Craftsmen's Village

On the bank of River Sabarmati, there are hundreds of skilled craftsmen relentlessly engaged in crafting wooden printing blocks with unbelievably stunning designs and patterns. Originally called Village Pethapur, this centuries old tradition has helped the place gain the celebrated status of Craftsmen’s Village. Wooden blocks created here for textile printing are in great demand not only within India, but also in Singapore and many other foreign places. Craftsmen’s Village was once also popular for the tying and dyeing practice called Bandhani which would result in gorgeous sarees and other textiles. The practice is still popular and the visitors can buy Bandhani sarees on visit to the village. However, the most astounding aspect of the tour would be to explore the mesmerizing designs of wooden blocks that boast of exclusive motifs. Teak wood collected from Gujarat’s Valsad region is used these blocks. A variety of hand tools like bow, driller and chisels are used to carve different patterns and shapes. Craftsmen residing in the village belong to Gujjar Suthar clan and are happy to share their techniques with the visitors.

October-March