Textiles of India Tour

Healing Arts

Travel News

Gen. Info/Policies
Our Credentials
What Travelers Say

Travel Insurance
Travel Resources
links, books, health kit
FAQs

What's Your Style?
Spirit of India Story
Destinations:
a photo overview
Maps - Icons

Home

Looking for a Travel Partner?
Click Here to View & Place Postings

Spirit of India

Textiles and Crafts of India - Rajasthan & Gujarat
February 7-24 and November 17-December 4, 2008

Day 1 Arrival in Delhi Transfer to Hotel Taj Ambassador.

Day 2 Delhi (B,D)
We meet with our tour escort for an orientation over brunch, approx 9 am. After breakfast, a visit to the Crafts Museum for an introduction to the wealth of textiles and handicraft available in India. From the crafts museum we go to the Dilli Haat, a lively market displaying a huge variety of items from all over India.

Afternoon visit the textile market, Lajpat Nagar, where there are various cloth houses and a visit to Fab India is a must, everyone enjoys their extensive collection of hand made cotton fabrics, ready made garments and at very affordable prices. Renu Verman, artist, professional business woman, will accompany us today and offer practical guidelines for working with fabric houses, dye houses, and tailors (based on the groups interest.) and general shopping tips. Welcome dinner at at Pind Baluchi, New Delhi.

Day 3 Delhi (B)
Morning visit Old Delhi, including Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat (Gandhi Darshan), and walking tour through Chandi Chowk bazaar ( for those interested, there are areas for glass bangles and for silver jewelry).

Afternoon free to browse at the Rajasthani and Tibetan street markets, walking distance from the hotel.

Day 4 Delhi - Agra - Jaipur (B, L, D) Shatabdi Express to Agra, dep 600 am , arr 800 am (breakfast served on board). Upon arrival visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Lunch at Taj View Hotel and after lunch drive to Jaipur. Evening dinner at Spice Court. Overnight at Alsisar or Mandawa Haveli.

Day 5 Jaipur (B)
Early monring we visit the fort palace at Amber, its forbidding exterior belying a bejeweled interior whose richness reflects the sumptuous styles of the surrounding Mughal courts.

In the afternoon we visit the elaborate City Palace, a series of open courtyards, simple stables and buildings leading to the richly decorated royal rooms of the Chandra Mahal. The museum within the palace houses a fabulous collection of textiles, carpets, manuscripts and costumes from the personal collection of the royal family.

We also visit Jantar Mantar, the ancient observatory, developed by the scholar king Sawai Jai Singh. The name literally means "instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens." An attractive and fascinating place, there are extraordinary shaped stone monoliths faced with marble, which are accurate even today. Adjoining the monoliths, are structures which depict the 12 zodiac signs that enable instant readings to be made.

We end our day at the colorful market dominated by the elegant tapering Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds. Nine stories high, decorated with delicately carved niches and balconies, this pink sandstone facade served as a concrete purdah or screen for ladies of the royal harem, who would watch the activities of the city from a position of privacy.

Day 6 Jaipur (B, D)
To offset the stark and barren desert surrounding them, the Rajasthanis show a distinct preference for color. This is reflected in their clothes, festival and folk art. Noticeable within minutes of arrival, are the jewel colors of the women's clothes and the men's turbans. The state is an important producer of textiles in India, especially the printed and tie and dye varieties. Textile printing is practiced in many areas of the state, each area having its special color scheme, design and technique.

Morning visit to Sanganer Town where we see the ancient hand tie-die technique called Bandhej as well as hand made paper factories.

Afternoon visit to Bagru town, about 25 kms southeast of Jaipur, Bagru is famous for its block printing on textiles. Tie and dye or Bandhej is a technique actually from Rajasthan and Gujarat. The colors traditionally are vibrant; yellow, black, red and green being the predominant ones. This technique is used on lighter shades of browns, turquoise, blue and pink giving a stunning effect. The technique thoughsimple is quite time consuming and tedious. A single piece of cloth, with intricate bandhej design, takes more than a week to prepare. In this process, each section is carefully dipped in paint and tied again to bring yet another contrast in color. Usually the women are assigned to the fine craft of tying while the men prepare the dye. Elaborate bandhej patterns depicting birds, animals and human figures are made through this long process. The tie and dye (bandhej) work is done on saris, salwar suits, kurtas and dress materials.

What makes Bagru unique is that it is one of the last generations of printers predominantly using traditional vegetable dyes. For example, the blues are often derived from indigo and the greens from a mixture of indigo and pomegranate rinds and yellows from the root of turmeric. The Chippa community who specialize in the block printing work settled in the area around Bagru and Sanganer and use blocks procured from the Khatis or carpenters of Jaipur, where traditional wood carvers make intricate traditional designs from blocks of teak wood as they have done for many generations. These blocks are used to print designs on fabrics, especially tablecloths and bedspreads.

Returning to the city we will visit the Johari Bazaar to watch the creation of the traditional Rajasthani Kundan and Minakari and terracotta clay jewelry as well as a visit to a goldsmith who makes simpler contemporary Indian designs. Kundankari is the art of carving from hard stones such as jade, rock crystal, agate, garnet and topaz to create fabulous pieces of jewelry. In this typically Indian technique, the gem stones are set within solid walls of gold. Minakari was introduced in the early 16th century by Raja Mn Singh of Amber. Originally the art was used exclusively by the Mughals.

Minakari work is the art of enameling on gold producing brilliant colored works of art including objects such as plates and goblets and jewelry. Terracotta jewelry is made from clay, colored and then glazed, like blue pottery. We may be able to watch local women do traditional beading. Bead jewelry is readily available in places like Gem Plaza and Gem Paradise in the MI Bazaar. We will dine at Surabhi which has an excellent turban museum displaying over 200 varieties of turbans.

Day 7 Jodhpur (315 km/5-6 hrs) Ajit Bhawan/Ranbaka Hotel (B)
This afternoon we visit the old city market known for the tie and dye fabric as well as for the famous Jodhpur Jhootis, the rugged embroidered slippers. In the market we will find different tie dye printed fabrics depending on the type of knot that is tied in the fabric, each printing technique having its own name. The design is outlined on the cloth which is tied with strings and the untied portions dipped in dyes. The tied area remains unaffected by the color. Depending on the intricacy of the pattern and the number of dyes, this process takes a few hours. We will spend time with one of the women who specializes in this art, and perhaps, for the ambitious among us, create our own patterns for a scarf.

We will also spend time with the people who specialize in the embroidery of the jhootis. Jodhpur is well known for its glass bangles, puppets and other folk art. Ornate glass bangles with mirrors embedded and lacquer finished can be found here. We will visit a bangle vendor to see how glass bangles are made. The area around the bazaars is a wonderful example of 19th century town planning, blending Rajasthani concepts with more contemporary styles.

Day 8 Jodhpur (B)
Morning: The best way to trace the history of Jodhpur is to visit the aptly named majestic 15th century Meherangarh Fort, which dominates the skyline. Entered through gates which bear the evocative handprints of the Sati queens, women of the royal harem who took their own lives when their men were defeated in battle. The fort has a series of spectacular palaces, each decorated with exquisite engravings, lattice and mirror work. Of particular note is the museum that exhibits a magnificent collection of royal memorabilia; we stop to admire the graceful cenotaph at Jaswant Thada.

Lunch on your own. We suggest at the exquisite Umaid Bhawan Palace NOTE: (they charge an entrance fee of approx $25 which is credited against your meal bill, the only way to see the palace if you are not staying there). Afterwards you can visit antique shops along the road between our hotel and the palace.

Afternoon excursion to Ossian, a peaceful village north of Jodhpur in the Thar Desert. The ancient town of Ossian contains the largest group of 8th to 10th century Hindu and Jain Temples in Rajasthan. The typical temple of this area is set on a terrace whose walls are finely decorated with moldings and miniatures. The doorways are decorated with river goddesses, serpents and scrollwork. The 23 temples are grouped in several sites north, west and south of the town. The best preserved are the western group on a hillock above the town, while the 12th century Sachiya Mata temple is a living temple of the Golden Durga. Camel ride in the sand dunes just before sunset. Overnight at Hotel Ranbanka.

Day 9 Drive Jodhpur - Udaipur (275 km / 5-6 hrs) (B, L)
Enroute visit Ranakpur-Jain Temple with 1444 pillars. Surrounded by tangled forests with monkeys abounding in the courtyard, Ranakpur is one of five important pilgrim centers for the Jain community. Noted for its grandiose scale and elaborate ornamentation, of the three temples, the Adinatha is the most outstanding. Built by Daranshah in 1439, the temple is dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara saint. The whole, including the extraordinary sculpturedpillars each distinct in design, carved ceilings, and arches decorated with friezes depicting scenes from the lives of the Jain saints, Jain mythology and cosmology; is breath-taking. Lunch at Maharani Bagh (Mango Orchard of the Maharaja of Jodhpur) near the Temples. On arrival in Udaipur, transfer to hotel.

Day 10 Udaipur (B)
Morning half day city tour of Udaipur including City Palace & Museum, Crystal Palace, Jagdish Temple; visit minature painting artists' studios if interested; walk around old city with guide. Sunset private boat ride on Lake Pichola.

Day 11 Drive Drive Udaipur - Ahmedabad - (292 km / 5-6hrs) (B)
Ahmedabad - the capital of the state of Gujrat, is also called the "Manchester of the East" as many textile companies are based here. Afternoon visit the National Institute of Design, India's premier institute of modern design, and the Shreyas Folk Art Mueum to see the collection of tribal costumes and crafts of Gujrat. Overnight at Hotel at Taj Residency.

Day 12 Ahmedabad (B, D)
Morning visit the Calico Museum of Textiles, which exibits spectacular antique and modren textiles including rare tapestries, wall hangings and costumes from all regions of Gujrat as well as the rest of India. See a variety of textiles ranging from incredibly long colorful embroidered wall hanging to Zari saries embroidered in gold and weighing 9kg. Also on display are old weaving machines. We will also try to see Mr.Kanubhai's rare and magnificent collection of embroideries (old and new) from all over Gujrat. Mr Kanubhai's shop is in the old city in the lanes.

Afterwards we proceed to Vishala, an authentically created Gujrati crafts village complete with traditionally decorated mud huts where potters and weavers are at work. Here we visit the Vechaar Utensils Museum with its remarkable collections of 2500 Gujrati utensils, including knives and forks and machinery for milking camels! Afternoon visit the Sabarmati Ashram, situated on the western bank of the Sabrmati River. This ashram, founded in 1918 by Mahatma Gandhi, who re-vitalized the textile industry here, became the headquarters during the struggle for Indian Independence and it is be-fitting that it is now primarily a spinning wheel factory.

Dinner at a traditional Gujrati vegetarian restaurant with local dance and music. Overnight at Hotel at Taj Residency.

Day 13 Drive Ahemdabad - Patan - Zainabad (B, L, D)
Morning drive to Patan to visit some of its 100 Jain Temples. then visit the weavers of the colorful Potala silk sari. Afterwards drive to Zainbad. Overnight Camp Run Riders (cottages, attached western toilets, running hot/cold water).

Day 14 Zainabad: (B, L, D)
Full day excursion to 'Rann of Kutch' to visit Kutchhi Tribes and viewing of wildlife. Among others, we will visit Banni settlements to see the traditional handicrafts of these Abyssinian settlers, who migrated to India from Abyssinia around the 10th Century. Their work is the famous glass Embroidery Works. (Special Permission is to be obtained from the police /collector's office).

Day 15 Drive Zainbad - Bhujodi - Bhuj (B)
Enroute visit Bhujodi Village to meet nomadic Rabari who weave camel wool on pit looms into blankets and shawls. Overnight hotel Prince.

Day 16: Bhuj (B)
This morning we visit various fascinating Tribal Villages that surround Bhuj. Each tribe can be identified by its costume and specializes in a different form of handicraft. The Banni tribal dwellings are made of round mud huts called `bhungas? with a single central support pole and a thatched or tiled roof, all surrounding a large community courtyard. The women tend to be shy with male visitors, but are hospitable and will welcome you into their homes. They have an exquisite personal collection of embroidered quilts and garments. Walls, shelves, grain containers and cupboards are fashioned in mud with decorative designs washed with lime paste and embedded with mirrors which throw hundreds of shimmering reflections. You will also see a variety of handicrafts, including textiles like tie and dye, vegetable color dye printing, `Rogan? art, glass bead work, woollen shawls, leather articles and more.

We also drive to Sumarsar village, famous for Scoof Embroidery and Nirona Village with its fabulous `Rogan? art & bell making. You can also see some lace work done here. Later we drive on to Mundra Village, to see the making of sheep wool, including wax printing. Overnight at Hotel Prince.

Day 17: Bhuj - Bombay (B)
Morning city tour of Bhuj City visiting the Palace Museum and Temples. Afternoon transfer to airport to connect flight 9W348 dep. 1510 arr. 1625. On arrival transfer to hotel Marine Plaza.

Day 18: Bombay (B)
Morning half day tour of Elephanta Caves with Boat Ride and in afternoon, a half day city tour of Mumbai visiting Gate Way of India, Hanging Garden, Prince of Wales Museum and Mahatma Gandhi?s residence. Shared rooms for wash/change; farewell dinner. Late evening we transfer to the international airport for flight home.

Our Escort: Ajay Sood Ajay has been associated with travel trade for the last fifteen years leading tours all over the country as well as to Nepal and Sri-Lanka. He has escorted special interest tours on crafts and culture of the Indian Sub-continent for several renowned American and European travel companies including Ventours, Abercrombie & Kent, Geographic expeditions, OAT, Sita USA, Bales tours, Cox & Kings, Mandala Tours. and Spirit of India. Ajay has led our textiles tour for the past four years.

Note: Antiques and religious icons will be seen throughout the tour, but they cannot be legally shipped out of the country. However, arrangements can sometimes be made with shop owners at the best antque shops.

Prices:

FEB: $3435 per person, based on min 4 people
Single supplement: $1175

NOV: $3650 per person, based on min 4 people
Single supplement: $1260

Plus Air: Bhuj-Bombay $168 (airfare prices subject to change)

Includes:

Accompanying Escort

Hotel accomodation, dbl occ

Daily breakfast & other meals as indicated in itinerary

Airconditioned transport

Monument entrance and still camera fees

Services of professional local guides for sightseeing

All special events and presentations

Mineral water and soft drinks during sightseeing and long drives

Porterage

Camera fees

India Gov Service Tax 4.98%

Does Not Include:

International Air

Trip Cancellation/Travel Insurance

Tips

Departure taxes

Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls

International Air: We offer discounted group prices for the international flight.

All Prices Subject to Change

(888) 367-6147 - Intl (415) 381-5861
P.O. Box 446 Mill Valley, CA 94941

all text & photos © 1997-00, Barbara Sansone