Craft villages around Bhuj: Villages of Bhuj and their attractions

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Bhuj and the tourist attractions around them. Our article contains comprehensive information
about the craft villages of Bhuj.

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Handicraft Village tour

Northern Villages of Bhuj

Southern Villages of Bhuj

Embroidery by Bhuj tribes

Woodwork by Bhuj tribes

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Bhuj is also known as the handicraft center of India and this is principally due to the fact that
there are several handicraft villages around Bhuj which house hundreds of artisans. Mirror work,
embroidery, cross stitch, block prints, Ajrakh prints, weaving, pottery, toy making, tye and dye
techniques and other different kinds of crafts are practiced in the villages around Bhuj. The
government of Bhuj has established handicraft tours which take tourists all around the villages of
Bhuj to see the handicrafts and witness the lifestyle and unique rituals of the tribes living in those
villages. Here is an extensive list of Handicraft villages around Bhuj.

Northern Villages of Bhuj

The Banni grasslands of Bhuj form a central meeting point in the Khavda area with the great
Rann. Nomads, gypsies, cowherds, migrants and semi nomadic tribesmen reside in these areas.
Historically, the main occupation of these people was tending to livestock like desert sheep, wild
goats and cows/buffaloes apart from camels. There are 40 small hamlets in the northern area of
Bhuj and most of them now depend on handicrafts and handloom production for their survival.
The unique features of the northern villages are the construction of Bhungas which are circular
huts that have sloping roofs and are plastered with cow dung.

Dhorodo village- it lies 80 km north of Bhuj and is the established center of Mirror embroidery.
Chain stitch work is the specialty of resident tribes of Dhorodo village. The embroidery done
here is inset with tiny mirrors and little silver bells. Chunky silver jewelry and leather work are
other specialties of the Dhorodo village.

Sumrasar village- Sumrasar lies 26 km north of Bhuj and it is famous for Ahir and Soof
embroidery. The Sodha tribes live here and they are experts in making asymmetrically
embroidered striking pieces. There is a grass root organization called the Kala Raksha center that
contains samples of heirlooms that have been created by ancient tribes. Training and empowering
artisans of Bhuj is the main objective of Kala Raksha Center.
Loria or the Ludia village- Loria lies 60 km to the north of Bhuj and it has an interesting
collection of little huts which have graphically painted and mirror work enhanced walls. Most
artisans in Loria village are engaged in the production of woodcrafts

Zura village- Zura lies 30 km away from Bhuj and is the embroidered footwear producer of
Bhuj. Other leather products are also produced here. Copper crafted bells are also a specialty of
this village.

Nirona Village- Nirona lies 40 km to the north-western direction of Bhuj. The tribals in this
village produce embroidered products, lacquer enhanced woodwork, carved wood products. Iron
rods are used to paint fabrics and this style is known as Rogan painting. Nirona is one of the few
villages that are connected directly by bus from Bhuj. Approximately 1.5 hours is all you will
need to visit Niroona.

Nakhtarna- This village lies North West to Bhuj and is also called the Craft center of Bhuj. Tye
and dye work and Bandhni is produced in this village. There is a sanctuary called Chinkara near
Narayan Sarovar in this village

Hodka- This is an artisan village which lies 63km of Bhuj. It is the established center of a
tourism project supported by the Gujarat Government. A selection of small bhungas lie here and
they are built and co-owned by village cooperative societies and hospitality staff. You can buy
handicraft products at very reasonable prices here.

Dholavira- The excavation site of Dholavira is a major tourist draw near Bhuj. This Harappan
town dates back to 2500 BC and is believed to be bigger than mohenjodaro by many
archeologists. Its relatively new site as excavatory work had begun in the year 1990. If you drive
a jeep through the Great Rann to this excavatory site you will find dazzling salt patches on both
sides which shine like silver in the day light.

The southern villages of Bhuj

It will take you two separate days if you want a good look at and properly appreciate all the
handicraft villages centered around Bhuj. You can reserve one day for the Southern belt and one
for the Northern. The southern belt of Bhuj has lots of craft hotspots like Bhujodi, Padhdhar,
Dhamanka, Anjar etc.

Padhdhar- This village lies 22 km to the south of Bhujodi and it is the main center of Ahir
embroidery which uses round cut mirrors inset with floral patterns and striking geometric arrays.
Dhaneti is the name of the local center which specializes in Ahir and Rabadi embroidery.

Anjar -This is a village which lies 22 km to the south of Bhuj. It was famous for being an early
Jadeja capital of the Rann of Kutch. There is a shrine is this village called the Jesal-Toral shrine
which is built in dedication to the love between Jesal (an outlaw king) and Toral (a local girl).
Metal crafts like white metal jewelry, betel nut crackers and ornaments are produced in Anjar.

Kera village- This village stands on the banks of Nagmati River. It lies about 22 km south west
of Bhuj and was earlier known as Kapilgram. There is a fort here called Kapilkor or Kera fort
which was the seat of the renowned rishi Kapilmuni. The shivalay which originally belonged to
Lakeshwar was constructed here. This Shivalay contains beautiful and intricate structures which
are major tourist attractors. The Kanbi and Khoja tribes who are progressive farmers populate
this area. Kera has been granted protection by Archeology department of Gujarat

How to visit Craft villages around Bhuj?

As all these villages are on the outskirts of Bhuj and require some effort to reach its not worth it
to go and visit all these villages individually. Its better that you hire a guide and take any one
guided tour and visits all the villages near Bhuj in one or two days. You can contact the Gujarat
Government Tourism department website or the Bhuj tourism department for seeking
information of tours and travels who will take you on guided handicraft tour.

Matsyacrafts, Nivalink and Gatha are examples of craft tour organizers who specialize in
introducing and sensitizing tourists to the wonderful craft forms of 16 different types of
indigenous Bhuj tribes.