HISTORY OF KURTI The kurti is an upper garment worn with the kanchli.

Kurti is not seen ancient paintings or sculptures and seems to be a modern trend, perhaps , not more than 200 hundred years old. In the earliest paintings, for example, of the Banni Thani of kishangarh, only the kanchli attire was seen. It was possibly under the increasing power and influence of the Mughal rulers that it came to be considered immodest to reveal so much of the upper part of the body of women started wearing a kurti. Amongst the Rajput, a widowed woman rarely wears a kurti. The kurti is usually a sleeveless garment with a deep, horseshoe shaped neckline. Since the neck is expanded, most of the kanchli worn underneath is clearly exposed. Bias bounding is sewn around the armhole, neckline , side plackets and hem , enclosing the raw edges as well as adding colour .Variations in the construction of the kurti exists among different communities . For instance the kurti worn by Bishoni women has a slitted side and a deep neckline that reveals almost all of the kanchli .The kurti has its front open much like a jacket, were the left side has an extension for an overlap over the right part. Piping is added at the edges with a string holding the overlap at the side seam and front is fastened with buttons and loops . The rajput kurti has no centre front opening and is easily slipped over the head.
There are many variations regarding the surface designs of a kurti which includes embroideries like artworks at needle craft such as cross-stitch, phulkari etc.They are further decorated with zardosi works, beads, threads, sequins and machine embroidery. The fabrics used to make kurtis are usually cotton, silk, crepe and georgette. Mirror work, kundan, stones, sequins are most frequently used.

POSHINA Poshina, located at the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat, was conquered by the Vaghela Dynasty in 1634 A.D after the defeat of the Rathodes. The present ruling King is Sri Harendrapal Sinhji who lives at the palace with his wife Rani Kailasha Kumari. The name of the district Poshina is said to mean Poshak-chiniya, inspired from the fact that the tribes of the area were skilled archers and hence it was dangerous for a passer-by to cross through Poshina. The Adivasi and Ghrasia tribes are the local tribes of the area and since more than half the population have always been tribal, there had never been much of a revenue source from taxing the locals. Pastoral people like the Rabaris who keep camels, sheep and goat also inhabit the area. The clothing of the local tribes is very prominent. Women wearing kurti, kanchli and ghagra with an odhni are a common sight. The length of the ghagra is usually short (approximately 5 inches above the ankle) in order to walk and work swiftly. The local women adorn themselves with silver metal jewellery where the striking feature being the borla (matha tika) and bediya or paijeb (heavy anklet). Other than the abovementioned tribes, The Garasia tribe are dispersed throughout the forested regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is said that they originally were chiefs who were driven from their wealth by invaders. During the thirteenth century, many poor Rajput fled to the Vindhya and Aravalli hills where they mixed with the Bhil settlers. In time, the Garasia defeated the Bhil chiefs and their followers, settling near the foothills and in the forests. There they were given land for cultivation as a reward for protecting the people and the area. The name "Garasia" refers to the Rajput and other landholders living in the Gujarat and Rajasthan regions. The women of the tribe love to dress with many silver ornaments. They usually wear black or red blouses with large petticoats. The men are noted for their red or white turbans. Both men and women wear tattoos. Traditionally, the Rajput worshipped their horses, their swords, and the sun. Today, they still practice ethnic religions, but their beliefs have been heavily influenced by Hinduism. Even though they now worship millions of gods and respect holy cows, as do Hindus, they still hold onto their original belief. The inhabitants of Poshina are still regarded as archers and are known to carry weapons such as arrows and daggers. The district houses many blacksmiths who produce their own armoury. This method of casting arrow heads locally and using primitive tools is called Teer Kamta. Apart from bows and arrows, poshina is also known for Terracotta horses which are a popular souvenir for the visiting tourists.

Rabari tribes, now living in Kutch passed the Puskar region on their migration from the north of Rajasthan and may have seen the local earrings there, or rather transferred their main designs to the village people. The nagali earrings of the Kutchi Rabari with their spiral, spring like shape can be considered as the form most closely related to snake. Their attire(clothes),which is different on regional basis,also shows their culture. We can see that in Navratri festival days,urban people try to imitate their attire. The Rabari women are easily distinguished by their long, black headscarves, which fall loosely to the ground. They wear distinctive heavy brass earrings which hang low, stretching the earlobes. They tattoo magical symbols onto their necks, breasts and arms. Their jewelry is modest in comparison to other tribal women. They wear small gold nose ring and silver and gold chains around the neck on which protective amulets are hung. Few simple glass bracelets adorn their arms. In contrast to woman, a Rabari man commonly appears in white dress, golden earrings and a big stick in the hand. They wear dhoti and on the top a short double breasted waist coat (all white) laced over the chest and tied, long sleeves which are gathered up and folded at the arms. The head is covered with 'Paghadi'(Turban). They also do have mass collection of rare folk songs and stories. Rabari women even sing on their loved one's death occasion,which is their tradition. One of the most common thing in their culture is highlighted in their food habit, it is that from wherever they may belong, they consume lots of milk and milk products. Poshina is also quite well-known for its terracotta horses and numerous Jain temples.

The Adivasi and Ghrasia tribes are the local tribes of the area and since more than half the population have always been tribal, there had never been much of a revenue source from taxing the locals. Drives throughout the picturesque countryside will include visits to the remote villages of the Adivasi and Garasia tribals who will also give you archery demonstrations. Members of the Rabari or Rewari live throughout Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India. There are many other Rabari families who also live in Pakistan, especially in the region of Sindh. Rabaris are also known by other names such as Desai, Dewasi, Hiravanshi, Rebari, Rebadi, and Rayka or Raika. Rabaris claim descent from Rajput clans such as the Rathore, Solanki, Bhati, Paramara, Chauhan, Tanwar and Ponwar. James Tod specifically places them as Bhati rajputs descedants of the seventh wife (Bhadra) of the prophet Kirshana.[1] Rabaris do have very rich cultural past and present. They are known for their "Rabari Bharat (Embroidery)" ,especially in Kutch. Embroidery is a vital, living and evolving expression of the crafted textile tradition of the Rabaris. Rabari women diligently do embroidery on textiles as an expression of creativity, aesthetics and identity as far as the tribes collective memory goes. Afternoons are time for embroidery in all Rabari villages when women routinely embroider trousseaus, everyday apparel, dowry bags, bride's ghagro (skirt), kanchali (blouse) and ludi (veil), the groom's kediyan or shirt, children's cradle cloths as well as dowry bags and auspicious torans. Rabari embroidery is very vigorous, with bold shapes. Designs are taken from mythology and from their desert surroundings. They use glass mirrors in various shapes: round, lozenge, rectangular, square, triangular, and beak shaped. The stitches are square chain interlaced with buttonhole for mirror work, single chain, knot, Romanian, blanket interlaced with herringbone, running, and double running. Another interesting aspect of Rabari women is their earrings which is the most abstract form of snake earrings. Women in Puskar, Rajasthan describe a mushroom as snake umbrella, because it comes out after the rains and snakes have the habit of hiding under its hood. The nagali earring is supposed to stand for the double shape of the mushroom.

Gharasia Among the Rajput Garasia, the average land holding is small; therefore, the man of the household is able to do all of the work himself. Maize is the staple food grown by all families. Many also depend on forest produce as a means of support. The people are generally vegetarians and are no longer addicted to alcohol like other Bhil tribes. laborers are needed to live and work among these precious people. Prayer Points

Pray against the demonic spirits that have kept the Rajput Garasia bound for many generations. Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to India and share Christ with the Rajput Garasia Pray for God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession. Ask God to give the Rajput believers boldness to share Christ with their own people. Pray that God will raise up qualified linguists to translate the Bible into Dungri Garasia. Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Rajput toward Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel. Pray that God will begin revealing Himself to them through dreams and visions.

Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Rajput Garasia.