In a span of 3 days I have spoken to 2 extraordinary women whose heart lives in the rural heartland of my country. When they go to the villages they go for weeks & months on end & live with the villagers in their homes. I cannot tell you how inspired I am when I hear them speak (posts coming up soon!) For a city dweller like me, staying in hotels and visiting different parts India for a week or 2 feels adventurous. But to live with the villagers in their way for months on end, takes a clarity, conviction and purpose of a higher order. As my mind is full of their stories, I'm thinking of my trip to Kutch & the beautiful embroidery from the villages there. Sharing with you some of the bountiful workmanship and colour from Bhuj.

Kutchi embroidery is a vast collection of different kinds of artistry, with varying degrees of intricacy.

Do click on the picture to see a larger version. I felt really bad clubbing all of them into one, but I just had too many images to paste here individually.

As we sat looking at the work that was shown to us, it was impossible not to notice the quiet dignity and grace of the woman who was taking us through most of it. She didn't know English or Hindi, but her confidence and stature was unmistable. In the small house among other knickknacks, was a picture of her receiving an award from the President of India. She didn't feel the need to draw our attention to it, she just showed us the work.