Pastoral Jewels of Kachchh

By, Aarati Halbe

This article was first published in the sixth edition of Pastoral Times, published on December 1st, 2019.

The Banni grasslands of Kachchh, once visited, are difficult to forget. An hour into the drive from Bhuj towards the Great Rann of Kachchh, the landscape changes abruptly as the road turns north from a village called Lodai. Thorny scrub gives way to a vast expanse of grassland which is, depending upon the season, often bare and occasionally grassy. The land stretches out on either side of a straight road, punctuated by stretches of an invasive thorny tree called Prosopis juliflora, that has taken on a life of its own. Yet, Banni is a name that remains unfamiliar to many, even as increasing numbers of tourists drive through it and indeed, stay in it when visiting the Rann of Kachchh.

Once the largest sub-tropical grassland in Asia, it has been home to pastoralist communities for over 500 years. Today, over 18 distinct pastoralist communities, collectively called maldharis, maintain a livelihood dependent on their buffalo and cow herds. The maldharis of Banni are Muslims who migrated into Kachchh many generations ago. They claim their closest cultural ties to Sindh, yet the oral histories trace the path over time to present-day Iran. Multiple conversations with elders of different communities reasonably lead to this conclusion (“We came from Halab,” or “Sindh is recent history, we all first came from Arabistan” — an old name for Iran). There are visible links also — embroidery styles, clothing and jewellery from Banni bear similarities to those seen in Afghanistan and Iran, reflecting a gradual migration.

Banni’s extraordinary history is evoked in a variety of ways, depending on who is looking. But if one pays attention to the various strands of coverage, what becomes most striking about the representation of the Banni grasslands in the media, or any wider forum, is the simultaneous presence and absence of its women. There is an abundance of photos of Banni women, but they are all dated — taken sometimes upwards of 15 years ago. As Banni opened its doors to the outside world, it also subtly shifted inward. The women can no longer be photographed, nor can their voices be recorded. Their place in everyday life and their importance to the cycle of work with the animals remains largely invisible. In public spaces, they are primarily represented by their clothing and their embroidery. Their jewellery, while less documented, also tells a story — about tradition, connection and evolving aesthetics.

In Banni, silver predominates — whole gold has a smaller representation in daily wear. Wedding jewellery, however, is mostly gold, and much that a woman wears to signify that she is married is gold as well. Gold is forbidden to be worn by Muslim men, who wear minimal jewellery. (1)

The jewellery worn by women in Banni is distinctive. Most designs are specific to the community that wears them, and each style of ornament has a different name. In some cases, the name of an ornament is common across multiple communities, yet remains distinct in design and also sometimes in use. In other cases, the same type of ornament goes by multiple names and is roughly the same shape with distinctive markings that distinguish different communities.

The photos that follow show jewellery only – the women that wear it are absent, though they helped with each photograph and carefully explained the name and context of each piece.

Earrings worn through the tragus of the ear may be called nasbi by Mutwas or kuki by Dhaneta Jats.

Right: Varlo, as referred to by the Mutwas, or vallo, as the Hingorja community calls them, are wire-wrapped heavy choker necklaces made of silver.
Halepotras call decorative gold wedding necklace as chirmal, while the same necklace is referred to as jarmar by the Mutwas.

Same name across different communities:
The same name will often appear in different communities referring to a piece of jewellery, however, the jewellery in question may or may not be entirely similar in appearance, or in how and where it is worn.

Left: Bunda / Dur Bunda: Earrings made of either silver (which is more common) or gold in a range of designs. Bunda and dur bunda are found in almost all communities in Banni. Right: Nasbis are earrings ranging from large and chunky to small and quite delicate. This name can apply to an earring worn either in the main lower ear piercing by Mutwas, or earrings worn in the tragus of the ear by Raysi and Hingorja communities.

Author bio: Aarati was the coordinator and curatorial anchor for Living Lightly: Journeys with Pastoralists from 2013 to 2016, during which she researched the material culture of pastoralists in Kachchh, among other things. Herds make her happy. She lives in Bangalore.

Reference: 1) Information provided by Jumabhai Raysipotra. Collected and documented by Aarati and Sonal. Location: Ghadiado, Banni, 20/12/2013