Nirona Craft Village

Nirona Craft Village is a small village in Nakhatrana Taluka of Kutch District, Gujarat, located about 40 km from Bhuj. It is renowned as a living craft village preserving three traditional Kutch handicrafts: Rogan painting, copper bell making, and lacquer woodwork. The village is especially famous as the only place where the 300-year-old Rogan painting tradition is practiced by the Khatri family.

Visitors can expect a rural village setting with artisan homes doubling as workshops. You can observe artisans at work creating Rogan paintings with castor-oil based paints, hammering copper bells, and turning lacquer-coated wood on hand lathes. Workshops allow close viewing of techniques, interaction with craftsmen, and opportunity to purchase authentic handmade products directly from makers.

Nirona is known for preserving the 300-year-old Rogan painting tradition, originally of Persian origin, brought to Kutch by the Khatri community. The craft was kept alive by a single family, with Abdul Gafur Khatri receiving the Padma Shri and National Award for reviving and sustaining the art. Copper bell making and lacquer work also have multi-generational histories in the village.

The village is a significant cultural center for Kutch handicrafts, representing three distinct artisan communities - Khatri (Rogan painting), Luhar (copper bells), and Vadha (lacquer work). It showcases living heritage where crafts are passed down within families and plays a key role in Gujarat's rural tourism and handicraft preservation efforts.