Bhujodi weave

The region of Kutch in Gujarat celebrates the colourful culture, which is prominently visible through woven and embellished art. Bhujodi is home to the Vankars (weavers), who were traditionally engaged in weaving woollen veil cloths and coarse woollen blankets for the Rabari (sheep herding) community. This craft of hand-weaving is thus identified as the ‘Bhujodi weave’; which is also known as ‘Dhabla weave’.

Vankar Vishram Valji was recognised with the national master craftsman’s award in 1974 for his Dhabla weaving skills on a blanket with elaborate vocabulary traditional motifs and colours. This accelerated the momentum for experimentation and thus promoted creative bravery among the community. Traditionally, the Bhujodi Vankars used to weave with camel wool, but now have flexible weaving skills with different base materials such as merino wool, silk or acrylic fibres. However, the real beauty of using natural fibres lies in the fact that it provides a range of natural colour palettes of browns, which displays completely unique results on every piece.

Bhujodi or Dhabla is appreciated for the entire detail across the continents. Various designers across the globe have collaborated with artisans and together with the community endeavour to sustainably flourish the craft.