Textile Tours
Selvedge Textiles Tour - India - 29th January to 12th February 2020
Price per person is £6,195.00 including domestic Indian flights, accommodation, museum entry, expert guide for the full trip, local guides, local transport and meals. This total cost is excluding international flights, insurance and visas. Subject to changes.
Tour Overview
Join us and experience India's incredible textile culture on a tour that will be as if you are walking through the colourful pages of Selvedge, meeting many of the artists and designers we have featured over the last fifteen years.
From crisp Delhi mornings, to the delicate beauty of the palaces of Jaipur, and the craft workshops of Gujarat, this journey is a must for those with a love of textiles and an adventurous spirit. The winter months are beautiful in India, when the north offers clear blue skies and Hindus celebrate Sankranti, marking the start of longer days. Over two weeks you will visit the private homes and studios of fascinating designers and collectors, traditional dyers and weavers, and see unforgettable historical sites and natural wonders.
Beginning in Delhi, the capital of the Mughal Empire and now of modern India, the tour will lead you on to the western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, where you will glimpse the traditional textile arts of block printing, bandhani and lahariya (Indian shibori), metallic embroidery, and a fine tailoring workshop. You will visit the pink city of Jaipur built by the Rajput Maharajas, as well as the cultural hub of Ahmedabad, home to the Calico Museum and its exquisite silk paintings and textiles.
Expert guide
Your guide for this trip will be world-renowned textile scholar, artist, and curator, Yoshiko Wada. As your expert guide for two weeks, she will lead you through a journey that goes beyond the surface of tourist experience. You will enjoy walking tours with local experts, hands-on workshops with artisans, intimate dinners with friends, and visits to small studios with designers. Yoshiko is not only a veteran tour leader, she also lived in Ahmedabad during the 1980s.
Luxury Accommodation
During your journey you will stay in some of the finest and most iconic hotels in India, from historic heritage buildings to royal palaces.
Vivanta by Taj Ambassador hotel, Delhi
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Ranvas, a heritage hotel made up of ten 18th-century havelis set within a 12th century fort
Shahpura House, a former royal residence
Rann Riders, an eco-resort, set among wetlands and agricultural fields
House of MG, a boutique heritage hotel
The iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai
Unparalleled Craftsmanship
You will see khadi being spun and woven, organic cotton farming, Gujarati applique, split-ply weaving, natural dyeing, traditional cotton warp sizing, and yards of beautiful sarees. Yoshiko will take you to meet a textile dealer, and show you her favourite shops where you will find historical and tribal textiles; phulkari from Punjab; banjara embroidery, fine block printing, folk textiles and court textiles. Under her guidance, rather than taking home only material treasures, you will also return home with a wealth of knowledge.
Art and architecture
Experience Lutyen’s Delhi, India’s temples and forts, an exquisite step well in Jaipur, the Gandhi Ashram and National Institute of Design in Gujarat, as well as a diverse array of museums and galleries. Take part in workshops where you learn craft traditions directly from those who have practised them for generations.
Palaces and Forts of Rajasthan
Experience the serenity and beauty of the Pink City’s City Palace, still the home of the Jaipur royal family, and visit the legendary forts of Rajasthan, built by the Rajput kings.
Wild Encounters
See traditional folk costumes and textiles at one of India’s biggest cattle fairs, take a drive through the salt flats of Gujarat, and enjoy a desert safari.
For more information please email foundation@selvedge.org
