Documentation - The trail of threads

DIPLOMA PROJECT The Craft Trail Sponsor : Outreach Programmes, NID

Volume : 1 STUDENT : ANKITHA KINI PROGRAMME : Post-Graduate Diploma Programme

GUIDE : SEKHAR MUKHERJEE

2013 COMMUNICATION DESIGN FACULTY (ANIMATION FILM DESIGN)

National Institute of Design Ahmedabad

2

The Evaluation Jury recommends ANKITHA KINI for the

Diploma of the National Institute of Design IN COMMUNICATION DESIGN (ANIMATION FILM DESIGN)

herewith, for the project titled "THE CRAFT TRAIL" on fulfilling the further requirements by

Chairman Members :

*Subsequent remarks regarding fulfilling the requirements :

Registrar(Academics)

*

4

The Craft Trail An animated Children’s Book to introduce a Traditional Craft

6

Acknowledgements A lot of people have played a role in the making of this book. I would like to start with my guide, Sekhar Mukherjee, for having faith in me to work on this project and taking time out for me from his busy schedule every time I needed him. I would specially like to thank Judy Frater who has inspired me with her enthusiasm and faith is human values. She has had ultimate patience with me and given me time when she had none, guiding, encouraging and helping me in my research. I would like to thank Shimul Mehta Vyas who gave me this project, guided me and trusted me to do it well. I would like to thank Haninder Sharma who was always there, to accompany, analyse and state the obvious (which I usually missed out on). I would like to thank Ann Alex for helping me with the promotional video. I would like to thank Lokesh Ghai, Abeer Gupta, Diwas Bisht, Hanoch Samuel, Naveen Kosisa, Karthik Nagarajan, Swathi Vishwanath, Nilomee Jesrani, Anushree Bhat, Shravan Arvind, Arun Prakash, Chewang Dorjee Bhutia, Lalith Prasad, Dhwani Shah who always heard me out and gave insightful advice.

I would also like to thank Aditi Ranjan, Swasti Singh Ghai, Neelima Hasija, Sucharita Beniwal, Shweta Dhariwal and Errol Pieres for guiding me on the subject of the Rabaris.

I would like to thank all the people of Bhopa ni Vandh; Lacchu ben, Vanka Bhai, Harku Ben, Mongi Ben for welcoming me into their homes. I would like to thank the people of Bhujodi; Vishramji, Shyamji and Dinesh Bhai Vankar, Daya Bhai and Lacchu Ben for having patience with me. I would like to thank the women of Lodai; Haasu Ben, Lakhu Ben and Jiva Ben for showing me the ways of the Dhebaria Rabaris. I would like to thank Ismail Khatri and Moosa Taarmohammad for their hospitality. I would like to thank Mr. A.A. Wazir for showing me some beautiful old pieces of Rabari Embroidery. I would like to thank Jagdish Bhai Barot who gave me details of Rabari history. I would like to thank Swati from Bhuj for helping me understand the language of the Rabaris. I would like to thank the staff at Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya; Lakha Bhai, Sanga Bhai, Shankar Bhai , Sanga Bhai’s wife, Lakhmi Bhai who kept me like their own for all the days that I stayed there. I would like to thank Tarun Deep Girdhar for his advise on the graphic elements in the book. I would like to thank Milonee and Naresh Bhai for helping me with all the technicalities of the project.

I would like to thank Sri Pradyumna Vyas (Director, NID), Dr. Vijaya Deshmukh (Registrar, NID) and Vijay Singh Katiyar, (Education Chairperson, NID).

Last but not the least I would like to thank my parents without whose unconditional love, support and patience, I could not have completed this project.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

8

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Contents Inspiration...............................................................................01 About the Project..................................................................03 Project Schedule...................................................................05 Budget.....................................................................................05 Research and Development................................................07 Research Phase I....................................................................09 Information Collection.........................................................24 Research Phase II...................................................................54 Research Phase III..................................................................66 References...............................................................................72 Story Explorations.................................................................75 Compositions..........................................................................84 Characters Design................................................................112 Final Characters....................................................................121 Medium Exploration............................................................128 Model Making.......................................................................134 Embroidery............................................................................137 The Representative Piece....................................................139 The New Motif.......................................................................140 Backgrounds..........................................................................141 Final Text.................................................................................145 Layers......................................................................................148 Final Output...........................................................................150 Promotional Video...............................................................164 Possible Outcome.................................................................169 Conclusion..............................................................................171 Bibliography.............................................................................173

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

9

10

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Inspiration Having heard folktales in the form of bedtime stories from my mother and grandmother, I wanted to animate these tales, give life to these characters. When I came to NID I realized animation is all this and a lot more. I started to understand society and the power I had to represent important issues. I also came to know that this puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of the film-maker, to represent in the right manner. I watched films and learnt to appreciate and derive inspiration from the great film-makers, from Chaplin and Jaques Tati, to Akira Kurosawa. I spent a lot of time in the KMC, which has a wealth of knowledge. This further helped me understand the world that I live in.

NID gave me the opportunity to interact with and learn from the greats. The faculty-student interaction was always friendly and every faculty including the visiting faculty gave us their full attention, and helped us grow.

It was a natural progression for me to take up this Diploma Project. I had always been interested in Graphic Narratives and we had a attended a couple of courses on Children’s Book illustration and Comic Books. I wanted to explore this new area and also understand tribal societies, their art and culture. This Diploma Project gave me the opportunity to explore both areas and bring them together.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

1

2

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

About the Project Synopsis:

Lacchu, a young Rabari girl is criticised at a fair for adding a new motif to her traditional embroidery. This leads her on a quest to find her identity. She is given different answers by different people which leads to further confusion. Finally her grandmother intervenes, explaining to her the community identity with the help of their traditional embroidery. Lacchu’s dilemma is finally resolved and she has a surprise waiting for her the next time she attends a fair.

Project Brief:

To create an Interactive multipurpose Picture Book about an existing craft for young readers/users.

Target Audience: 7-13 age group Objective for sponsoring the Diploma Project:

One of the points of grave concern is the rapidly diminishing appreciation of our traditional crafts which may be attributed as one of the reasons for their decline. Sadly, this has eventually led some of our important crafts to a state of languishment.

One of the factors responsible for the reducing appreciation is the complete lack of awareness among people about various important nuances related to a craft form such as its history, socio-cultural values and significance, the community of people involved in its practice, the materials, tools and processes used for making the craft objects, etc. In order to address this, one important aspect would be to inform different audiences about the richness of Indian crafts. It can be hoped that such an understanding would build greater sensitivity and admiration of our craft forms, thereby enabling them to not only survive and sustain for long. but also be celebrated with a sense of pride.

In order to address this, the Outreach Programmes is keen to undertake initiatives for disseminating traditional crafts based content to a young audience of school going children. Our children, who are growing up in the digital age are increasingly becoming disconnected with their traditional roots. Reversing this scenario, if they gain proper awareness in the said area, then there is a fair chance that they will not only appreciate our crafts but also embrace them with a sense of pride.

The Outreach Programmes therefore proposes to sponsor a diploma project of an Animation Film Design student who would work on converting information captured in form of a craft documentation into a picture book for children in the age group of 8-12 years with the objective of publishing the same. This would act as a pilot project wherein a craft document with sound content existing with our KMC would be taken up for its proposed conversion as a picture book.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

3

Project Description:

The motivation behind the project is to make the knowledge and information about a craft, which is a fundamental part of our culture, easily available to children in an attractive format. The aim is also to make them more aware and interested in our cultural heritage so that they will appreciate and value the products of this heritage which is in the form of the artefacts of the craft.

For this, the craft has to be represented through a contemporary and popular medium that sets a trend for young children and at the same time highlights the importance of the craft. Picture book is one such visually attractive, entertaining as well as an informative medium through which we can catch attention of the target audience.

Treatment:

Using the craft documentation as a reference along with further research ,the craft, their motifs, their symbology ,the materials, history and the life of the artisan could be used as the base to develop an interesting story of the craft in a captivating medium like a picture book (or a motion picture book).

Methodology:

1.

Extensive research about the craft, artisan, production, history etc. This will involve going through the craft documentation, talking to various people associated with the craft as well as visiting the site where the craft is produced.

2.

Brainstorming through the material collected from the research looking for links and information that have potential for being turned into a visual narrative that will be interesting and informative to young readers 3.

Script: Round up the narrative in the form of a script. This will help us assemble the narrative in a comprehensible manner focusing the important data which forms the subject of the narrative while editing out unnecessary or inexplicable data. It will give us a complete story to work with.

4.

Rough panelling or storyboarding: Put down the narrative in the form of visuals. This will help us tell the scale (in terms of pages or minutes) of the visual narrative, decide on the compositions as well as plan out the flow of the story 5.

Treatment: Decide on the kind of colours, forms and textures that the visual narrative will use. This will also include concept art, character design, typeface etc.

This has to be made attractive, educative as well as comprehensible to children. The treatment also has to have homogeneity with the craft in terms of the motifs, colours and patterns used. The craftsman himself/herself can take part in the treatment.

6.

Layout: Putting together a layout for the visuals that will incorporate the story and the treatment. Decide on the size, panels, margins, texture of the paper and all the details that are necessary before starting work on the final draft.

7.

Making the Final Product in the form of an illustrated visual narrative in the form of a picture book.

4

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Project Schedule Research and Development...................Jan 28th - April28th Story and Script..........................................April 28th - May 28th Rough Visuals and Layout.......................May 28th - June 10th Treatment and Finalizing visuals..........June 11th - June 30th Final Layout..................................................July 1st - July 5th Final Product................................................July 5th - July 28th

Budget Cost of production NID Machine time Travel and local conveyance Diploma document Stipend GRAND TOTAL

Rs. 10,000 Rs. 5000 Rs.18000 Rs. 3000 Rs. 90,000 Rs. 1,26,000

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

5

6

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Research And Development

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

7

8

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Research (Phase I)

Research played a major role in the making of the book. As I had no background in textiles or industrial design, I had to start with a clean slate. This could also be seen as an advantage as I had the opportunity to learn about the rich heritage of our traditional crafts. Every stage of research took me deeper into the intricacies of the craft and the society that surrounds it.

01 A Barot’s book of Records Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

9

10

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Kutch: Crafts and People

The initial part of my project dealt with looking at crafts from the region of Rajasthan and Gujarat, understanding them and then finalizing on one craft that I wanted to represent in my story. This research led me to Kutch which is a craft rich district in Gujarat. I read up on several crafts from the KMC before making this research trip.

The trip itself was truly enriching as I met crafts people from diverse areas who were skilled and passionate about their work.

The following is the piece I wrote as a result of my first trip to Kutch.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

11

Dhabla Weaving Daya Bhai Dhabla Weaver, Vankar, Meghwal Tribe. Bhujodi Village.

Originally Dhabla weaving was done for the Rabaris. It was a barter system where the Rabaris (who were nomadic animal herders) provided wool and the weavers (Vankars) made the Shawl. It was used as the Odhani by women and Shawl by men.

The hand spun wool was such that it expanded in summer letting air pass through and contracted in winter forming a tight defence against the cold winds. The Rabaris were very particular about the weave. Once finished, the shawl was tested by holding on to four corners and pouring water into it. They would only accept the shawl if water did not seep through it. They were also particular about the traditional patterns and would reject the shawl if the patterns were changed. Chaumukh and Vankiyo are the two of the main motifs. All motifs come from nature or the daily life of the communities involved in making and wearing the shawl. Chaumukh comes from the lamp that is lighted during rituals which has four faces. Vankiyo may be seen as a snake or the pattern that a cow or a bull makes as it walks on passing urine.

Earlier Shawl were made from white cotton and wool (weft and warp) and then dyed. Only cotton would get dyed and it would become a black and white shawl.

Approximately every 10 Rabari families had one weaver who they trusted. Hence the weaver was occupied all through the year.

The Rabaris considered Wool as Paak (pure material).It protects them from all elements of nature, be it wind, rain or sun. Children learn to weave by using small looms made playfully using wooden sticks and an old comb. The waste threads from the looms of the craftsmen are picked up by children and used in their own looms.

Meghwals are supposed to be the people who did the ritual dance to make it rain.

He also told a story about a Vankar man (Ramdev Pir) who performed a miracle by putting a coin into the kalash and making it float. He also used to sing beautiful bhajans at the royal court. One day some people came to the raja and complained that this man is a fraud and cheats people with his fake miracle. They said that if he really was a holy man then he should also be able to make it float in a lake (probably the lake in Bhuj) . Hence the Raja decided to test him. The coin did end up floating in the lake as well. From that day onward he was the only man apart from the raja that was allowed freely into the Rani’s chambers to sing bhajans.

To this day there is an elaborate night long ritual (puja) performed to pay respect to Ramdev Pir where a coin is dropped into the kalash, a diya is lighted and Bhajans are sung until the lamp burns out.

There is another story about a Raja being told that he would have to sacrifice a man

12

with 36 gunas (qualities) for the sake of rain for the people. There were only 2 people with those qualities. One was man named Siddhartha(probably a noble man) and the other a Vankar man. And it was the Vankar man who readily gave up his life for the sake of the people.

Dayabhai says that the motifs come from the daily life of the Rabaris who were their main customers in the days of barter trade. They used to insist on certain motifs on their shawls. Hence he sees the Rabaris as their early designers.

Kala Raksha has helped the artisans innovate their designs while preserving the original traditional motifs. Daya Bhai showed how he had even incorporated some organic forms in his weaving. He keeps a sketch book where he draws forms inspired from nature and later incorporates them into his weaving In villages the craftsmen get together in the evening and see each other’s work.

Kabir is a major influence on the Vankars. His poems are sung as bhajans even as they weave.

Dayabhai is the master craftsman and a faculty at Kalaraksha.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

DayaBhai’s Explorations

Dayabhai is the master craftsman and a faculty at Kalaraksha.

13

Work of a 16 year old boy

Shyamji Bhai’s shop 14

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Shyamji Bhai Vankar weaver of Meghwal community. Lives in Bhujodi. When we went there it was a holiday for weaving. Every month, 2 days before the amavasya (New moon), a holiday is observed. Shyamji Bhai has talked about his value system which according to him have helped his community come his far. He also works on inculcating these values in his own children. His idea is to let the children learn the craft as play.

They make little looms out of waste wood and combs and start weaving for fun, to imitate their elders. The elders happily encourage them while making sure they are not pressurised. The idea is not just to preserve the craft even though that plays an important role.

The idea is that this craft is a gift that has been passed down through generations for the betterment of the future generations. It has been innovated, worked upon, worked for. Generations have struggled to bring it to its present state. So isn’t it greatly advantageous for a boy of the present generation to accept this gift and take it forward rather than to start all over with something new? This is the craft that he can excel at because he has grown up with it and with people that help him in that path. It came across as a new concept to me, a city child who was raised on the ideas of individuality and the idea of finding your own calling. But then I realized that what they are doing also makes a lot of sense. They have a heritage that has been passed on to them. It’s an idea where generations have come together for one cause. This came up when I asked Shyamji Bhai about how he was encouraged by his own parents to stick to this craft. He said that their community has a history.

Earlier they were treated as untouchables. The garments woven by them were used but the people themselves were not even allowed into the houses of the higher castes. Hence the ancestors had to work for the betterment of their community and their craft was the medium. It tied the generations together working towards this cause. And if one generation breaks the chain, the whole effort will be lost.

Shyamji Bhai’s father also realised that one educated person can benefit a whole community. Hence he also encouraged Shyamji Bhai to study. He has done his Masters in Hindi and Sanskrit. He had also tried to get admitted into NID, but it had been difficult for him. He still insists that Design schools should have some seats only for artisans, even if its short term course. Because if there are no craftsmen left, what will the designers do? With the world and the market changing so fast, the craftsmen need an education; they need to understand design and the market that they produce for. And wouldn’t they make great students as they already have the skill for the craft? Otherwise they will leave their age old craft for a modern profession which will be a great loss for them and for society.

According to Shyamji Bhai, the most important thing as a child is to sit with his elders

and listen to their stories. They have a wealth of knowledge which they will impart, if one is patient enough. He spoke of how he had to gain the confidence of his elders.

He had to be patient, sit at their gatherings and gain their trust. The day that they felt this child is really worthy of our knowledge and will value it, they started speaking to him about it.

Shyamji Bhai also spoke about the barter system of the earlier days when his own grandfather would take two kambal (blankets) on a bullock cart and in return for them would receive food grains from the farmer. In the earlier times the weaver knew exactly who he was weaving the shawl for. It was more personal. He knew what use it would be put to and what designs would be appreciated.

The early weavers were so attached to their craft that to cut up a piece woven by them to make a stitched garment was considered a bad omen.

Even Shyamji Bhai, while he keeps up with the market trends, does not allow it to change the traditional style. He seems to get the market to follow his trend rather than the other way round. He says he can make fashion out of parampara. At the same time he is also open to working with different designers and understanding their work. More often than not, it’s the designers that learn the valuable knowledge that the weavers have.

He talks of an incident in the 1980s when a person from large company came and told the village elders that he would bring so much work that the weavers would be occupied for the next 10 years. He gave them a sample material which was a plain woven shawl. After discussing it through, the elders told the man they wouldn’t do it and he must not bring any such work to the village again. The man was enraged and did not understand why they would refuse the work which would secure their income for the next 10 years. He left in anger. But then one day he understood and came back. The reason the elders refused to work for him was that if they took it up, their hands would get used to only weaving that garment. And the garment didn’t even have the extra weft which was the speciality of Daabla weaving. Hence at the end of 10 years they would have become weaving machines with no creativity or tradition left in them. The craftsmen need to think, they cannot become machines.

Talking about designers and craftsmen, Shyamji Bhai feels that craftspeople are extremely intuitive. They think about colours and designs as they weave. The patterns form in their head as they are taking physical form; whereas for designers, they have to have some physical model to look at to judge the colour, composition etc.

Shyamji Bhai seems to be the leading craftsman in terms of introducing new designs into the market. But he does not claim any copyright. The other weavers observe the design that he has made and wait for the market to respond. If the response is good, they start producing those designs. By then Shyamji Bhai has started working on something new and does not mind that his design is profiting someone else.

15

Sometimes new trends are started by coincidence, like when the tassel makers of the next village didn’t have matching threads for a certain shawl; they used multicolored threads. Now there is great demand for multi-colored tassels.

Shyamji Bhai has started to go back to old customers and try to collect some of the age old work done by the ancestors of his community. He explains the kind of patience he has to have in taking away these pieces from their owners. The owners now consider the carpets a part of their family and are extremely reluctant to part with them even when very high prices are offered. He says he has had to wait up to 15 years just to convince an owner of his worthiness to buy back a carpet made in 1930.

Talking about the singing tradition, Shyamji Bhai says that a bunker (weaver) sings when he is completely lost in his work. “taana aur baana jab dimaag mein baith jayega, tab gaayega” When the weft and the warp are etched in his mind, he starts to sing He tries to explain the present lack in quality of the textiles produced by some weavers saying that “These days everything comes with a price tag. Earlier when a weaver worked, he had the person he was weaving for in mind. Money wasn’t even part of the equation. Hence his work was priceless. Now the weaver thinks about how much money he will make with a certain piece of work and only put that much effort into it. Earlier there was Bhaav (emotion) and now there is Bhaav (money).

One of Shyamji Bhai’s nephews, Pankaj who is 16 has also decided to make this craft his vocation. He says his father does not mind him pursuing his studies as long as he likes. But the profession has already been decided for him. This is not a cause of alarm for the boy as he has grown up with the craft and has seen his own family members flourish and gain recognition for their work in weaving. He feels that this is the best profession for him.

16

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ajrakh

Ajrakh is said to represent the starry desert sky. There are several stories and myths about how ajrakh may have come be called so. The most convincing is the Arabic meaning for the word ájrakh’which means ‘Universe’. There are more stories: A raja who used a new bedsheet every single day, fell so in love with an ajrakh printed bedsheet that he kept saying Áaj rakh’to his attendant every time he came to change the sheet Another idea is that the longer you take in the dyeing process of an ajrakh material, the better the colors. Hence it could be a message to the generations of artisans saying ‘keep it for one more day’ Ajrakh is said to have its colors so that the person wearing it would stand out in the desert region.

In earlier times Ajrakh was used to fulfil several daily needs. A man could go to the market with a large ajrakh cloth instead of a plastic bag. He would buy groceries and tie small bundles for each grocery into the cloth. At last when the cloth was stuffed with groceries, he would put it over his shoulder and carry it home.

Ajrakh cloth was used in turbans, lungis, towels and also clothes for women. Even today we can find men in Banni wearing an Ajrakh lungi or casuaaly having piece of ajrakh cloth tied around his head.

The Khatris are originally from Sindh. They were brought into Kachchh about 400 years ago by a Maharaja who was a great patron of the crafts. It is believed the dyes might have been first found by a medicine man named “Lokman Hakim” who used to experiment with different herbs Dr. Ismail Khatriji’s story is as interesting as that of the Ajrakh itself. He talks about how he had to learn English from a small alphabet book lying around and then moved on to referring to a dictionary to talk to the English speaking people that came to him to understand his craft.

He went on to earn a Doctorate through his achievement in working with natural dyes. He has also won several awards after that. Today his business runs well with clients coming to him from several parts of the world.

The Ajrakh printers had to shift from Dhamadka to Ajrakhpur after the earthquake.

The lowering water table still affects their dyeing process and it is said that in the next 25 years there will be no water left in the borewells that they have dug. But there is calmness on Dr.Khatri’s face. He says there is an urdu saying that goes “When misfortune befalls the whole village, it becomes a like a wedding celebration.”

Talking about village life in the old days, he says that earlier every aspect of the work took so much more time. But people managed and were peaceful. Now everything happens so much faster and yet people are always complaining of not having enough time.

When the radio was first brought to the village, the men really enjoyed listening to it. They would sit in nice clearing under a tree and listen to it. But they did not know how to put it on or off. Hence once they were done listening, they just dug up a hole and buried the radio.

When his father taught Dr.Ismail Khatri to make and use natural dyes, he simply learnt it because he was being taught. But later on in life as he realised the importance of the skill he had been given, he realised that he had been handed down a great heritage. Now he has given lectures in several countries on the use of natural dyes.

We also met Ovesh Khatri, a talented block printer who is an alumnus of Kalaraksha Vidhyalaya. He has experimented well with the medium but now does not find the time to experiment as he has to look after his father’s block printing business.

The name Khatri may have come from the word Chatri which had to be pronounced as ‘Khatri in Arabic. It stands for Kshatriya. All Khatris of Kutch are involved with colors, either in bandhani, batik, block printing or rogan painting.

Dr.Khatri has revived some very old motifs that he found at a museum when he went abroad. Ajrakh plays an important part in the ceremonies of the Sindhi community.

Fabric with resist applied. After dyeing, resist will be washed away leaving behind negative space.

17

Moosa Tarmohammad and his wife show their favourite piece of embroidery.

Fabric in the process of being resist printed 18

Printing area at Dr. Ismail Khatri’s house.

Ajrakh Blocks

Dr. Ismail Khatri works at his computer Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Leather Work Kalubhai in Banni works with leather. Leather craft has evolved through the centuries and certain leather articles have become part of the tradition. Today it is kept alive by making decorative leather articles. But earlier leather played a very important part in the daily life of the villagers . Leather bags were used to store water and carry it in the desert. Large leather utensils were used to draw water from the well and also store some grains. Small leather cushions (Godia) were made as head rests for newborns. Oil was added to these cushions so that the baby’s head would absorb the oil when asleep. The leather shoes of the old days were strong and sturdy. Leather curing used to be done in the village itself. But now the leather is bought from cities in sheets. They still know to treat leather but it is easier and less massy to just buy it.

The early utensils cannot be mad e anymore because to make them the leather had to be cut off the animal in a certain way from a certain part which would give it the required shape. With the advent of plastic, these articles have also lost value.

The people are worshippers of Mekan Dada, a desert hero. But they believe that stories should only be told either early in the morning or in the evening. It is also said that the leather makers’ tools are kept in certain temples. They also pay respect to Kavadia Pir. Mr. Kaladhar Muthwa is an author who writes short stories based on Banni. He says that animals form a very important part in the lives of the people of Banni and they are extremely attached to their animals. The people were originally animal herders and did not cultivate. They went from place to place in search of food and water for their animals but always returned when the first rain fell in Banni. They loved their animals so much that milk was not sold until recently. It was said that selling milk from your animal and selling your daughter is the same thing.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

19

Pottery Ibrahim Bhai is a potter in Kumbharwada. His customers are mostly people of the Kutch region. To him, Pottery is a craft with its limitations in terms of being sold in the market. He says that even though there is great demand for pottery, due to lack of organisation, middlemen, problems in transport and lack of time, he is not able to take his pottery business outside of his area. Even if they set up a retail unit of their own, they are afraid that the manager of the unit will cheat them.

Buddha Kaka, a potter from the earlier generation had earned a great respect for his work in pottery, but the next generation seems to have failed in keeping up the legacy. His son, Abdul Ibrahim works for Ibrahim bhai but is not very enthusiastic about the craft itself and has no knowledge of its origin or heritage.

Pottery has existed from the beginning of civilization. The pottery in Kutch is considered to have a direct relation with the pottery of the Harappan civilization.

It even has similarities in painted designs made on the pots. The people of Kumbharwada mainly make utensils, toys and decorative items. Certain products are seasonally made (ex. Diyas before Navrathri). The tawas made out of clay are said to be better for health than iron tawas. In the earlier times, clay ware was a very important aspect of the people’s lives. Even today, Ibrahim Bhai feels that any child would prefer a clay toy over a plastic one.

Buddha Kaka’s son works as

Pots being arranged for baking

Ibrahim Bhai’s Workshop Painted pottery at Ibrahim Bhai’s workshop

20

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Embroidery Embroidery is a very important part of the lives of Kuchchhi women. There are more than 16 different kinds of embroideries. Now as the embroideries are being made for the market with the customer’s sensibilities in mind, a lot of color and boldness of the embroidery seems to be lost.

Embroidered garments form a girl’s dowry during the time of marriage. Girls start to prepare their dowry from the age of 6, with guidance from their mothers.

Ganga, a young girl of 15 is already an expert at Pakko Bharat. Her elder sister who is 20 is going to be married soon. She has to take 21 embroidered garments as her dowry. Since her family has shifted from Khavda to the Shrujan area near Bhujodi, she was allowed to study till class 7. Otherwise women are not allowed an education.

Now she embroiders as well as looks after her father’s shop.

Mr. Ismail Khatri says The Rabari community also used to have elaborate traditions surrounding embroidery. The girls, once married would stay at her father’s home for several years and finish her embroidery. The bringing home of the new bride also involved elaborate rituals which took days. But that was during the time of child marriage. After the abolishment of child marriage, following this custom would mean the bride would stay at her family home right till her forties. As the demand for dowry increased, the Dhebaria Rabaris decided to put a stop to this. They banned wearing of embroidered clothes. Hence now they only embroider clothes for outsiders, not for themselves. They still wear clothes decorated with certain laces and prints.

Earlier the costume of the Rabaris defined a full cycle of barter system where the Rabaris provided the Meghwal weavers with spun wool from their animals, The weaver then gave the shawl to the Khatri for bandhani and the shawl finally came back to the Rabaris for embroidery and wear.

The embroidery defines the caste, marital status, age of the wearer. It becomes the person’s identity. In spite of there being fixed palette of motifs, each woman shows her own individuality in the way that she shapes the motifs. Every woman adds a little something to improve the embroidery and that is how the craft has evolved.

Earlier embroidery was not sold as it was considered their wealth and was priceless.

Since this is an early piece, the patterns were not printer or stencilled on. They were drawn free- hand and hence each parrot here looks different. This does not happen anymore as the embroiderers are expected to do accurate and perfectly symmetric work for the market.

The gaps have been filled very artistically. The work looks symmetric, but it is not. There is even a small worm that has been added on one side which seems to be the embroiderers own little secret.

21

Kacchi Rabari Embroidery on Ludi 2013

22

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Objective for Selection of the Craft After the initial research, I went through the various crafts with my client and guide. We came to the conclusion that since this was going to be the first among a series of books on crafts, it should be something colorful and attractive to children, at the same time it had to be somewhat known to the people. Embroidery seemed to fit the bill well. Even though people know about the existence of folk embroidery and often buy it, knowledge is lacking about the communities that make these embroideries and their significance. Once we decided on the topic of embroidery there was the task of choosing a particular style of embroidery. I went through several books, documents and documentaries about the embroideries of Kutch, such as Soof, Pakko, Neran, Kharek, Jat, Rabari etc. Among these, Rabari people as a community attracted me most as they led a nomadic life. The changes in their embroidery have evolved in parallel with their change of place, lifestyle and rulers. There are influences from all communities and yet their embroidery is uniquely Rabari. I went through several books on Rabari Embroidery from the KMC, and collected relevant information. The following is a brief piece based on the information collected.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

23

Information Collection

24

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

The Rabari of Kutch Community

The Rabari are Nomadic camel herders. Rabaris in India are scattered over the Gujarat and Rajasthan region. The Rabaris of Kutch are originally from Marwad in Rajasthan and over the centuries, spread out through Sind and Baluchistan, further migrating to Kutch around the 14th century. There are about 12 sub-groups of Rabaris in India. Not all Rabaris embroider. Embroidery seems to be a craft they picked up on their journey through Sind. Kutch has 3 Rabari sub-groups; The Kacchhi, Dhebaria and the Vaghadia. The dense embroidery style of the Rabaris resembles the Pako embroidery of Sind. However they have developed their distinct colors, motifs and patterns over the centuries

Even though most Rabaris have settled down in the past decades, the Dhebaria Rabari still live a nomadic life.

They follow a yearly cycle of migration within a known extent of land. They only migrate to completely new environments in case of catastrophic changes (environmental or political). When a group gets too big to subsist on the small quantity of resources available, they split and become two different groups. The Kacchhi and Dhebaria Rabari were a single group until about 60 years ago. The Rabaris of most regions are a close-knit community which maintain minimum contact with other communities of their region. Their Nomadic lifestyle requires them to be wary of strangers and always be on guard. The Rabari people make some of the most elaborate costumes and folk embroideries in the world.

02 Rabaris move in a yearly cycle of migration. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/ 30.06.2013

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

25

03a

03c

03b 26

03d

03e

03f Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

03a A Kacchi Rabari family now lives in Lodai, a Dhebaria Rabari village.

03b Backyard of a house in Lodai 03c A Dhebaria Rabari girl.

03d Front yard of Dhebaria Rabari. The mother of the child said “what is a Rabari, without a few tears in his clothes’?

03e Dhebaria Rabari child in Lodai 03f Haasu Ben explains how to make measurements to stitch a handmade Kediyun. This garment was traditionall handstitched by the woman for her husband and no measuring tape was used.

04a Men in the village of Vandh. A few man in the village wear a Kediyun slightly different from the Kacchi Rabari style.

04b A Kachchhi woman embroiders on a shawl for the Vankars in Bhujodi.

04c Mongi Ban of Vandh makes breakfast. The kitchen is usually outside the house in Rabari villages. Even in the new concrete houses, this pattern is followed.

04d Children of Bhujodi pose for a photograph, some dressed up in their festival garments.

04d

04b

04a

04c

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

04e

27

Clothing Textiles

A woman’s black wool veil and a man’s white cotton kediyun are generally the distinguishing factors of Rabari dress. Among the Kutchi communities dress is a marker of several factors. Mainly: 1. Individuality 2.

Group affiliation 3. Status 4. Change Among Rabari of Kutch, The women’s dress consists of the following items: • A black veil made of wool sometimes decorated with bandhani pattern.

(Sometimes the veil may be maroon) • A black wool skirt stitched into a tube, pleated and tucked over a string • A black cotton blouse, long enough to cover the stomach and tied with strings at the back.

The Men’s clothing consists of the following • jacket (Kediyun) or Kamiz • a dhoti and • a Shoulder cloth (Kesado) At festival times young women wear Mashru or Silk blouse, skirts and veils decorated with bandhani or embroidery. Very young girls wear flat blouses whereas a mature woman wears a blouse with a gathered bodice which is also an indication that the woman is married. As the woman gets older, she slowly starts to let reduce the embroidery and colors on her clothes which is why embroidery is also a telling factor of the stage of life the woman is in.

All three sub-groups explain the wearing of black wool as ritual mourning for death of a king. Wool is considered a gift from Lord Krishna and hence is pure. The longer blouse that the Kutchi rabari wear(in comparison to their Rajasthani counter-parts) shows Islamic influence from Sind.

The Rabari women are required to cover their head in front of men and elders, following the custom of Laj. In no way does this system imply that the woman is shy or powerless. They speak loud and clear from behind their veil.

The styling of dress varies from sub-group to sub-group. Ex: The men of the Kacchhi Rabari community have replaced the Kediyun with Kamiz due to contact with urban dwellers.

28

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Jewellery

Jewellery plays the role of adornment, recognition of the stage of life the person is in and their social status.

Certain women’s jewellery were used as forms of protection and weaponry. The large ivory bangle, baloyun weighing 1-2kgs and Chud, a spiked silver ornament that covers the forearm from wrist to elbow, come into this category. The designs of the jewellery share some common designs with embroidery. The Jarmar, which means necklace, is an important stitch. Beadwork also has representations of parrots which form an important embroidery motif. Among Kacchhi Rabaris, three types of earrings are worn; the Khunti, Gokh and the Nagla.

Nagla is unique to the Kacchhi Rabaris and is worn as a symbol of marriage. It is wound into the earlobe which requires the elongation of the ears. Recently detachable Nagla has come into fashion which does not require the elongation of the ears.

06a 2013 Nagla, earrings worn by the Kacchhi Rabari woman after marriage

Tattoos

The Rabari believe that tattoos are jewels that are permanent and will follow them into afterlife. There is a ritualistic purpose that tattoos serve which make them similar to embroidery and jewellery. Tattoo and embroidery share several elements. The scorpion is an important motif. Each subgroup has a distinct pattern. Young girls are also given a tattoo on the cheek so as to not let them look ‘too beautiful’and hence attract the evil eye. Tattoos are fast depleting as the girls of recent generations find it too painful to get them done.

‘Gold may come and go, but tattoos are adornment that stay with you until you die’-Raika woman(Threads of Identity, Judy Frater)

06b 2013 Trajua (tattoo) on the hand of a Dhebaria Rabari woman. She even has a ghadi(watch) included in the pattern.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

29

07a

07c 07e

07d 07f 07a Vagadia Rabari Ludi 07b Small bag 07c Vagadia Rabari Phulakiya Laudaki 07d Kachchhi Rabari Kanchali.

07e Camel cover

07b 30

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Difference in Dressing styles between the 3 Sub-Groups in Kutch Kachhi

Dhebaria

Vagadiya

Men’s Clothing

Kamiz with Khes(shoulder cloth)

Kediyun with Khes(shoulder cloth

Women’s Clothes

More colour and synthetic cloth

Almost exclusively black for daily wear.

Kediyun with colored shoulder cloth called bori Black or Maroon odhani

Blouse Veil

More tight-fitting with shorter sleeves Bandhani Veil with two medallions in the center and ebroidery on all four corners Nagla with stretched earlobes

Loose with long sleeves Machine embroidered motif in one corner.

Three ivory chudi, two above the elbow, one at the wrist.

Symbol of marriage

Loose with long sleeves Machine embroidered motif in one corner.Phulakiya Ludaki for festivals.

Large Ivory armlet, called Baloyun

On Textiles and Identity

‘The blankets and eiderdowns, the cushions, the kilims and embroidered rugs- indeed the very tent itselfare much more than just home comforts. In a sense they come as a complete cultural package, a transformation of the same standards and models of household organisation that apply in sedentary village society- they offer a medium for the affirmation of tribal identity as well as the expression of subtle shades of status, rank and wealth.’- Cribb(1992) Eiluden Edwards, The Desert and the Sewn.

‘It is rarely one particular feature of dress that definitively identifies a Rabari; It is a combination of fabric, colour, cut and decoration- the total effect’ – Judy Frater, Threads of Identity

The garments and ornaments of folk artisans, and the style with which they are worn, are critical in establishing identity. Dress style, like that of embroidery, is understood and used consistently by the whole group. Only within the group’s clearly defined stylistic parameters can an individual express herself. This hierarchy reflects how the very concept of identity is structured in rural India.’ –Judy Frater, Threads of Identity

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

31

Houses

Earlier Rabaris lived in round huts with a straw roof called Bhungas. However very few Bhungas are left now. Even though Bhungas are cool on the inside and well suited for the desert environment, they demand a lot of maintenance and have to be renovated every year. The Rabari people now prefer concrete houses with tiled roof.

Mudwork is fast depleting along with the Bhungas. There are a few mud work artists who are famous for their work. Otherwise mud work has been replaced by ceramic tiles in most houses. Mud work and embroidery have several motifs in common. One can still see motifs painted on the exteriors of concrete houses. The interiors of concrete houses still follow the pattern of the Bhunga. Most kitchens and bathrooms are still outside the main house, the rooms are fewer and while the front verandah is large, quilts and textiles are arranged in piles with the help of ropes and the vessels are arranged neatly in the old fashion.

An old Bhunga in ruins (Vandh 2013) 32

Bhunga still in use (Vandh 2013)

Mudwork inside the Bhunga (Vandh 2013) Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Motifs painted on the exterior of a concrete house (Vandh 2013)

Interior of Concrete House (Vandh2013)

Interior of a Concrete house. Ceramic tiles have replaced mudwork. (Vandh 2013) Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

33

Land The district is basically a wide stretch of dry land comprising hills and deserts with a fertile coastline on one side. The land is virtually an ‘island’ resembling a tortoise surrounded by sea water. Hence the name, Kutch. Kutch District is surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Arabian Sea in south and west, while northern and eastern parts are surrounded by Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kutch. The Rann is a salt waste tract which periodically floods and becomes the sea. Predominantly being a dry land, Kutch experiences extreme climatic conditions characterised by sweltering summer and scanty rainfall. Kutch has desert vegetation with grasslands towards the Banni region. However the western part is dry, rough and hilly.

Kacchhi Rabari occupy the central and western area, Dhebaria Rabari occupy the eastern and south-eastern area, Vagadia Rabari occupy the eastern and north eastern area.

Rabaris have always occupied marginal environments that do not allow a settled life. The land is too rugged, arid, hot and unstable for agriculture. The animals also have to be limited due to the limitations of the land and its resources.

Even though there are no written records to support this claim, they did migrated from Rajasthan to Kutch through Sind. The reason for migration was usually a catastrophic change such as drought, earthquake, and severe political or ideological oppression.

Origin

08a

History The Rabari were camel herders employed by the Rajputs and were very loyal to their king. As nomadic people they have an intuitive knowledge of the land in terms of directions, weather etc. Hence they were also employed as spies and royal advisers. Originally from Marwad, they claim to have left their homeland when the Muslim king fell in love with a Rabari girl and claimed her hand in marriage. They took refuge under the Sumra ruler in Sind. But soon the kingdom was attacked. Under the protection of the Sumras the Rabaris migrated to Kutch. Hence they wear black in mourning for the Sumra king who protected them.

08b

34

The Rabari consider themselves as descendents of Lord Shiva. There are several versions of the story. Shiva’s creation Sambal is said to have married an Apsara, Rai (hence Raika) whose 7 daughters married Rajputs of various kingdoms. The Rajputs in turn renounced their kingdoms and went to live in Shiva’s Ashram, where Shiva gave them his camels. Sometime later, several more Rajputs, escaping the wrath of Parashuram, went to Shiva for protection. When Parashuram went to Shiva in search of the Rajputs, Shiva claimed that the people in his care were not Rajputs at all. They were Raika or Raha-bari (outsiders) and they were his sonsin-law. Since then they have taken the new name and a wandering existence, going wherever they found water and grass, and if the land was good enough to settle, they stayed. The Rabari groom’s costume during marriage is said to be ‘like a Rajput’and they also share surnames with Rajputs.

08a 2013.A couple of cement Bhungas in Vandh 08b 2013 Rabari Groom dressed like a Rajput.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Social Structure The Rabari society is mainly divided into Sakh (a unit of patrilineage) and atak (family units). Marriages cannot take place wihin the atak and sometimes the sakh. The barot (genealogist) keeps track of the lineage and all events of Rabari life. Further, wedding songs also recite names of ancestors within the atak and atak within sakh thus memorizing the geneaology. This system facilitates division of large herding groups when the environment demands it, while maintaining order and unity through genealogy.

09a The Barot is gifted with animals by the Rabaris in return for his discourse. He records the even in the above manner.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

35

Role of Women

Being a Community that worships the Mother Goddess, the Rabari are respectful of women. However the community, like most of India, is patriarchal in nature, and hence women hold a lower status to men. A woman is expected to observe laj in front of me, specially her in-laws. She has to cover her face and back with her veil in front of men.

The women play an active role in the labour work of the family. During migration, the women and children follow the men and the herds after several days of departure.

This indicates a significant level of independence. Their jewellery is also designed

‘Rabari women are seen as the guardians of tradition. This is due, in part, to their steadfast use of embroi dered dress, although this has been imposed upon them by the Rabari sartorial code and the rules of honour. Honour also dictates that they integrate little with other communities and are unfamiliar with the urban environment, adhering to the ways of the village and, indeed, the migratory group.’—Eiluden Evans (Wedding Dress across cultures)

10a for self-defence.

In recent times, especially after the earthquake, women have become important bread earners of the family. Making and selling embroidery has empowered the women, while at the same time turning an art of self-expression into a commodity.

Assisted by NGOs several women now go to exhibitions and sell their own embroidery.

36

10a Woman greet each other at a wedding in Vandh 10b A Dhebaria Rabari woman walks home in Lodai

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Religion and Beliefs

The Rabari are very religious people. They have a mother goddess who comes in several forms, the main one being ‘Momai mata’ who rides a camel. The Rabari are said to be the descendents of Shiva. They worship an incarnation of Shiva called Bavo. This god is represented by a conch shell, a peacock feather and a trident. They also worship Lord Krishna and Janmashtami is grandly celebrated also being the time when mass weddings are conducted. Holi is another festival when Rabaris of various subgroups get together in celebration.

Bhuva and Bhuvi are people who become possessed and through whom a God or Goddess can speak. The Rabaris also worship Pir, mainly Ramdev Pir. They also worship Hinglaj Devi. A pilgrimage to Hinglaj in Baluchistan was very important, but now, due to partition, not many Rabaris can make that pilgrimage.

11a A Shiva temple in Vandh 11b Place of worhip on the outskirts of Vandh

11a Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

11b

37

Migration Today the Dhebaria Rabari are the only sub-group in Kutch that still follow a yearly migration cycle. Judy frater describes the migration process as follows: ‘They leave their homes in Central Kutch in small bands of nuclear and extended families, often separated into men and herds, followed days or weeks later by women and children. By the time the bands reach one of the two passages through the saltwaste Rann that confines Kutch, they have joined into mobile villages stretched along the road. Seas of matted dirty white sheep peppered with dark goats flow through bleached earth studded with brittle gray-green baval( acacia). Young men wearing Pachedo woven with red designs, intricately embroidered kediyun and flashing gold earrings puncuate the pale scene with startling colour. Carrying only the essential equipment, small brass pots of water slung in rope shikoo on their backs and walking sticks, the herders stride freely, directing the herds with shouts and sweeping gestures.

Behind trail caravans of camels loaded with bulk the bulk of nomadic househols: inverted cots holding children swathed in embroidery and wearing silver ornaments, lambs too little to walk and the minimum vessels and dry goods. Women in black lead each camel; gliding barefooted, armoured with heavy silver jewellery, ivory armlets and embroidery mirrors that catch the sun, they drive away the evil eye as they move.

In the years it rains, the Rann becomes a brown sea lapping lightly into a gray salt-mud shore frayed with transitory river deltas. Higher terrain turns to marsh and baval mangroves, and the road becomes a bridge.

On solid ground, across the saltwaste-sea, the Rabaris camp. Outside low black tents, women cook as they would outside white mud houses; this is “home” for now , as good as the villages they have left. Beyond them the baval are filled with thousands more white sheep and black goats.

The herds stretch on to a horizon circumscribed by hills

38

receding in layers; rocky brown gashed with blood red, then blackish purple, then filmy lavender with charcoal wrinkles. From here, the Rabaris will diverge again into their small bands, and wander south to Saurashtraand east to North Gujarat in search of Pasture and water, for upto 11 months.’–Judy Frater (Threads of Identity)

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Embroidery ‘Like a precious emblem, embroidery is close to the self, so it must be protected’ -Judy Frater (Threads of Identity) Embroidery forms a very important part of the Rabari identity. Women of most communities in Kutch embroider and each community has its own unique embroidery style.The Rabari embroider is generally dense, resembling the Pako work of Sind.

Tools used for Rabari Embroidery:

•Needle •Threads- generally cotton, sometimes wool •Cloth - Wool, cotton, polyester, mashru, silk •Small mirrors •A roof tile used to shape the mirrors into circles, squares and triangles

Embroidery is an important part of all ceremonies of the Rabaris and forms a major portion of the Dowry.

12a

Since it serves a ritualistic purpose as much as that of embellishments,there are clear rules with regard to embroidering each object such as the blouse or the toran. However certain liberties can be taken by the embroiderer within tradition. Tradition itself is an ever evolving entity that depends on region, adaptation, influences, available raw material, subsistence etc.

Hence subtle changes can be observed in embroidery styles over time.

12b

12c

12a Embroidery on a Bukani (groom’s scarf ) atleast 20 years old. Mirrors are used in various shapes.

12b Old Vaghadia Rabari Chakla 12c 2013Recent Embroidery on a Ludi by Mongi Ben. The makodiyo stitch has been modified to make it rectangular. This change, started by Mongi Ben has been welcomed by the other women.

39

Origin of Embroidery Embroidery claims its origin from the middle east and the orient. Stitches that helped bind animal skins together were also used to embellish cloth. Soon this embellishment was used for religious and symbolic purpose. There is also a theory that embroidery may originally have been used to mend and patch old garments and eventually evolved into the craft of embellishment. However it is clear that embroidery has always been a marker of wealth and also been an important part of religious expression.

Even though in the west, embroidery is more of an individual expression and done as a hobby, In the East, it forms an important part of the ceremonies and plays a mystical role.

Outside the west (where the craft has been transformed by fashion, trade and individual choice), Embroidery has remained close to its origins. The primary function of embroidery was to decorate, to embellish textiles already created to meet man’s basic needs, and the purpose of such decoration was rooted in ancient beliefs and superstitions. In primitive societies the mysteries of cosmic creationand human life-cycle were harnessed by mythology: disease and disaster, the causes of which were not understood, were explained by a mythical otherworld of pagan gods, of the evil eye, of the good and the bad spirits to be praised or appeased. Man could emulate them or protect himself from them by tattooing his body or decorating his clothing with symbols of their powers.

The embroidery of each community is distict. Here the border between India and Pakistan plays no role. Rabaris may live on both sides of the border in Kutch and Sind, but their embroidery is distinctly Rabari, not Indian or Pakistani.

-Sheila Paine (‘Embroidered Textiles; Traditional patterns from five continents’)

40

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Embroidery as Dowry Dowry is a practice that is widespread in India where the father of the bride gives extravagant gifts and cash to the groom’s side as part of the kanyadaan. The type and quantity of this gift is usually decided by the groom’s family. The Rabari system also has dowry as well as a bride price, where the groom’s family imparts gifts to the bride’s family to compensate the loss of her labour (hence this practice only takes place in communities where women are expected to do labour work). The dowry is imparted in instalments through a series of ceremonies called Anu which may span over a long period of time. This system was efficient in the time of child marriage when a woman would be fully mature by the time of her last Anu. The conclusion of all instalments of dowry is marked by Kapada Anu when she takes up full residence with her husband at the home of her in-laws. Among the Rabari, Embroidered textiles and jewellery form a major portion of the Dowry.

In the past, alliances between herding clans were necessary to avoid conflict over access to water and fodder on the migration routes. A woman and her dowry became vehicles for setting up a relation of affinity between the bride’s family and the Husband’s family.’

‘The fact that the bulk of a dowry is composed of textiles and dress is not without significance. Practically, it is intended to provide for a woman’s sartorial and domestic needs for life and one might comment on the sustainability of textiles for nomadic life because of their durability and versatility.

A woman’s Dowry does not simply provide her with an adequate wardrobe and household textiles for her material needs, anticipated in its substance and encoded in its decoration are the changes in status she must negotiate as she moves from daughter to wife to mother.

The stitched encryption of her dowry anticipates her future

role as a wife and a mother, and its bulk acknowledges the status of her father while at the same time honouring her in-laws.

Formerly dowry items could not be realised as cash in times of hardship, as was the case with jewellery that was given as a part of bride price. They were not made originally as commodities for sale; they were made for the use of a woman and her family.

These textiles embody something of the essence of the community and the role of a lodki as part of Dowry is one of the most public expressions of the “substance of spirit” of the Rabari.’ –Eiluned Edwards (The Desert and the Sewn) It may also be pointed out that originally about 5 embroidered blouses were brought as part of the Anu. The intricate embroidery on the garments was proof of the woman’s skill. But with time and contact with other communities, importance is given to the quantity of blouses. By 1997 the demand had increased to 25 to 30 blouses.

13a 2013. A 19 year old Dhebaria Rabari Girl soon to be married.

41

Nature of Embroidery

Role of Embroidery in everyday life

The style in which a folk embroiderer expresses herself is not chosen, but assumed. A folk style evolves over generations of experiences largely shared, and it reflects the continued unity of a community in its perfect replication in each member’s embroidered art.

–Judy Frater (Threads of Identity) Embroidery and dress styles, interpreted within their cultural contexts, can be read as the historical records of largely non-literal peoples; records which may be omitted even in oral history. –Judy Frater (Threads of Identity) Embellishment is not the sole purpose of embroidery.

Even though embroidery and dress can clearly tell the community, age, marital status of the wearer, this is more of a side effect of a different purpose. Clothes, adornment and embroidered embellishment are used in ceremonies as markers of a person’s passage from one stage of life to another. Embroidery plays a more ritualistic role than for exhibition to outsiders. Hence, by effect, it also communicates the details of the stage of life that the person is in. This also explains how the Rabaris can easily replace certain designs with laces and rick-racks, because they serve the same purpose but are simpler to make. For example, a tribal headdress from a tribe in Pakistan has a coke bottle cap stitched on to it in place of a mirror. Even though this may seem to be an odd replacement for an outsider, it serves the same purpose as the mirror.

However as with many tribal arts, embroidery now plays severel roles in Rabari Society. Since women have started embroidering commercially, it provides income, changes according to current fashion and has slowly started to celebrate individual innovation.

42

• • • • •

Social Identity Belief system Embellishment Commodity Personal Expression

Social Identity

Embroidering offers the women an opportunity to gather and talk. As most women are married into the village from other villages and are not connected to each other by blood or marriage, this gives them an opportunity to build relationships and stay unified.

Daughters join them and are initiated into the custom.

Hence the embroidery of a community remains unique to that community while constantly taking influences from other communities and small innovations from the embroiderer herself.

The colourful sparkling embroideries help to create the sense of marriages as bright celebratory moments in austere lives sustained in the harsh climate of Kutch, emphasizing the importance of marriage not only as a central means of permanently interlinking the community, but also an opportunity for the sub-group to unite.

Children are made to wear the most lavishly embroidered clothes. This high lights the importance of children in Rabari society.

Belief System

The motifs don’t just embellish the cloth but also serve a symbolic religious purpose. Embroidered garments mark the passing of a woman through different stages of her life. Hence the garments are strewn with symbols of fertility such as the scorpion, the tree of life, shivalinga etc The colors used during ceremonies are mostly red, green and yellow which are seen as sacred colors.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

The rabari don’t favour blue. Wool forms a major part of ceremonies. The Rabaris believe only true cloth (sachu kapadu) must be used for holy purposes. Hence materials such a tye-dyed wool and mashru are used.

With changing times; velvet, brocade or synthetic materials are also used according to current fashion.

Embellishment

The simple belief that “what we use must be beautiful” drives the Rabari women to make beautiful and time consuming peices which include not only embroidery but also mud work on their walls and painfully made tattoos on their hand which are considered ornaments that a woman will carry even after her death.

motifs are added. Motifs such as Minni (cat), Saikal (cycle) represent their present life of sedentarisation.

Some motifs change names. The elephant becomes the Kabaat (cupboard). The early motifs such as the Paniyaari represent the woman’s harsh life in the desert and also is the symbol of celebration. This motif is not so relavant now with the supply of water being relatively easier. Hence it has changed to Shravan(the symbol of a hero) who carries his parents on his shoulders. All of this talks about how embroidery is a language that each woman uses to talk about her life and surroundings, which is extremely personal and at the same time represents the community as a whole.

Commodity

In modern times women sell their embroideries for money and embroider for daily wages. This has happened due to modernisation and commercialization of society. Even though this takes away the essence of embroidery which was originally a labour of love and hence, priceless, it also helps women earn for their families and have respect in society. The problem here is that most of the time the women are given cloth with printed design to work on. This just makes the women who are wonderfully creative into manual labourers.

Now NGOs such as Kala Raksha are working to change this trend. Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya trains women in the area of Design and equips them to become designers as well as prducers of their products.

Personal Expression

Throughout all the changes that have come in the role that embroidery plays in Rabari society, the element of personal expression remains constant. Each woman adds something of her own to the embroidery she makes even as she follows all the rules that have come down generations. With changing times, new

43

• • • • • •

Bukani (long scarf to cover ears while travelling by camel) Camel head and knee ornaments, applique saddle blankets Kediyun (men’s jacket) Chorani (pants) mostly embroidered for the groom Ghagharo (skirts) Kapadu (blouse)

Significance of Motifs

The Embroiderer is normally unaware of their origins: she claims they are just patterns her mothers taught her or that she found in her head. Sometimes indeed they are. She also gives them names such as “wheels’or ‘railway lines’, but it is important to remember that these are the names of what patterns resemble, not what they represent. –Sheila Paine

13b 2013. A Kachchhi Rabari Toran. Atleast 20 years old with Kathi influenced 8-pointed star

Identity and Change

As camel herding pastoral nomads, the Rabari, over the centuries have migrated from Rajasthan to Sindh to Kutch. On the way they further subdivided, each subgroup gaining its own new identity depending on the region where they settled.

The delicate balance maintained between adapting to new environments and maintaining the distinct Rabari Identity has been the essence of Rabari life.

Rabari textiles and Emroidery are a clearly speak of this balance. As Judy Frater gives an example of the Rabaris of Kutch, the toran (this is Ours), whose earliest existing style has motifs of Mochi Embroidery of Kutch whereas the style in which these motifs are executed is more angular and geometric, reflecting the non-represantational style adopted from Sindh. This points out that adaptability and absorption of local culture is an essential part of Rabari Identity

• Elephant and Fan – Memory of serving the Rajputs • Paniyaari – Self portrayal of the harsh desert life • Scorpions – symbol of fertility • Ambo Tree – symbol of fertility • Bavalia – flower from the desert acacia which provides food for the animals and shade for the herders • Peacocks and parrots - express the beauty of their surroundings

Textiles and dress visually consolidate the group identity and are markers of a person’s status, gender and wealth. They are significant as a medium through which shifts in the social environment of the community and the caste psyche are communicated, and as such, they are signs and ciphers of radical change -Eiluden Edwards (The Desert and the Sewn)

Important embroidered objects • •

44

Ludi (veil) Pothu (groom’s purse)

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

14a

14c

14e

14b

14a Elephant Motif 14b Parrot represented in the abstract Rabari manner 14c Saikal Motif 14d Ambo tree 14e Kabaat (cupboard), which was earlier the elephant motif

14d Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

45

15a

46

15b

15c

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

16c

16a

16b

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

16d

15a Rabari Kothalo 15b Rabari bag 15c 2013 Kachchi Rabari Bukani with Ambo tree motif. About 20 years old.

16a Child’s Cap 16b Rabari Kothalo 16c Torn sleeve of a kediyun (men’s upper garment) with Bajubandh motif 16d Dhebaria Rabari Purse

47

17c

17d

17a

17a Rabari Applique Kothalo 17b Child’s Upper Garment 17c The Khatris show the Ludi that they used to tye-dye for the Rabaris 17d Rabari Kothalo with coin and cradle motif 17e Groom’s purse

17b 48

17e Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

18a

18b

18d

18c

18a Child’s cap 18b A window Toran 18c Small Purse (Dhebaria Rabari) 18d Vagadia Rabari Ludi 18e Dhebaria Rabari Kediyun Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

18e 49

Why Embroidery

Threats to Embroidering Tradition

The link between Rabari Embroidery and embroiderer is fundamental. A folk art, this embroidery is a spontaneous expression. It is not fine art, made consciously for an elite group. Virtually all women of the community are artisans. Neither is it an unconscious by product of fashioning purely functional objects.

Embroidery is made to embellish the minimal essential elements. It is a statement of the heart of its maker: what we use should be beautiful –Judy Frater (Threads of Identity)

1.

Embroidery is becoming a commodity and a business. With the commercialization of embroidery the women will eventually stop embroidering for personal use which is the core of the embroidering tradition.

2.

Several traditional pieces are bought from the villagers by traders at low rates. Many times instead of selling the object, they cut out the embroidered portions and incorporate them into saleable objects such as bags, purses etc.

3.

Women refer to embroidery work as majoorie kaam. Unlike the mocha embroidery which was made professionally by men, rural embroidery holds a lower status and hence is open to exploitation.

4.

Women cannot go outside the village and hence are forced to sell through middle men. Hence the true identity of the artist is never revealed. As Eiluned Edwards puts it, the woman artist suffers double invisibility. One is that she is not considered a professional and second being that she is not recognised for her piece of work.

5.

The educated men of the community see embroidery as backward and coming in the way of modernisation. Even as more and more girls are obtaining modern education, they prefer other jobs to embroidery which is seen as backward.

6. With sedentarization and contact with other communities, people are getting more attracted to the pan indian style of clothing. More and more printed polyster materials are used in place of embroidered ones. Kediyun, the traditional mens garment has almost disappeared. Hence the function of embroidery is fast changing.

7.

Even as folk embroidery, in its modified form gets absorbed into mainstream society, it loses its original purpose of religious and ritualistic item. Even though it can be argued weather this role should

Originally embroidery did not hold any monetary value. It was a proof of the women’s skill and craftsmanship, but it could not be bought or sold. It was of no help in times of difficulty. Yet It formed major chunk of the Dowry. Women spent major portions of their lives creating beautifully embroidered objects.

One may ask why embroidery has had such an important role in the lives of the Rabaris, even though it had no commercial value. Here, the idea of intangible property comes into effect. Even though embroidered cloth plays the role of marking the community identity, it is most often worn at festivals which are only attended by Rabaris. Hence the reason is not as an external marker of Identity, it is an internal one. Embroidery is used for all important ceremonies and acts as a marker of the passage of a person from one stage of life to another.

It served a mystical and ritualistic purpose. The motifs signified such concepts as fertility, celebration and protection from evil. Not only did it add colour to the life of the desert people, it played an important role in their belief system and tradition. This is also the reason the tradition has survived relatively unchanged over the centuries.

50

needs to be preserved or not, taken away from its original purpose, the meaning and identity is lost, and it becomes a mere means of decoration. “It is the common fate of patterns over centuries to be simplified and then abstracted and the symbolism lost.”-Sheila Paine 8.

With the growing prices of raw materials, even if the Rabari women wanted to re-create the traditional embroidery today, they would not be able to afford the cast of the cloth and threads required. Traditional embroidery for personal use is fast becoming a luxury that few can afford.

Present situation of Embroidery In the last few decades, the role of Embroidery has seen a radical shift. Earlier seen as a mark of personal, ritualistic and community identity, it has now taken on the role of a commodity. Women still embroider for their Anu, but they themselves claim that they cannot make fine embroidery like before. The increased demand in the quantity of garments in the dowry as well as demands of their job has caused this decline in quality. Earlier women used to embroider only during the summer months, but now they embroider all year round.

The ban in the Dhebaria community caused a renaissance of embroidery methods while the Kachhi coped with the increased demand in dowry by using short cuts. Both show us that Emboidery is going through a Radical change and so is the life of the Rabari. Forced to give up their traditional lifestyle as nomadic herders, the communities method of coping is reflected in their embroidery. Some men of the community see embroidery as the factor that is holding them back from modernising and gaining education while some see embroidery as a business opportunity. Several people are attempting to save the tradition in its original form, but the attempt has come too late. Now that there is a price put on the objects that women made earlier out of affection for their own family, the essence of the earlier culture cannot be brought back. Embroidery now plays several roles, but not with the same meaning as before.

by relying more on sheep and goats than the original camels, and herding in nuclear rather than in joint family units –Eiluned Edwards (The Desert and the Sewn) Embroidery became a means of leverage for increasing the value of exchange and delaying final transfer of bride to their in- laws’ home . Hence in 1995 Embroidery was banned among the Dhebaria Rabari. A fine of Rs.5000 is charged for infraction. In response, the women have come up with their own alternatives for embellishment.

They have replaced their earlier stitches with rickracks, laces, and brocades with religious symbols. With the decreased dowry demands, the women can go to their in-laws’ home with 2-3 years of marriage, and a few girls are also sent to schools, which would have been unthinkable earlier.

In three decades, embroideries of the Rabari of Kutch have adapted and evolved at an exponentially increasing rate, commensurate with the rapid social changes of the late twentieth century. During this time Kutch, like most of India, has seen increasing population, cultivation and deforestation. With less grazing land, it is difficult to maintain large herds and the Rabari have adapted

51

Over time, many early Kacchhi Rabari motifs were updated to current styles. In some cases, however, a traditional motif was not only updated, but also given a contemporary meaning. Haathi (elephant), a historical motif no longer culturally relevant, for example, became kabaat (a cupboard), symbol of settlement and prosperity. Paniyaari (the water bearer) became less relevant with the advent of tube wells and taps. The symbol then became the legendary Shravan, who carried his parents on his shoulders, and the self-portrayal of a woman was replaced by the portrayal of a heroic man. More recently, an influx of new motifs further indicates that settling is entering the Rabari mind-set. Minni (cat), for example, is a creature of the village and home, not found in the migrating situation. Saikal (bicycle) portrays the predominance of two wheeled vehicles, particularly used to deliver milk to customers who live within close range of Rabari villages.

-Judy Frater (2002)

at the same time they like to keep their options open so they can bargain for better wages. ‘Embroidery clearly expresses the Rabari concept of tradition: personal innovation (the detailing) within the patterns shared by the group (the outlining). This process of change in embroidery motifs echoes this concept of tradition and provides further insight into values and methods for coping with social change in Rabari society. The new motifs are created using the same proportions and types of shapes and lines as traditional motifs.

Artisans retain the aesthetic but manage to be fashionable at the same time. New motifs are welcomed, but initiation is underplayed, and the designs are quickly dispersed among the group’.-Judy Frater (2002)

The Kacchhi Rabari have settled and the dowry demands have increased considerably.

The women themselves encourage this by asking loudly how many Kanchalis a newlywed bride has brought. The bride wears a new kanchali every day to match with her peers. At the same time their embroidery has evolved considerably. As Judy Frater points out (this is ours), three major changes have emerged; 1.

Changes in Naming the Motifs 2.

Changes in Portrayal 3.

Changes in Production The designs are becoming abstract and more decorative and open to interpretation.

Also sometimes the designs are embroidered separately and stitched onto the cloth. This is a huge move from the earlier holistic view the Rabari embroidery. This shows a break up of time in the Rabari consciousness. With the commercialisation of embroidery, time plays an important role. They can no longer work on a single piece for long extended periods of time. When women started going to work outside of their home, they had spare cash to spend, but less time. Hence they would either pay another Rabari woman who may be confined to her home (due to young children or old people) to embroider for them. The more recent trend is to get the embroidery machine stitched, at least in part. This limits the motifs as they are determined by a few people with sewing machines. The motifs become homogenised. The outlines that were earlier done by square chain stitch are now machine made. They are then filled with hand embroidery.

The Rabari women work as agricultural labourers for neighbouring farmers. At the same time they embroider for cash. For them there is no difference between the two. Both are labour work. Embroidery can be done in the comfort of their home,

52

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Elements that distinguish Rabari society from Urban Society 1.

They are Nomadic in nature. Travelling from place to place and setting up camp, and working though hardships of the land comes naturally to these people ‘It becomes difficult to decide who is living and who is surviving – The nomad or the urban being’ - T.S. Randhawa (The Last Wanderers) 2.

They think in terms of Images. Literacy does not play an important role.

Survival skills do.

3.

Bright colors and bold patterns are celebrated 4.

Survival is the foremost concern.

5.

Group identity rather than individual identity is given importance. However individual expression is allowed as long as it stays within the norms of ‘maryada’ 6.

Identity in terms of art is also maintained as a group, and again individual innovations are appreciated.

7.

Dowry system, still a large concern in urban society is quite different in Rabari society. The embroidered garments did not have any value for sale. Hence they were solely ritualistic and a mark of the girl’s skill. It played the part of an ‘intangible asset’ (even though this may be changing now, with priority placed on the quantity of kanchali. As the women say, only if a girl’s father is rich can she afford to sit at home and make elaborate embroidery for her dowry) 8.

Caste system is still rampant.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

53

Research (Phase II)

54

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Field Visit

A second field visit organised in order to get a better understanding of the project at hand. The first one was to get a general understanding of the crafts and people of Kutch. The analysis of crafts on the first visit, led to the selection of Rabari embroidery as the craft to be represented in this book. A field visit was organised to further understand the Rabari community and their crafts. Several features and changes came to light on this visit.

Places visited in Kutch • Bhuj • Lodai • Madhapar • Bhujodi • Bhopa ni Vandh Kacchi Rabaris occupy Bhujodi, Madhapar and Bhopa Ni Vandh. Lodai has Dhebaria Rabaris.

19a Motif showing a woman in mudwork by Lacchu Ben Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

55

Bhujodi

Bhujodi has the Rabaris and the Vankars living in separate sections of the village. Earlier the Vankars were considered as untouchables. They made the Dhabla(wool shawl) for the Rabaris. Now the Vankars hire Rabari women to embroider Shawls for their thriving Shawl business. The Rabaris of Bhujodi are fairly urbanised and are used to having tourists in the village.

Old women are still reluctant to talk to outsiders and avoid being interviewed. The young women talk, but have little idea about Rabari stories and traditions. The first day was spent going house to house trying to find someone willing to talk. On a later visit, Shamji Bhai of the Vankar family was good enough to introduce me to Lacchu Ben, a woman in her eighties who embroiders stoles for Shyamji Bhai’s shop. She narrated stories of the origin of the Rabaris.

23b

23c

23a Children pose in front of the Kitchen in Bhujodi. The actual house is in the back.

23b A street in Bhujodi 23c Entrance to the Rabari colony in Bhujodi

23a 56

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Lodai

I had the opportunity to visit Lodai with Judy Frater who was there for the orientation of students for the Women’s class. The tall and statuesque Dhebaria Rabari women now wear clothes adorned with laces and rickracks. This new style of adornment has turned into a unique style with its own set of aesthetics. The Rabaris of Lodai have lesser contact with urban areas and hence still follow older traditional customs. The young women dress in similar clothes as the old, the only difference being that they wear more colors. The men still wear the kediyun (which is now machine stitched) as a garment for daily use.

24a

24b

24c 24a Water cans covered in Dhebaria style adorned cloth 24b The front yard of a Dhebaria House in Lodai 24c colorfully decorated Dhebaria Rabari house in Lodai

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

57

25a

25c

25e

25f 25a Powerplant in the background if Vandh 25b Men casually chat in front of a Bhunga 25c Interior of Lacchu Ben’s house who is a mud work artist 25d Interior of kitchen attached to the Bhunga 25e A man sits in the shade of a tree in the afternoon 25f A street in the village of Vandh

25b 58

25d

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Bhopa ni Vandh Bhopa ni Vandh (Tunda Vandh) gains its name due to the high number of Bhuvas and Bhuvis in the village.

Several men are found wearing a black ritual thread around their neck which is unique to this village. Due to its remoteness, this Kacchhi Rabari village has remained relatively rooted to its older traditions. However due to the emergence of the Tata and Adani power plants in the area, way of life is fast changing. Some people have gained wealth from the sale of land to the powerplant. Now there are large concrete houses in the village along-side the humble bhungas. Men and women work at the power plant as manual labour and at clerical jobs. The downside is the pollution caused by the burning of coal and ill-informed attempts by the power plant to improve the lives of the people, such as making concrete streets and concrete bhungas which add to the heat in the desert. Majority of the Rabaris here still lead a simple life. Several women have attended Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya which is also in the village and have empowered themselves to earn a decent living while selling their designs and products.

26c

26d

26b

26a A wedding procession in Vandh 26b Interior of a Bhunga in Vandh 26c Colorfully decorated house in Vandh 26d Girls watch ans the wedding procession passes in Vandh

26a Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

59

New discoveries in field visit

1.

The women use the motifs they learn at the vidhyalaya in their own outfit sometimes.

2.

They used a conch shell motif on the flag for their sea ceremony 3.

There are very few camels left. Only people of the more remote villages own camels now.

4.

The camels live away from the villages. A few men of the village take them near the edge of the desert.

5.

The rabaris are wary of outsiders. However once someone of their own introduces you, they are quite hospitable. They are still particular about caste and will ask openly what caste you belong to.

6.

The tradition of embroidery has now undergone major changes. The earlier traditional embroidery which we see in books is rarely found in houses. Most of these are found with craft dealers now. The present style of embroidery is very different. A combination of red and white synthetic wool is used to embroider over dark but bright synthetic cloth. Some old motifs such as the karodia have returned. It is said that traditional colors are slowly returning.

8.

Some Rabaris in places like Bhjodi embroider over printed cloth which usually has Ahir designs. However the combination of stitches still remains Rabari.

27a Embroidery in progress by Mongi ben as part of her wedding trousseau.

27c The same motif has been used by Raniben in making this Kanchali. She has also used a double line of the same color which is unusual in Rabari Embroidery

27b Motif design by Raniben Bhimabhai as part of a course at Kalaraksha Vidhyalaya

60

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

28a

28c

28e

28b

28d

28f

28a 2013 A Rabari woman of Bhujodi has embroidered on a prited design that resembles Ahir patterns. However she has not used double lines of different colors which is the Ahir style of embroidery. She has also used current Rabari colors 28b Embroidery on the edges of a Kachchhi Rabai Ludi

28c Medallion on a Kachchhi Rabari Ludi 28d Embroidery on the groom’s shawl (Kachchhi Rabari)

28e Embroidery on a Kachchhi Rabari Ludi. Machine embroidery, zari and sequins have been used according to current style 28f Embroidery on a Kachchhi Rabari Toran at a wedding.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

61

Interviews • Lacchu Ben of Bhujodi embroiders stoles for the Vankars. To her at present,it is just a job, and she doesn’t mind as it passes her time in her old age. She used to embroider for her family earlier. Her grandchildren also embroider.She narrated the stoy of the Rabaris born out of the dirt on Shiva’s body.

29a 2013 Lacchu Ben of Bhujodi

• Mongi ben of Vandh is 19 years old. She has studied till class 7 and speaks fluent Hindi. She stands out from her surroundings as she seems to have a deeper understanding of the world around her. She makes beautiful motifs borrowing patterns from the old motifs and adding something of her own. She works for Kala Raksha and says she likes to make the samples rather than production work. She learnt embroidery from her mother at the age of 14. She was quick and the first stitch she learnt was Bavalia

29b 2013Mongi Ben of Vandh

29c Lacchu Ben of Vandh

which is considered to be quite difficult. Later on she attended KRV and gained better understanding of design concepts and the market. Along with that she learnt embroidery from the older women who were in her class.

62

• Lacchu Ben of Vandh specializes in mud work and has travelled across India for her work and also met Indira Gandhi. She now works in Bhopal. She showed me some beautiful old Kancharis stitched by her and also a small patchwork quilt made with great skill. She is very bold and innovative with her technique in spite of not having attended any design classes. Then she pulled out some cushion covers which were poorly made, with mirrors glued on to them. When asked why she made such things while she was so good at the

craft, she replied “People buy this, that’s why.”

Even though this is an insult to her own craft, this talks of the inherent need to survive and the change that money has brought into the world of embroidery.

Lacchu ben knows her market and simply makes pieces accordingly as she knows that her beautiful embroidery made so painstakingly will not be appreciated by people who are ignorant of the craft.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

• Nathiben of Madhapar is a Kacchi Rabari woman. She works in different houses of the village as a maid for a mere Rs.700 a month. She owns one cow. She has recently bought a Toran worth Rs. 5000 from another Rabari for her daughter’s wedding. She says it is not compulsory to give embroidery but sees it as a matter of prestige and respect for her own family. Along with the Embroidery the bride’s family is expected to give several utensils at different stages of Anu all filled with laddoos.

• Lakhu Ben of Lodai does not have to worry about embroidery for her daughter’s wedding as she is Dhebaria Rabari although she has all the other worries that come with the wedding of a daughter.

She attends Kala Raksha Vidhalaya and is learning the concepts of colour and design quite easily as she has been embroidering using these concepts all her life although unknowingly.

30a 2013 Nathi Ben of Madhapar

30b 2013 Lakhu Ben of Lodai

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

63

Some embroidery samples and new designs made by Mongi Ben of Vandh. Several of them were made during her study at Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya

64

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

65

Research Phase III

The third and final phase of research was done after a story was finalized. The village of Tunda Vandh was selected as the backdrop for the story as it was the right combination of the old and the new. The village is located in a remote area near the coast of Mandvi.

There is lesser contact with urban areas and hence the Rabaris have not become so homogenised with other communities as is the case with a few other villages.

However, due to closeness to Mandvi, presence of KRV and the power plants nearby, the people are more used to having outsiders and are open to communication.

Certain details were needed in order to depict the Kacchhi Rabari community of Vandh in the right manner. It was also necessary to collect photographs of the village, people and specific embroidered items in order to reinforce the illustrations in the book.

Information regarding the current clothing styles were required in order to clothe the characters in the right manner.

Mudwork inside a Bhunga

66

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya, Tunda-Vandh

Road to Vandh next to Tata Power Plant

Landscape of Vandh with the power plant chimneys

Structures constructed by the power plant by the sea.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

67

Embroidery by Mongi Ben

Embroidery by Lacchu Ben

Mongi Ben works in her yard.

Embroidery made by Mongi Ben for her sister-in-law.

68

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Temple on the outskirts of Vandh

On her way home

Sekran Dada Jattar Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Sekran Dada Jattar

Sekran Dada Jattar

Lacchu Ben bargains with the scrap dealer.

69

Rabari Wedding (from Mongi Ben’s album)

70

Paheranu (the traditional skirt)

Ludi (traditional veil)

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Outcome of Research Phase III At the end of the last phase of research I had a much better understanding of the Rabari community. I studied the changes that have been taking place in the clothing styles, especially among young women.

Women now are open to wearing ready-made tops with their skirts for regular use. Most of the designs on their clothes are now machine embroidered. However clothing for special occassions and rituals remains fairly traditional. The colors that the Rabaris wear has also gone through a change. Now the women prefer shades of bright purple whereas earlier they wore darkes and subtler colors. Embroidery is mosty in bright red and white with a a few other colors in between. However the designs and techniques of embroidery are thriving with each woman making her own designs within the set rule. Some women, after studying at Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya have started innovating more with the motifs, deriving new motifs from the traditional ones.

Mongi Ben was commissioned to make a miniature chunari (young women wear chunari, older women wear Ludi as festival wear) for the character in the book. She referred to the embroidery made by Rani Ben whose motif was my original inspiration. Mongi Ben derived a motif from what Rani Ben had made which was in turn inspired from an Ahir Motif of a 3-petal flower.

Further I witnessed the Sekran Dada Jattar which is a festival celebrated by the sea. There is a small shrine on the edge of the sea around which the Rabaris gather in prayer. Several Rabaris go into trance at this time. I clicked the photographs necessary for the book.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

71

References Children’s Books

Alongside my research, I looked at several Children’s Books and Graphic novels for inspiration. The work that inspired me most was that of Leo Lionni. He keeps his stories simple but profound. He does not preach and lets the reader find his/her own way through the book.

His illustrations complement his style of storytelling.

They are simple and bold, with bright colors.

http://lindaandharriett.blogspot.in/ 16:00pm 29/06/2013

http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com/category/blog-tag/ childrens-book-week 16:00pm 29/06/2013

Some novels that I had read also helped me establish the story. ‘In Arabian Nights’ by Tahir Shah and ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Salman Rushdie are two such books.

I referred to some more books; Dr. Seuss series for the sheer madness of storytelling, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats for the simple and effective style, Humbert by John Burningham to understand how layouts can be used so beautifully, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, simply to believe that our imagination is the only limit to story-telling.

http://theartofchildrenspicturebooks.blogspot.in/2011/11/ticoand-golden-wings.html 16:00pm 29/06/2013

72

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac55/helengmail/ IMG_5632.jpg

http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ Peter-Mom-socks.jpg

http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/pictures/cheshire-catpictures.html

http://www.autismpluggedin.com/wp-content/ uploads/2013/04/photo8.png

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac55/helengmail/ IMG_5630.jpg Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

73

Films I watched Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa in order to understand contradicting interpretations that are key elements in my story. Kirikou by Michel Ocelot is a good example of representation of communities.Tanko Bole Che by Nina Sabnani is a good example of using the right medium to tell a story.

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01328/13cp_ Rashomon_jpg_1328960g.jpg

http://www.der.org/films/images/stitches-speak.jpg

http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/k/i/r/kirikou-et-leshommes-et-les-femmes-kirikou-et-les-hommes-et-les-femmes0-8-g.jpg

74

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Story Explorations

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

75

Brainstorming After two visits to Kutch and countless hours in the library, the process of brainstorming began. All the important factors to be highlighted were put together and all story possibilities that would inculcate these factors were considered. It was important to show that the art they possess is unique while at the same time to show these people as the regular human beings that they are and not make them look exotic.

76

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

77

Rough Story Idea Based on the information collected on field visits and through recorded material such as books, films, journals, research etc., I came up with a story that would talk about Rabari Identity in relation to their craft. The reason for this is that I realized that Rabari identity is closely related to their embroidery. Since embroidery was never a commodity and the maker is also the user, it plays the role of a language, which when deciphered talks about the elements and changes in Rabari life. The role of the present story is to highlight this aspect while giving a brief introduction to the Rabaris as a community and the uniqueness of Rabari embroidery. The story also talks about evolution of tradition and the need to understand these changes. I have chosen to tell a simple story with a young girl as the protagonist so that it will be children can understand these complex concepts through simplified language and visuals.

78

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

79

Basic Storyline

Lacchu is a 13 year old Rabari girl. She lives in Bhopa ni Vandh which is a Rabari village in southern Kutch. All Rabari women there make beautiful embroideries for their wedding trousseau. Lacchu has just learnt to embroider and loves it. Every afternoon, she sits and embroiders, sometimes with her mother or neighbours, sometimes by herself.

One day, Lacchu added a new motif to her Ludi.

She went about proudly showing off her new design at the mela (or a function). Her friends adored it.

There was an outsider (maybe embroidery dealer) at the mela The outsider looked at her Ludi and said, “This is not a Rabari motif. Nope. Not the mark of a Rabari” This got Lacchu confused. She is Rabari, so why isn’t her motif Rabari?

She went to her mother and asked “Aai, What is the mark of a Rabari?”

“What kind of a question is that?” Says her mother “We don’t ask such questions” “Please tell me Aai,” says Lacchu. “There are so many different people in this world.

What makes a Rabari a Rabari?”

Her mother thought for a while and said, “It is our dress of course. Our women wear black to mourn for a king who once protected us. The Kacchi Rabaris wear Nagla after marriage. We have this trajua (tattoos). All these things distinguish a Rabari from other people.”

Now Lacchu does not really wear that much black in her clothes. She does not intend to wear the kind of Nagla that her mother wears nor does she have any tattoos.

So, she decided to ask someone else. She went a little way further and found their family camel. His face looked wise and she knew he had travelled far and wide.

“Paarodi, Please tell me what is the mark of a Rabari?”, said Lacchu “Why, you are a Rabari! How can you ask such questions?” said the camel “But please tell me Paarodi. What distinguishes a Rabari from the rest of the world?”

“Why it’s me of course” said the camel. “Rabaris are camel herders. There are very few of us left now. But your ancestors looked after us, and we gave them milk and let them ride on our back. It was a good deal. The Rabaris roamed from place to place in search of grazing land and water for us. That’s the true mark of a Rabari.”

Now that is an interesting way to put it, thought Lacchu. But she did not see so many camels around anymore. Nor did her family migrate.

She went to Lakhabhai the oldest man in the village. He was comfortably sitting on his charpai wearing a patched kediyun with a stick in hand.

Dada, Please tell me what is the mark of a Rabari?

“Why do you ask that?” said the old man. “I’ve never in my life seen a Rabari ask who is a Rabari”

80

I just want to know Dada. What is different about the Rabaris from the other people?

“It is our history of course” says the old man, “It’s where we come from. We Rabaris came from Jaisalmer to Kutch centuries ago. My own father used to tell me stories as we went about place to place with the camel. Our camels were very useful to the Rajas. Many Rabaris held very prestigious posts with the Raja in those days.”

Now this left Lacchu even more confused. She had received three different answers from different people. Which one was right?

When she got home, her grandmother had arrived from the Vidhyalaya where she went to study design. “ Dadi!” Said Lacchu. “I’m so glad you are back! I was asking people about what is the mark of a Rabari” “Why on earth would you ask such a question? Don’t you know who you are?” asked her grandmother.

“But Dadi, I just wanted to know. And I got so many different answers from different people! I don’t know which one is right.”

Grandma brought out an old Kotharo “Now look at this Kotharo. What do you see?”

“Bharat” said Lacchu “Rabari Bharat” said grandma. “Each motif has a message” “The Elephant and the fan talk of our Rajput heritage The Paniyaari represents the woman in the desert who stays strong in spite of all troubles and celebrates life.

The vinchi is a sign of fertility The Ambo tree again represents fertility and the life cycle of human beings.

The Bavariya represents the Baval bush that provides food for our herds and shade for our people” All these things talk about our life, our identity. But only when all these messages are put together by the Rabari woman with the right combination of colors, stitches and pattern does this object become truly Rabari.

So now can you put understand what you have heard of the Rabaris?”

“Yes Grandma. I understand now. Rabaris are several things. Only when we put all these things together do we find the true Rabari Identity.”

But there was still something bothering Lacchu at the back of her mind.

“But we have changed so much through the years! What about that?”

“Ofcourse we have. We adapt, change and move forward. So does our tradition. This is not something new. It’s been happening for centuries!”

So tradition can change?

“Absolutely. Earlier we never sold our embroidery. Each object was made with a lot of love for our own family. It was proof of the woman’s skill and a labour of love. A price could never be put on it. Now, a woman needs to sell her embroidery to meet her family’s needs. “

But that’s sad grandma!

“Of course it is. But times change and we have to make the best of what we have. My idea to maintain tradition is to not work blindly for money. So I learnt to design for the market. Now I create my own designs and make beautiful Rabari embroidery for the whole world!”

“So it’s okay to change?”

“Change is natural, Lacchu. We maintain a balance between preserving what is old and adapting to the new. That is what makes a true Rabari.”

Now Lacchu slowly brought out her newly embroidered Ludi “Grandma, is it okay if I add a new motif to my Ludi then?”

Grandma looked at it and laughed out loud “Lacchu, now this motif is also Rabari!”

At last, feeling reassured, Lacchu pranced away happily. She slept soundly that night.

Of course Lacchu need not have worried. Because the next time there was a Mela, all the young girls had Lacchu’s new motif embroidered on their Ludi.

81

Script 1.

In the village of Tunda Vandh in Kutch, lives a young Rabari girl named Lacchu.

2.

In this Rabari village, the women have been making the most beautiful embroideries for centuries. They take their embroidered objects with them when they marry.

3.

Lacchu too has just learnt to embroider. Every afternoon, after her daily chores, Lacchu loves to spend time embroidering the motifs her mother has taught her.

4.

One day, when Lacchu was in the market, she saw a woman wearing another kind of embroidery. The embroidery had motifs that were different from the ones she made.

5.

“Such a pretty motif. I wonder if I can make it”, thought Lacchu 6.

When she got home, Lacchu could not stop thinking about the motif she had seen. She decided to embroider the motif on her new Chunari.

7.

She immediately set to work on her new design. She, ofcourse, made it with the stitches and colors that she knew and liked.

8.

The next day, there was a Jattar(festival) and Lacchu proudly wore her brand new Chunari.

9.

Her friends adored it. They examined how she had stitched the motif and said, “It looks beautiful. We’ll make something just like it.” However, there was someone in the market who did not agree.

10.

He was a craft dealer, looking here and there for old pieces of Rabari embroidery. When he looked at what Lacchu was wearing, he stared in disbelief. He caught hold of her Ludi and said, “No! This is not a Rabari motif! Impossible!”

11.

Shocked at his invasion, Lacchu pulled away and ran.

12.

Once she was far away from the man, she started to wonder what the stranger meant. “I am Rabari. Why is my motif not Rabari? After all, what makes a Rabari a Rabari?” thought Lacchu.

13.

Lacchu decided to ask some people about this. She hid her chunari away and started her journey.

14.

She went to her mother first and asked “Aai, What is the mark of a Rabari?”

“What kind of a question is that?” said her mother “We don’t ask such questions” “Please tell me, Aai,” said Lacchu. “There are so many different people in this world.

What makes a Rabari a Rabari?”

15.

Her mother thought for a while and said, “It is our dress of course. Our women wear black to mourn for a king who once protected us. The Kacchi Rabaris wear the

82

the Khunti, the Gokh and then the Nagla after marriage. We have our trajua (tattoos) which we carry with us even after death. All these things distinguish a Rabari from other people.”

16.

Lacchu did not wear much black in her clothes. She wanted to wear the detachable Nagla and even though tattoos looked beautiful, they were too painful for her. So, she decided to ask someone else.

17.

She went to the outskirts of her village and found their family camel.

18. His face looked wise and she knew he had travelled far and wide .

“Paarodi, Please tell me what is the mark of a Rabari”, said Lacchu “Why, you are a Rabari! How can you ask such questions? I simply won’t tolerate it” said the camel. But Lacchu persisted, “But please tell me Paarodi. What distinguishes a Rabari from the rest of the world?”

19.

“Why it’s me of course”, said the camel proudly. “It is because of me that you are a Rabari” “How is that?” Asked Lacchu 20.

“Rabaris are camel herders. Your job is to look after us, and in return the female camels give you milk and the males let you ride on our back.

21.

In earlier times, the Rabaris roamed from place to place in search of grazing land and water for us. Now that’s the true mark of a Rabari.”

22.

“Camels! That’s interesting,” thought Lacchu as she walked back to the village.

But she did not see so many camels around anymore her family did not migrate. She decided to ask someone else. She went to the Lakha Bhai, the village headman.

23.

“Dada, Please tell me what is the mark of a Rabari,”asked Lacchu.

“Why do you ask that?” said the old man. “I’ve never in my life seen a Rabari ask who is a Rabari!”

“I just want to know, Dada. What is different about the Rabaris from other people?” insisted Lacchu.

24.

“It is our history of course” said Lakha Bhai. “We Rabaris came from Jaisalmer to Kutch centuries ago. We held prestigious posts with the Raja and our camels were very useful to the kingdom.

25.

Rabaris were trusted so much, that when a Rajput wedding took place, a Rabari was sent to bring the bride to her in-laws.”

26.

Lacchu was fascinated by what Lakha Bhai said, but she still didn’t have an answer to her question. In fact, now she had three different answers. This left Lacchu confused. Did her dress make her Rabari? Or the camel? Or her ancestors? Which answer was right?

27.

As she walked home, pondering over the questions filled in her head, her grandmother had arrived from Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya where she went to study design.

“Dadi!” Said Lacchu. “I’m so glad you are back!” After exchanging greetings with her Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

grandmother, Lacchu explained her dilemma.

“So what do you think Dadi?”asked Lacchu after telling her story, “which answer is right?”

28.

Her grandmother quietly went inside her Bhunga (hut) and brought out an old oshikun(pillow case) and said, “This oshikun has all your answers.”

Lacchu quickly snatched it and looked inside.

29.

“But it’s empty!” she exclaimed. Her grandmother laughed and said, look at what’s on the outside”.

“Embroidery?” asked Lacchu.

“Rabari Embroidery,” said her grandmother. And then she started to explain.

30.

“The Elephant and the fan talk of our Rajput heritage The Parrot and the Peacock talk of the surroundings we live in.

The Vinchi is a sign of fertility 31.

The Bavariya represents the Baval bush that provides food for our herds and shade for our people The Ambo tree represents fertility and the life cycle of human beings.

The Paniyaari represents the woman in the desert who stays strong in spite of all troubles” 32.

All these things talk about our life, our identity. But only when all these messages are put together by the Rabari woman with the right combination of colors, stitches and pattern does this object become truly Rabari. “ 33.

“Now I understand!” Said Lacchu, excitedly, “Rabaris are a combination of all the things I heard today, I just had to put it all together in the right way.”

34.

“But then, the embroidery I make is different from what you made years ago.”exclaimed Lacchu.

“Of course it is. Our tradition has changed over the years.” said the wise old lady Lacchu was puzzled “So tradition can change?”

35.

“We adapt and move forward with time. If something influences us, we add it to our art and it becomes tradition!”

We maintain a balance between preserving what is old and adapting to the new.

36.

Now Lacchu timidly brought out her newly embroidered Chunari “Dadi, is it okay if I add a new motif to my Ludi then?”

Dadi looked at it and laughed heartily “Lacchu, now this motif is also Rabari!”

37.

At last Lacchu felt reassured. She pranced away happily, her mind full of new ideas.

38.

Of course, Lacchu need not have worried at all; because the next time there was a Jattar, every girl had embroidered Lacchu’s new motif on her Chunari.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

83

Compositions

84

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Thumbnails

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

85

86

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Storyboard

Lacchu lives in the village of Vandh

Women make beautiful embroideries for their wedding

Lacchu adds a new motif

Lacchu’s friends appreciae her innovation

An outsider critcizes it

Lacchu runs away and wonders

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

87

She asks her mother about Rabari Identity.

Lacchu questions the Camel

88

Mother explains about dress

Lacchu is not satisfied

Camel Explains about Nomadic Rabari Life

Lacchu walks back, not convinced

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Lacchu asks LakhaBhai

Lacchu explains her Dilemma

Lacchu is confused

Lacchu’s grandmother arrives

Grandma brings out Kotharo

Grandmother starts to explain

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

89

Explanation of Motifs

Lacchu now understands

90

The coming together of Ideas

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Lacchu asks about change

Balance between tradition and adaptation

Embroidery was the labour of love

But there is still hope. Rabari women are now designers

Lacchu shows her Ludi. She is convinced

Everyone at the Mela is wearing the motif

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

91

First Draft

92

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

93

94

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

95

96

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Second Draft

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

97

98

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

99

100

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

101

102

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

103

104

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

105

106

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

107

108

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

109

110

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

111

Character Design After the initial storyboard, possibilities in character design were explored. Reference was taken from the photographs of the field visit so as to keep the clothing style authentic. The Rabaris also have a distinct personality. They are tall and statuesque.

They tend to have an angular face with sharp features and thick eyebrows. They walk with a straight back and carry themselves very gracefully. The challenge was to inculcate these features into the character design while at the same time, maintain a simple structure.

Aai

Lacchu

Paarodi is a female camel that belongs to Lacchu’s family. She is wise and has seen many distant places on her journeys. She is also proud and likes to puzzle people with her words.

Lacchu is about 13 years old. Like many Rabari girls, che has completed schooling till class 7. She is enthusiastic about learning embroidery and is curious about her surroundings. Most Rabaris don’t quesion their identity. ‘Since Lacchu belongs to the new generation which gets more opportunities to interact with the outside world, she questions her identity and has several queries.

Dadi

Lacchu’s mother is a simple woman, always busy with household work. Although she has taught Lacchu to embroider, she herself does not have time to hone her skills any further. She tries to answer Lacchu’s relentless questions as best as she can.

Paarodi

Lakha Bhai Lakha Bhai is the village headman. He is the person that people usually go to when they have to resolve issues. He know everything there is to know about the history and heritage of his community and always inspires people with his talk of the grand old days.

Dadi is Lacchu’s grandmother. She is wise and clever. She studies at Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya which is on the outskirts of the village. This helps her understand the concepts of design with regard to her embroidery. She helps Lacchu understand their community better.

The Craft dealer The craft dealer is a man with a fixed view on the Rabari community. He feels that they should stick to their traditional ways and not change. He loves to collect old embroidered items and feels that the quality of embroidery has deteriorated in recent times. Even though he appreciates crafts, he cannot accept that traditions change over time

112

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Character Explorations The initial character explorations were made with simple lines and sihouettes in order to bring out the necessary characteristics.

After several exploraions the characters evolved; retaining only the important features and discarding unnecessary complications in design.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

113

114

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

115

116

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

117

118

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

119

120

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Final Characters The characters from the book were inspired from several real life characters in Kutch. The protagonist was mainly inspired from Mongi Ben’s Character.

However several references of Rabari girls were taken into consideration while making the character. The clothing also follows the colors, jewellery and embroidery patterns that the Rabaris use although in a simplified manner.

The character explorations were further enhanced as well as simplified in order to have a simple yet effective design. The Characters were all made with basic shapes which a child would be able to draw. Lacchu’s hair was given a special curl so that she would be clearly distinguished even when her outfit changed in the story. The nose of each character is a different color.

These are the bright colors that are used in Rabari Embroidery.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

121

122

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

123

124

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

125

126

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

127

Medium Explorations

128

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Characters Several mediums were tried out for the characters. The aim was to blend the characters with the embroidery styles. Cloth, papers of several textures, digital painting and hand painting were attempted. The medium of cut-out puppet like characters worked out best as the relief created by embroidery on cloth was parallel to the relief effect created by these characters on paper.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

129

130

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Backgrounds

After finalizing cut-out as the medium for characters, backgrounds were made in several mediums. The aim was to be subtle and highlight the characters while showing the main features of the Rabari village.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

131

Composite

132

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

133

Model Making Character models were made based on the Character designs. The characters for were made using colored paper cut-outs. All parts were hand cut. Initially, stapler pins were used as hinges so that the body parts would be movable. This resulted in 2-dimensional puppets which were interactive in nature. Although it would be impractical to use such a puppet on every page of the book, one puppet could go into each book, which would help the child participate more with the story in the book.

Double sided foam tape was used to stick the parts together in order to photograph the characters. The thickness of the foam tape also gave depth to the features on the characters. The relief formed be the cut-out medium goes well with the medium of embroidery which is a kind of relief on cloth. An advantage of using cut-out as a medium is that the body parts of the characters can be re-used to form different poses for different compositions. The Rabaris always re-use their clothing when they are old, to make quilts, bed-covers etc.

134

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

135

136

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Embroidery Some pieces of Embroidery which were representative of Kacchi Rabari work were chosen from the Kala-Raksha Museum collection as well as the photographs clicked by me. These pieces were incorporated into the book, forming part of the story.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

137

138

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

The Representative Piece One object of embroidery had to be such that it incorporated most of the major motifs that represented everyday life of the Rabaris.

Finding such an object was difficult as it also had to be a Kacchhi Rabari piece. However there was one such object in the Kala-Raksha Museum collection which was a pillow case (oshikun) made in 1940. It had several interesting motifs which would be fascinating for the reader as well as representative of Rabari life and history.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

139

The New Motif The motif that is talked about in the book was originally created by Rani Ben. She took inspiration from a book and made it as a part of an assignment at Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya. The new motif to be used in the book had to be stitched onto a miniature chunari so that the character could be photographed wearing the Chunari. For this purpose Mongi Ben was commissioned to make a miniature Chunari. She used a photograph of Raniben’s motif as reference. Hence the motif in real-life is also a derivation of the motif in the Ahir community.

Motif in Ahir Embroidery

Motif made by Mongi Ben from Rani Ben’s embroidery Motif that Rani Ben derived at Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya 140

Motif that Raniben made on her own Kanchali

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Backgrounds The backgrounds had to be kept subdued and simple so that they would not overpower the characters. At the same time the backgrounds had to represent the surroundings of Tunda-Vandh accurately. Elements such as the burial site of the ancestors, the chimney of the power plant nearby, the picture of Mommai Mata, the mother Goddess add suble undertones to the story.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

141

142

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

143

http://stevemccurry.photoshelter.com/image/I0000AvqQeKZBMZM

144

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Final Text The text was edited in order for it to be compact and interesting for Children.

Atisha Bhutia who made a few changes in order to correct the tense and find words that suited the story better. The second edit was done by Sruti Menon who made changes in order to make the story more interesting for Children. The story was changed to first person narration and several lines were shortened, keeping just the essence of the story in place. Finally I made a few changes so in order to keep the representation intact.

Several ypefaces had to be tried before finalizing on Pencil Pete. The aim was to find an informal typeface which would look like a child’s hanwriting and at the same time have a high level of legibility.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Spread 1: Welcome to the village of Tunda Vandh.

Meet Lacchu, a Rabari girl. What is Rabari?

Well...

Spread 2: The women of the village make beautiful embroideries which they take with them when they marry.

Is this Rabari?

Let’s ask Lacchu Spread 3: What is Rabari?

Well I used to think that Rabari were just the motifs my mother taught me once I had finished up with my dail chores, but then one day...

Spread 4: I went to the market, there I saw a woman who was wearing embroideries I had never seen before! What motifs!

“I wonder if I can make them.”

Spread 5: I was so excited that-- that evening I decided to embroider the motif on my new Chunari. I used the stitches I knew and with my favourite colours off I went.

What Fun! Spread 6: The next day at the Jattar, I wore my new Chunari proudly and all my friends went “OOOOH!” They all wanted to make one just like mine.

Spread 7: But there was someone at the Jattar who did not like my new Chunari.

Spread 8: He was a craft dealer, oh what a mean man he was!

He took one look at my Chunari and yelled, “This is not Rabari! No chance!”

Spread 9: A little scared, I pulled my Chunari out of his hands and ran away from him Spread 10: Walking to my house I wondered, “ What could he mean? I am Rabari, so isn’t my embroidery then?”

Spread 11: I was very confused, I hid my new Chunari. The only way to get answers is to ask people.

Spread 12:

145

The first person I asked was Aai, “What is Rabari?”

My mother looked at me, “ What sort of question is this?”

“Please Aai, there are so many people out there, so what’s makes Rabari different from them?”

Spread 13: The same Spread 14: I was more confused, I did not wear black, I wanted to wear detachable naglas and even though I loved our tattoos... the pain! Not for me please.

“If this made you a Rabari, was I not a Rabari after all?”

Spread 15: On the outskirts of the village, I saw Paadori, the family camel. he was wise and would defintiely be able to answer my question.

Spread 16: “Paarodi, what is Rabari?”

Paarodi looked at me and said, “ Little Lacchu, you are!”

“But what makes me Rabari?”

Spread 17: “It is because of me that you are Rabari” said Paarodi proudly.

I looked at him sternly, “How is that, huh?”

Spread 18: “ Rabaris are Camel herders Lacchu. You look after us and we give you milk and you ride on our backs” Spread 19: “See, your ancestors used to travel from place to place to find grazing land and water for us. This, is a true Rabari.”

Spread 20: When I got back to the village I looked around, there were very few camels. My family had been in this village for many years now.

I then saw Lakha Bhai, village head man, he would defintiely be able to answer my question.

Spread 21: “Dada, what makes me a Rabari?”

Dada replied sternly, “ No rabari has asked me this, what sort of question is this Lacchu?”

I looked at him sadly, “There are so many people Dada, what is different about Rabari?”

Spread22 “It is our history of course” said Lakha Bhai. “We Rabaris came from Jaisalmer to Kutch centuries ago. We held prestigious posts with the Raja and our camels were

146

very useful to the kingdom.

Rabaris were trusted so much, that when a Rajput wedding took place, a Rabari was sent to bring the bride to her in-laws.”

Spread 23 Lacchu was fascinated by what Lakha Bhai said, but she still didn’t have an answer to her question. In fact, now she had three different answers. This left Lacchu confused.

Did her dress make her Rabari? Or the camel? Or her ancestors? Which answer was right?

Spread 24 As she walked home, pondering over the questions filled in her head, her grandmother had arrived from Kala-Raksha Vidhyalaya where she went to study design.

“Dadi!” Said Lacchu. “I’m so glad you are back!” After exchanging greetings with her grandmother, Lacchu explained her dilemma.

“So what do you think Dadi?”asked Lacchu after telling her story, “which answer is right?”

Spread 25 Her grandmother quietly went inside her Bhunga (hut) and brought out an old oshikun(pillow case) and said, “This oshikun has all your answers.”

Lacchu quickly snatched it and looked inside.

“But it’s empty!” she exclaimed. Her grandmother laughed and said, look at what’s on the outside”.

“Embroidery?” asked Lacchu.

“Rabari Embroidery,” said her grandmother. And then she started to explain.

Spread 26 “The Elephant and the fan talk of our Rajput heritage The Parrot and the Peacock talk of the surroundings we live in.

The Vinchi is a sign of fertility The Bavariya represents the Baval bush that provides food for our herds and shade for our people The Ambo tree represents fertility and the life cycle of human beings.

The Paniyaari represents the woman in the desert who stays strong in spite of all troubles” Spread 27 All these things talk about our life, our identity. But only when all these messages are put together by the Rabari woman with the right combination of colors, stitches and pattern does this object become truly Rabari. “ Spread28 “Now I understand!” Said Lacchu, excitedly, “Rabaris are a combination of all the things I heard today, I just had to put it all together in the right way.”

“But then, the embroidery I make is different from what you made years Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

ago.”exclaimed Lacchu.

“Of course it is. Our tradition has changed over the years.” said the wise old lady Lacchu was puzzled “So tradition can change?”

Spread 29 “We adapt and move forward with time. If something influences us, we add it to our art and it becomes tradition!”

We maintain a balance between preserving what is old and adapting to the new.

Spread 30 Now Lacchu timidly brought out her newly embroidered Chunari “Dadi, is it okay if I add a new motif to my Ludi then?”

Dadi looked at it and laughed heartily “Lacchu, now this motif is also Rabari!”

At last Lacchu felt reassured. She pranced away happily, her mind full of new ideas.

Spread 31 Of course, Lacchu need not have worried at all; because the next time there was a Jattar, every girl had embroidered Lacchu’s new motif on her Chunari.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

147

Layers

148

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Based on the drawn image, the characters were traced out part by part on papers of respective color. Highlights and outlines were added on some parts according to the character design. The composition starts with a basic cloth texture. The characters are photographed, color corrected and added according to the planned composition. The background elements are made with basic shapes. Texture is added so that the elements blend with the base texture. Finally text is added to complete the composition.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

149

Final Output

150

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

151

152

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

153

154

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

155

156

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

157

158

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

159

160

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

161

162

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

163

Production Details The typeface used is Pencil Pete from the website www.dafont.com Size of the book would be 8x10inches The book will be published in two versions 1. A high- quality hard bound book which will be a special edition copy.

2. A centre- stapled paper back which will be sold at a lower price.

Paper puppets resembling the characters in the book will be made available as a value addition on special occasions along with the book. The child will then be able to interact with the book with the help of the puppet.

Preferred paper for printing is 130 gsm matte art paper

164

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Promotional Video A promotional video was made for the book, which could also act as a sample animation for further development of the book into an audio-visual book or an application.

Script In the village of Tunda Vandh lives Lacchu, a Rabari girl who loves embroidery. One day Lacchu decides to add a new motif to her embroidery. Once she’s done, she wears it proudly to the market to show it of to her friends Friend: OoH... so pretty. How did yo make it? I want one just like it.

But there was someone who did not agree.

Craft Dealer: This is not Rabari. Impossible.

Lacchu: Ha!?

Thus started Lacchu’s journey Lacchu: What did he mean? This is not Rabari? I am not Rabari? Then who is a Rabari?

LakhaBhai: Who is a Rabari? I’ve never heard a Rabari ask that question.

Mother: What kind of a question is that?

Paarodi: I shall simply not tolerate it.

Will Lacchu find the answers to her questions?

Find out in “Book Title”

Storyboard and Animatics A storyboard was made based on the compositions in the book. These compositions had to be adapted to the film format with the necessary scene and shot changes in order to show continuity. the storyboard was scanned and timed in after effects with scratch sound.

Duration

1:05 minutes

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

165

Storyboard

166

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Production

Model Making.

In most places, the character poses from the book itself were used. This requred scanning of each body part separately and the composing the body in photocshop so that the individual parts could be animated in Adobe Flash.

Animation

All parts of the individual characters were imported into Adobe Flash and animated in different layers.

Karthik Nagarajan and Ann Alex were part of the animation team.

Post- production

The animated shots were imported into premiere where the necessary backgrounds were added and synced with sound.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

167

Production Stills

168

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Possible outcome The picture book can be further developed into an interactive book, web application, an i-pad application or a game. This will help create awareness about the heritage of the traditional crafts in our country while providing entertainment for children. A promo was made, keeping in mind that the book can be taken further into the animation medium.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

169

170

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Conclusion When I started this project, I did not imagine the huge amount of learning that would happen. This learning has not only fulfilled my professional needs, but also given me lessons in life. I have discovered a new world in the villages of Kutch, which had been right next to me all this while, but had been overlooked in the hustle bustle of city life.

The project itself was extremely challenging as the medium was unfamiliar to me. But it was worth the effort as this project has given me a chance to explore a very different side of myself. I interacted with a lot of people from different walks of life who gave me advice and pointed me in the right direction. Indirectly my own journey has been like that of the protagonist in my story where all the experiences and information I gathered from different people came together in the form of this Book. I hope that this Book will play a small but significant role in representing people in India who, inspite of being in possession of great treasures in terms of their craft have been ignored by mainstream society.

This project has brought a satisfying conclusion to my NID experience.

I would like to think that this is just the beginning of my journey as a designer and I hope that the experience of working on this project will lead to more wonderful journeys such as this.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

171

172

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

Bibliography Books

Frater, Judy. Threads of Identity. Ahmedabad: Mapin, 1995. Print.

Edwards, Eiluned. The Desert and the Sewn. Project Report and Documentation. University of Manchester, 2000. Print Frater, Judy. ‘This is Ours’-Rabari Tradition and Identity in a Changing World. Nomadic Peoples Dec.2002. Print.

Randhawa, T.S. The Last Wanderers. Ahmedabad: Mapin, 2000. Print.

Frater, Judy. When Parrots Transform to Bikes. Nomadic Peoples 1995. Print.

Ranjan, Aditi. Ranjan, M.P. Handmade in India. Ahmedabad: Mapin, 2007. Print.

Foster ,Helen Bradley and Johnson, Donald Clay. Wedding Dress Across Cultures. Oxford: Bloomsbury Academic, 2004. Print.

Fischer, Norah. Mud, Mirror and Thread. Ahmedabad: Mapin, 1990. Print.

Jyotindra Jain, ed. Other Masters: Five Contemporary Folk and Tribal Artists of India .New Delhi Crafts Museum, 2000. Print.

Paine, Sheila. Embroidered Textiles; Traditional patterns from five continents. London: Thames and Hudson, 1990. Print.

Agnihotri, Ambika. Magic Palette of Kutch, Craft Documentation.NID,1992. Print.

Films

The Master’s Voices. Dir. Nilosree Biswas, Kala Raksha, 2010. Film.

Ankitha Kini | Animation Film Design PGDPD 2013 | Diploma Film Documentation

173