Preserving traditions, one stitch at a time.
Saap Seedi, the age old Snakes & Ladders is believed to have originated in India. Historically, the game teaches morality lessons, where a player's progression up the board represented their life journey aided by virtues (ladders) & complicated by vices (snakes).
The Saap Seedi board game by KalaRaksha is hand embroidered in Patchwork made from Ajrakh fabric. Intricate hand embroideries like Jat, Pakko, Ahir or Rabari, were done by the Kutch women for their own use, their chunnis, ghaghras, bed sheets or wedding trousseaus. But as we race to urbanization, these rich traditions seem to be dying. We risk losing the crafts & the craftisans.
Kala Raksha aims at preserving this rich culture by having the younger generation take it up professionally. The Kala Raksha Vidhyashala started in 2005 to enroll artisans to teach them embroideries & introduce them to contemporary styles & market trends. Atleast 50,000 artisans have been trained & hired so far. They are earning members of their families & communities.
This embroidery is the work of the senior artisans in Kutch. The decades they spend on doing intricate hand embroidery work compromises their eye sight. In order to continue to provide them with income opportunities, KalaRaksha created a range of toys & games.
The leather tokens & wood die embellished with pins are the work of traditional artisans from Kutch. It comes with an embroidered bag.
