Gujarat has a very rich heritage of art & crafts. The excavations at the Harappan sites in Gujarat at Lothal, Rangpur, Rozdi etc. have brought to light some of the very ancient handicraft articles.
The temple curtain work is a specialty of some Vaghari Harijan families of Ahmedabad . In most of their annual ceremonies and in rites held to fulfill a vow, ask a favour, or beg for help in a dangerous situation, the worship of some form of the Mother Goddess plays the central role. It is prepared in the old madder process and depicts the Goddess Durga riding tiger a well as other illustrations from Puranic legends. It is heavily decorated and embroidered decoration hung over the entrance and is considered a symbol of warm welcome. The cloths are used to set up a tent-like shrine or temple, thus delimiting a holy space for the ritual. Or they may envelop the main participants in a ceremony, who temporarily embody the deity, performing songs and ecstatic dances and making oracular statements in a state of exaltation.
Mat-No-Chandarvo
Temple curtains popularly known as Mat-no-Chandarvo is another type of printing work. The Vahari-Harijan families of Ahmedabad were engaged in this type of printing. It is prepared in the old madder process and shows the goddess Durga seated on the throne or on the back of a tiger and surrounded by her devotees.