The Story Behind Tharad’s Largest Appliqué Collective

Some traditions survive because they’re preserved. Others survive because someone refuses to let them fade. For years, the intricate art of appliqué in Tharad, Gujarat, was slowly fading away. Families who had practised it for generations could no longer depend on it for a sustainable livelihood. But it was one determined artisan’s journey that changed everything. What began as a search for buyers grew into one of the region’s largest women-led appliqué collectives. It became a movement that creates livelihoods for hundreds of women, preserves tradition, and opens doors that were once out o...