Bonjour! Je me trouve presentement a Bhuj, Dans l Etat du Gujarat, et c est un endroit qui me plait enormement.I arrived in Bhuj on Momday and will be here til Friday evening. so far it has been one of myf avourite places to visit. I spend Tuesday in Mandvi which is a little coastal town near the south of the Kachchh district. Kachchh is famous for its shipbuilding insustry which even today relies on traditional building techniques. I wandered happily around the OLd Town, ate amazing Gujarati thali at Osho restaurant and went to Vijay Vilas palace which is fairly unremarquable save for its stuffed tiger and the gorgeous view of the area that it provides from the top of ita tower. Yesterday I shopped in the artisan village of Ajrakhpur which houses the muslim Katri clan known for the hand block printing technique and for their uae of natural dyes. I also went to the living, Learning and Design Museum which presents a very comprehensive exhibition on 10 different tribes and the embroidery and textiles they produce. Embroidery was until recentlt a personal art not for commercial purposes but things are changing, and the Shru jan Trust wjich administers the museum and sells the handicrafts for many artisans is doing a good job of ensuring this this is done in a locally sustainable manner. Finally I also visited the office of Khabir, an Ngo that represents shoemakers, dyers, and other artisans. Their centre is quite good with a guesthouse, pottery and dye centre, cafe, kitchen and exhibition space. Bhuj itaelf is a great little town with a lovely although somewhat polluted lake. I ve walked around it a few times and wathed herons, ehrets, pelicans, cormorants and lots of other birds which are active in the early a.m. and ar sunset.
No comments:
Post a Comment