Tribals + Textiles 13 - 27 November 2008

A 15-day Exotic Odyssey through Gujarat in Western India-

for photographers, adventurers, collectors

This Tour has been designed by Art of Living for adventurers who will enjoy an imaginative itinerary, wish to share my enthusiasm for roads less travelled, are willing to explore a region not much visited by Western tourists, who will feel enriched by experiencing tribal communities whose ways of life are fast disappearing.

This trip is not going to be for anyone who cannot live without 5* luxury, but for whom the human element, the thrill of the journey, the curiosity for interaction with remote cultures, traditions, customs, markets and their arts and crafts will be more than compensated for by any hardship that might be endured because some days may be long and some of the regions we travel through have only simple basic infrastructure. But then much of the allure is that you will escape the more frustrating aspects of modernity.

This tour will appeal to travellers with a penchant for the anthropological, collectors with a love of decoration, whether it be in the clothing, the jewellery, the houses or the accouterments for animals that are stitched, woven or embroidered by indigenous people, and to photography enthusiasts challenged to capture timeless backgrounds, and timeless beauty.
Accommodation will be in a mix of heritage hotels and lodges that are the best available and reflect the local lifestyle and aesthetics: always clean, comfortable and safe.

HIGHLIGHTS:

 

The tour focuses on Gujarat, and begins in Ahmedabad, (best reached from Singapore with Singapore Airlines or from Delhi), going west to the holy pilgrimage city of Dwarka and onto the old walled city of Bhuj and Little Rann of Kutch.

David Yeadon aptly puts it when he says:
"Gujarat has been a "land apart" on the Indian subcontinent. Ruled for centuries by powerful and fierce Maharaos, the "Lkutchis" have long had an outward-looking attitude to the world. Their fame as seafarers, merchants, traders, and even pirates has made them a major presence in East Africa, Arabia, and the Persian Gulf. Recent development here by the Indian government of the new port of Kandla is beginning to increase Gujarat's links with the rest of the country, but the Kutchis still value their own history, traditions and independence.
The ruined castles of feudal chieftains, set high on the crags of Gujarat's Black Hills, are still revered places. So too are the remote shrines of local saints, whose pious meditations and fierce penances (tapasia) were said to give them power over gods and the local warrior-kings.

You can see that power here in the bleakness and broken ridges of the hills. Fragments of ancient fiefdoms still dot the sun-bleached desert and Bhuj suddenly appears — a gray, solemn bastion of towers and high tone defense walls."
Gujarat is the centre for some of India’s most exquisite handiwork. Kutch is known for its fabulous embroideries done in a variety of techniques developed by different communities including Hindu and Muslim pastoral groups whose women do embroidery for their trousseau or a second income as well as migrants from Sindh. Bandhani tie-and-dye is almost synonymous with Gujarat, which also produces fine handloom woven textiles and block-printed fabrics. Rare crafts that make their last stand in Gujarat include the double ikat Patola weaving of Patan and the Rogan painting on fabric done in Nirona village.

While hand-embellished textiles are bedrock of the rural economy of Kutch and Surendranagar districts of Gujarat, these regions have equally fine terra cotta, metal and wood crafts.

There will be opportunities to meet directly with artisans in their homes and workshops, and to meet experts who will illuminate your appreciation of historic and contemporary textiles, mirror embroidery, tie-dye, woodblock printing and natural vegetables dyes and ikat, including the rare double ikat still being produced by the Patan Patola of Gujarat, the most extraordinary woven saree woven anywhere in the word. It is only in Bali, Indonesia in the ancient village of Tengganan that this type of weave is also created.

For a Tour Overview Go To>

For Pre and Post Tour Options Go To>

For Notes on Indian Textiles Go To>

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