The land surrounding the river Banas yields a natural treasure gifting its people with the ability to mold the elements of the earth into objects of grandeur and veneration.
Banaskantha is a land of stark desert shadowed by the greens of the Aravali Range of mountains. The district is the northernmost region of Gujarat deriving its name from the river Banas which passes through the territory. Its headquarters are located at Palanpur an erstwhile kingdom which was ruled by Nawabs of Afghan descent. Its shared border with Rajasthan and a close proximity to Sindh in Pakistan have resulted in waves of migratory influxes in the past which have affected and influenced the cultural pattern of the region. Banaskantha enjoys a repertoire of architectural styles ranging from the Turkish influenced construction of Nawabi Palanpur to the Solanki architecture of Ambaji.
Its core population of Gharasiya, Rabari and Bhil are fiercely independent and retain their own cultural identities. A cultural blend of these communities coupled with influences from across the border has resulted in unique craft expositions of textiles to terracotta. Geographically Banaskantha is rich in copper and marble both expressed extensively as craft expositions through the gamut of history.