Spent a day in Hodko and other villages in the Banni tribal area including a visit to Sumrasar and the renowned textile cooperative Kala Raksha. Initially felt a bit awkward about participating in village tourism – walking through people’s neighborhoods and checking out their homes – but overall everyone we met was very warm and welcoming, and it was a real pleasure and privilege to see the stunning wall decorations and charming architecture styles that are used in so many of the villages in this part of Kutch. Very smartly, some of the villages have created heritage hotels like the Shaam-E-Sarhad Village Resort, which gives visitors an opportunity to spend a night or two in a lovely bunga (the traditional hut of Kutch) while at the same time is a sustainable and profitable source of revenue for the community.
