Shrujan Kutch

About the location: Just past the Bhujodi turn-off, behind the GEB Substation, Shrujan is a non-profit trust working with more than 3000 women embroiderers of nine communities in 114 villages. Shrujan helps the communities design, apply the heritage craft to new products and help them sell it via showrooms, their own shop and exhibitions around the world. Its showroom sells top-class shawls, saris, cushion covers and more. Their other wares are on display at the LCDC Crafts Museum. The workshop, office cum shop lies 10 km east of Bhuj.

Brief History: Shrujan translates to ‘creativity’ from Sanskrit. It is a not-for-profit organisation that works with craftswomen in Kutch to reinvent and revitalise the ancient craft of hand embroidery from the region. In summer of 1969, Kutch was affected by drought for the fourth consecutive year, and the artisans of the region took a great hit on their livelihood. Founder of Shrujan, Chanda Shroff, was part of a relief team that had visited the village of Dhaneti to help run a free kitchen. Shroff was amazed to see that the village women refused to take charity. Shroff saw the underutilised scope of their ancient craft heritage and decided to set up a long-term sustainable project that would give them livelihood. Shrujan was born the same year.