Embroidery~Amreli

Introduction:

In the Amreli district of Gujarat, women use mirrors, shells and bright colors to create beautifully embroidered patterns. Geometric patterns and scenes taken from everyday rural life or mythology are embroidered on decorations for domestic purposes. This type of embroidery is also prevalent in nearby regions, collectively known as Saurashtra or Kathiawar.

Usage:

The ‘Kathiawari’ embroidery is popularly used to create wall hangings and household decorative items such as ‘Pachhipatis’, ‘Torans’, ‘Chaklas’ and ‘Chandrawas’. ‘Toran’ is a decoration for doorways with little pendants hanging from its horizontal edge. These represent mango leaves which are considered auspicious and welcoming. ‘Chakla’ is a square piece of fabric used by the bride to wrap her dowry articles and later decorate her new home with it. Other objects made using this craft are garments such as ‘Chaniya Cholis’, ‘Salwar Suits’ and ethnic Indian jackets.

Significance:

The embroidery of this region is vibrant and its variety is well known. In the ‘Kutchi’ embroidery, the primary objective is to lavish the bridal trousseau whereas the ‘Saurashtra’ embroidery is mainly used for decorating their homes. With time, the intricate work and captivating beauty of the embroidery craft has taken it from rural homes to the more urban markets. This has provided a stable source of income to craftswomen. They have been contributing to the growth of small scale industries especially in the city of ‘Savarkundla’ in the ‘Amreli’ district. This is also leading to the formation of self-help groups.

Myths & Legends:

As per the legend prevalent in the region, Lord Krishna once lived here. When an evil demon attacked the kingdom, he fought with the demon and saved thousands of families. Hence, the women became his devotee and these women from different communities and from several parts of the country brought many artworks and embroidery as a gift for Krishna and this is why so many types of embroideries can be found in Gujarat.

History:

The art of embroidery in India is evidenced in the Vedic literature of 5000 BC. Ancient relics such as bronze needles and figurines from the ancient ruins of Mohenjo Daro of the Indus Valley civilization also talk of the presence of embroidery as an expression of the people. ‘Megasthenes’, the Greek ambassador to the court of King Chandragupta Maurya in the late 4th century mentions the beautifully gold embroidered attires of muslin fabric. The ‘Stupa of Sanchi’ and the ‘Frescoes of Ajanta’ show that the craft of embroidery had reached artistic excellence during the Buddhist Renaissance. Veils, scarves and various tunics were decorated using embroidery. They are adorned with bands filled with designs such as checks, circles and even patterns of animals like geese and lions. Floral patterns are completely absent. These came to India only with the arrival of the Persians and the Mughals.

The oldest surviving specimens of Indian embroidery are the two pieces made for Jain nuns around 5th or 6th century. There are many textiles samples from the Mughal courts. Greeks, Romans, Persians and Chinese traded precious metal and silk for colourful Indian cotton. Until the European Industrial Revolution, India was the foremost centre of textile production and trade with many different branches of Indian embroidery being invented.

Embroidery being intricate, artistic and beautifully elaborate was used by the emperors and kings of yore as a mark of royalty and wealth. As time passed, inexpensive material were used instead of gold, precious stones and pearls and were incorporated into embroidery to make it approachable for the common man. Newer ideas and expressions evolved with factors like the Mughal invasion and nomadic tribes that certain types of embroidery came to be characteristic of a particular region, community and tribe.

Various influences from other cultures have blended into the Indian embroidery patterns due to invasions or trade. For example in ‘Kashmiri embroidery’, the satin stitch is borrowed from China and the ‘Phulkari’ resembles the embroidery of Baluchistan. Throughout the 17th century, Gujarat was most probably the most important centre for fine commercial embroidery in the world. The Kutch – Saurashtra belt has slowly grown to be known as the richest source of folk embroidery. Distinct designs of each tribe or caste is passed down with very little changes or modification.

In Saurashtra, the Kathis were believed to be the first practitioners of embroidery. It was called the Kathipa style of embroidery. Heer Bharat or silk floss darning constituted a major part of this style, combined with herringbone stitches and geometric patterns. This style absorbed influences of the Ari chain-stitch embroidery of the Mochis and also spread to other communities in Saurashtra. In the past few centuries, some overlapping styles of embroidery evolved and gave it its present form.

Court embroidery – This type of work was created during the Mughal period. Emperor Akbar patronized this craft and welcomed foreign talent into his court. There were exclusive workshops or ‘Kharkhanas’ to cater to these. He brought many artisans from Iran and Persia to set up their workshops and educate their local counterparts. The famous ‘Zardosi’ is a consequence of this .Gujarat was annexed by the Mughal Empire in 1572 AD under the governorship of Prince Khurram. He took this craft to new heights and Ahmedabad is still an important centre for gold and silver embroidery.

Trade embroidery – Gujarat, Southwest Rajasthan and Sindh were the prime centers of trade for embroidered textiles. The ‘Mochi’ community of Kutch and Saurashtra worked for merchants and landlords. They were traditionally cobblers who developed a fine chain form using a crochet-like hook called ‘Tamboor’. Skillful work was done on many surfaces including leather. After the Mughal patronage, the East India Company of the British took over. Their records reveal the sale of textiles with elaborate embroidery with floral shapes, animal designs and gold/silver embellishments. The ‘Kashmiri shawls’ too made a large mark internationally such that later the ‘Scotland’s Paisley looms’ were engineered to copy those designs. ‘Chikankari’ and ‘Chinai’ work are some of the other famous examples.

Folk embroidery – This was done mainly by the womenfolk on articles made especially for weddings, festivals and mostly on personal outfits. Western India and the lower Ganges valley are two areas that are famous for this type of embroidery. They embroider their own outfits and household articles. The gypsy tribes have been greatly responsible in upholding this craft since it is deep rooted in their culture and tradition.

Temple embroidery – Temples have had their devoted craftsmen embellishing the sacred items of worship over centuries. These works are of religious nature that is largely pictorial, depicting the lives and religious epics of the various deities. ‘Pichwai’, the religious wall hangings of ‘Nathdwara’, has been the source of inspiration for many Hindu and Jain temple embroideries. The ‘˜Vaishnav’ tradition of Pushti Marg is of a sect called ‘Vallaba’ that has been instrumental in exalting the craft. In the south of India, appliquè embroidered banners and decorations for temple carts were made in ‘Tanjore’, Tamil Nadu. ‘Mandalas’ are another example of temple embroidery. Made primarily in Gujarat, these were ceremonial presentations to Jain nuns. These expressed the Mandalas of Jain cosmology or the ‘Puthias’ and were also placed behind Jain monks during their religious discourses. ‘Chamba rumals’ of Himachal Pradesh is another fine example, which comprises of floral borders chalking out finely drawn religious scenes from Lord Krishna’s life. The temple embroideries of Orissa also adorn their many ‘Chhatries’ (canopies) crafted specially for temple purposes.

Design:

The main feature of ‘Kathiawar embroidery’ is the application of mirrors. Various stitching techniques are unique to this feature, where tiny mirrors are sown in with threaded patterns. The motifs are largely inspired from nature, be it geometric or organic. There are birds, animals and human motifs in the designs, stitched in their realistic and abstract forms. The designs are distinguished between a few schools in Saurashtra embroidery depending on the people who make them.

a. Kathi embroidery: Early designs comprised of handspun black cloth for the background and coloured floss silks for embroidery. Deep crimson and violet are used a lot in the color scheme while yellow, white and green are used to highlight and balance the colours. In recent designs, bluish grey cloth has replaced the stark black color for background. The ‘Adiya-fatiya’ or the elongate darn is the main stitch in ‘Kathi’ embroidery. The stitch is worked in the form of a figure eight, widely spaced or compact. The chain stitch and the interlacing stitch are also used.

The patterns in this type of embroidery are geometric and figurative. The geometric motifs are set within square boxes. The patterns are unique and are believed to resemble the patterns in the proto-historic ceramics of Sindh and Baluchistan, the terracotta’s of the ‘Kushan’ and ‘Gupta’ period, trellises of temples in the ‘Solanki’ period and the mosques and tombs of the Sultanate times of Gujarat.

Pictorial representations include episodes from ‘Ramayana’, the ancient legends and marriage scenes of ‘Rukmini’ and ‘Krishna’, with grand processions of elephants, chariots and musicians.

The borders usually have checks, chevron and lozenge patterns with an occasional animal or bird motif. ‘Kathis’ were devout sun worshippers so their craft also features sun-disk motifs.

b. Mochi embroidery: Fine silk cloth was used for the background in the ‘Mochi’ embroidery. Red or blue colors were mostly used. The darn stitches were extensively used whereas the chain stitches were mainly used for the periphery of the figures and the ‘Karamphuls’ (flower motif). ‘Buttis’, floral patterns and peacock shapes are found in this type of embroidery also. The patrons of the ‘Mochis’ also determined many of the patterns. There were scenes inspired from the ‘Puranas’ such as the ‘Samudra Manthan’ (churning of the celestial ocean) as well as depictions of hunting and household scenes. Embroidered fans, threadwork on the sleeves and turbans and purses with golden laces are known to be characteristic of ‘Mochi’ style. The styles of motifs are believed to be of the late ‘Mughal miniature’ style.

c. Chinai embroidery: In the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a community of Chinese embroiderers living in Surat, who produced work which were completely Chinese in their design and technique. Known as Chinai work, the embroidery was done using fine floss silks and garments adorned using precisely embroidered tightly spun 2-ply silk. Bird and flower motifs were extensively used in bands, made using white threads against colored silk backgrounds. These were very popular amongst the Parsi communities.

d. Mahajan embroidery: The Mahajan’s preferred machine made cloth as the base. Like the other classes, they too made use of the surface satin and chain stitches, with occasional usage of the herringbone stitch or ‘Khajuri na Tanko’. Rich red and violet threads were lavishly used in the threadwork. The surface stain stitch was used to give a solid smooth finish to the work, with interplay of dark and bright shades of the same color.

In this type of embroidery, the first border was a crenellated one called ‘Kangra’, crested by a peacock’s footprint motif called the ‘Mor-pagala’. This was followed by a band of lozenge patterns and then a double series of mirrors or ‘Ahalas’. The ‘Daria’ or the checkered border comes after this, leading up to the large central square called the ‘Chokhand’, which is divided into four parts of nine quadrants. The division is done by the intercrossing bands of mirrors. This style had a lot of ‘Parsi’, ‘Bohri’ and ‘Meman’ influences.

d. Kanbi embroidery: The ‘Kanbis’ do not use very dark backgrounds for their embroidery. Yellow, deep orange and sometimes white base cloth is used. The threadwork is not done with silk but with inexpensive cotton threads of bright colours like red, carmine, bluish green and purple. A sub-sect of the ‘Kanbis’ called the ‘Lewa Kanbis’ prefer a grey-blue ground for their work. Darn, chain and herringbone stitches are used. The motifs are inspired from nature and include peacocks, parakeets, ‘Ambadal’ (mango shoots), creepers, ‘Kewdaphul’ etc. They make embroidered accessories for their bullocks -“’Jhul’ (back cover), tasseled ‘ShingaDiyas’ (for the horns), ‘Mathavati’ (for the forehead), ‘Makhiyala’ (for the muzzle) etc. They also make household decorations like ‘Torans’, ‘Todaliyas’ and ‘Ulechs’, which are used for covering a pile of quilts.

e. Ahir embroidery:  The ‘Ahir’ or ‘Ayar’ embroidery shows influences of the ‘Kanbi’ and ‘Mahajan School’. Deep violet, crimson and occasional golden yellows are predominant in their work. Mirror-work is a favored technique among the ‘Ahirs’.

f. Charan embroidery: There are strong ‘Mochi’ and ‘Kathi’ influences in the type of embroidery followed by the ‘Charan’ community. The darn and the interlacing stitches are most popular. The figures in the patterns are however not well defined and are seen to be shaky.

g. Rabari embroidery: This style is crafted by the Rabari tribes who use the embroidery for their own costumes mainly. It has a close ladder chain stitch and mirrors of different shapes are added using the buttonhole stitch. It is mostly done on a dark maroon or blackish ‘khaddar’ cloth. Minor motifs and Buttis are arranged in a circular or octagonal manner. Rabaris also use decorative back stitching, called Bakhiya. A characteristic feature of the Rabari embroidery is their Chakla with big flowers on the grey background.

h. Satwara embroidery: The Satwara women embroider their personal garments like the Ghagra and the Gadahari or head covering. There is no particular method for the composition. The designs contain an attractive array of motifs. The Buttis are very realistic with the foliage looking close to being hand-painted. The color contrasts of a circle within a circle are reminiscent of peacock feathers. The Buttis are interspersed with animal and bird motifs like elephants with riders, peacocks and parakeets. A lot of Kutchi influence is seen.

Challenges:

Introduction Process:

Silk, satin or cotton threads of various bright colors are sewn onto a grey-blue or black base cloth. Involvement of only a few basic tools like needles and hooks with a lot of patience and skill makes embroidery a readily accepted craft by the women of the household. The women sew together threads, mirrors, beads and shells in patterns eloquent of their culture.

Raw Materials:

Originally silk and occasionally satin fabric was used. As silk is expensive, fabrics such as casement, poplin, khadi are used. These fibers and fabrics are brought from Bombay, Ahmedabad, Surat and Porbander.

The embellishments such as shells, buttons, mirrors, beads, pearls, sequins etc are sourced from local markets.

Tools & Tech:

Needles, Threads, Hooks, Scissors

Rituals:

process:

Silk, satin or cotton threads of various bright colors are sewn onto a grey-blue or black base cloth. Involvement of only a few basic tools like needles and hooks with a lot of patience and skill makes embroidery a readily accepted craft by the women of the household. The women sew together threads, mirrors, beads and shells in patterns eloquent of their culture.

Heer bharat : This is silk floss darning mostly combined with herringbone stitches and geometric patterns. The name, in this case, is given based on the thread and not the type of stitch. A shot coloured effect is created when the long stitches in each triangle of the pattern run parallel to weft and perpendicular to the warp. White is rarely used in this design. A bluish gray base is usually embellished with deep orange, dark blue and purple coloured floss. Crimson red is another dominant color seen in ‘Heer Bharat’.
Small mirrors are fixed in the centre of patterns using a buttonhole stitch, for emphasis. The ‘Jat’ tribes were instrumental in developing this embroidery. There are strong resemblances to the ‘Phulkari’ of Punjab, in the patterns and their geometry. The influence of ‘Aari’ chain stitch embroidery of the ‘Mochis’ can also be seen. The motifs in ‘Heer bharat’ are geometric in shape. Birds or animals are depicted, but only in stylized versions.

Abhla Bharat: This technique is popular for its use of mirrors in the embroidery, known as mirror inset embroidery. In present times, the mirrors are set on a dark background to bring out the gleam. Earlier, pieces of beaten tin were used for this, other than small pieces of mirror. Nowadays, circular mirror pieces are made especially for this purpose. Stem stitch or Herringbone stitch with silk floss is used for this purpose. The traditional colours used are blue, red, green and pink. Floral motifs with various shapes like the tendrils, creepers, foliages etc are used.

Sindhi Taropa : This embroidery is originally practiced in Sindh, Kathiawar and Kutch and is an interlacing stitch involving two steps. In the first step, the long threads are stitched into the base of the cloth forming the skeleton of the design. In the second step, the threads are interlaced throughout the basic structure, in the reverse direction. The designs mostly consist of small squares, lozenges, discs and sometimes motifs of flowers, birds and animals.

Moti Bharat : This is embroidery done using ‘Moti’ or beads. A solid surface of coloured beads are created in the design, set against a backdrop of plain white beads. The motifs are varied. There are peacocks, a lady churning curd, elephant, camel, parrot, flowers etc. These products are stiff due to the beads and hence used as ‘Torans’ for doors and on bags or purses. It is also used as a perch for the lady to balance water pots on her head.

Appliqué : Appliqué work is the art of layering small pieces of fabric cut in various shapes onto a base fabric. Appliqué and reverse appliqué, both are also sometimes combined with chain stitch and herringbone stitch embroidery. Lord Ganesha is very often represented through this method on appliqué work, to be placed on top of doorways. From episodes in religious epics like Ramayana, to animals like elephants, peacocks, parrots, flowers, to even modern day to day objects like watches and music players, all feature in the colourful pieces of appliqué.

Waste:

Cluster Name: Amreli-Amreli

Introduction:

History:

Amreli was believed to be called Anumanji during the 534 AD. The name underwent changes over time - to Amlik and then to Amravati and finally to Amerli. The Sanskrit name of the city was Amravalli. It was earlier ruled by the Gaikwad dynasty. The Maratha leader, Damajirao Gaikwad, established military camps at Amreli and Lati in 1742-43 AD. Before his arrival, the land was owned in parts by the Kathis, a few Sayids holding land for the king of Delhi and by the Fozdars of Junagarh. The Kathi rulers of Amreli were well renowned for bringing about progressive changes to the city and imbibing vibrant culture.
Maharaja Sayajirao III ruled Amreli during 1875-1939. His emphatic rule is said have brought great progress to the region. The mandatory and free education policy was adopted in Amreli for the first time during his reign. The city soon came under the British administrative control until 1881 AD. In 1948, post independence; the city became a part of Bombay state.

Geography:

The district has 30,898 Hectares of forest area comprising a wide variety of animal and plant species. Amreli also has a part of Gir Lion Sanctuary, the only abode to Asiatic Lions in the world. Rivers like Shetrunji, Gagdio, Thebi, Dhatarvadi, Shanti, Vadi and Rayadi flow through the district. The region has hot and dry climatic conditions. The topography of the region consists of undulating hills and forests.

The district is geographically divided into five regions:
Coastal: Jafrabad and Rajula
Salt land: Villages of Liliya, Lathi, Amreli, Dhari, Bagasara and Savarkundla talukas.
Gir forest: Khambha, Dhari
Panchal: Babra
Flat and fertile: Amreli, Dhari, Kunkavav, Babra, Lathi, Rajula, Savarkundla.
By Air: Rajkot Airport is the nearest airport to reach Amreli, which is at a distance of 89 kms from the city.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is the Khijadiya Junction Railway Station, which is located at a distance of 22 kms from Amreli.
By Road: Regular bus services from GSRTC are available from Ahmedabad. The distance between Amreli and Ahmedabad is 254 kms. Bus services are also available from neighbouring cities like Gandhinagar and Vadodara of Gujarat and from Jaipur and Udaipur of Rajasthan.

Environment:

Amreli has a tropical wet and dry climate. The summers span the months of March to June, with temperatures peaking to 38 Degrees Celsius. July to October bring relief in the form of monsoons with an average rainfall of 550 mm. The winters are from November to February and night temperatures fall to about 7 Degrees Celsius.
The rivers which flow through the Amreli district are Shetrunji, Thebi, Dhatarwadi, Gagdio, Shantli, Vadi, Rayadi. Canals, bore wells and tanks help in irrigation. Amreli has a mix of red and black soils and also coastal alluvial soil. Major crops grown in this region are groundnut, cotton, sesame, jowar and bajra. Saag (teak), Sadad, Kher, Baheda and Coconut form the commonly seen vegetation.

Infrastructure:

The city of Amreli has the district headquarters. The city has all the major facilities such as major banks, post office, railway station, bus station, colleges, schools and universities.
Amreli has excellent port connectivity due to the Pipavav port, which makes it a strong hub for port and shipbuilding industry. Amreli is also a base for cement, metallurgy and electrical equipment machinery industries. Agro-based industries are also well developed in the district.
It has basic health facilities such as a general hospital, community health centers and primary health centers. The district also has primary and higher secondary schools as well as colleges. A few 'Anganwadi' centers also operate.

Architecture:

The city has modern concrete buildings along with some old construction from the time of Kathiawar kingdom. As the majority of population in the district belongs to semi-nomadic clans, their houses are built with stones and hay ceiling.

Culture:

Amreli is deeply embedded in the Saurashtrian culture, which is of a strong and discerning trader-like sensibilities, velour and joviality. Navratri is a 9 day festival celebrated with much gaiety, food and dancing especially Garba and Dandiya Ras. All the other major festivals celebrated here are: Diwali, Holi, Eid etc.
Due to the dominance of pastoral and semi nomadic communities, the distinct region follows the traditions deeply rooted in agriculture and cattle rearing. The communities have distinct forms of embroidery, jewelry, embellishments and other indigenous crafts.

People:

The people of Amreli speak Gujarati, other than Hindi. Jainism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Islam are the major religions followed here. The common attire of the men of Amreli are Chorno (pyjama with tight bottom and loose top), Kediyan (frilled top), Khes (sheet), Pagadi (turban). The women are mostly seen wearing petticoat, blouse with large sleeves, Odhani or head covering. The following are the major communities in this region:

Kathis: The 'Kathis' belonged to the royal clans who migrated from Kutch to Saurashtra in the 14th century. They were of three 'Shakhats' or royal clans - 'Wala', 'Khuman' and 'Khachar'. The 'Kathi' chivalry is a prominent subject in their 'Bardic' literature. They are concentrated in 'Jetput', 'Bilkha', Wadia', 'Bagasura', 'Chadia', 'Ingola', 'Chalala', 'Babra', 'Chavand' and a number of villages in the 'Amreli' district.

Mochis: They are the members of the traditional shoemaker community and the principal craftsmen of the 'Aari' embroidery. It is believed that they learnt their craft from the Muslim craftsmen who in turn learnt it from the craftsmen of the Mughal era. They were employed by 'Kathi' royalty to prepare embroidered articles for the Kathi brides.

Kanbis: The 'Kanbis' are native to Saurashtra and they are mostly involved in farming and cattle herding. Kanbis of Gujarat are non-vegetarians and consumers of alcoholic drinks such as 'Mahua'.

Ahirs: The 'Ahirs' or 'Ayars' are one of the most ancient peasant communities of Saurashtra. They are divided into eleven sub-groups and are pastoral tribes of cowherds, milk men and cattle breeders. They believe themselves to be the children of Lord Krishna and lived as shepherds in Gokul, Mathura about a thousand years ago. They spread throughout northern and northwestern India. There are four types of 'Ahir' tribes namely 'Prantharia', 'Machhoya', 'Boureecha', & 'Sorathia'. The 'Ahirs' were apparently one of the immigrant tribes from central Asia, who entered India during the early Christian era. They have been for centuries a purely occupational caste, mainly recruited from the indigenous tribes.

Charans: The 'Charan' community was patronized by the 'Kathi' landlords. Their sub-groups are distributed all over Saurashtra - 'Nesai' in 'Gir', 'Parajiya' in 'Halar' and 'Jhalawad', 'Tumbel' in 'Baroda', 'Avarkachcha' in 'Okhamandal'. They are known for their valor, stories of sacrifice and their high literary prowess.

Rabaris: The people of this tribe are found mostly in the coastal area of Surat and the Gir region in Saurashtra. The Rabaris are believed to have come from Afghanistan through Baluchistan. But, some people still believe that they came from Sindh. Rabaris are expert camel breeders, cattle herders and shepherds. They are normally Hindus. A Rabari man commonly appears in the white dress with a white turban on his head or handkerchief of Kathi Ajrakh, a white full Abho, Chorni like charsa, Ajrakh kerchief on shoulders, golden ear-rings and a big stick in one hand and Rabari women normally wear backless blouses with Odhnis. Their reason for wearing mainly black attire is that they are still mourning the death of Lord Krishna.

Satwara: The Satwara women embroider their personal garments like the Ghagra and the Gadahari or head covering. There is no particular method for the composition. The designs contain an attractive array of motifs. The Buttis are very realistic with the foliage looking close to being hand-painted. The color contrasts of a circle within a circle, are reminiscent of peacock feathers. The Buttis are interspersed with animal and bird motifs of elephants with riders, peacocks and parakeets. A lot of Kutchi influence is seen.

Famous For:

Amreli houses many pre-colonial monuments, temples and garden. A person visiting the city should visit Gir Santctuary, Tower of Amreli and Palace of Durbar of Amreli, Gandhi garden, Shri Girdharilal Sangrahalaya Children Museum, Kamnath dam and Mahadev temple.

Gir Wildlife Sanctuary: This region is famous for its lions and lies to the southwest of Gujarat. It was established in 1965 and is a 116 square mile sanctuary, which was created to protect the Asiatic lion species. The forests and the lions have been declared as being 'protected' since the early 1900s by the then Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh.

Port Pipavav: The Pipavav port is located near Amreli. The port has three dry cargo berths and one LPG / liquid cargo berth. It is India's first private sector port and the world's third largest container terminal operating port.

Khodiyar Dam: The dam has been constructed across River Shetrunji. With a height of 75 ft, the Khodiyar dam is the biggest in the Saurashtra region.

Bhurikhiya Hanuman Mandir: It was built to revere Saint Damodardasji who was said to have been given a Darshan by Lord Hanuman during a Chaitra Poornima.  He is held in high esteem and known for his excellent oratory skills of Tulsikrit Ramayan. The temple is visited daily by the locals and is a very famous spot in Amreli. During Chaitra Poornima, the temple is thronged by devotees.

Gallery

Craftsmen

List of craftsmen.

Documentation by:

Team Gaatha

Process Reference:

http://books.google.co.in
http://www.craftofgujarat.com

Cluster Reference: