People in the Streets of Kutch, India

When the first thing you notice about a place, especially in my case, is not the light, the colour or the architecture, but the kindness of the people around, is when you know you have reached somewhere truly special. This is what happened in Kutch.

Although every sunrise in Kutch was more magical than the last. The colour—a perfect blend of a desaturated earthy hue and the architecture as mesmerising as it was unique. It was the people of Gujarat who instantly stole my heart. Perhaps the trip being a reunion with my childhood friends from twenty years had put me in a good mood, or the fact that I was shooting a story for Gucci which had me feeling elated, or I resign to the certainty that the people here were responsible for filling me up with more positivity than ever.

We visited a small village called Bhujodi...

on our first day in Kutch, after shooting the editorial at sunrise. In the village, I was amazed to see beautiful houses in every hue imaginable. Each corner was a source of inspiration and each lane, to me, was an aesthetic escape, far away from anything I had seen in India till date.

The people in Kutch were extremely...

hardworking, skilled and artistic. Many of them have been carrying on their shoulders. The responsibility of keeping alive the traditional art and craft of their forefathers. They had immense knowledge about their art and a desire to educate the world about it. They spoke freely about their day, their business and their craft, perhaps used to tourists gawking into their homes awe-struck. But they did so welcomingly and with kindness, respecting us as guests in their home but never making us feel like the outsiders that we were. We spent an entire afternoon on foot, interacting, roaming and discovering the village through our eyes.

It was an experience I wish to relive...

in every city of my country. The freedom that came with openly walking around, camera in hand, speaking to anybody who crossed my path was unique and liberating. To have my friends by my side and to experience this with them, was exceptional.

The original article was published on FUSS by Rhea Gupte.

© All photos via Rhea Gupte