Rabari
Dense mirror work in bold geometry, set against white and vivid colour.
Known locally as shisha or abhla bharat, mirror work is one of Kutch's most dazzling crafts — embroidery that embeds small mirrors into fabric and frames each with intricate stitching.
For more than three hundred years it has been worked by the women of many communities — Rabari, Ahir, Mutwa, Sodha Rajput and more — each with its own patterns and palettes. Before glass, artisans used pieces of natural mica. Beyond its beauty, the craft is practical and protective: the mirrors scatter the desert heat and are believed to turn away the evil eye.
A single densely worked bridal blouse can take two to three months of stitching to finish.
