GAME- CHECKERS

Checkers set was hand made in collaboration between artisans of two different ethnic communities, embodying one of Kala Raksha's aims: to encourage people to work together for a common goal.

The board is a mini quilt made by artisans who migrated from the Nagar Parker region of Sindh to Kutch, a remote desert region of Western India. Highly skilled in fine geometric suf and kharek style embroidery, women of Nagar Parkar traditionally turn their keen sense of patterning to patchwork once their eyesight begins to wane. Their patchwork quilts, today made to earn a living for their families, have through Kala Raksha become renowned.

The players are miniature dhabak, protective beaded disks, made by the nomadic Rabaris of Kutch. Dhabak, traditionally braided into the hair or attached to caps, cover a child's vulnerable temples. The art is ancient, most probably originating in Central Asia. Today, Rabaris are settling. Earning a living from their embroidery and beadwork skills through Kala Raksha has enabled them to live a more comfortable life.