This fifth and final chapter of Surabhi Diaries by Suhail Tatari captures Kutch in all its raw beauty—its culture, its crafts, its legends, and its soul, untouched by time yet alive with history.

Kutch, the land of the white desert, remains one of India’s most breathtaking cultural destinations—known for Ajrak, Rogan art, Rabari embroidery, the Wild Ass sanctuary, and the legendary Kalo Dungar. This chapter of Surabhi Diaries beautifully documents its history, syncretic traditions, crafts, landscapes, and memories from the iconic show Surabhi. Featuring museums, artisans, folklore, natural wonders, and unforgettable filming anecdotes, this narrative honours Kutch’s spirit while preserving its legacy for future generations.
Kutch - the land of white sand/desert

Kutch, in the north-west corner of India, is a land like no other. Its proximity to Sindh and its location along the Arabian Sea have shaped it into a cultural confluence for centuries. Known as the land of the white desert, Kutch’s glistening expanse of salt stretches for miles—seeming almost untouched by time and insulated from the rush of modernity. The region remains deeply rooted in its culture, arts, and traditions. Its simplicity is so endearing that one almost feels protective of its innocence.

A local told us that when the country was engulfed in riots, post the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992, the District Magistrate imposed curfew in the Kutch district, as a precautionary measure. The locals came out of their homes in their naivete to see what was the curfew? Such innocence is un imaginable in any other part of the country. Another distinguishing character of the place is its truly secular nature. The Ganga-Jamuna tahzeeb that’s so often quoted as testimony of our syncretic culture, is actually at display more vividly here than anywhere else. The local Ramayan is sung and performed by Muslims singers since ages. The mixed Hindu-Muslim names was another example of it.

One more standout feature of Kutch was that it houses the Indian Wild Ass, locally called ‘Ghudkhar’, is an endangered species and a subspecies of the Asiatic Wild Ass. It is found almost exclusively in the Little Rann of Kutch, making this area critical for its survival. When we reached there in the middle of the hot day, we couldn’t find them anywhere. We were told that they would perhaps be resting and would come out once the sun is a bit low. We envied there position as we had been moving around in the sweltering heat.

Memory, Museums & Time
The museum at Kutch is located at Bhuj. It is the oldest museum of Gujarat which was founded in 1877. It was earlier known as Fergusson Museum. At the time of Maharao Khengarji III's marriage on 19 February 1884, many new items were received and for exhibition of which, a need for new building was necessitated.

This museum has almost a dozen sections. It has the largest existing collection of Kshatrapa inscriptions, dating to the 1st century. The oldest Kshatrapa six inscription-stones are housed there. It also has an example of the extinct Kutchi script and a collection of coins, including the Koris, the local currency of Kutch till 1948. The archaeological section has an Indus seals. Different kinds of stone tablets are available also. The painting showing the different vocations of Kutch are on the display. There is also an excellent section which covers classical and musical instruments like Borrendo (wind instrument), Nagfani and Morchang (string instrument) and many others, which are put on display of the museum. They are a representative of how old the civilization is, as some instruments have a reference in Mohenjo-Daro.

A section of the museum is devoted to tribal cultures, with many examples of ancient artefacts, folk arts and crafts and information about tribal peoples. The museum also has exhibits of embroidery, paintings, arms, musical instruments, sculpture and precious metalwork. Thus, it broadly contains a picture gallery, an anthropological section, archaeological section, textiles, weapons, musical instruments, a shipping section, and even stuffed animals. Filming a museum is as challenge as the subject is static and often enclosed; we shot it with a light fading in and out on artefacts to add movement to the static subject.

Craft, Colour & People
The Rabari weavers of Kutch: Of the many important communities of Kutch are the Rabaris. Considered a nomadic tribe who rear camels they have a unique culture, language and clothing.
Rabari women have remarkable embroidery skills and have captivated the world with their stunning designs and motifs. This is primarily practiced on textiles such as sarees, shawls and garments, making them exquisite pieces of art. Rabari women are often recognised by their striking attire, which includes colourful, mirror embellished garments and elaborate jewellery. They wear silver and gold with thick neck pieces and rings. Their deep eyes enhanced by a thick layer of kohl and sharp features; with long sharp nose and faces is an absolute stand out. What is also very striking is that a section of women wear pure blacks, which stands out against the backdrop of the white sand around them. Apparently they are said to be mourning - some Rabari`s connect black with Shiva, who is regarded as their ancestral protector. In contrast the men wear pure whites.

Ajrak is a traditional handicraft, involving hand block printing with natural dyes on fabric, known for its intricate geometric and floral patterns and vibrant colours. Ajrak is a unique form of textile block-printing found primarily in Sindh, Pakistan. It is however also found in village of Ajrakhpur.

Ajrak textiles like shawls or dresses display special designs and patterns made using block printing with stamps. The cloth is printed using carved wooden blocks and resist-dye techniques, passed down through generations.
Typical Ajrak colour schemes centre on deep indigo and crimson with white and black used to define geometric motifs. Ajrak is usually sold as long unstitched cloth for draping as shawls, dupattas or wraps varying in length and size. Ajrak craft products are made with natural dyes. The entire production of the products includes both vegetable dyes and mineral dyes. Indigo is a key dye. The Ajrak blocks were designed taking inspiration from the Muslim architectural elements that form the 'Mizan' - balance and order.

Kutch’s vibrant arts perhaps compensate for the stark whiteness of its landscape. Metal bells are indispensable in Kutchi life: they hang on doors, cattle, and even goats. The rhythmic chiming of a moving herd is one of the defining sounds of the region. Nirona village is renowned for crafting these bells entirely from scrap metal. The process is mesmerising: the metal is shaped, coated with layers of mud and a mixture of copper, brass, zinc and borax, and then fired in a coal furnace. As the embers dance, the bell hardens. Once cooled, the mud layer is broken off to reveal the oxidised bell beneath—each one unique in tone and texture.

One of Kutch’s most colourful crafts is lacquered woodwork, seen on spoons, ladles, rolling pins and spatulas. The process merges woodworking with lacquer artistry. The wooden object is rotated on a simple lathe, generating heat through friction. Layers of coloured lacquer are applied, one after another, and once set, the artisan uses a sharp tool to carve designs—lines, dots, and geometric patterns—revealing the colours beneath. The glossy, polished finish is both stunning and enduring. I still use pieces I bought from artisans in 1994.
Rogan painting is an art of cloth printing practiced in India and Afghanistan. In this craft, oil paint made from boiled oil and vegetable dyes is put down on fabric using a tulika (stylus).

The origins of Rogan painting span from Patliputra (Bihar) to Bamiyan and Gujarat. According to UNESCO research conducted in 2008, Buddhist Rogan paintings date back to the 5th or 6th century. The process of applying this oil based paint to fabric began with the famous Khatris, going back to six generation of the Narona village in Gujrat. It requires heating of oil paint until it becomes a thick jelly like paste. A colour is mixed with it by hitting it with a stone. This process is not easy and requires years of experience. The jelly like substance cannot be applied directly on the cloth but has to be put on the palm. From hereon he rubs it on the stylus creating energy and making it a bit thinner. Then with the help of the stylus he begins to turn into a design. It’s a free hand drawing and the designers imagination can fly in any direction. In some designs, only one side of the cloth is painted and the other half is folded and pressed on it for a while - as they open it the other side also becomes a replica of the original side. The crafts of Kutch never seize of amaze you.

My Last Safar - The Visit to Kalo Dungar
Kalo Dungar—the Black Hill—is the highest point in Kutch, about 97 kilometres from Bhuj and close to the Indo-Pak border. For the 150th episode of Surabhi, Siddharth Kak chose this stark, majestic vantage point to anchor the segment, joined by the ever-effervescent co-anchor Renuka Shahane. Our writer, Feroz saab, crafted a beautiful couplet for the introduction:
“Sarhad ke paar hum na kabhi ja sake magar, /Shaam-o-sahar parinde idhar se udhar gaye.”

Perched atop the hill is a 400-year-old Khamkhya temple where, according to local lore, jackals come each evening to partake of the prasad. As dusk fell, we waited with quiet anticipation—uncertain whether this was folklore or fact. And then, just as the light softened, they appeared - emerging from the shadows, followed moments later by the temple priest descending with the ritual offering.

It felt surreal, almost otherworldly—one of those rare moments when a story reveals itself exactly as legend promises.
I had always wanted to pay a heartfelt tribute to the great land of Kutch. Despite the many stories I had filmed there, a part of me still longed to capture its true spirit—its sweeping, picturesque landscapes, its quiet mysticism, its warmth and disarming friendliness. Kutch is a land that stays with you, and I wanted our viewers to feel that lingering essence.

So my editor, Dongrej Gor, and I began experimenting with an idea—a story told almost entirely in images. We poured our heart and soul into it, creating a nearly five-minute montage with a hauntingly beautiful background score. I wondered if it could stand on its own, without the crutch of commentary. After much deliberation, we decided to add a few lines and see whether it elevated the piece.
We turned to Ashok Mishra, poet and writer, to help us retain the poetic quality we felt we had managed to achieve. He wrote a line that the Surabhi family still remembers fondly: “Safar dar safar…aata raha nazar”—spoken over a lingering shot of footsteps on the white sand, stretching into eternity.
This story became my final engagement—my last safar—for Surabhi. A television show that shaped me, guided me, and became my mentor for years to come.