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CRAFT TOWN · LACQUERWARE · HERITAGESankheda Lacquerware Town
A town where furniture becomes art — Sankheda has been producing lacquer-turned wooden furniture for generations, a craft of spinning wood and applying lacquer colours that produces the most distinctive decorative furniture of Gujarat.
The lacquerware capital of Gujarat
Sankheda is a small town in the Chhota Udaipur district that has been producing lacquer-turned wooden furniture for centuries — the specific Gujarati craft of applying lacquer to wood on a lathe, creating furniture pieces in characteristic red, gold and green colour combinations that have become one of the most recognisable craft exports of the state.
The furniture produced in Sankheda — beds, chairs, rocking chairs, swings, cradles, cabinets — is made on traditional wooden lathes by hereditary craftspeople. The turning process involves applying hot lac (lacquer) directly to the spinning wood, building up layered colour combinations that are both decorative and protective.
Sankheda pieces are traditionally associated with dowry and wedding contexts; certain pieces — particularly the jhoola (swing) and the baby cradle — have specific ritual significance in Gujarati domestic life. The town has several workshops open to visitors where the lathe-turning and lacquer-application can be observed. Ask at local shops for workshop visits; pieces are available for purchase.
Illustration — Sankheda lacquerware workshop.
From a riverside experiment to the road to freedom
Illustration — Sankheda lathe workshop.
The town's lacquer-turned furniture craft takes root and is handed down through the centuries.
The skill passes from parent to child within hereditary craftspeople, keeping techniques alive.
Sankheda pieces — swings and cradles especially — gain ritual significance in Gujarati homes.
The craft earns a geographical-indication tag and wider recognition for its makers.
Reasons to make the time
Craft
Lacquer furniture turned and finished by hand, the way it has been for generations.
The lathe
Watch turning live as wood spins and colour is pressed onto the surface.
Colour
The unmistakable red, gold and green palette that marks every Sankheda piece.
Wedding craft
Dowry significance — swings and cradles carry ritual meaning in Gujarati homes.
Buy
Pieces for purchase, straight from the workshops that make them.
Workshop
A photogenic process — hot lac, spinning wood and layered colour.
What to look for inside
Sankheda craft
Turned furniture in the signature red, gold and green.
Craft studios
Live turning — watch the lathe and lacquer at work.
How to spend an hour or two
Visit a workshop
Ask in town and step into a working studio where the lathe-turning happens.
Watch the lathe
See hot lac applied to the spinning wood, the heart of the craft.
See the colour build-up
Watch the decorative colours layered onto the surface, layer by layer.
Ask about dowry pieces
Learn the wedding context behind swings, cradles and other ritual items.
Buy a small piece
Take home a cradle or a decorative box turned by hand.
Note the Sankheda palette
Look closely at the characteristic red, gold and green combination.
Illustration — Sankheda lacquerware.
Lacquer-turned wood — Sankheda's craft language
The Sankheda lacquerware process uses a traditional wooden lathe driven by hand or foot. As the wood spins, the craftsperson presses coloured lac sticks against the surface; the friction heat melts the lac onto the wood, building up decorative colour layers.
Final polishing produces the characteristic sheen. This is a GI-tagged craft; workshop visits are available, and you can purchase pieces directly from the craftspeople who make them.
Lacquer-turned wooden furniture — centuries-old craft
Hereditary craft families with GI-tag recognition
Characteristic red, gold and green Sankheda palette
Beds, swings, cradles, cabinets with ritual significance
When to go
Cool & clear — ideal. Comfortable for wandering the town and visiting workshops.
Lush & lively; roads may flood. Still workable between showers.
Hot; early mornings best. Plan workshop visits before the midday heat.
⏰ October to February is ideal for Chhota Udaipur.
Timings & entry
- Workshops generally open through the day
- Ask at local shops for visiting hours
- Allow 1–2 hours for an unhurried look
- Best combined with nearby Chhota Udaipur sights
- No fixed ticket — workshops welcome visitors
- Pieces are available for purchase on site
- Watch the lathe-turning and lacquer process
- Ask before photographing craftspeople at work
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara airport is about 100 km away, with onward road connections to Sankheda town.
By Rail
Bodeli or Chhota Udaipur station are the nearest railheads for reaching Sankheda.
By Road
Sankheda is reached via NH-56 from Vadodara, an easy drive across eastern Gujarat.
Shooting Sankheda
WORKSHOP-FRIENDLY
Spinning wood, hot lac and the signature red, gold and green palette.
Best subject
The lathe in motion — spinning wood and the moment hot lac meets the surface.
What to shoot
Layered colour build-up, finished pieces and the workshop's tools.
Be respectful
Ask before photographing craftspeople and their work in progress.
Detail tip
Get close on the red, gold and green palette and the lacquer sheen.
Know before you go
More to see close by
Where to eat around the ashram
Gujarati Thali
Comfort home cooking served as a generous unlimited thali.
Rathwa food
Forest produce & millet from the region's tribal kitchens.
Bajra roti
A tribal staple — hearty millet bread eaten across the area.
Forest honey
Gathered from Adivasi villages in the surrounding forests.
Local & tribal flavours
Expect Gujarati thalis alongside Rathwa tribal food, millet breads and forest honey.
Sankheda Lacquerware Town FAQ
What is Sankheda lacquerware?
Lacquer-turned wooden furniture — a GI-tagged Gujarat craft made on traditional lathes.
Can I see it made?
Yes — ask at local shops for workshop visits to watch the lathe-turning and lacquer process.
What's available to buy?
Furniture, cradles and decorative boxes, available directly from the workshops.
Best base?
Sankheda town itself, or Vadodara about 80 km away.
Does it have a GI tag?
Yes — Sankheda lacquerware is a recognised geographical indication.
When should I visit?
October to March, when the weather across Chhota Udaipur is at its best.
WHERE TO STAY
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