Tag Archives: blogging

The “Native Library” in Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

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AN OLD BUILDING stands near the Bhadra Fort in the heart of old Ahmedabad. This is the Himabhai Institute. Its origin dates back to 1849 when Alexander Kinloch Forbes, an administrator in the British East India Company, set up the Gujarati Vernacular Society which aimed at carrying out social reforms, enriching the Gujarati language and its literature, and to promote ‘useful knowledge’.

The Society set up a library in the building now known as the Himabhai Institute. A leading light in establishing the library was the Gujarati poet Dalpatram, a friend of Forbes and his teacher of the Gujarati language.

Dalpatram, whose full name was Dalpatram Dahyabhai Travadi, lived from 1820 to 1898. According to Wikipedia, he:
“… led social reform movements in Ahmedabad, and wrote articles against superstitions, caste restrictions and child marriage. He dealt with the problem of widow remarriage at length in his poem, Vencharitra … In 1885, Dalpatram was made a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire.”

The library, named after the philanthropist Himabhai (Vakhatchand) who lived from 1785 to 1858, is one of Gujarat’s oldest. It contained a valuable collection of books and manuscripts. Today, unfortunately, the place is in a sad condition. The number of people using it has declined considerably. This is to some extent due to the Internet having become a major source of information, and as a consequence people depend less on books than they used to. The Institute has a peaceful rear garden and on the first floor there is a hall that can be used for meetings and other functions.

A preserved historical building, the now melancholic Himabhai Institute was known as the “Native Library” in the nineteenth century.

His sister was a pioneer of the labour movement in India

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A LARGE WHITE MANSION stands in lovely grounds not far from the Sidi Saiyed mosque in central Ahmedabad. If you look carefully, you will see that in various places the outside of the building has cartouches consisting of an A intertwined with an S.

This edifice was a home of the textile magnate and philanthropist Ambalal Sarabhai (1890-1967).

Ambalal’s sister was Anasuya Sarabhai (1885-1972). She became a pioneer and founder of the women’s labour movement in India. Also, she helped Gandhi set up his Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

Initially, Anasuya studied medicine, but gave it up. She was a Jain and dissecting corpses was abhorrent to her. She gave it up, and went to London where, in 1912, she studied at the London School of Economics, where many years later my father became a professor.

In 1914, she organised a textile workers strike in Ahmedabad. No doubt, her brother’s factories would have been affected. In 1917, the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association (Majdoor Mahajan Sangh) was formed and Anasuya was made its lifelong president by Gandhi.

I do not know where Anasuya lived in Ahmedabad, but seeing her brother’s house made me think of her. [It is possible that she resided in Ambalal’s mansion.]

The villa is now the home of the Shanti Sadan institute.

A freedom fighter,  an architect,  and a hotel in Ahmedabad

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MADAM BHIKAJI CAMA (1861-1936) was an Indian freedom fighter. Aa member of the Parsi community,  she is remembered for various activities including unfurling one of  thee earliest versions of a flag of Indian independence  at a socialist Congress in Stuttgart in 1907, several years before Gandhi returned to India to start his struggle to make India independent of the British.

 

 In 1960, Rustom Cama, who was related to Bikhaji Cama,  opened his 26 room luxury Cama Hotel, close to the River Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. With a delightful garden, it was the city’s first hotel offering deluxe accommodation.

 

The hotel was one of the earliest projects of the renowned Indian architect Charles Correa (1930-2015). He designed the hotel in 1958-59. Not too far away from the hotel is the Memorial Museum at Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

 

I have read that  the  Cama Hotel has been modified over the years. So, although it is recognisable modernistic, some of what Correa designed has been changed. We visited the hotel, hoping to drink some coffee. Despite having placed the order, it never arrived, and we left thirsty. Nevertheless,  I was pleased to have entered a building designed by Correa. And I was fascinated by the fact that the hotel was established by a member of Madam Bhikaji Cama’s family.

 

I first became aware of Madam Cama when I was researching my book, “Indian Freedom Fighters in London (1905 – 1910), which is about some Indian revolutionaries, who were active several years before Gandhi came on the scene. [The book is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/INDIAN-FREEDOM-FIGHTERS-LONDON-1905-1910/dp/0244270716 ]

 

A leather belt left outside a Hindu temple in Kutch (Gujarat)

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IN 2018 WE visited Somnath (in Gujarat), where there is a highly revered Hindu temple. Many pilgrims enter the temple. However, before they do so, they must leave anything made of leather in their cars or accommodation. Hindus hold the cow as being sacred. So, nothing made of leather can enter this important temple.

Belt removed before entering the temple

This December (2025), we visited the Puneshwar Shiva Temple near Bhuj in Kutch, Gujarat. As with most holy places in India, one must remove one’s footwear before entering the sanctuary. When we reached the podium on which the ancient (10th or 11th century) temple stands, I spotted a leather belt that someone had respectfully removed before entering the inner chambers of the temple. This reminded me of our visit to Somnath.

Only Ganesh is allowed to completely circumnavigate this Shiva temple

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THE PUNVARESHVAR TEMPLE is one of the oldest surviving Hindu temples in Kutch. It stands beside state highway 42 between Bhuj and Nakhatrana.

 

The temple is built in a style that incorporates elements of both Dravidian and Nagara styles.  It was built sometime around the tenth or eleventh century. During the earthquake of 2001, part of its roof collapsed, leaving part of the temple without a roof. The temple is dedicated to Shiva.

 

The dripping cow head

Built on a stone podium, there is a walkway surrounding the temple. We began walking around it, and stopped to look at a carved cow’s head from which water was dripping. While I was taking a picture of this dripping sculpture, a man approached it, knelt down, let some water drip onto his fingers, and then touched his eyes with the water. He explained that we should not walk all the way around the temple, because only Ganesh, son of Shiva, is permitted to walk the whole way around. Ordinary mortals are supposed to walk up to the dripping cow, put the water in their eyes, and retrace their steps. Then, one can walk around the rest of the temple until one reaches the dripping cow. After applying water to the eyes, one retraces one’s steps.

 

While we were looking at the old temple, a group of ladies dressed in traditional folk costumes  arrived at the temple. Each of them had what looked like a colourful pillow balanced on their heads. These were, in fact,  bundles of clothes.

 

We learned that the ladies had walked through the night from Ratnal, which is 40 miles east of the Puneshwar Shiva Temple. According to Google maps,  this walking journey takes between 13 and a half and 14 hours. We were at the temple at 10 am. The ladies would have set out on their walk early the evening before. Very kindly, they allowed me to take pictures of them.

 

The Punvareshvar Shiva Temple is on the way from Bhuj to the enormous temple complex called Mata no Madh. We visited this popular temple a few years ago. It was overcrowded and highly commercialised. Near the sanctum containing the highly revered deity, I spotted an ATM machine for pilgrims who had not brought enough cash to offer to the deity and the priests who perform the pujas – at very high speed.  The simple, ancient Puneshwar Temple is a peaceful place, where  unlike at Mata no Madh, there is a spiritual atmosphere bathing the environment.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

From Bhuj in Kutch to Wembley in London and back

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THE BHARATIYA SANSKRUTI DARSHAN Museum in Bhuj houses a fascinating collection of artefacts which were collected from all over Kutch by Ramsinhji Kanji Rathod (1907-1997). Amongst these is an amazing collection of various kinds of textiles collected from all over the former Kingdom of Kutch (now part of Gujarat). Rathod also collected clay articles from the Harrapan site of Dholavira long before archaeologists began to take an interest in the area. I could continue by listing many other fascinating exhibits in the museum, but I will concentrate on three of them.

The three exhibits are all paintings by two Kutchi artists from Bhuj: Vadha and Lalmahad Juma. They were painted by 1884 at the latest. One of their creations hangs in Kedlestone Hall in Derbyshire, home of the Curzon family.

Sidi dancers

One of these three paintings in the museum depicts a folk dance being performed by Kutchi Sidis (people of Black African heritage living in India). The other two paintings depict Kutchi weddings.

What fascinated me was that these three paintings were exhibited outside Kutch: in Pune in 1888, and in London’s Wembley in 1925. They travelled over 5000 miles to Wembley to be exhibited in the British Empire Exhibition, which was held in the Empire Stadium between 9 May and 31 October 1925. The stadium later became England’s national football stadium. It was demolished by 2003, and replaced by a new one.

Interesting as this is, there are plenty of other exhibits to stimulate the admiration visitors to this wonderful museum ably curated by our friend Neeta Joshi. Undeservedly, this museum, which rivals many others I have seen in India, is not as well-known as other sights in Bhuj.

The Road Through (or To) Heaven in Kutch (Gujarat,  India)

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THE FIRST TIME we drove from Bhuj to Dholavira,  home of Harappan ruins, the journey via Bhachau and Rapar took about six hours, not including stops for refreshments.  This route runs around the large Lake of The Rann of Kutch. We made this journey in January 2020. Since then, a new road has been built. It reduces the journey to less than three hours.

 

The new road, which runs roughly parallel to India’s border with Pakistan is part of a highway constructed to allow rapid movements of military vehicles. When India is under attack, or at risk from it, the thoroughfare is closed to non-military traffic. To call it a highway is a bit misleading. The new road, NH754K, consists of a single lane of tarmac, which is the width of a large lorry. The tarmac strip is flanked on each side by gravel carriageways that are wide enough for large trucks. When driving along the highway if two vehicles are approaching each other, one needs to swerve off the tarmac onto the gravel carriageway so that the two vehicles do not collide head to head. Many drivers, especially those in huge trucks and fancy SUVs expect cars approaching them to move off the tarmac and onto the gravel which is full of sharp rocks.

 

The new ‘highway’ traverses the Lake of The Rann of Kutch along a recently constructed causeway. This is about 30 km (18.6 miles) in length. It traverses a narrow island about half way along its length.

 

The Road To or Through Heaven

Known variously as ‘Way Through Heaven”, “Road to Heaven”, “Road through Heaven”, etc, the causeway is flanked on both sides by the waters of the vast lake through which it runs. Apart from the frequent swerving to make way for approaching vehicles, driving along the causeway is a magical experience. The shallow waters of the lake reflect the sun in varying ways. Far in the distance, beyond the lake, one can see hills silhouetted against the bright blue sky.

 

The water in the lake derives from the monsoon rains, and remains there until the end of the hot season just prior to the rains. Then, the lake dries out. When the lake is full, it attracts a variety of waterfowl. The most fascinating of these creatures are the huge number of pinkish flamingos. Because the lake is very shallow, many of the flamingos we saw were standing in the water rather than swimming.

 

Apart from its military purpose, the Road to Heaven has made it easier for tourists to visit the ruins at Dholavira. This has brought prosperity to the previously hardly visited island on which the archaeological site is located. On our recent visit in December 2025, we saw that Dholavira had become much more developed for tourism than it was back in 2020, when facilities in the area were rudimentary to say the least.

  For many people today, the journey to Dholavira is being made not primarily because of an interest in archaeology,  but to enjoy the heavenly sensations experienced while crossing the lake on the causeway.  And there is nothing wrong with that: the causeway provides visitors with a wonderfully memorable experience.

Don’t confuse bhunga in Kutch (Gujarat) with  bunga bunga in Italy

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A RONDAVEL IS a traditional African hut found in South Africa.  It is cylindrical and has a conical thatched roof. I first became aware of these in about 1957 when my aunt and uncle took me for a short holiday at Winterton-on-Sea in Norfolk (UK). We stayed at a seaside resort named Hermanus, after the popular holiday spot Hermanus on the coast of the Western Cape of South Africa.  The accommodation at Norfolk’s Hermanus was a set of Rondavels built to resist the inclement North Sea climate. These rondavels continue to accommodate holiday makers today, as we discovered when we visited Winterton-on-Sea in mid-2025.

 

Later on that year, we visited the village of Veryan in Cornwall. This delightful  place has 5 round houses that look like large rondavels. They were constructed in the early nineteenth century.

 

Two bhunga huts in Kutch

In December 2025, we visited Kutch, formerly a kingdom in its own right, but now part of the Indian state of Gujarat.  As we drove through the countryside,  we saw round huts with conical, thatched roofs. They looked just like the rondavels in South Africa.  In Kutch, these rural dwellings are called ‘bhunga’. Like the rondavels in South Africa,  their walls are made with mud. Often colourfully decorated,  the bhungas were designed to withstand the region’s harsh climate and seismic activity. Many of the bhungas one can see house local country folk,  but, just as at Winterton-on-Sea,  bhungas have been built and furnished appropriately to provide picturesque accommodation for tourists.

 

As for their earthquake resistance, a website (www.kaarwan.com/) explained:

“Despite their humble appearance, Kutch Bhungas are remarkably resilient to seismic activity, thanks to their unique construction techniques. The circular shape and low height of the dwellings minimize the impact of earthquakes, while the flexible mud walls and thatched roofs absorb and dissipate vibrations, ensuring the safety of inhabitants during tremors.”

  The idea of building bhunga huts was established after a terrible earthquake hit Kutch in 1819. Thus, to add a note of triviality, the concept of bhunga antedates the so-called bunga bunga parties of which the former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi was so fond.

Tied and dyed in Kutch (Gujarat)

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BANDHANI IS A METHOD of tie-dyeing that is frequently used by textile workers in the Kutch (Kachchh) district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Knots are tied in the piece of material that is to be dyed, and then the knotted fabric is dipped into a vat of dye. The dye colours all of the material except the parts tied within the knots.

 

To go into a bit more detail,  let me try to explain the procedure.  Starting with the ‘raw’ cloth that is usually whitish in colour,  craftworkers gather small amounts of the material using their fingertips,  and tie these small bundles with thread. The bundles are tied according to a predetermined pattern drawn on the cloth.  The tied cloth is then dipped into a dye. When the dyeing is completed and dried, a new set of knots is tied on the already knotted cloth. The cloth is then dipped into a different  coloured dye. A new set of knots is sometimes then tied according to the kind of design that has been planned, and the cloth is then dipped into yet another colour dye.

 

This process of tying and dyeing can be repeated several times. After the several cycles of tying and dying are completed, the cloth is stretched, the knots undo, and a textile with a fascinatingly complex and beautiful pattern is revealed.

 

The bandhani process is complicated and very demanding. Consequently, the bandhani fabrics are quite highly priced.

 

On several visits to Mandvi in Kutch, we have stopped at an old shop where bandhani fabrics are made and sold. Its current owner, Mr Ashraf Katri, always remembers us when we stop at his shop. He told us that the business has been in existence for at least 150 years. That means the present generation of the family working in the establishment is the fourth or fifth since it first opened.

 

On a couple of occasions, Mr Katri has shown us some bandhani cloth that was made over 100 years ago. The patterning on this old cloth is far more intricate and finely detailed than any bandhani produced today. Mr Katri explained that it must have been made by someone with very tiny fingers, possibly a young child, because only someone with such small fingers would have been able to tie the minute knots needed to create such an exquisitely detailed pattern.

 

Although there are many organised tours offered to show tourists craftspeople at work, they are unnecessary if you are prepared to wander around the bazaar areas and small lanes in places like Mandvi and Bhuj.  By doing so you will spot numerous people creating traditional items in their shops, and most of them are happy to let you watch them at work.