Crafts Of Chhota Udepur

Maatikaam

The Dhanak Adivasi of Chhota Udepur, Gujarat have an indigenous way of making non-stick terracotta cookware which are sold in the weekly haats and purchased by the locals. The uniqueness about these utensils is that they are made with the local clay, first sun dried, then burnished with application of geru paste and coated immediately with lac while they are taken out of the furnace.

Vanatkaam

‘Kasota’ weaving is a specialized skill mastered by the weaving community of Chhota Udepur but is dying slowly due to decreased demand. It is technically a ‘langot’ or loincloth woven for Rathwa tribal males. The clothes are woven in basic colour and simple patterns. The loincloth is a single foot wide and more than 2 feet long. However, they also adapted to making stoles, dining table runners and napkins.

Motibharat

Rathwa and other tribes women make necklaces of different types of beads: ellipse beads( Lamgod manka), circular small beads (Kidiya), big circular colored beads (Motiya). Bead work is a very traditional old craft of india. which is practiced for a long time. The beads used are translucent or transparent and they are of different shaped and sizes.

Vaskaam

Indegenous people are particularly renowned for their basketry. Harijans are one of the people who are keeping vaskaam alive in the rathwa tribe. This is one of the most traditional crafts performed by mankind. The type of basketry they do is twining basketry. also flute are made by Rathwa Tribes from bamboo.