cow herders

that practice a specific rhythmic pattern
of stitching with mirrors captured in small
stitches and their embroidery came to be
called as Ahir as well.

· Aari- It is done by the Mochi community, it

utilises chain stitches and uses a tool simi-
lar to the cobbler’s awl for embroidery.
Ahir embroidery of Kutch
· Suf- It comes of the Sodha and Meghawar Source: Google Arts and Culture
communities of Gujarat. It is a reverse em-
broidery forms done by counting warps and
Aari embroidery
wefts, usually done without a frame. It uses Source: Gstatic Images
very stylised, geometric motifs which give
rise to a chevron pattern which is referred to
as a ‘leher’. Suf means ‘neat and clean’.

· Kharek-
Again a craft of the Rajput Sodhas and
Meghawar communities. It is counted in Kharek embroidery of Sodha community
Source: Satrangi Dhaage
double back running stitch and it is then
filled in with Satin stitch which gives rise to
a bar like appearance of the final motifs.

· Khudi- Tebha It is done by the harijan

communities living in the edges of the Rann
of Kutch.

· Kambira- This embroidery looks like some

Muslim architectural structures, it utilises a
stepped running stitch.
 Neran means eyebrows and it is comprised of buttonhole stitch-
es which are formed into a curved shape.

· Pakko-
It is similar to the Ahir embroidery and done by the Rajput Sodha
and Meghavar communities. It is also quite geometric.

· Rau-
node It is made up of colourful flowers of various shapes and
sizes and it gives a beautiful, embossed look to the fabric.

· Jat-
Garasia It comprises of heavy mirrorwork and cross stitching and
has a white outline which is later filled in. This is the most labour
intensive and expensive embroidery among the Kutch embroi-
deries. The Jat community also practices Fakirani Jat, Chekan,
Chopt, Katri, Gotanuv and Mukko embroidery.

· Rabari-
Rabari embroidery of Kutch It is a loud and bold type of embroidery. Designs are taken from
Source: StyleQ Digital
mythology and from their desert surroundings. They use glass
Paako embroidery of Kutch mirrors in various shapes: round, lozenge, rectangular, square,
Source: Textile Research Centre
triangular, and beak shaped
Traditionally most of the Kutch embroidery was only done by
women in rural areas for presenting in the dowries. Embroidery
in Kutch assumes a dual role of procuring an income for the fam-
ily and maintain tradition. However, the income and labour do
not measure up.
Women also need to provide for the household in recent times,
due to the trend of the world and they tend to make more money
by digging ditches in an organised labour union than doing craft
Unfortunately, many of these fine skills have now been lost
though some are being rejuvenated through handicrafts initia-
tives. Today over 16 different types of embroideries are being
produced commercially by a few societies and a couple of pri-
vate corporations. Some of the finest new embroideries in the
world are still being produced by over 6,000 women artisans of
the region. Embroidery from the Saurashtra and Kutch regions in
Gujarat is not only famous but also versatile. There are plenty of
stitches used to beautify the product. Of all the crafts of Kutch,
embroidery is the best known..
HISTORY OF SUF
EMBROIDERY

Suf embroidery was done tradition-

ally by the bride to secure a groom
for herself and decorate her trous-
seau. This embroidery was initially
practiced in Sindh, Pakistan but as a
result of the 1971 war between India
and Pakistan a lot of Hindu commu-
nities were forced to flee and settle
down in Gujarat bringing their craft
heritage with them.
Suf embroider resembles other em-
broideries such as Phulkari (Punjab),
Irani Baluchi and needlework of Swat
and Hazara which are Pakistani em-
broideries. It makes use of silk floss
and very occasionally plied cotton
yarn. The untwisted floss is also
called ‘passam’.
The most basic motif of the suf em-
Kanjaro- a garment for men used by the Maru Meghwal’s of Dhat Silk floss used by Dayaben
broidery is a triangle. All other mo- community
tifs are developed around that. It is ‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
mostly geometrical, however, some-
times animals such as peacocks
and camels and human motifs in a
stylised form may also be present. It
also takes inspiration from popular
styles of wall paintings of the region,
specifically the ‘mandana’ wall paint-
ing.

Bokani, worn by the Maru Meghwal men at their wedding
‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
Puthiyo, a garment for children in Kutch
‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
Traditionally, this embroidery was done on
rela which is a kind of odhni. On Bokani-
which is just a long piece of fabric which may
be used as a headwrap or a wrap around the
waist. It was also used in plate covers which
are called ‘thalposh’. A garment called ‘Patiyu’
was made for children ad Krishna’s idol would
be decked in it on Gokulashtami.
One new blouse like garment was also devel-
oped upon coming to India by the Maru Megh-
wals.
Most of the original Suf work was done on
Men’s garments. This may have been be-
cause of the strict Patriarchal communities
which didn’t even allow the women to leave
their homes to fetch water or buy vegetables,
which led to the reversal of a lot of gender
roles.
However, men were hence more valued in
these communities and the women did most
of the embroidery for them as they felt indebt-
ed to them for life.
Recently some parts of the Sutar and Brah-
man communities have also tried their hands
at the craft, but no one has stuck around to
continue it long term.
Some people in Banni and Rajasthan had tried
to do Paako (the only embroidery done from
the top side of the fabric) and Suf, but they
were not aware of the fabric structure and the
concept of counted thread embroidery which
led to the output not being up to the mark.
The process of embroidery that Suf artisans
Thepai Posh, a table cover used by the Maru Meghval community
‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
employ is knows as ‘tantik’ which comes from
the word ‘tantu’ meaning thread. It’s done on
the reverse side by counting the number of
warp and weft threads.

A Rumal of the Maru Meghwal community
‘Image courtesy of the Kala Raksha Museum.’
Significance Masks, the new design development products made
by Dayaben
Soof embroidery is traditionally a com-
munity craft that is passed down from
a mother to her daughter and thus
through generations.
Most girls learn how to do it and pre-
pare at least 3-4 pieces to be presented
to her in-laws at wedding since in the
culture the bride and the groom were
not allowed to meet each other.
As the community was very patriarchal
in nature, the women were never really
allowed to leave the house and hence
they picked up this craft. It was made
as a dowry gift for the grooms family-
other women also used to opine on the
incoming brides embroidery skills.
It was never made for trade until after
these communities migrated to India
and some of the Waghuri tribes from
present day Uttar Pradesh wandered to
Kutch to barter their aluminium uten-
sils and were handed traditional pieces
of Soof which had high antique value
and this craft was later commercialised
so that the women of these communi-
ties could make a living for themselves
as well.
The olden traditions continue to this
day, however, now we get to see a more
commercialised version of the same
craft that is made mostly for the mar-
kets.
MATERIALS

The fabric and the thread are Khadi Cotton fabric- on which soof was earlier done
Source: Shopify
the main components of soof
embroidery. Soof embroidery
is mainly done on a fabric Madarpa fabric which was traditionally dyed into different
with a basket weave. As it is a colours by craftswomen.
counted thread embroidery it Source: jdomni
requires the warp and weft or
tana-bana, to have the same
count. The materials that are
used consist of the fabric on
which the embroidery is to be
done and the doro(thread).
A soof motif on a linen cotton
 Now the Meghwal men used to be weavers and
they wove the cloth themselves. Besides that the
villagers also dyed the woven textiles at home.
The white fabric was known as Madarpat, which
Khadi Fabric was then dyed into different colours and the red
Source: Indimart fabric was madarsa. Fabrics were also dyed to
Matt Cotton is embroidered upon and produce yellow, pink and maroon fabrics. Some-
made into potlis. times indigo was used to dye the fabric blue.

The fabric woven earlier was of a very fine weave

and as time has gone by the secret to produce
that textile has been long lost. What we know of
now is that soof was also done on khadi cotton,
or khaddi.
These days the artisans have
divulged into a vast variety of
fabrics. Matka silk, handwo-
ven cotton, odisha cotton, lin-
en cotton are all fabrics that
are used. Tussar silk is difficult
to embroidery as its very fine,
sometimes chanderi is used A soof embroidered saree of matka silk
too. Bhujodi woven cotton,
matt cotton are also used as
embroidery bases for a more
commercial range of products
such as to make potlis.
Traditionally cotton threads
were used to construct the
shapes. This then was re-
placed by silk floss. Now a
days rayon threads are used
to embroider the cloth.

Bhujodi Kala Cotton Shiny floss yarns of Rayon

Source: Shopify
The artisans continuously try to think of newer ways to improve and add value to the embroideries. They have to keep doing some-
thing new, and this was done by adding other surface decorations such as
Tikris (embellishment & decoration)
Beads (embellishment & decoration)
Mirrors (embellishment & decoration)

Numerous beads and tikries stored at Daya-ben’s home Lambak - jhumbak for surface embellishment or tassels
Soof does not required lots
of elaborated tools. It is an
embroidery that is directly
made on the fabric, no out-
line or drawing is made on
the textile before attempting
the stitches, this eliminates
any tools required to tracing
the motifs.
The sui traditionally is the
only tool required to em- The sui or soyo- the main tool of hand embroidery
broider on the cloth.After
completing the stitches the
craftswomen would cut the
thread using only their teeth.
These days a katar(scissor)
is used to cut the thread.
A sewing machine is then
used to stitch up the soof
samples into products such
as potlis, handkerchiefs and
other such items.
A machine at an artisans home where a tailor comes to stitch the
soof samples into small products

Scissors to cut threads

 The Meghwal men used to be weavers
and because of this the women under-
stood the structure and the construc-
tion of the fabric this is probably why
soof and khareek a counted embroi-
dery was developed
The artisans do it in their free time,
with unmarried(kuvari) girls devoting
most of their time to it, other ladies do
Suf after finishing their chores. There
is no fixed limit as to which they com-
ply for this generation to generation

TECHNIQUES-
legacy. Upon orders they call for their
neighbours’ help to finish it on time.

Duration and
The time taken is directly proportional
to costing of Suf products. The more
intricate, time consuming and fine it is,

Costing
the higher its price becomes.
An approximate motif of palm size
takes 2 days to work upon with an
effort of 3-4 hrs a day, which costs
around Rs. 300-600, although artisans
tend to negotiate prices on customer
request, which often leads to them be-
Costing based on time taken ing exploited because they don’t follow
Source: Pexels,
Fredrick Eankels any fixed system of profit margin or
even know of it.
This way, bigger the size of embroi-
dery, multiplies the cost of it. Material
cost is also added to it, but it is just the
basic amount.
 Sourcing is done from a local market in Bhuj,
25 kms away from artisans village as its the
closest big city. Some of them buy materials
even from nearby weavers/artisans. For few
others things are brought from bombay, del-
hi, ahmedabad’s small local shops.

Sourcing
They do not stock a lot of things specially
Informal selling at home
during Covid as they faced hardships of sell-
ing products at all. Buying as per need is their

and Sale
formula.

For sale mostly customers used to come to

their homes, select things and buy, pre-pan-
demic. Now it’s all ordered online through
social media and artisans children help them
connect through this mode. (Facebook, Ins-
tagram are the main ones). For those not ac-
quainted to it, challenges are difficult to over-
come mainly their regular expenses.

Local selling and buying at Bhuj

Source: National Geographic Traveller India
 Dyeing and
Weaving

Dyeing and weaving by artisans was done back in

time till around 1950s-70s. Later pre-woven and
Changes in dyes to chemical new pre-dyed fabrics started to be sourced, and they
shades of color had lesser control on fabric quality.
Source: Patra This led to deterioration of use of handloom fab-
Now, Pre woven fabrics and threads are rics, as well as its value and quality of imperfec-
used, Source: The Statesman tion by hand.
Hand weaving used to help artisans figure out
the structure and count of the fabric easily so
Suf could be done without much hassle as it is a
counting process too. The idea of this embroidery
could even have come from the fact that weavers
were husbands of craftswomen who did Suf, so
they chose to take up a technique of work that in-
volves close study of woven fabrics.
Dyeing was done in only few colors back in time,
so as to enhance and give characteristic contrast
to the embroidery. The following process was
used - Weaving-dyeing-embroidery.
Suf was previously not done to fill fabrics but just
highlight important parts of it.
 The building blocks of the embroidery
area lath, soof (triangles) and leher
(wave). Artisans play with these forms
to create a huge variety of simple as
well as complex geometric motifs. No
outlining is done on the fabric to guide
the them. Instead, the design is men-
tally formed and calculated according
to the design, the cloth size and count
embroidery is done onto it by counting
the warp and weft threads of the fab-
ric. Work is done on the wrong side
which on turning gives a fine effect on
the right side totally machine perfect.
Alphabets are now worked with em-
broidery these days which are more
complex according to the base grid

Making
Tradition passed on generation after generation
counting and vertical horizontal pro-
cesses yet it has been mastered by
these women, mentioned Parvati Ben.

of Soof Sharda ben says, that Abhala, is used

Soof alphabet style
Source: Typecraftinitiative.org
in empty areas around soof to fill up
parts of fabric, attached using button-
hole, cross, and other basic stitches.
This is the traditional method where
surface satin stitch is used similar to
fill up space within motifs.
The craft said to be passed down in the
vansh, has an elaborate process to fol-
low. One method is made to order - cus-
tomized according to need and dead-
line of the client. Here the artisan has
less to almost no control over selection
of materials, maybe even design.
Another method is mass production,
with similar computerized embroidery
which looks almost same and is cut-
ting income of craftspeople who work
with hand.
First, a woven fabric is taken of
whichever size, per requirement or
order. It could be handloom or pow-
erloom, dyed or plain.
Fabric is turned over, its warp and
weft counted, design processed in
mind, the hands automatically work
on a to be masterpiece.
Soof is done in little areas with a
contrasting thread(red,black) for
border then filled in later using the
color artisans want. The sample
can then be applied on other prod- Taking one satin stitch on wrong side Finishing one stitch
ucts by cutting patches of Soof mo-
tifs from the bigger fabric and sell-
ing them as per demand.
Interestingly scissors are rarely
used. They cut threads with their
teeth and minimize use of extra
tools.
For stitching the patch to a product
reels of machine thread are used,
with a bigger needle for packing
bundles, otherwise the standard
needle size is number 8.
They make borders, patchwork, mir-
ror decorated pieces with soof as
well, which can be later added to
any fabric related item to enhance
it.
One finished soof triangle on right side Importance of thread count visibility and woven fabrics
in Soof - visible count
Changes

Practicality and machinery got newer techniques

into play. Suf became more geometric, machine
like, symmetric and uniform looking like machine
designed work, losing its individuality, character
and had people doubting if it really is handmade
or machine made.
Tradition can only be revived if artisans keep it
unique and true to their original way of working,
perfection is an industrial concept, craft need not
be perfect to be valuable.
It came to be done in Satin and cross stitch meth-
od instead of the traditional ones even doing it
on wrong side then turning it is getting old fash-
ioned.
Originally, only surface satin stitch similar to
Right and wrong sides of the embroidery respective-
phulkari was used which saved thread and gave ly, use of full satin stitch instead of original surface
a similar effect as satin ones - which like mere satin stitch with dots, this way brings floats and
knots as shown on closer photo with wrong side of
dots on the wrong side of the fabric. Now there sample.
are longer floats seen on the reverse side. This
was probably done not to thread needles time
and again and take the stitches as big as possi-
ble for faster pace of work for completing more
orders within shorter time frame.
Dyeing and weaving too is being done industrial-
ly, so now artisans have lesser control over the
kind of colors they want in their piece, as well as
the weaving becomes more tedious to figure out
if not done by their husbands.
Sodha community just carries the name of being
source of this embroidery but the legacy is carried
forward by meghwals, they have invented newer
motifs and adopted modern ways to do Soof.
“I love doing embroidery. I can do it all the time. My daughter gives up at times. But i encourage her
to work since that is our only source of income.”

-Parvati Ben (artisan)

01
 The suf motifs are very geometric and intricate. It begins around a suf(small triangle) and then the oth-
er motifs are built around it forming larger motifs and patterns.No rough outline or guide is traced on
the cloth. It is done directly on the fabric. The craftswomen mentally visualise the required design and
calculate the layout according to the fabric and count the threads and embroider. The word suf literally
translates to ‘neat and clean’ and this embroidery is often mistaken for machine work because of its
neatness.

MOTIFS

No outline is made before embroidering- the term soof literally means Soof is a geometrical embroidery- peacock scratching its feathers
neat and clean
JALI GANTRI PHALI KAGAR GOLDO
Done from front, used in Cross Stitch Bata li phali, fruit, Fal Dancing peacock Surma no dabbo
Suf and khareek work

BATO LEHER CHALANGI LATH SUF

Double phali Pani ni leher (waves) Mor na Pakh, Kalangi Lathi (Stick) T riangle, named from a
(Feathers of a peacock) pahad(mountain) or the
fruit found on the moun-
tain, has 8 take(stitches)

Craftsperson play around with shapes and for different intricate and simple structures.
The patterns primarily geometric in nature occasionally
take the form of figures pertaining to the flora and shapes
around them. Every artisan interprets the suf style on
their own terms implementing their traditional skills and
materials. The traditional motifs have been stylized by the
amalgamation of conventional motifs, contemporary mo-
tifs and the expansion of the stitch.

The artisans draw from the life around them and translate
it onto the fabric. Floral and leaf motifs are generously
found on the fabrics. Some of the traditional motifs are Traditionally all the soof motifs were
Mod or mukut, the batali chakki, phuldi, kadi wali phuldi, less elaborated and much smaller like
this peacock motif
vad nu jhaad.
Although animal figures rarely crop up in suf, camels are
occasionally found in traditional soof embroidery. This
must be pertaining to the fact that camels used to be a
Aam ka jhaad - with fruits hanging
principal transport in the past. On the other hand pea- from it
cocks are an imperative part of soof. The craftswomen
are particularly fond of this motif and are embroidered on
a great many products.

With the passing of time newer commercial motifs have

emerged. This includes figures of humans , butterflies,
crows and many more. Women again take inspiration
from the things around them and come up with newer
motifs. Some of these are the aam ka jhaad with shring-
ar, haathi, sakhya, gaadi etc. Simple geometric designs of
flowers, leaves, trees, and fruits are still an instrumental
part of soof.
The Mod- Inspired bu the mukut
worn by men during their weddings
Elephant with a man swinging on it
Contemporary butterfly and
caterpillar motifs

Fuldi or Flower made with the basic soof motif

Traditional motif, camel with a man sitting on Batali chakki having. Consisting of Goldo, Leher, Chalangi.
Newer suf designs are often
enriched with mirrors, tikris
and beads to add commercial
value to it.

While working on the elabora-

tive pieces the craftsman has
to count out every thread in re-
verse. This requires magnan-
imous amounts of patience Newer techniques have started including mirrors and tikris to
and precision. The craftswom- embellish the textile along with soof.
en have an eye for detail a
good grasp of geometry and
dexterity in filling and detail-
ing symmetrical patterns with
tiny triangles and stitches. The
motifs of the suf embroidery
are worked upon by count-
ing the threads, they are nei-
ther sketched nor outlined by
thread and depend entirely on
the artisans imagination and
observation.

A soof shawl- took 4 months to

complete
 KADIWALI PHULDI DANDWALI PHULDI (BUD OF GRAINS)

Traditional
Motifs

BAATALI CHAKKI, FLOWER DESIGN MADE DANDWALI LATH

UP OF BUDS

LATH WITH SOOF BATAWALI CHAKKI VARIATION

TWO PEACOCKS EATING VADNU JHAAD (BANYAN TREE)
SHRINGAR (DECORATION) ON CHALANGI FULDI OR FLOWER MADE WITH THE BASIC
SOOF MOTIF, CONSISTING OF GOLDO, LEHER,
CHALANGI
MOD-MUKUT, INSPIRED FROM THE HEAD-
GEAR WORN BY MEN WHEN THEY COME
TO MARRY DURING THE BAARAT

OUNTH (CAMEL)
Contemporary
Motifs

HAATHI(ELEPHANT) WITH A MAN SIT- MATKO - FLOWER POT

TING ON TOP
DIL (HEART) BARAMASI FLOWER- PERIWINKLE
 The artisans liked contrast. They had natural coloured fabrics and bright colours
are embroidered on it. If you had red coloured fabric you put green on it and vice
versa. Back in the day perfection was not a criteria, so for example the crafts-
woman prefered a mehendi green in their embroidery, if they ran out of mehendi
green they would just use another shade of green.It didn’t matter, perfection was
an industrial concept.
The artisans liked contrast. They had natural coloured fabrics and bright colours
are embroidered on it. If you had red coloured fabric you put green on it and vice

COLOURS
versa. Back in the day perfection was not a criteria, so for example the crafts-
woman prefered a mehendi green in their embroidery, if they ran out of mehendi
green they would just use another shade of green.It didn’t matter, perfection was
an industrial concept.
In the heavily patriarchal families women were not allowed to go out for tradition-
ally female segregated jobs like to buy groceries. So the women of the family de-
pended on the male members to buy them threads and materials.A lot of colour
choosing hence depended on the male counterparts and what they thought was
popular at that time. Sometimes due this dependency the women would just use
whatever colour were around. All of this gave depth and life to the textiles.
TRADITIONAL AND CON-
TEMPORARY COLOURS

Traditionally bright colours

such as red, maroon, green
etc were used. Pink and blue
or a combination of pink, pur-
ple,green were also used oc-
casionally. There were colours The artisans loved contrast and sometimes green Mehendi was a colour preferred by the women
used only for having decora- embroidery is done on red fabric
tive value such as yellows and
oranges. Colours such as lilac have recently started being Traditional colours used in the baatali chakki
The use of mustard, dull or- included in soof design
ange, pastels, english colours
such as browns and dull pur-
ples are more contemporary
based. Sometimes uniform
colours are used to embroider
on a fabric of the same colour
Now there are no restrictions
on the colour the artisans use.
The colour combinations in
the embroidery were at the
disposal of the craftsman un-
less it was specified.
Commercial monochromatic colours are used Much brighter fluorescent colours are used in embroidery in the
present times
 Although embroidery is one of the more tradition-
al methods of decorating clothing, it is still very
popular. Some designs back to ancient times
while some designs fall under the geometrical

TRADITIONAL
modern designs, but embroidery is still one of the
common ways to decorate clothing.

PRODUCTS
One of the traditional products that fall under
soof embroidery is Sodha Rajputs’ casual blouse
or kanchali. The frame is embroidered with tradi-
tional motifs such as bawadiyo or haramji.
This type of fabric is often used to decorate the
bride’s clothing and as part of the gifts that her
family gives to the groom’s family.

A Soof belt
Although embroidery is one of the more traditional
methods of decorating clothing, it is still very popular.
Some designs back to ancient times while some de-
signs fall under the geometrical modern designs, but
embroidery is still one of the common ways to deco-
rate clothing.

One of the traditional products that fall under soof em-

Handkerchief she made for her husband
broidery is Sodha Rajputs’ casual blouse or kanchali. again for marriage
The frame is embroidered with traditional motifs such
as bawadiyo or haramji.
This type of fabric is often used to decorate the bride’s
clothing and as part of the gifts that her family gives to
the groom’s family.

Other products include Bokhni- which is a men’s pagri

worn during marriage girl, Vahani- a belt worn by men
during their travels which is decorated with suf. It has
a small pocket in the belt where they can keep money.
Rento- which is a chunni, design on pallu that women
wear after marriage. Puthio- which a Kurti choli worn
before marriage
Adifta is a garment which consists of an unstitched
rectangular cloth draped around the waist. It is worn
by men of the village. When the poti (granddaughter)
comes to visit she wears the adifta like a lehenga.

Shawl- they make for their husband Vest daya ben made for her husband for
marriage
 They also make certain products for kids
which include- topi- cap , jhuldei (swing for
kids), ghodiya- which is a cradle

This kind of embroidery is also very popu-

lar among other communities such as Jat,
Bishnoi, Meghval, Rajput and Sindhi Musal-
man women. They use this embroidery to
decorate their household items using the
time available after essential chores or af-
ter working on their agricultural field.

While showing some of the products, Par-

vati Ben showed a 21 inch gaadi- which is a
cushion on which the bride and the groom
sit during wedding rituals; to embroider
that, it took her 20 days to a month.
She told that she works on order as well.
She showed some of those pieces which
included masks, borders and necklines
which can be used in suits as well as sa-
rees.
Sharda Ben, mentioned that traditionally
they (specifically their family) would make
stoles and in recent times they have ven-
tured into making masks.

This is a Batwa that Daya Ben made for her Husband for Cushion cover by Parvati ben
their marriage as a part of the ritual
PRODUCTS

Tel Met
When the daughter marries and comes to her sasural (husband’s home) for the second time,
the maikewaale (maternal home) give her a tel met. It is a embroidered potli which holds a
glass bottle (sheesha) filled with oil.
 Vaahni
A belt like embroidered
fabric worn by men around
the waist when they went
to travel. It had a opening
on one end from where
money was kept/hidden.
Hidoni
The girl makes the hidoni
before marriage and after
marrying takes the hidoni
with her to her sasural as
dahej.
(It is a headpiece women
used to wear while trans-
porting water in matkas)
 Batwa
Taken by men to the ga-
nesh pooja and during their
shaadi. The potli holds a
Charsi(small sword) and
mukawas
Kediyu
 Popatyo
A toy hung on the child’s
ghodiyu (cradle)
Baagchi
(envelope bags)

Source: Ctfassets
 Sometime after 1972, soof embroidery began to
be commercialised. The people doing the com-
mercialisation didn’t bother to learn much about
it or understand the cultural aspects of soof. They
focused on things that could be done quickly and
practically. This is one of the main reasons the
surface satin stitch was discontinued. In the past
the artisans preferred the surface satin stitch

RECENT
simply because it saves thread, it uses only half
the amount of thread. People were always find-
ing ways to be thrifty/prudent.The current satin

DEVELOP-
stitch is faster and more practical, so now the fo-
cus is on making more money by fulfilling more
orders.
A huge change that occurred when the Meghwal

MENTS
and Sodha tribes migrated from Sindh to India
was the change in the aesthetic of soof. Original-
ly soof was about making individual motifs and
patterns. It wasn’t perfect. The idea of perfection
was not part of soof yet. Later on, they made
geometric patterns and overall patterns to fill up
the fabric. The imperfections were filtered off to
make perfect little patterns that looked a lot like
machine work. In a market with no exposure to
soof, soof products were questioned on it really
being hand work.

Wall Hanging at Dayabens home.

Sometime after 1972, soof embroidery
began to be commercialised. The people
doing the commercialisation didn’t bother
to learn much about it or understand the
cultural aspects of soof. They focused on
things that could be done quickly and prac-
tically. This is one of the main reasons the
surface satin stitch was discontinued. In
the past the artisans preferred the surface
satin stitch simply because it saves thread,
it uses only half the amount of thread. Peo-
ple were always finding ways to be thrifty/
prudent.The current satin stitch is faster
and more practical, so now the focus is on
making more money by fulfilling more or-
ders.
A huge change that occurred when the
Meghwal and Sodha tribes migrated from
Sindh to India was the change in the aes-
thetic of soof. Originally soof was about
making individual motifs and patterns. It
wasn’t perfect. The idea of perfection was
not part of soof yet. Later on, they made
geometric patterns and overall patterns to
fill up the fabric. The imperfections were
filtered off to make perfect little patterns
that looked a lot like machine work. In a
market with no exposure to soof, soof
products were questioned on it really be-
ing hand work.

A surprising find from the artisans was how

they have developed newer techniques
to cater to and expand a wider market. A
few home decorative products such as
the square cushion cover and the square
wall hanging were embroidered on with Cushion Cover. Although embroidering long pillows Sample Borders for design houses- they put it on kurta or
different colours and then the entire fabric (related to marriage) is a traditional practice. saree

would be dyed with the embroidery. This

gave a monochromatic look to the product
with just a slight difference in colour.
 Belt- It is a more contemporary version of a Vahani

NEW
PRODUCTS

A lot of the newer products have developed

and derived from traditional products. The
artisans have translated their tradition in a
form that can be commercial.
Bokhari- a mens pagri worn during marriage.
A modern interpretation is the wall hanging.
Vahani- a belt worn by men during their trav-
els, decorated with suf. Has a small pocket in
the belt in which money is kept. The Vahani
was made into a belt to be worn by women
The batua or purse is now made into a potli
for commercial purpose.

Contemporary Theli Saree with soof embriodery

The square cushion covers,
bed sheets, handkerchiefs are
commercial products. Bright
soof embroidery is done on
brown, white, mustard potlis
with tassels and beads deco-
rating it.
Beautiful belts for women are
embroidered with suf. A ex-
tremely commercial and tra-
ditional product in India is the
Some design variations of potli
saree. Members of the Sodha
and Meghwal clan never wore
sarees, instead they wore a
ghagra and a kurta. The em-
broidery of soof on the saree
is a fairly recent development
and has been wholly accept-
ed in the Indian market.
Square wall hangings with
wooden frames, kurta pieces,
stoles and shawls, sling bag
are other products on which
soof embroidery is being
done.
 The
Typecraft
Initiative

The square cushion covers, bed

sheets, handkerchiefs are com-
mercial products. Bright soof
embroidery is done on brown,
white, mustard potlis with tas-
sels and beads decorating it.
Beautiful belts for women are
embroidered with suf. A ex-
tremely commercial and tradi-
tional product in India is the sa-
ree. Members of the Sodha and
Meghwal clan never wore sarees,
instead they wore a ghagra and
a kurta. The embroidery of soof
on the saree is a fairly recent de-
velopment and has been wholly
Soof letters
Source: Typecraft Initiative
accepted in the Indian market.
Square wall hangings with wood-
en frames, kurta pieces, stoles
and shawls, sling bag are other
products on which soof embroi-
dery is being done.
 In the earlier times the Meghwal women did not market their embroidery, it
wasn’t even thought of as a product to sell and earn money. Sometimes the
products made out of soof would be bartered off for utensils or other items.
Other times old clothes embroidered with soof would be passed on to ser-
vants.
Eventually when soof was sold, the ones selling it did not care to understand
the tradition and culture behind it. They just saw it as a means to earn money
by exploiting the artisans. The craftswomen for whom soof was an everyday

MARKETING
commodity did not know the value of their work and hence didn’t understand
pricing it.

The Market Now

Marketing is a vital step in any business venture however small it may be. It
makes people aware that you are selling a product and they can purchase
it from various platforms. Craftswomen have now actively begun marketing
their products. This is especially important for artisans as usually people are
uninformed about the traditional and hereditary crafts of their country. This
is a means to expand their venture and also spread awareness so that their
craft doesn’t die off.
 Rani Mukerjee wearing
a soof and marodi work
saree embroidered by
Daya ben

As soof was done on

everyday products too
artisans did not realise
the value of their work
Exhibitions

There are numerous ways to market your prod-

uct, one of them being exhibitions. Exhibitions
are great ways to advertise your product and
connect with customers. It attracts new cus-
tomers as there are a large number of footfalls.
For every craftswomen exhibitions are key to
selling their products.

They take part in government and NGO held ex-

hibitions. Parvati ben has been to exhibitions
in Rajkot, Safaid Rann for a month, and to Del- Kala Raksha Exhibitions; Source: The Hindu
hi Haat in Delhi and Ludhiana before her mar-
riage. Here they try to contact as many people
as they can and share their details .Every year Paramparik Karigar Exhibition;
Source: Techdivine
the artisans present their work in the festival
held in the winters, the Rann Utsav. Small prod-
ucts are also sold in melas that take place year
round. Other exhibitions where artisans attend-
ed are handicrafts, Lailaji, Jaya Jetli, Anarben,
Gujriwale.
 As these artisans have only acquired primary education they are not in touch with
the newer ways of marketing. All of these are technology based which they find
difficult to navigate. Despite the struggle, the artisans have managed to some-
what bring themselves on the social platform.

Among the artisans we met Sarda ben’s husband has formed numerous groups

Social
on whatsapp where he frequently shares pictures of their work. Although he finds
it difficult to maneuver he does have an instagram and facebook page. However
the suf articles on these pages are quite limited.

Platforms Parvati ben too keeps putting up stories on her whatsapp status. She does not
have any profile of hers on any social platform.

Now in contrast Daya ben’s sons have made her a instagram and facebook page.
Online marketing is one of their main source of orders. She is also commissioned
by craftroots to make small products like potlis.Fabindia, Craftsroot, Craft coun-
cil, Prince Museum in Mumbai, the Taj hotel, all house Dayabens Embroideries.
She sometimes also gets orders from foreign buyers which is couriered to them.
Dayaben Dohats instagram profile
S W O T ANALYSIS
Craft

STRENGTH WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

It is a unique craft. It is a painstakingly There is an opportunity to Machine made products at lower prices.
long process. market the craft in a way so
that it has a greater outreach
to the younger audience.

It is an obscure craft In the western world people prefer hand-

and the general public made goods to be a little imperfect and hav
isn’t aware of it. a raw element. Suf is done so perfectly that
it appears as machine work and that reduc-
es the demand for the products in the west-
ern market.
 Craftspeople

STRENGTH WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

They keep the craft They have no formal There is a huge scope for The artisans are not receiving credit for
alive by passing it education and they Technological advancement. their work.
down from genera- are unable to set good
tion to generation prices for their prod-
ucts.

Since it is a gener- There are limited num- Middlemen and designers charging exorbi-
ational craft it has ber practicing this tant prices and the artisans not receiving a
been mastered and craft. proportional amount.
the quality is unpar-
alleled.

No uniformity in prac-
ticing the craft.
 Craft Cluster

STRENGTH WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

It provides employ- There is no formal The production of raw mate- The younger generation have more enticing
ment to women of body governing the rials could be done in the vil- career opportunities and since suf is such
their region. distribution of work lage to provide employment a time consuming process with little mon-
among the artisan. to the people and decrease etary returns they are likely to chase other
the raw material cost. careers.

There is no regular
work being provided,
theory work on an or-
der basis.
“We take our two to three hours from our house chores for embroidery. We do this for our own interest.”

-Sharda Ben (artisan)

 BIJALANI SHARDA-
BEN ANCHALBHAI
Contact number -
8347053526

Artisan’s address –
near kalaraxa village – Su-
marasar (shekh), Bhuj, Katch,
Gujarat 370001

Artisan’s DOB –
05/07/1988

ARTISAN Artisan’s gender -

PROFILE
Female

Education level of artisan -

5th standard

Skill -
Master Craftswoman

Languages –
Gujarati ( can understand Hindi)

Size of family unit -

6 (Husband, 2 boys, 2 girl)

Craft –
Soof embroidery
More than seven generations have been doing soof since
they moved to India from Pakistan. Sharda Ben along with
her sister in law works on the products and she has other ar-
tisans working under her.Like Parvati ben, she is skilled in all
kutch embroideries. Sharda Ben and her workers have been
recognised as artisan under the government. They own their
artisan cards and hence get chances to work under govern-
ment organizations.
Sharda Ben was trained by her mother and other ladies in her
family, and now she is training her daughter since the past
few years. Their family has been passing on this craft. Her
husband sources the raw materials whenever he visits the
market in Bhuj or Ahmedabad.
Her husband also decides the pricing of the products she
makes.Sharda Ben and her husband are not fully satisfied
with the pricing these days. They think that artisans are get-
ting underpaid. Also they do not receive any subsidy or aid
from the government.
GORDIYA PARVATI BEN
Contact number -
9909268925

Artisan’s address –
Mahadev, Pragpar 2, Kutch,Gujarat, 370415

Artisan’s DOB –
01/06/1984

Artisan’s gender -
Female

Education level of artisan -

4th standard

Skill -
Master Artisan

Languages –
Gujarati, Hindi

Size of family unit -

5 (Husband, 2 boys, 1 girl)

Craft –
Soof, Nayan, Jat, Rabari and Kharik
More than seven generations have been doing soof since they
moved to India from Pakistan. Parvati Ben is skilled in embroider-
ies such as Soof, Nayan, Jat, Rabari and Kharik. Her husband is
skilled in leather work and hence works on that handicraft.
She is the only family member who majorly works on the products.
As the work demands, her sister and daughter work along with her
hence they are trained in this skill as well.
Occasionally Parvati Ben hires artisans to work for her when she
receives a lengthy order which requires more manpower. She per-
sonally prefers working on the products herself as her skill is com-
mendable and she strives to provide best quality products.
She has been recognised as an artisan under the government and
owns an artisan cards and hence gets chances to work under gov-
ernment organizations. They get hired and paid by organizations
such as Adani.
Parvati Ben herself decides the pricing of the products she sells.
But in some cases when she sells through some other seller, they
decide the pricing and give part profits to Parvati Ben. Although
she seems to be satisfied with the pricing of her products, this is
because she is not well aware of the market and the pricing sys-
tem.
DAYABEN DOHAT
Contact number -
09879671779

Artisan’s address –
Shiv Nagar Society, Tharad, Banaskantha -
385565, Tharad, Gujarat

Artisan’s DOB –
01/06/1984

Artisan’s gender -
Female

Education level of artisan -

4th standard

Skill -
Master Craftswoman

Languages –
Gujarati, Hindi

Size of family unit -

4 (Husband and two kids)

Craft –
Soof and khareek embroidery
Dayaben has been practicing soof embroidery for the last 40 years.
She first started embroidering when she was just a kid at the age
of 10. She and her sister were taught this craft by their mother as it
had been passed down from generation to generation in their fami-
ly.
During the India-Pak war in ‘1971’, the Meghwal and Sodha com-
munity migrated to India. And so a lot of their traditions hail from
Sindh. 17 Meghwal families travelled to india, they first stayed in
Jura camp and then many families diversified to Tharad, Sumrasar,
and Pragpar 2. Shrujan was one of the first to recognize the worth
of soof and aid the artisans.
Daya ben has a family of for, her husband whom she married and
shifted to Tharad. Her two sons, the elder one whos is engaged
and the younger son who is studying to become a doctor. Both her
sons handel Daya Ben’s instagram account and other social media
platforms.
Judy Frater started Kala Raksha with Dayaben. Later on Dayaben
married and moved to Tharad. It’s been 25 years since she shifted
to Tharad. Even here she hasn’t been idle. She has trained trained
other women in the craft of Soof an Khareek work. Starting with
just 25 women, and growing to around 300 women working under
her. They have been marketing their product for around 30 years,
and mainly get their orders through social media platforms like Ins-
tagram and facebook. Dayaben has won a number of awards, she
won the national Award when she was just 20 yrs old and has also
had the chance to go to france and give a workshop on soof.
OUR
TEAM

BHAKTI POPAT FREYA FERNANDES

Age - 20 yrs
Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/283
Email ID - bhakti.popat@nift.ac.in
City, State - Kolkata, West Bengal
Languages Known - English, Hindi,
Gujarati, Bengali
Age - 20 yrs
Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/370
Email ID - freya.fernandes@nift.
ac.in
City, State - Vapi, Gujarat
Languages Known - English, Hindi,
Gujarati
MEEMANSA MURARIYA
Age - 21 yrs
Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/1432
Email ID - meemansa.murari-
ya@nift.ac.in
City, State - Jaipur, Rajasthan
Languages Known - Hindi, En-
glish, Rajasthani
NAVYA PALI RIDHI KHATTAR
Age - 21 yrs Age - 20 yrs
Department - Fashion Design Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/406 Nift ID - BD/19/346
Email ID - navya.pali@nift.ac.in Email ID - ridhi.khattar@nift.ac.in
City, State - Dehradun, Uttara- City, State - Delhi
khand Languages Known - English, Hindi
Languages Known - English,
Hindi, Punjabi
 SRITH VARSHINI S
Age - 21 yrs
Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/669
Email ID - srith.s@nift.ac.in
City, State - Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu
Languages Known - English, Tam-
il, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi
VA I S H N AV I S AG W E K A R
Age - 20 yrs
Department - Fashion Design
Nift ID - BD/19/634
Email ID - vaishnavi.sagwekar@nift.ac.in
City, State - Mumbai, Maharashtra
Languages Known - English, Hindi,
Marathijabi
“As our family keeps expanding, we keep passing on this skill of Soof embroidery, from mother to
daughter.’

-Sharda Ben (artisan)

GLOSSARY
Aam ka jhaad Bhangi
Translation- An mango tree. Here, in reference to a contemporary Soof motif A lower caste tribe who claim to be descendants of Balmiki (Hindu saint)

Aari work Bharatvarsh

Is a type of Kutchi embroidery done by the Mochi community, which uses a Pen like needle. Ancient name of India

Abhala Bhatti Rajput

Refers to the small mirrors utilised in modern Soof embroidery A subgroup of the Kshatriya Rajput community found in India and Pakistan.

Abochhani Bhujodi woven cotton

Is a shawl embroidered by a Maru Meghwal bride for her groom, to be used on the wedding day A village in Gujarat where the Vankar community weaves organic fabric (here, cotton specifically)

Adhita Bhungas
Is the traditional garment of the Sodha Rajput men, comprising a white dhoti and white shirt/ kameez and turban. A style of house native to the Kutch region consisting of circular walls and a thatched roof.

Ahir Bokani
It is the type of needlework done by the ahir community of Kutch. It is known for its characteristic geometric pat- A long, slender, ceremonial scarf embroidered by the bride for her husband, to be worn on the wedding day.
terns and mirror work.
Bokhari
Anarben The traditional Bokhari was a turban which men would wear to their wedding. In modern times, it is interpreted as a
It is an exhibition, where artisans can showcase their work. wall hanging.

Ari needle Bombay

It is the tool used for doing Aari embroidery. It is hooked and resembles a cobbler's awl. Old name for Mumbai, India (where contemporary tools and materials for Suf embroidery are sourced from)

Aryan Boriyo
Is the ethnicity of Indo- Iranians as well as Sodha Rajputs It is a type of hair ornament worn by the women of the Maru Meghwal community.

Baaagchi Chakra (wall hanging)

An envelope bag, is cultural and widely used in Gujarat. Originating from ‘Bagcho’ in Iranian. It is a design development product of soof embroidery. Chakra means circular wheel.

Bahuchara maa Chalangi

She is a goddess worshipped by the Maru Meghwal community of Kutch. It is a basic motif of soof embroidery, which translates to ‘feathers of a peacock’.

Bajra Chamar
Is the edible seed of the pearl millet plant. It is a shudra tribe in the Kutch region. The Maru Meghwals were considered to be higher in hierarchy than them.

Balaiya Chanderi
It is an ornament gifted to a woman by her in-laws after marriage, this signifies that she is a married woman. It is a type of silk, native to central India- it is known for its fine texture and sheer, glossy finish.

Balochistan Chekan
Comprises of the region South East of Iran, includes parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is a type of Kutchi embroidery done by Pastoral muslim communities. It is very intricate.

Banni Chudadi
Bride (also a the grasslands of Kutch) Is a part of the pre-marital gift exchange between the bride and grooms family. This article is gifted by the bride’s
family.
Barahmin
Brahmins are highest in the hierarchy of the Hindu Varna system. They are the teachers and maintain all sacred Dadi
knowledge. It is a type of Arm ornament worn by the women of the Maru Meghwal community in Kutch.

Batali chakki Dahej

It is a type of traditional motif used in Soof embroidery. Refers to dowry (given by a woman’s family to the man’s family before their wedding)

Bato Dalit
It is a type of ‘double phali’ (or double fruit) motif which was popular in traditional Soof embroidery. These are people belonging to the lowest caste by the Varna system (a sub-group of ‘Shudras’). They were previous-
ly considered untouchables.
Batuvo
A purse sent by the Sodha bride to her groom before marriage, containing a small dagger, supari and other wedding Dedh
paraphernalia. It is a subgroup of the Maru Meghwal community.

Batuvo wallet Delhi

It is a wallet (here, done specifically by Dayaben) that is embroidered by a bride as a gift for her groom before their New Delhi, the capital of India- also another centre for sourcing material for Soof artisans.
wedding.
Dilli haat
Bawadiyo It is a open air food and craft market in delhi.
It is a type of motif used by the Sodha Rajputs, especially on their ‘Kanchlis’.
Disca Earrings
Ben A type of earrings worn by unmarried women of the Sodha Rajput community.
Sister, customary to call all (non blood-related) women around Gujarat
Diwali Hallh
Is a traditional Hindu festival, dubbed ‘the festival of lights’ celebrated in Autumn. It is a type of necklace ornament used by the women of the Maru Meghwal community.

Doro Haramji
It is the local term for the thread used by artisans for embroidery. It is a type of traditional motif used in Soof embroidery usually found on the women’s Kanchalis.

Dussehra Hazara work

It is a traditional Hindu festival which celebrates ‘good over evil’ marks the day ‘Ravan’ (a demon’ was killed by Lord It is the type embroidery done by the Hazaras of central Afghanistan, It Is credited for looking similar to soof,
Rama although it employs the use of Herringbone stitches.

Dwarka Hidoni
It is a place in Gujarat which is believed to be the Kingdom of Lord Krishna. It is an embroidered headpiece used by women to carry pots of water on their heads. It is embroidered by a girl
before her marriage and carried back to the in- laws place as dowry.
Fakirani Jat
Embroidery done by women of the Fakirani subgroup of the Kutchi Jats. They are most famous for their embroi- Holi
dered yokes. A hindu festival which celebrated the killing of demon ‘Holika’. Everyone stains each other in colour on this day.

Gaadi Irani Balochi

The main pieces of the bridal trousseau. The bride before her wedding embroiders two seats, one for herself and It is the kind of embroidery done by the ‘Balochi’ ethnic group of Iran and parts of Pakistan. It is similar to Soof
the other for her groom. and is usually done on yokes of garments.

Gantri Jali
It is the only cross stitch element in soof embroidery. Jali is a basic soof motif, the only one which is done from the front. It is also used in Kharek work.

Geriyu Alekh Jat Garasia

Refers to the designs drawn on red paste (Geriyu) for the purpose of decorations during festivals. It is a type of counted thread embroidery done by utilising cross stitches. It is he forte of the Jat community of
Kutch.
Ghagra
A full length skirt worn by the sodha Rajput and Maru Meghwal women on an everyday basis. Jaya jetli
It is an exhibition, where artisans can showcase their work.
Gheo
The Hindi term for ‘wheat’. Jhuledi
Refers to the cradle used to rest children.
Ghodiya
It is another term for a cradle made for children by Soof artisans. Jhura camp
It was a camp created by the Government of India to provide home to the refugees who arrived from Pakistan
Gogi after the war of 1971. The Sodha Rajputs sought home here upon their arrival.
An anklet worn by the women of the Maru Meghwal community.
Kachua
Gokulashtami Translation- Tortoise; here in reference to the tortoise like shape of the Kutch peninsula.
A Hindu festival which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, it is very popular in Gujarat.
Kadiwali Phuldi
Goldo It is a traditional Soof embroidery motif.
It is a basic soof embroidery motif, often credited for looking like Kajal in a small box.
Kadla
Gopis These are foot ornaments worn by women of the Maru Meghwal community.
The are believed to be the women companions of Lord Krishna.
Kagar
Gotanuv It is a basic soof embroidery motif, the name translates to ‘Dancing peacock’.
This type of Kutchi embroidery is done by the pastoral muslims. It is intricate and is done on expensive silks.
Kalhoras
Gud They are a dynasty based in Sindh, Pakistan. They are Sunni muslims.
It is a by-product of the process of making sugar, without the separation of molasses and crystals.
Kambira
Gujarat This method is utilised in quilts and is down by the harijan community of the Banni grasslands.
A state in india, the home to Kutch and all embroideries mentioned in the document.
Kameez
Gujarati A long shirt like garment, usually worn by men which is traditional for the Sodha Rajput men.
Refers to a person from Gujarat and also the language spoken there.
Kanchali
Gujriwale It is a type of casual blouse that was used traditionally by the Sodha Rajput
It is an exhibition, where artisans can showcase their work. women.

Haathi Karigar
(Translation- Elephant) Refers to the new motifs developed by Soof artisans. Translation- artisan; here, someone who is a craftsman of handmade goods.

Halal Katar
It refers to the meat prepared in accordance with the Islamic law In reference to the tools used by the artisans- scissors
Kathiawar Peninsula Madhya Pradesh
Also called the Saurashtra peninsula, it is located to the North west of Gujarat. A state in India.
Katri Maike Wale
This is a type of embroidery practiced by the jat community of Kutch. Refers to the maternal home of an Indian bride.
Kediyu Mandana
It is an upper garment made for men in the Kutch region. Here, refers to a wall painting style specific to Kutch.
Khaddar Marodi
A handwoven cotton or silk fabric whose threads were made on a spinning wheel. It is a type of embroidery from Gujarat, ‘Marodi’ means ‘twist’ and it utilises twisted yarn is used to create stitches.
Khaddi Maru Meghwal
It is the local name for ‘Khadi’ fabric The Maru Meghwals are a community residing in Gujarat and parts of Pakistan. They are documented as scheduled
tribes and are known for their contributions to embroidery and the textile industry in India.
Khadi
A handspun and handwoven natural fibre cloth. The name was coined by Mahatma Gandhi. Marwadi
An ethnic group in India originating from Rajasthan, who also speak the Marwari language.
Kharek
It is a type of counted thread embroidery practiced by the Sodha community of Gujarat. Matka Silk
It is a rough silk made from the waste of mulberry silk without applying the process of degumming.
Khichadi
Refers to an Indian dish consisting of rice and lentils. It is similar to spiced porridge. Mehendi green
Refers to the olive green colour usually obtained from a Henna plant.
Khudi Tebha
It is a type of embroidery practiced in Banni and is done on quilts by the Harijan community. Meladi maa
A goddess worshipped by the Maru Meghwal community.
Kshatriya
Is the second highest in the hierarchy of Varnas in the Hindu religion. It includes the ruling class and the military. Mochi
Translation- Cobbler. Here, it refers to the Mochi community of Kutch which practices Aari work.
Kuldevi
In Hinduism, it refers to an ancestral deity who is believed to be looking over a specific clan. Mod/ mukut
This is another traditional Soof embroidery motif.
Kurta
It refers to a long, loose garment worn by men and women in India. Mukko
It is again a type of Kutch mbroidery done by Muslim people, it is very intricate and used a lot of mirrors.
Kurti
It is a tunic or long shirt worn mainly by women in India. Nagarparkar
A region in Eastern Sind, Pakistan which was home of the Maru Meghwal community before the war of 1971.
Kutchi
Refers to a person for Kutch. Also, may refer to the language spoken in Kutch region. Nath
A type of nose pin worn both by Sodha and Maru meghwal women.
Kuvari
In hindi, it refers to a girl who hasn’t been married yet. Nevar
These are a pair of anklets gifted to the bride by her in-laws to be.
Lailaji
It is an exhibition, where artisans can showcase their work. Odhani
It refers to a long, flowy piece of fabric used by women to cover their heads.
Lambak Jhumbak
Refers to the surface ornaments and tassels used by the Soof artisans for their craft. Odisha cotton
Cotton woven in the Indian state of ‘Odisha’.
Lath
It is one of the basic, building block motifs of suf from where artisans can later create complicated patterns. Oliva
A god worshipped by the Maru Meghwal community when they were of monotheistic faith.
Leher
It is another basic soof embroidery motif which translates to wave. This is usually the motif that is credited for Otara
creating intricate chevron patterns. A raised platform built around a tree, where the Sodha men would congregate.
Lord Krishna Pagri
A Hindu god, ‘Krishna’ means ‘the all attractive’ A turban tied by men in several parts of North india.
Lord Rama Palan Pir
A Hindu God, who is known for displaying perfect moral and social behavior. Pir’ means ‘Holy man’. Palan Pir was worshipped by the Maru Meghwal community.
Ludhiana Pallu
A town in Punjab, India- where exhibitions are held for artisans to display their work. A veil used by a woman to cover herself. It is the loose end of a saree.
Madarpat Pandadi
A muslin like fabric used in white colour by Soof artisans of the past. These are upper earrings worn by women of the Maru Meghwal communities.
Madarsa Paramparik
Here, a fabric which was dyed red and used as the surface for Soof embroidery. It means ‘traditional’ in Hindi.
Parmara Rajput Safaid Rann
A Rajput clan in India who used to rule over the Malwa region. They claim to be descendants of the Agnivansha Safaid means ‘white’. It is in reference to the white Rann of Kutch which gets its colours from the salt flats.
dynasty.
Sanatan Dharma
Passam In Hinduism means ‘eternal’ and refers to the absolute duties which all Hindus must follow.
The untwisted silk floss used for embroidery is also called ‘Passam’.
Sasural
Patiyu It refers to the ‘in-laws’ house. Usually, in reference to the bride’s in-laws.
A loose garment (shirt) worn by small children, usually boys in the Maru Meghwal community.
Satam Atam
Phali It is a festival celebrated by the Sodha Rajputs in to honor Goddess Shitala who is known to protect against small-
It is a basic soof embroidery motif which resembles a rhombus and translates to ‘fruit’. pox and measles. No embroidered garments are worn on this day.

Phudadi Shringar
This is a nose pin worn, usually by married women of theMaru Meghwal community. It means decoration, specifically bodily beautification.

Phul Shudra
This is an arm ornament worn by the women of the Maru Meghwal community They rank lowest in the Hindu Varna hierarchy. They include the labor class and were required to serve the higher
castes.
Phul Haar
This is a necklace worn by women of the Maru Meghwal community. Sodha Rajput
A subgroup of the Rajput clan in India- they are natives of the Tharparkar region of Sindh, Pakistan. Former mem-
Phulkari bers of the Hindu majority, Umerkot kingdom of Pakistan.
Refers to a folk embroidery practiced in Punjab.
Sodhawati
Pithora Pir It was a region in ‘Suratgarh’ which was the capital of the ruling clan (Parmara rajputs) of the Sodha Rajputs.
A saint worshipped by the Sodha Rajput community.
Soof
Popatiyo Soof is an intricate counted thread embroidery practiced by the Sodha Rajput and Maru Meghwal community of
A toy used to amuse a child in a cradle in the Maru Meghwal community. Kutch.

Poptyo Soyo
It is a toy hung in a child’s cradle to amuse them. It is another name for ‘sui’ or needle used to do Soof embroidery.

Potlis Suf (motif)

Potli’ means a ‘small bag’. Suf’ is the name of the primary motif of the embroidery- it translates to ‘a triangle’.

Puthio Sui
Refers to a shirt like garment worn by men of the Maru Meghwal community. Translation- needle, it is the local name for the needle used in Soof embroidery.

Rabari Sutar
It refers to a group of Nomadic pastoral people that generally reside in North-western India. Translation- Carpenter; here it refers to one of the new communities that started practicing soof although it was not
traditional for them to do so.
Rabari embroidery
Rabari embroidery refers to a craft passed down from mothers to their daughters, where they embroider pieces for Swat work
their dowry. It is a type of embroidery practiced in the Swat valley of Pakistan, which bears resemblance to Soof.

Rajkot Tantik
A city in Gujarat where exhibitions are held, in which artisans can display their work. The process employed by Soof artisans is called ‘tantik’.

Rajmata Tantu
It refers to the mother and the head of a princely family in India. Tantu means thread and I is the origin of the word ‘tantik’.

Ralli Tel met

This is a quilt used by the Maru meghwal community. It is a potli gifted to the bride by her parents on her second visit home after the wedding. It contains a small glass
bottle with oil.
Rann utsav
It is festival held in the White Rann. It is a carnival of Music, Dance and of natural beauty. Thalposh
It is a traditional Soof embroidery product and was used to cover plates.
Rento
It is a veil with Soof embroidery on the loose ends, it is worn by women after their marriage. Thari Sodha
One of the languages spoken by the Sodha Rajputs, especially the migrants from Tharparkar, sind.
Resham
Refers to ‘silk’. Tharparkar
A region in the former Umerkot kingdom in Ewastern Sind, Pakistan where the Sodha Rajputs used to live before the
Resham ke dhaage India- Pakistan war of 1971.
Translation- ‘silk threads’.
Theli
Rishi It is an Urdu word adapted into Hindi, it means a pouch or a sack. It may vary in size.
In Hinduism they refer to great ‘sages’ and ‘yogis’. They are accomplished and enlightened persons.
Tikris
Sachiya Mata It refers to the surface embellishments used by embroiderers in Kutch. It is the local name for sequins.
She is a goddess worshipped by the Sodha Rajput community.
Topi
It is a hat embroidered by soof artisans specifically for children.

Torans
Refers to a commonly used piece of decoration in Indian households. It is hung at the main door and it is believed to
welcome in goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth).

Tussar silk
It is a deep- gold coloured silk produced by the silkworms belonging to the moth genus Antheraea.

Vad nu jhaad
Translation- Banyan tree; here in reference to a traditional Soof motif.

Vadlo
It is a neck ornament worn by the Maru Meghwal women.

Vahani
It is a type of belt which was used to carry coins in a garment without pockets. It was embroidered by a Maru Megh-
wal bride for her future groom.

Vaishya
It is the third rank in the Hindu Varna system and comprises of merchants and farmers.

Vankar
A sub- group among the Maru Meghwal community- the men of this caste used to be weavers of fine cotton fabrics.

Vansh
It refers to a dynasty or clan and used to be an important part of an individual’s identity in the Indian subcontinent in
the past.

Vinjhano
It is a hand-held fan used to cool a couple during a Maru Meghwal wedding ceremony.

Waghuri
They are nomadic tribal people from Uttar Pradesh, India-who used to sell aluminium vessels in exchange for cloth-
ing. This is how Soof was able to spread to Northern India and be recognised as a mainstream craft.
 CITATIONS

WEBSITES
https://www.gujarattourism.com (03/08/2021)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat (03/08/2021)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutch_district (05/08/2021)
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http://www.craftmark.org/cms/public/uploads/1595673073.pdf (30/07/2021)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutch_Embroidery (31/07/2021)

BOOKS
Brijbhushan Jamila, Indian Embroideries,Publications Division Ministry of Information and broadcasting, Government of India, New Delhi 2006
Naik, Shailaja D., Traditional embroideries of India, APH Publishing, New Delhi, 1996
Frater Judy (edited by Jasleen Dhamija), Asian embroideries, Abhinav Publications, Hauz Khas (New Delhi), 2004

JOURNALS
Government of India, Geographical indications journal No. 75, 27, 31-33, 2015
“I know all works like jat, ahir. So whatever you want i will make that for you.”

-Parvati Ben (artisan)