The Kutchi Tribe, Kutch, India.
We were absolutely uncertain about the kind of images that we would make. We went ahead with an intention to create images that would resonate with human values and would have a sense of rawness to them. Something that we would get spontaneously.
You know it is like a love affaire, you don’t know who you are going to meet but you want to keep walking because there is a feeling within that pushes you in that direction, it makes you go there, not thinking about the outcome, just moving ahead in the journey with complete alertness as you never know where you might come across what you were looking for.
There were no planned schedules, we went by the essence of the place, the root, the soul, the people of kutch who make the place what it is. Big eyes, sharp features, tall, slender, light weight, super active. Their big sharp eyes and slender physic matched with that of the local animal (the camel). Their presence was sharp and larger than life. They are alert in nature due to their life style and silent as there is not much to think or say.
Cooking food, grazing their pets, making a delicious cup of tea, knitting beautiful blouses makes up for their worldly desires.
We adapted ourselves to their nature by accepting what was as it was and that is when they bloomed in the images we created together.
Presenting the people of Banni - The Kutchis.
We were absolutely uncertain about the kind of images that we would make. We went ahead with an intention to create images that would resonate with human values and would have a sense of rawness to them. Something that we would get spontaneously.
You know it is like a love affaire, you don’t know who you are going to meet but you want to keep walking because there is a feeling within that pushes you in that direction, it makes you go there, not thinking about the outcome, just moving ahead in the journey with complete alertness as you never know where you might come across what you were looking for.
There were no planned schedules, we went by the essence of the place, the root, the soul, the people of kutch who make the place what it is. Big eyes, sharp features, tall, slender, light weight, super active. Their big sharp eyes and slender physic matched with that of the local animal (the camel). Their presence was sharp and larger than life. They are alert in nature due to their life style and silent as there is not much to think or say.
Cooking food, grazing their pets, making a delicious cup of tea, knitting beautiful blouses makes up for their worldly desires.
We adapted ourselves to their nature by accepting what was as it was and that is when they bloomed in the images we created together.
Presenting the people of Banni - The Kutchis.
Portrait of Kutchi woman.
Their beautiful costumes and accessories are hand stitched by them.
Kutchi woman preparing food in her kitchen.
Their staple food is wheat, bajra, homemade buttermilk and local vegetables which are easily accessible to them.
Kutchi woman at work
Kutchi woman have a natural slender body due to the nature of hard work they due in extreme climatic conditions. The skirt that they wear is 9 meter long, the silver anklets that they wear is 1 kg in weight. So along with caring weight on their body they continue their home chores of cutting wood, sweeping, cleaning, cooking, milking. Quite a multitasker they are.
Kutchi woman at work
Kutchi woman are talent and multi tasking, along with preparing food they are pretty active in other home chores.
Kutchi camel rider clicking photos for his customer.
Kutchi camel riders are fulfilled and gel well with their customers. Their striking costumes against the white landscape makes for a beautiful imagery for any viewer.
Kutchi camel rider taking his camel for a walk while waiting for customers.
Fine Art image of Kutchi camel rider .
Kutchi camel riders at White Rann
Fine Art image of Kutchi camel riders chatting while waiting for their customers to hop back into their ride. A two and fro ride at White Rann is Rs 200
Aarif, the camel rider
Aarif works for four months at white run as a camel rider, he has a small restaurant to go with in the off season. He also works as a driver of transporting buffalos of his villages from one place to another. Enough to keep him financially sound.
Aarif, the camel rider
Me:- Aarif, you have big, beautiful eyes.
Aarif :- Thank you Miss, I got them from my mother.
Aarif :- Thank you Miss, I got them from my mother.
Portrait of Mangal, Rann Star Home Stay Owner
Me :- Mangal bhai, why are these utensils placed in this format, I saw it in every
Me :- Mangal bhai, why are these utensils placed in this format, I saw it in every
Kutchi house.
Mangal:- It is a mark of our status, it show how wealthy we are. Me :- What about the scarf?
Mangal:- It is a mark of respect.
Mangal:- It is a mark of our status, it show how wealthy we are. Me :- What about the scarf?
Mangal:- It is a mark of respect.
Mangal with his two sons
Mangal runs a small home stay which has six home made cottages made out of mud by him and his brothers.
They also offer home made bajra, daal, sabzi, butter milk to their guests. Though the local taste is on the spicer side, his wife and mother makes sure that the taste is blended as per the comfort of the guests.
Gulab and Gyaani are the shining lights of the home stay, who are sure to touch every guests heart, when one sees them carrying food containers during lunch or dinner time for the guests .
A sense of responsibility they are learning at a very early stage.
Rajo’s milking time with her buffalo.
Me:- Could I come with you and stay around while you are milking the buffalo? Rajo :- Ohh!! Then she will give a litre less then. It’s okay, please come, but make sure to stand in a way that she doesn’t see you.
So the buffalo’s give milk only when a know person is around. A slight smell of a stranger, triggers a sense of fear in them.
I wonder if it was her or my fear that triggered her to feel unsafe.
Gyaani and the calf
This calf is one of gyaan’s best friend and makes up for his play time in the afternoon when the mother buffalo goes through the milking process.
Kutchi woman carrying milk to be used for the day.
The Kutchi’s believe in natural milking process. They let their pets (buffalo/cow) roam freely in the jungle for food and once the animals stomach is full and the milk is ready, it comes home for the milking process.
Portrait of a kutchi elderly woman
The old/married women of kutch can easily be photographed. They are as active as other members of the family and play an active role in running the house.
Gyani and Gulab in Grandma’s kitchen courtyard.
The men of kutch adore beautiful bright colour pyjama and kurta. The little men of kutch do look super adorable in these costumes.
Hand made Mud house of kutch
Fine art shot of a typical mud house in Kutch.
Facades of Kutch homes
Like the facade of this house, the women of kutch are the facades of it’s culture and heritage.
Kids of Gorewali, kutch
Children of Gorewali play whole day. They don’t have a specific game but they sure know a way of exploring new things.
Girls of kutch
One can identify by the blouse pattern, if a girl is married or unmarried. This specific blouse pattern signifies that this girl is unmarried. Girl’s in kutch stitch their own blouses to be worn after marriage, which are around 20 to 30 pieces.
Kutchi Heard-man Kabal,
Kabal is a 16 year old school going boy , who apart from studying, lives in the forest for 4 months to graze his buffalos. The milk that is produced from this 4 month grazing is sold in the market . He is one of the important bread earners of his family.
Kutchi Heard-man preparing khoya in midst of Banni Grasslands.( An Indian sweet made out of stirring milk)
Khoya is also one of the dairy items that kutchi heards - men sell for a living.
Portrait of a girl at Lakhpat
Me:- Do you have any desires?
She :- I take care of home as mother goes for work and I am happy doing that forever.
She :- I take care of home as mother goes for work and I am happy doing that forever.
Portrait of sisters at Lakhpat
She loves to get herself clicked. The elder sister talking about the younger sister in the front.
Banni Grassland Reserve, White Rann, Kutch.
Landscape shot of banana grassland reserve , which falls on the outer souther edge of White Rann, Kutch
