Cutchi Memon Digest February 2015

self-reliant and giving scholarships to male and
female students for pursing their education.
Aijaz Ahmed Sait, has been coach of the Tamil
Nadu basketball team.

The Jamat has also constructed a beautiful Masjid
at their Kabrastan. This Masjid is well maintained.
The dedicated team of young Cutchi Memons
collects funds in the holy month of Ramadan for
distribution to the needy and deserving.

Cutchi Memon Jamat, Dar-es-Salaam

Mosque Street
Dar-es-salaam

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Memon
Masjid Dar-
es-Salaam

Juma Masjid

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A Bird‘s Eye-view of Dar-es-Salaam

Dar-es-Salaam Beach

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Memons, Bohras and Khojas were among the early
visitors in the East African coast. In the middle of
the eighteenth century the first Memons from
Cutch and Bohras of Surat settled in Zanzibar. As
they were small in number, the Bohras later mixed
with the Memons to bury their relatives. The
Bohras were numerous in Mombasa. Though initial
settlers were from Surat and Cambay, the later
arrivals were almost entirely from Kutch. The
Bohras who resided in Lamu had their own
mosque and burial grounds and formed a special
community, since their families usually
accompanied them when they emigrated from
Kutch and Surat. Although they devoted their
energies to commercial enterprise, many of them
were artisans. The other group which settled in
Zanzibar with their families were the Khojas. They
were from Kutch and Kathiawar. The Khojas were
much more assimilated into community life. Since
they came with their families, they became

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numerous in Zanzibar, forming some 10 per cent
of the town's population by 1861, and were mainly
shop-keepers. They chose a large grave site at
Kizingo adjacent to Mnazi Mmoja, whereas Sunni
Memons used a burial site outside the town on the
jail road. The Swahilis called the Indian Muslim
merchants Wahindi Overall at Zanzibar the Arabs,
the Indian Muslims, the Banias represented the
higher and the middle class of the society.
According to the 1873-74 census the total Indian
population was around 3,000 of which Cutchi
Memons were just 41, 80% of the Indian
population being Ismaili Khojas. Apart from trade
other factors like security and climate of the place,
were considered for settlements. Once Sultan
Seyyid Said shifted his seat of government to
Zanzibar and the British consul was appointed. In
the 1840s there was constant influx of Indians to
Zanzibar, as merchants were assured of their lives
and property. This included numerous Cutchi

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Memon immigrants. From Zanzibar they eventually
penetrated to Pemba. Dar es Salaam Memon Jamat
is a unified registered body of Memons residing in
Tanzania mainland. It came into existence in
1970 after being registered with the Registrar of
Societies as a charitable society. The Jamat
comprises mainly of Cutchi Memons (90 %) whose
grandparents first landed on the island of Zanzibar
during the years 1900 and 1910, and later on,
after the 1964 Revolution, migrated to Dar es
Salaam and other nearby towns of the East African
coast viz. Mombasa in Kenya, Mwanza and Tanga
in Tanzania. However after the gross
nationalization following the Arusha Declaration of
1967 a large number of Asians including many
Cutchi Memons migrated to western countries,
specially to the UK.

Dar es Salaam has a Mosque Street with the
Darkhana Jama'at-Khana, Memon Masjid and the

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Ibaddhi Masjid located on the same street. There
is a Memon Masjid in Mwanza.

Cutchi Memon Jamat, Kochi

The first migration of Cutchi Memons to Kochi is
believed to have taken place around 1815. Having
learnt that Cutchi Memons were honest, hard
working and trustworthy businessmen the

Cochin Hanafi Mosque. This mosque, located on Bazar
Road, Mattancherry was built by the Cutchi Memon
community in1815,

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Maharaja of Cochin gave permission to them to
settle down in the state. He wanted them to live
permanently in his kingdom so that it would
become prosperous by means of foreign trade and
commerce. By the end of the 19th century, Cutchi
Memons had accumulated great wealth through
their trading in goods, and were considered

among the leading commercial communities of
Cochin. They became well established. Their
simplicity and ideal life made a good impression
on other communities of cosmopolitan Cochin.

Cutchi Memons of Cochin were organized as a
Jamat from the time Cutchi Memons settled
down. It is well said that men who make history
have no time to write it. Our Jamaths' elders did
not care to leave any records, and so, no records
exist regarding the identities of past Presidents in
the early and middle 19th century. Wherever
Cutchi Memons settled, they united among

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Thaykkavu Masjid

themselves and organized their Jamaths
(Association). Thus, Cutchi Memons of Cochin also
organized the Cutchi Memon Jamath. It must be
proudly mentioned there that the Cutchi Memon
Jamath at Cochin was conducting its affairs
creditably from the time Cutchi Memons settled
down in Cochin. Though the Jamath laws were
unwritten, all members scrupulously followed
certain rules, norms, customs and practices. Also,
those days, the Jamath‘s President, who was

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known as Jamath Sait, was the lone office bearer,
He was respected much, and his rulings were
obeyed by all. His office was hereditary, and the
incumbent held it for life.

Joonus Haji Kummeesa Sait was the Jamat Sait as
well as the Muthavally until the end of the
19th century (Managing Trustee) of the Cutchi
Memon Hanafi Juma Masjid at Bazar Road,
Cochin, popularly known as Old Juma Masjid. It
was constructed by Haji Dhossal Khadwani Sait in
the middle of the 19th century and handed over to
the Cutchi Memon Jamat per the Will Document
No. 2/ 1927. Thus, the President of the Jamat
became the Muthavally of the Masjid as well. His
eldest son, Haji Ismail Joonus Sait (also known as
Haji Abba Sait) succeeded him as the President
of the Jamat and Muthavally of the Masjid. After
his demise, when his son Haji Abdul Rehman Haji
Ismail Sait refused the positions of the Jamat Sait

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and Muthavally of the Masjid, the Jamat members
decided to divide the positions among the two
brothers of the Haji Ismail: the Presidency went to
Haji Salay Mohammed Joonus Sait, and the
Muthavallyship to his younger brother,
AbdullaJoonus Sait. On the demise of Haji Salay
Mohammed Joonus Sait, his son, Haji Yousef Haji
Salay Mohammed Sait succeeded him as the
President and remained in office until 1932. With
the demise of Muthavally Abdulla Joonus Sait, his
son, Haji Thayab Abdulla Sait took office. On his
death, his eldest son, Mohammed Haji Thayab Sait
succeeded him. After his death, his younger
brother, Haji Abdulla Haji Thayab Sait became
Muthavally.

1932 was a terrible year for the Cutchi Memons of
Cochin. During the presidency of Haji Yousef Haji
Salay Mohamed Sait, the Jamat disintegrated on
account of the growing rift between the

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conservative ―pure‖ Cutchi Memons and the so-
called ―Besser Memons‖. The latter, the Besser
Memons were not permitted to attend Jamat
meetings, and some progressive Cutchi
Memons, revolted against this policy. The result
was an aggravation of the differences of opinion,
and increased hostilities. The two groups
separated and the Jamat became like a ship
without a rudder. Thus, the Cutchi Memons of
Cochin had the misfortune to be without a Jamat
for nearly four decades.

In 1943, Khan Saheb Haji Essa Sait, the then
Chairman of the Mattancherry Municipal Council,
tried to restart the Jamat but was not
successful. In 1954, Janab Mohamed Ebrahim
Wadiwala, the President of the Cutchi Memon
Jamat of Bombay, visited Cochin in the company of
Janab A.R. Sulaiman Sait, the then Vice President
of the Cutchi Memon Jamat of Alleppey. They

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made an earnest effort to restart the Jamat with
the assistance of eminent Cutchi Memons of
Cochin such as Haji Usman Mohamed Hasham Sait,
Haji Ismail Abdul Rahiman Sait, Mohammed Jacob
Sait, Ayoob Adam Changhali, Mohammed Kassam
Abdul Sathar Sait, Abdul Rahman Haji Mohamed
Elyas Sait, Haji Joonus Ommer Sait, Ebrahim
Sulaiman Sait, etc. Their efforts were also not
successful due to the rigid attitude of a few.

It is nearly at this time that Janab Haji Ebrahim
Sulaiman Sait, MP, a respected leader of all-India
fame, took part in the All India Cutchi Memon
Conference held at Bombay on April 26 and 27 of
1971. The Conference was noteworthy in that it
had representatives from far away places where
Cutchi Memons are sparsely populated. There was
none to represent Cochin‘s Cutchi Memons,
despite the fact that Cochin boasted the third
largest Cutchi Memon population in India. This

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fact distressed Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait a lot.
Therefore, when he returned to Cochin, he
convened a meeting of prominent Cutchi Memons,
and impressed upon the need for unity and
reconstruction of the Jamat. This resulted in a
circular signed by Haji Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait, MP,
Haji Essa Haji Abdul Sathar Sait, Haji Salay
Mohammed Ebrahim Sait, ex-MP, Haji Joonas Sait,
Haji Abdulla Haji Ahmed Sait, Haji Essack Siddick
Sait, H.E. Abdul Karim Sait, Abdul Rahiman Haji
Joonus Sait, and Jan Mohammed Jaffer Sait for
convening a conference. This was held on June
11, 1971, and an ad-hoc committee was formed
with Haji Joonus Ommer Sait as Chairman and Haji
Abdulla Haji Ahmed Sait as convener. The ad-hoc
committee framed the byelaws, passed them in a
meeting and formed an eleven-member
committee. However, a few people thouht that
this committee had shortcomings, and under the
leadership of M. A. Kareem Sait presented a mass

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memorandum. An urgent meeting of the Jamat
was convened on February 25, 1972 when the
existing committee was dissolved and a new
committee formed. Haji Usman Mohamed Hasham
Sait became President, Haji Mohamed Usman Haji
Hussain Sait the Vice President, Essa Ahmed Sait,
B.A.B.L. the Secretary and Oosman Ahmed Sait the
Joint Secretary. This marked the rebirth of the
Kochi Jamat.

It is said that the golden age is before us, not
behind us. The Jamat hosted the seventh
Managing Council meeting of the All India Cutchi
Memon Federation on February 8 and 9, 1978,
Haroon S. Kably, President of the Federation, also
visited Cochin on June 15, 1978, and addressed
our Jamat. It also hosted the Second All India
Cutchi Memon Trustees‘ Conference convened by
the All India Cutchi Memon Federation on
December 10, 1983. The Jamat provides a means

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of unity for Cutchi Memons of Cochin and keeps in
touch with Cutchi Memon brethren all over India.
The Jamat has taken up a scheme for rendering
financial assistance for marriages of the
community‘s needy and deserving women. A
Medical Aid Fund is set apart each year for
providing free medical aid to the financially
weaker sections of the community. A Cutchi
Memon Zakath Fund was also established with a
view to providing aid and relief to poor members
of the Jamat. With the help

and cooperation of members of the community,
the Jamat hopes to implement many new schemes
to benefit Cutchi Memons of Cochin. The Jamat
provides a means of unity for Cutchi Memons of
Cochin and keeps in touch with Cutchi Memon
brethren all over India. The Jamat has taken up a
scheme for rendering financial assistance for
marriages of the community‘s needy and

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deserving women. A Medical Aid Fund is set
apart each year for providing free medical aid to
the financially weaker sections of the
community. A Cutchi Memon Zakath Fund was
also established with a view to providing aid and
relief to poor members of the Jamat. With the help
and cooperation of members of the community,
the Jamat hopes to implement many new schemes
to benefit Cutchi Memons of Cochin.

CUTCHI MEMON JAMATH OF KOLLAM

Kollam ClockTower

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Though there is no authentic information about
early Cutchi Memon settlers in Quilon, it is
gathered from some elders that, during their initial
years of migration here, they were aware of five or
six Cutchi Memon families settling in this city and
neighboring areas like Nadayara (near Varkala) and
Anjengo, which were then both developing ports.
This was when Raja Kesava Dasa was the Dewan of
Travancore State. He granted them all facilities to
conduct their business of import and export of
rice, coconut products and hill produces. Anjengo
was, at that time, a British colony; the Cutchi
Memon settlers had great contacts with Europeans
who frequented the colony. These Cutchi Memons
were sincere, honest, kind-hearted and deeply
religious, earning them the respect and honor of
other peoples of the area as well as the ruling
Maharajah. Of the early settlers, Juma Ebrahim Sait
was the foremost Cutchi Memon. He settled in
Nadayara, and had a flourishing business. He was
in close contact with the royal family during the
reigns of Maharajahs Ayilyam Thirunal and

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Juma Masjid, Nadayara
Visakham Tirunal of Travancore State. He was
honoured and held in high esteem by the royal
family for his honesty, integrity and sincerity in
business, and was awarded the "Veera Sringhala",
the highest honor at that time in the state. He was
delegated with the construction of the tunnels at
Varkala and he brought skilled workers from North
India to assist him. The state also gave him the

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monopoly of collecting "sangu" (conch) from the
sea coast of the state, and for its export. He was
also a recognized and solitary gold dealer
("shroff") in the state. The state also gave him the
monopoly of shipping trade including stevedoring
of ships. His three sons assisted him, and their
business flourished so much that they were able to
buy properties at Poovar, Thengapattanam,
Kanyakumari, Nadayara, Anjengo (Anju Tengu),
Manavalakurichi, etc. The royal family was so
enamoured of the family that on Eid and other
Islamic festivals it sent its decorated royal horse-
drawn carriages from Thiruvananthapuram to the
family home at Nadayara for pleasure trips.
Another family that settled in Quilon and made a
name for itself was that of Jacob Khameesa Sait;
although, his father, Khameesa Sait and
grandfather, Jaffer Sait, came to Quilon about the
early 19th century, very little is known of their
activities. Jacob Khameesa Sait was engaged in the

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business of copra, coir and hill produces. He
established the first cashew nut processing factory
at Thamarakulam in Quilon. He purchased one
thousand acres of land in the hill areas of Puthur
and Kottarakkara, a few kilometers east of Quilon
for the purpose of mining mica, which he also
exported. His business enterprises flourished,
and he became a well-known personality. He was
a great philanthropist, and greatly hospitable. He
was fond of hosting, and was eager that all Cutchi
Memons from Cochin or Alleppey on their way to
Trivandrum and back should stay with him for a
while. For this purpose, he constructed a guest
house adjacent to his residence, and personally
looked after his guests. He was religious and God-
fearing, and Muslims of the area chose him to be
the Muthavally of a few Masjids in Quilon. A little
before his demise in 1325 AH, he started
construction of a market known as Big Bazaar in
the heart of Quilon; his son completed his work.

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Another famous family of Quilon was that of Karo
Essack Sait. He started a business enterprise in
Quilon, and his four sons developed it. They dealt
with allopathic medicines, stationery goods,
hardware items, etc. and became affluent.

Yet another family was that of Adam Sait of
Arattupuzha, who married a daughter of Karo
Essack Sait (mentioned above), and moved to
settle in Quilon. Adam Sait's son, Ayoob Adam
Sait established business ventures dealing in
cotton yarn, agencies of cotton mills, and
stationery goods. His only brother, Joonas Adam
Sait helped him in the business. Ayoob Adam Sait
was a self-made man, and due to his hard work,
earned much wealth. He was a social activist,
andbecame the Vice-Chairman of the Quilon
Municipal Council. He was nominated to the
Legislative Council of the then Travancore State to
represent the commerce constituency, and

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remained in that position for six years.

During the formative years of Cutchi Memon
settlement in Quilon, we have no idea whether or
not a Jamath existed. This much we know that the
affluent, prominent and generous among Cutchi
Memons in Quilon looked after the social and
economic needs of all families, and fostered a
sense of unity among all by themselves being
involved in their affairs, by personally attending all
gatherings of happiness or sorrow, and guiding
others when needed. They commanded much
love, honor and respect, and those in the lower
strata of society felt secure, and gladly accepted
their decisions. Later, when Cutchi Memon
population flourished in Quilon, a Jamath was
formed by about the middle of this century. A
committee was formed, bye-laws were written,
and a democratic functioning started. J.
Abdulkader Sait was elected as the first President,

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Somewhere down the line, the Jamat became
dysfunctional and apparently continues to be so.

Cutchi Memon Jamat, Nilgiris

The Nilgiri (Blue Mountains), often referred to as
the Nilgiri Hills or as Nilgiris, are a range of
mountains with at least 24 peaks above
2,000 meters in the westernmost part of Tamil
Nadu at the junction of Karnataka and
Kerala states in Southern India. They are part of
the larger Western Ghats mountain chain making
up the southwestern edge of the Deccan
Plateau. In 1819, John Sullivan, the British
Collector of Coimbatore, set out to explore the
Nilgiris after obtaining an order from the British
East India Company charging him to investigate
the "origin of the fabulous tales that are circulated
concerning the Blue Mountains to verify their

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Ooty Rose Garden

authenticity and to send a report to the
authorities. With a detachment of Europeans and
Indian sepoys, he set out on his mission on
January 2, 1819. The journey involved crossing
rough and harsh terrain, steep precipices and
danger from wild animals. After an expedition that
lasted for six days and loss of the lives of some of
the expedition members, Sullivan finally reached a

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plateau from where he proudly hoisted the British
flag. This is believed to have been the hill station
of Ootacamund or abbreviated as Ooty, now
known as Udhagamandalam. Sullivan found a
striking similarity between Ooty and his own
native England. He advised the government that
Ooty, with its salubrious climate, could be used as
a sanatorium for British troops stationed at
Madras. The government accepted his proposal,
and Ooty came to be developed as a major hill
station.

By the early 1820s, the hills were developed
rapidly because most of the land was by then
privately owned by British citizens. It was a
popular summer and weekend getaway for the
British during the colonial days. In 1827 Ooty
became the official sanatorium and the summer
capital of the Madras Presidency. Many winding
hill roads were built. In 1899, The Nilgiri Mountain

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Railway was completed by influential and
enterprising British citizens with venture capital
from the Madras government. In 1830, Major
Kelso, Commandant of the cantonment in the
Nilgiris, invited Indian merchants to start
businesses in the Nilgiris.

The Cutchi Memon Jamath of the Nilgiris
comprises of Ootacamund, Coonoor, Kotagiri,
Mettupalayam, Coimbatore and Gudalur.

Among the early Cutchi Memon settlers in the
Nilgiris were Mr. Cawdeer Sait, Moosa Sait, Aboo
Sait and Gul Mohamed Sait. Moosa Sait's family
donated the land for the Jumma Masjid at Ooty,
and the land for the burial ground near the Ooty
Lake. His family now exists in the person of Mr.
Iqbal Sait who lives in Ooty. Gul Mohamed Sait had
his business in Ooty on land later purchased by
Hajee Fakeer Mohamed Sait's family and where the
present Hajee Fakeer Mohamed Sait's Memorial

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Hospital now stands. Cawdeer Sait also owned
property in Ooty but records are not available to
substantiate this fact. During the period 1840 to
1845, a few families migrated from Cutch and
settled in the Nilgiris. Hajee Fakeer Mohamed
Sait's family, Ahmed Saleh Mohammed Sait Mianji,
Yousuf Tar Mohammed Sait also known as Patel,
Abdul Rehman Veersani, Aboo Sait, Abdul Rehman
Moosa Said and Siddique Ismail Sait were the early
settlers who started business ventures. Hajee
Fakeer Mohammed Sait came to the Nilgiris with
his two sons Abdul Rehman Sait and Mohammed
Usman Sait and started his business. They were
among the pioneer planters of the Nilgiris. They
started coffee and tea plantations on lands given
to them by the British.

Abdul Rehman Sait together with his sons started
the family business under the name of A.R. Hajee
Fakeer Mohamed Sait and Sons, which acquired

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many properties. Their business enterprise
extended form Calcutta in the East to Tuticorin in
the South. This philanthropic family also
established family trusts to perpetuate the
memory of their elders.

Mohamed Hashim Sait son of Abdul Rehman Sait,
built the Hajee Fakeer Mohammed Sait Memorial
Hospital, in the year 1948. He also created family
trusts, namely Hajee Mohamed Cassim Sait's Poor
Women Charity for the benefit of poor and
destitute women, Hajee Fakeer Mohamed Sait
School Charity, Adam and Abdullah Sait's
Maternity Hospital Charity, Khan Bahadur Hajee
Abdul Rehman Sait‘s Dispensary Charity, etc. Their
old family residence in the Main Bazar near the
Jum‘a Masjid was donated to the Nilgiri Jamat, and
is now known as Mohammed Hashim Sait's Cutchi
Memon Jamat Khana. Abdul Rehman Sait and
Abdul Rahim Sait were conferred the title of Khan

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Bahadur in the year 1902 and 1948 respectively by
the British government for their
philanthropy. Khan Bahadur Hajee Abdul Rahim
Sait was also a Hafiz of Qur‘an, meaning a person
who had memorized the entire Holy Quran. Ahmed
Saleh Mohamed Sait, also known as Mianji Sait,
came and settled in the Nilgiris with his six
sons. He died in 1871. One of his sons, Siddique
Hajee Ahmed Mohamed Sait expired at a ripe old
age of 104 in 1932. He started his family firms,
Mianji Sait & Company and Siddique Mianji Sait &
Sons. In this family, the title of Khan Bahadur was
conferred on Siddique Ismail Sait. He was a
Councillor in the Ootacamund Municipality in
1937. His son, Abdullah Sait was the Vice
Chairman of the Coonoor Municipality in the
1960s. Hajee Jaffer A.R. Mianji was also a
Councillor, and was one of those instrumental in
introducing boating in the Ooty Lake. This family

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has also created charitable trust in memory of its
elders.

Yusuff Tar Mohamed Sait‘s family, also known as
Patels, owned property and various business
enterprises in the Nilgiris. Other settlers, such as
Abdul Rehman Sait, Abdul Rehman Sait Veersani,
Aboo Sait, Ibrahim Moosa Sait, Siddique Ismail Sait
were also known businessmen. They and their
family members contributed their mite for the
welfare of the Jamat, and donated properties for
the Jum‘a Masjid. Most of these elders served in
War and Peace Committees, and many were
appointed to the posts of ―Honorary Magistrate‖.

The Cutchi Memons of Nilgiris have always
recognized a member of the Hajee Fakeer
Mohamed‘s family as their Jamat President. When
chosen, the President served for life. Hajee Fakeer
Mohamed Sait was the first President of the Jamat

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until his death in 1891. His son, Abdul Rehman
Sait succeeded him, and was President until his
death in 1919. His son, Mohamed Hashim Sait
was the President until 1953, and on his demise,
Khan Bahadur Hajee Mohamed Abdul Rahim Sait
was appointed President. He held office from
1953 to 1979. In 1979, Hajee Yoonus Cassim Sait
was elected and appointed Life President.

The present generation of Cutchi Memons of the
Nilgiris are very enterprising. Cutchi Memons here
are educated, and have become lawyers, doctors,
engineers, and have held MBAs and other
professional degrees. There are about 160
families in the Nilgiri Jamat. Most of the families
are businessmen, following the tradition of their
elders.

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Tid Bits

Cutchi Currency
The KORI
Cutch had its own coinage from 1778, the time
East India Company had a strong presence in
Cutch, during the reign of Rayadhanji II S/o
Gohodaji II (2nd time; 1801 - 1813). The Cutchi
currency was the KORI. Its smallest fraction was a
Babukiya being 1/96th part of one Kori. The
coinage in between had been in multiples of 2.
Thus,
1 Kori = 2 Adhio = 4 Payalo = 8 Dhabu = 16
Dhinglo = 24 Dokda = 48 Trambiyo = 96
Babukiya.

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The following is the first known coin. It was
minted in Bhuj apparently in 1778 and script
used on both sides is Sindhi in modified Arabic.
From 1867 onwards Devanagari script was used in
the obverse side. By that time India was already
part of British Empire under Victoria I. The coins
thereafter had reference to the British Monarchs
from time to time. It is noteworthy that the coins
of other Princely States in India such as Travancore
did not engrave any reference to the British
Monarchy on their coins. Here is the Trambiyo -
copper coin (Trambo = copper)

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Another copper coin of the time the Dokado -1/24 Kori
(Three Dokda coin) and five Kori silver coins with
inscriptions "Victoria Qaiser-e-Hind (Empress of
India) possibly because designer at the mint did not know
Sindhi. Dates in the obverse side are in Vikram Samvat
(1937) 56 years ahead of Christian Era (1881).

Another noticeable change is the inclusion of a
crescent beside the Trisul, indicative of religious
harmony that existed in Cutch for centuries. Note

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also that until States Reorganization on linguistic
basis in 1960, Gujarati was not officially used in
Cutch. It was all along Cutchi written in
Devanagari or Urdu/Sindhi scripts, though Gujarati
was used in the commercial field. Coins minted
until 1948 carried the inscription of the British
Monarchs, George V and George VI following
Victoria. Copper Coins of half Kori and below with
a central hole were introduced in 1943. Minting of
Cutchi coins was discontinued since 1950 and
withdrawn from circulation by 1956.

The Bandhini

A well known traditional fabric of Cutch is the
make bandhini sarees, misr (head scarf) etc.
bandhini a meticulously designed tie and dye
fabric. A Cutchi woman would feel incomplete
without a bandhini oufit. It is an old tradition to
The art of Bandhani is highly skilled process. The
technique involves dyeing a fabric which is tied

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Bandani -Traditional Dress material of Cutch

Missar (Misr)

tightly with a thread at several points, thus
producing a variety of patterns. The main colours
used in Bandhani are yellow, red,blue, green and
black. Bandhani work, after the processing is over,
results into a variety of symbols including, dots,

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squares, waves and strips. The main colours used

in Bandhani are natural.. All colours in ba ndhani

are dark as no light colour is used. The

background is mostly in black / red cloth.A meter

length of cloth can have thousands of tiny knots

known as "Bheendi" in Cutchi language. Four

bheendis make one as a "Kadi". The knots form a

design once opened after dyeing. Traditionally, the

final products can be classified into "Khombhi",

"Ghar Chola", "Patori", "Chandrokhani" etc. In

Bandhani, different colors convey different

meanings. While red (Suhagadi) represents a bride,

a yellow background (Satbandeli) suggests that a

lady has become a mother recently. The Bandhini

work has been carried out by the Khatri

community of Cutch. Bhuj and Mandvi of Kutch

District are well known for the finest quality of

bandhani. The history of dyeing can be dated back

to pre-historic times, say around 3000 BC. This

art and the beautiful printed

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cottons of India are mentioned in the texts of
Alexander the Great's time . Tradition has it that
the first Bandhani saree was worn at the time of
Bana Bhatt`s Harshacharita in a royal marriage. It
is believed that wearing a Bandhani saree can
bring good luck to a bride. Ajanta walls stand
evidence for these Bandhani sarees. Khombi and
Patori were essential parts of the Cutchi female
costume. Odhnis (Munalmo), sarees and turbans in
Bandhani.of Cutch are famous. Different
communities have for ages followed the tradition
on tying turbans with different patterns of
bandhani on their heads. These were used to
identify the community the person belonged to.

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Bandhani came to Kachchh when members of the
Khatri community migrated from Sindh. in the
12th century AD. Bandhani tie and dye became a
staple local source of income with the export of
bandhani to Europe via the English East India
Company in the 18th century. Much like the local
block printers, bandhani artisans used local,
natural resources like madder and pomegranate to
dye their cloth in a brilliant range of hues. The
technique of tightly winding a thread around a
section of cloth, dyeing it, and then removing the
thread to reveal a circular resist motif has
remained the same since bandhani was first
practiced. However, with the economic crisis of
post 1956 earthquake khatris were forced to
change over to cheaper artificial dyes. Even so
quality bandhani fabrics still use natural dyes.

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The Bandhani fabric is sold with the points still
tied and the size and intricacy of the design varies
according to the region and demand. Knots are
removed at the time of first use and the fabric is
ironed or straightened by hand.

Panjo Cutchi Rasodo

In this issue we present four varieties of Kutchi Khichdis, in
Kutchi language in the words of a genuine Kutchi Chef
(together with an English translation).

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Khichdi as such is a very generic name. The Gujarati khichdi
is quite soft. The khichdi made in Bengaluru is very dry and
every grain of rice is separate. We call this texture of rice as
pharara. You must be able to hear every grain of rice fall in
the plate. The Hyderabadi khicdi is between the two. Neither
too soft nor too dry.

PAANJI KUTCHI KHECHDI
Kutchi Khechdi nande chokre thi kare vade maadu
je tabiyat la kare saari aay.

Bhanayla Kare :
3/4 vaadko Chalti(split moong daar with skin)
1/4 vaadko Chokha(rice)
4 vaadka Paani
Meetho swaad anusaar
Chapti Hing

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1 chamcho desi ghee(1 tbsp)

Bhanaayji reet :
Pela chokha ne chalti bhega kare paani se 6-7
waar dhuteja . Hekde madhyam size je tapele me
chokha-chalti, paani, meetho, hing vajikare cooker
me 4-5 whistles vajaay bandh kare vajejo. Thodi
waar thadhi thiye poy cooker khole ne khechdi me
ghee vaji halaayjo.

Paanji traditional Kutchi Khechdiji maja ganeji.
Kutchi Khechdi bhego dahi/kadhi/vaghaarela
marchaa/papad/ garam doodh /athaanu /
kaando/ raswaaro saak khaai sako.Variation la
kare masala khechdi banaay sako.

CUTCHI KHECHDI (KHICHDI)

Kutchi Khechdi is good for the health of young
children to grown ups.

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To make
3/4 cups split green gram with skin (Chalti)
1/4 cup rice
4 cups water
Salt to taste
A pinch of asafetida
1 tbl spoon ghee

Method of Making
First mix Chalti and rice and wash with water 6-7
times. Place Chalti, rice, water and salt in
a medium sized pressure cooker and after 4-5
whistles turn off flame. After cooling for a
while open the cooker and put the ghee and stir
well.

Enjoy our traditional kutchi Khechdi. Kutchi
khechdi can taken with curds, kadhi, fried chillies,
papad, hot milk, pickles, onion, or juicy

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vegetables. For the sake of variety we can make
Masala Khechdi.

MILD MASALA KHECHDI
1/3 vaadko chokha
1/3 vaadko mong daar (vagar chalti—without skin
—yellow moongdaal)
2 1/2 vaadka paani
1 kaando(chopped)
2 tbsp singdana(peanuts)
1/2 tsp haldi (haidar)
1 tsp meetho
1/2 tsp lal mercha powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Waghaarela kare:
1 tbsp tel
1 tsp jeero
3 ellaichi(adadhihi kareli)
1/2′ taj tukdo

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3-4 mari ja dana
1 tejpatta
2-3 laving
2 soki lal marchi adhadhi kareli
chapti hing

Banaayji reet :
Chokha ne daar 4-5 waar paani se dhooteja .2 1/2
vaadka paani vaji pase me rakhejo. Pressure
cooker me tel vajejo.Tel garam thiye ta jeero,
ellaichi, taj, tejpatta, mari ja dana,laving,lal
mercha, hing vajeja. singdana vajeja.Haane
kaando, hydar, lal marcha powder, garam masala
powder ne meetho vajejo. 5 minute poy chokha-
mong daar paani bhego vajejo.. Cooker bandh
kare 3-4 whistle vajaay bandh karejo.

Mild Masala Khechdi taiyaar. Mild Masala Khechdi
bhego dahi, athaanu pun khaai sako.

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Tip: Mild Masala Khechdi me byaa saak pan vaji sako.(Gajar,
Phansi, Kobi, Cauliflower,Vatana ).

MILD MASALA KHECHDI

2/3 cup rice
1/3 cup yellow moongdaal, without skin
2 1/2 cups water
1 Onion(chopped)
2 tbsp peanuts
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder

For seasoning:
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp jeera (cumin seed)
3 cardamoms, broken into two
1/2′‘ cinnamon piece
3-4 pepper seeds
1 tejpatta

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2-3 cloves
2 dry red chilli, broken into two
A pinch asafoetida

Method of making
Wash rice and dhall 4-5 times in water. Pour 2 1/2
cups of water and keep aside. Put oil in the
Pressure cooker. When oil becomes hot put jeera,
cardmom, cinnmon, tej patta,pepper, cloves, red
chilies, asafoetida.Add pea nuts. Now add Onion,
turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder
and salt.A fter 5 minutes add rice, dhall with
water. Close the cooker. After 3-4 whistles put out
the flame. Mild Masala Khechdi is ready. Mild
Masala Khechdi can be eaten with curd and pickles
Tip: Other vegetables can also be added in Mild
Masala Khechdi ( Eg: Carrot, beetroot, cabbage,
cauliflower, green peas

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SPICY MASALA KHECHDI

1 vaadko chokha
1/2 vaadko tuvar daar
3 vaadka paani
4 tbsp tel
2 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp jeero
1″ taj jo tokdo
chapti hing
2 tbsp kaccha singdana
1/4 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp kaari mari powder
1/4 tsp laving powder
1 madhyam kaando chopped
4 kadi lasan sliced (lasan = garlic; kadi=cloves)
leela marcha slit swaad anusaar
(Leela = Green, Swaad = Sawad=taste)
1 tsp piselo aadu (ground ginger)
1 madhyam batato (potato) diced

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1 madhyam gajar (carrot, diced)
1 madhyam beetroom (diced)
2 or 3 nilo beans
1/2 vaadko leela vatana (green peas)
Meetho swaad anusaar
Lal marcha powder swaad anusaar

Banaayji Reet:
Chokha-Tuvar daar bhegi kare 5-6 waar dhuteji.3
vaadka pani vaji baaju (side) me rakheji. Pressure
cooker me tel ne ghee bhego kare garam thiye ter
jeero vajejo. Haane taj jo tokdo ne singdana vajeja.
Light brown thiye ter haldi, lavin powder, hing,
mari jo powder vajejo. Haane kaando vajejo.
Hekdo minute poy aadu, lasan, leela marcha vaji
hekdo minute saat dejo (saut). Haane potatoes,
leela vatana, gajar, beans, beetroot,meetho, lal
marcho vajejo. Made (All) mix karene chokha-daar
paani bhego vajeji. meetho, lal marcho check kare
ganejo. Hekdo whistle vajaay cooker bhandh kare

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