Crafts Council of India sponsored the article for International Natural Dye Symposium held in Hyderabad in November 2006. Most of the information presented here is based on a set of interviews and discussions carried out with various people who have been linked with ‘lac’ directly or indirectly in different parts of Kachchh, namely, traditional dyers and printers or
the Khatris, weavers of the woolen textiles
the Meghwals, the lac ware artisans of Nirona
the Vadhas, the
Dhebaria, Wagadhia and
Kachchhi Rabari subgroups who were the main consumers of lac dyed textiles in Kachchh
The specific people Syamji bhai and I met to inquire about lac dyeing practices in Kachchh include: Mohammed Ismail Khatri from Ajrakpur, Umar Farooq fromBhadli, Soma Natha Rabari from Mamuara, Ali Mohammed from Chaubari, Abdul Sattar from Ajrakhpur, Yakub khatri from Kothada, Bhachaya bhai from Nirona, Pala Naga from Bhujodi. |
Keywords
culture, dyeing, Dying, history, kacch, Lac, Rajasthan