Ludiya

The imminent series of posts will be from my trip to Kutch in january where i spent a week at ludiya.(a hamlet close to khavda in great rann of kutch).It was a much needed break which happened impromptu in between a month-long volunteering at an NGO in Ahmadabad.
Khavda is a subsection of an habitable area in the vast deserts of great rann of kutch- one of the two green patches (the one of left) in Rann of Kutch.The beauty of this place is so starkly opposite to the word itself.The vast stretch of dry cracked land,utter absence of vegetation(dont think weed come under this),bereavement of colors and lets not even talk about the weather(luckily for me,i went there just at the right season)
Khavda is a cultural mix of hindus and muslims.And its absolutely beautiful to hear stories of how people have lost out their families to pakistan!Most of them have reconciled with their parted relatives only after tele-communication became accessible.
Apart from a few shops set up on the main road,which are mostly for travellers and those who stop by on their way to the land beyond,khavda has a market space which looks to have organically developed in the narrow alleys which are closer to where most of the population lives.

From inside of a chai stall at the main junction

It was when i went looking for an adapter for my camera charger that i really explored this quaint market place which suffices the needs of the locals(and some;of the travellers,couldnt find an adapter though)Khavda has an unsual air of safety for women travellers. It almost shocked me to be sitting there at this place (next to which lies no mans land) close to indo-pak border, waiting for the bus for almost two hours with my friend and not be stared at.Its hard to draw reasons to how liberating this place is whether its in the unity between hindus and muslims,between weavers and potters or just how they are trying to strike a balance between giving the younger generation an education while still inculcating value of native art and handicrafts.

 Kutchi women take special interest in keeping their homes so beautiful and tidy with much emphasize to their craft roots and traditions.

Ornamented chests
Kutchi mirror work is an imperative to most of the houses.Its not only a great way of preservation but also like a direct way of communicating about it to travellers who stop by.

Mirror work adorning a window

Most of the houses in Ludiya were built during the restoration project by an NGO after the destruction caused by earthquake.They are a cluster of houses with an individual courtyard stitching one with the other offering a vignette of movement and visibility.The over-riding feature of their set-up is that the functions are separated in individual spaces connected together by a work triangle of sorts.

The Kutchi way of preserving art extends to their sartorial elegance.I do not have enough pictures to dissect the uniqueness of their dressing up.But i will be posting pictures of kutchi women i shot in Ludiya and a small pottery hamlet neighbouring it.

I was too busy soaking up the mystical peace of the place and imbibing from the people to really have myself interrupt with any kind of urge to click at every possible opportunity .It was deliberate. I chose to use my camera only as a means to document my experiences to show to my family and friends.I may have come back with far lesser pictures than any of the travels i did before this one,but this has been an amazing sojourn which infact was not planned for but happened! And brought this new world closer to me!

Although i am back a couple of weeks ago and mostly the feeling fades away gradually….strangely,not this time!
Rearing to go!