Handicrafts

Mandvi’s market area is excellent for buying embroidery, patchwork, bandhini, block printed fabrics, pottery, metalwork, silver jewellery, stone crafts, wood carvings, mashru fabrics, handloom-woven rugs, shawls and other handicrafts of the Kutch district. In Mandvi, you can see the production of the following crafts:

Mandvi is the hub for dhows built along the creeks. Near the creek is a former captain, Shivji Buda Fotindi, who is an expert in the art of boat model making. He builds boat models ranging in size from palm sized fishing trawlers to 10 – foot models of multi-ton dhows, used as references by boat building artisans. At his workshop, you can see several boats and get much information about the maritime history and dhow building activities of Mandvi. Collectors may be able to buy or commission ship models at the workshop.

Some of the wood artisans of Kutch also make toy boats based on the design of the dhows and fishing boats made in Mandvi.

Shree Vivekanand Research & Training Institute is promoting the wax-resist dyeing technique to produce batik fabrics. They have stitching facilities at their centre which uses batik and Kutch embroideries in making garments like shirts and kurtis that are sold in their centre.

The villages of Kutch are known for the intricate embroidery of various communities, each of which has its own style. You can visit many villages like Tunda Vandh on day excursions from Mandvi to see embroidery of Rabaris, Ahirs and other groups.