Textile Tour, India, 2026

The pace is fast and the days are full of sensory delights from meetings in ateliers with designers who control the vertical process from growth of fiber to weaving and the opportunity to experience hands on dying with vegetable dyes, weaving, block and resist printing, and embroidery, to the full range of Indian foods. I learned so much about hand made textile and enjoyed my companions who were creative and knowledgeable women. We had open conversations about our experiences and shared referrals, especially from those who had already been with Polly for the first half of the trip in February. This is a life enhancing trip never to be forgotten. Thank you Polly and Param and thank you to our lovely group of travelers for sharing this phenomenal experience.

The 2024 Selvedge India Tour was the trip of a lifetime for me. My first visit to India and it was everything I was hoping for. During the months leading to departure I found Polly and her team were always helpful and informative, answering my emails quickly and with all the relevant information.

The combined knowledge of Param (Indian history and culture), Polly (textiles), and Ravi at IndeBo travel (travel arrangements) resulted in a seamless experience. There were so many highlights: visiting the kitchens at the gurdwara and sari experience in Delhi, the elephant sanctuary and all the workshops; Nila House indigo dying, blockprinting in Bagru, Jaipur, dance workshop with Mallika Sarabhai, Gandhi Ashram and The Calico museum in Ahmedabad, the young designers, Morii design in Gandhinagar, stand out to me. Visiting the villages in Bhuj, I was struck by the cleanliness, philosophy, and care of the animals – the Art Deco architecture in Mumbai.