Sajnuben was born in Lodai and married in Kukadsar. Until the end of 2007 she migrated with the family’s herd of 250 goats and sheep in the region near the village. But during the monsoon of that year, the entire herd died in an epidemic. The family settled in Kukadsar and now her husband earns a living doing labour work. Sajnuben has two daughters and a son, aged 8-15. Sajnuben learned embroidery from her mother. Her natal family also migrated, as far as Madhya Pradesh, and she would embroider at home when they returned. She had completed her dowry collection when the nath, community elders, banned embroidery. She still remembers the dress she had embroidered for a daughter, which was never worn. She recalls how they wondered what to do when the ban was imposed. They worried about how they could have celebrations without embroidery? For a year they secretly wore embroidered clothes, but in constant fear of the nath. They removed their ornaments in fear, but continued to embroider. They thought the ban would be lifted, but the nath came to inspect, and then they gave up embroidery for good.

Then they thought of trims. They did one, then 2, then 3. Good design is something new, always innovating, Sajnuben feels. A good artisan does good work, using her intelligence. Since the earthquake of 2001, Sajnuben embroiders for Kala Raksha. Embroidery is art, Sajnuben feels, but their heritage is lost. Embroidery used to be more important than gold and silver, she says. Today children go to school. The only future for embroidery that she sees is Kala Raksha. “Our daughters don’t know our traditions,” she says. “But watching us now, they learn.” Sajnuben wants to go forward. She dreams of working, learning new ways. You need a mind, she says.

After graduating, Sajnuben has served as a design intern.  She created the logo for the Sangam project and participated in the Dastkari Haat Samiti Akshara project.