Culture of Kutch
Sea, desert, farming and cattle raising are included in Kutch's culture. It also includes people's dress ups, their festivals, their habits and their artistic side.
The clothes worn by Kutchis are more similar to the people of Rajasthan and Sindh. The old style Kutchi clothes really depicts its culture. Villagers here wear 'Cheni'. On 'Cheni', they ware black, yellow and red border thin 'Khes', and on 'Cheni' they wear 'Abho' and put 'Ajrakh' on their shoulders. In old times people (men) used to wear a cap called 'Paagh'. They wear it with different styles. Man without 'Paagh' was considered shameful. If they don't wear 'Cheni', they wear 'Dhoti' made out of thick cloths. Men wear high heel, sharp pointed embroiders shoes. Rabari women wear hot 'Comdi'. Charan women wear 'Dhibdo' that is a blouse fully open from backside. They call Charan women 'Matama' or 'Fui'.
 | Jewelry of Kutch's Jat, Rabari, Aahir and Charan women depict their culture. Aahir women and children wear 'Haydi' whereas Jat women's women wear 'Vadlo' or 'Mkoda Chakkar' around their neck. 'Huldo' is wear by all women of Kutch. |
Muslim women wear artistic ankle bangals called 'Ghunla'. Rabari women's main jewel is 'Akota' that they wear in their nose. It is too heavy and so is supported by a look of hair. Men also wear 'Kadku' in ear.
Many God and Goddess cultural festivals are included in Kutch's life. They believe in 'Mataji's different 'Avatars'. They also worship pirs and Jakkhas. Religion and religious fairs are co-connected in Kutch's culture. One of such fair is at the time of Navratri. Is Navaratri they have fair in Mata's Madh. People come walking for this fair. Among the biggest religious fairs, one is of Jakkha's fair that is the center of Kutch's culture. People from all over the Kutch come here in their traditional dresses.
| They all sing songs in fair in night times. In Hajipir's fair not only Muslims but all kinds of people participates in here. Among other religious fair is Bhujya's fair on the day of Nagpachami. Talvana's Ruknshapir's fair, Dhangadra's Dada Mekan's fair and Ramdevpir's fair near Vongh. |  |
 | Mandvi's Ravadi fair is held on the day of Janamasthami. On the second day they have 'Rathyatra' and at the end of the fair they have a big Rath'. There is one more Ravadi fair of Kharvar. Both of these are famous for Kutch's rural culture. |
People do aerobatics shifts, wrestling , play dandiya raas and other kinds of sports.
On the day before Janmasthmi Dhebaias, Rabaris, Machoya, and Aahir casts' people organized Gokulia Weddings. The atmosphere becomes like a festival. The wedding ceremony is held during 11 to 12 in the morning and is performed by Pandit or the elders of the family. In the afternoon, after the wedding they start celebrating Janamasthmi.
| The groom is dressed up like a king. He wears traditional dress which is embroider and with the embroider sword in his had. |  |
Fishermen in Kutch do not have fairs, since they have to work most of the time in sea; they sing songs of courage and hard work when they leave for their jobs. Their wives farewells their husbands and breaks coconut as a good omen, and asks sea to protect their husbands. Even the Maldharis that are a kind of gypsies can't fix a fair, as they have to move from one place to another. Any guest to their place is time of festival for them. They cook good food for guests, sings, dance and merry whole night.
People in Kutch have different religious, different occupations and different beliefs, but they are one as Kutchis. Through their culture they remain together. Almost all people of Kutch believe in Brahmans and start any new work, on the advice of Brahman. If anyone breaks rule of its community is severely punished. And if injustice happens, they won't hesitate to fight against it. Kutchis can give their lives to fulfil their promise.
Whenever a new village is established or a place is bought for new building, in Kutch, the people so Puja of that land. After the puja only, they start building new buildings. They also do puja by Brahmin when farmers buy new farm or buy cows. In Kutch's culture they also worship and so puja of trees like banyan, pipal, and Tulsi. They also worship cows and snakes.
Almost every part of Kutch, you come across the cremated stones called 'Palia' that are the symbol of bravery of the people around that area. Here they protect women and if any problems or crisis occurs, then they mostly solved with the help of their elders instead of going in court. In many casts of Kutch, cattle are more important than education. There is religion in the base of Kutchi culture. People keep fasts on many religious days and festivals. They also feed cows on such occasions. Many people in Kutch believe in ghosts and supernatural beings. If somebody falls sick without any particular reason then they go to phycic for help.
 | In Kutch we find many places and buildings that are the examples of local cultures and artistry. It includes religious places, forts, God and Goddesses' place, etc. |
In religious places, Lakhpat's Pir Gosh Mahommad's Kuba and Lakhpat's Pir's dargah are the examples of art and it also dipicted in Nakhatrana's Vadi Medi . Lakhpat's fort is also an example of an artistic architecture. Bhuj's Bhjiya Hill's fort is built for the protective reasons. There is also artistic work done in the fort.
In contrast to Dargahs and forts and other religious places, the Sthanks of God and Goddesses' are quiet simple. With these Sthanks wells are also connected. Mata's Madh's architecture is similar to that of well with stairs. Jakkhas' places are built on high hills or on a high terrace and their statues are made along with their horses. In every village of Kutch we find Kuldevi's Deris and that are built for the protection of the village.
| In the West Side of any village resides Hanuman's Deri and out of village we find Vachradada's Sthanaks. At the entrance we find Nagdev's Deri. Among Dargahs, Hajipir's dargah is very famous. Other is Murdapir's Dargah. In old times when Kings died, they used to build their Chatardis. |  |
Kutch's civilizations and their architectures of houses are also very different and artistic. There are basically 3 kinds of habitats. First is Maldharis' habitat; second is farmers' habitat, fishermen's habitat.
Maldharis have huts made out of clay with the help of bamboo. These huts are made in such a way that it keeps it cool in summer and protects it from rain and cold. There huts' ceilings are made out of bamboo and artistically designed. Farmers' architecture is like any little village. They have lanes and their houses on the side of the lanes. They call their houses "Delis". In Banni and farmers' habitat, the architecture of kitchen is almost similar. They are artistic and well defined. Fishermen's habitats have their houses built in sands that they call "Dhango". Kharva, Bhdalas, and Muslims Vadheros resides here.
The main feature of Kutchi culture is tattoo. Kutchi women of Banni, Harijan, Aahir, Rabari, Bhunashli casts have tattoos done on their hands, on the back side of palm, between their eye brows, neck, chest, legs, etc. They tattoo any kinds of shapes and figures.
Another feature of Kutchi culture is its musical instruments. Dhol is a kind of an instrument like drum that has an important place in the culture. They are used for many reasons and in many events like fairs, wars, in announcing a public meeting, etc. There are also instruments that are used in religious songs called Bhjans like Ramsagar, Zaz-Pakhvaj, Manjira and Dholak. Maldharis have their own kinds of musical instruments like Morchang, Nalvadan and Algoza .
| In Kutch the painter is called "Kamangar" and the painting is called "Kamagari". In this type of artistry they paint walls with brushes made out of Khajuri's leaves. Instead of boring life of everyday people here have artistic features in every aspect of their lives like their houses, their clothes and paintings |  |
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