Quick facts
- Place
- Saurashtra and Kutch, Gujarat
- Started from
- Village trousseau embroidery, generations old
- Made by
- Rural Gujarati women
- Worn now as
- The gamthi koti over a plain choli
Gamthi meaning
Gam is the Gujarati word for village. Gamthi means village-made, rustic, from the countryside. When people say gamthi about clothes, they mean the bright, hand-embroidered look of rural Saurashtra and Kutch: lots of thread work, mirrors, tassels and bold colours.
Gamthi vs Kutchi work
People often mix up the two words. Kutchi embroidery is the name of a place and its community styles. Gamthi is the name of a look: the folk style of the whole western Gujarat countryside. Kutchi work is the most famous part of it.
A gamthi choli might have Kutchi stitches, Saurashtra patchwork, cowrie shells, pom-poms, or all of them together. If it looks made for a village fair and not a city wedding, it is gamthi.
Gamthi choli and gamthi koti
- Gamthi choli: a short, fitted blouse covered in embroidery, often with a tie-back and tassels. It is worn over a plain or printed chaniya, so the blouse stands out.
- Gamthi koti: a sleeveless embroidered jacket worn over a plain choli. This is the easiest way to get the gamthi look, because one koti goes with many different sets.
- You also see gamthi borders and patches on chaniyas, bags, belts and dupattas.
Why gamthi is perfect for Navratri
Garba started as a village dance, and the gamthi look is the village dressed up for a festival. It is also practical. The embroidery is on a small blouse or jacket, not on a heavy full skirt, so the outfit stays light enough to dance in for nine nights.
How to choose a gamthi piece
Check how dense the work is, and look at the back, as you would with any embroidery. Then think about what you will wear it with. A brightly coloured koti with mirrors goes with a plain chaniya in many colours. That is why we keep kotis and plain sets that match each other at the studio.
Questions people ask
What does gamthi mean?
Gam means village in Gujarati, so gamthi means village-made or rustic. In clothes, it means the bright, hand-embroidered folk look of rural Saurashtra and Kutch: thread work, mirrors, tassels and strong colours.
What is a gamthi koti?
A sleeveless embroidered jacket worn over a plain choli. It is the easiest way to get the gamthi look, because one koti works over many different chaniya sets.
Is a gamthi choli good for Garba?
Yes. The embroidery is on a small blouse or jacket, not on a heavy skirt, so the outfit stays light for nine nights of dancing.
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