top of page
Trunk Show:
Chai and Chachh (Tea and Buttermilk): Back to the Beginning
June 18, 2022

Kachchh and Kala Cotton

The White Desert (Rann of Kuhchh)

-
Stunning landscapes
-
Rich and vibrant tradition and culture
-
People are warm and hospitable
-
Hotbed of crafts and craft traditions
-
Pastoral and Farming communities
-
Ethnic diversity (migrant communities from Central Asia, Afghanistan, etc.)
-
Very distinctive character
-
Prone to earthquakes

Kuchchh is an ancient land

Roots of indigenous cotton date back to the Indus Valley Civilization
-
Remains of Indus Valley Civilization excavated in the 195os/1960s in Kuchchh
-
Evidence of dyed documented by travelers and explrers on Meditarranean trade routes
-
Kuchchh was once fertile
-
Annual rainfall in Kuchchh is about 350 mm (2013 data)
-
The kala cotton crop depends entirely on this rainfall

-
Kala Cotton is not new
-
It is a type of short-staple cotton native to Asia and Africa
-
But use of indigenous cotton diminished during colonization
-
After the 2001 earthquake, efforts to revive it began (a variety of American cotton was used until then, plus some local genetically modified varieties)
-
It is pest-resistant and rain-fed




bottom of page