Gujarat Cradle of Crafts Skills
Tour Duration : 11 Nights & 12 Days
Highlights of the Tour: Ahamdabad - Gondal - Bhuj - Mandvi - Wadhawan - Dasada - Ahmedabad – Departure for home..!
Highlights of the Tour: Ahamdabad - Gondal - Bhuj - Mandvi - Wadhawan - Dasada - Ahmedabad – Departure for home..!
Day-1: Arrive Ahamdabad
Arrive at Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is a major centre of traditional and contemporary textiles, and many crafts thrive here like Mata-ni-pachedi narrative cloth paintings and block-printing. Overnight Stay at hotel.
Day-2: Ahamdabad
In morning after breakfast get ready to visit the Calico Museum of Textiles, one of India’s leading specialized museums. The collections include textile swatches of Indian origin found at archaeological sites of Egypt, silk sarees from across India, double-ikat silk sarongs made in Patan for the Indonesian market, chintz and curtains made from Dutch, British and Portuguese colonial powers in Gujarat, floral embroidery from Punjab, shawls from Kashmir, 18th century tie-and-dye, richly embroidered Mughal tent of Shah Jahan whose palace is nearby, royal wardrobes of Rajasthan, cloth paintings and manuscripts, religious narrative cloth paintings like Pichwais and Kalamkaris, etc. Also visit the other museums of Ahmedabad strong on folk art collections.
Day-3: Ahamdabad – Gondal (by road 251km)
Drive to Gondal, a princely town of considerable importance and affluence. Visit the 1748 AD Naulakha Palace which houses the erstwhile ruling family’s private collection of beadwork, textiles, brassware, hand-painted toys and silver crafts, the centre promoting weaving at Gondal, and the historic buildings of Gondal. Evening visit to Khadi Plaza, one of Gujarat’s major handloom weaving units. Stay at Riverside Palace/Orchard Palace, both of which are decorated with textiles from the former Maharanis’ collections.
Day-4: Gondal – Jetpur – Junagadh – Gondal (by road 150 km total)
Drive to Jetpur, known for its screen and block printing workshops, and a yarn-dyeing centre, and then to Junagadh where you can see gem-encrusted carpets, wardrobes and tapestery of the Nawab at the museums. A historic city, Junagadh has 3rd century BC Buddhist relics, medieval fort, mausoleum complexes, palaces, etc. Return to Gondal.
Day-5: Gondal –Bhuj (259km)
Drive to Bhuj calling in on the way at Rajkot to see the Watson Museum which has good examples of Gujarat’s craftsmanship skills, and Rashtriya Shala working to revive hand-weaving. Overnight Stay at hotel.
Day-6: Villages around Bhuj
Visit villages around Bhuj known for their distinctive styles of embroidery and other handiwork like weaving, block-printing, rogan-painting, etc. overnight stay at hotel or rural resort.
Day-7 Bhuj – Mandvi (by road 60km)
Drive to Mandvi, which is a tie-and-dye centre, and stay in a/c tented comfort of the royal resort by the private beach in the palace estate. Visit the dhow-building yard to see ocean-worthy vessels being hand-built. Stay at the hotel.
Day-8 Around Mandvi
Visit villages near Mandvi known for their picturesque houses called bhungas and Rabari embroidery. Stay at hotel.
Day-9 Mandvi - Wadhawan (by road 310 km)
Drive from Mandvi to Wadhwan. This historic walled town is a centre for bandhani tie-and-dye, weaving and metalcrafts. Overnight Stay at hotel.
DAY-10: Wadhawan - Dasada (73km)
At Dasada, watch Rabari women at work on their distinct embroideries. Evening safari in the Little Rann of Kutch. Stay at hotel/resort, an eco-resort designed using local materials and handicrafts to resemble a village.
Day-11: Dasada - Patan – Dasada
Morning safari in the Little Rann of Kutch. Day trip to Patan to watch the Salvis at work on the Patola, one of the richest silk textiles in the world, woven using the rare double-ikat technique. You will also see 11th century monuments at Modhera’s Sun Temple complex and in Patan. Return to hotel/resorts.
Arrive at Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is a major centre of traditional and contemporary textiles, and many crafts thrive here like Mata-ni-pachedi narrative cloth paintings and block-printing. Overnight Stay at hotel.
Day-2: Ahamdabad
In morning after breakfast get ready to visit the Calico Museum of Textiles, one of India’s leading specialized museums. The collections include textile swatches of Indian origin found at archaeological sites of Egypt, silk sarees from across India, double-ikat silk sarongs made in Patan for the Indonesian market, chintz and curtains made from Dutch, British and Portuguese colonial powers in Gujarat, floral embroidery from Punjab, shawls from Kashmir, 18th century tie-and-dye, richly embroidered Mughal tent of Shah Jahan whose palace is nearby, royal wardrobes of Rajasthan, cloth paintings and manuscripts, religious narrative cloth paintings like Pichwais and Kalamkaris, etc. Also visit the other museums of Ahmedabad strong on folk art collections.
Day-3: Ahamdabad – Gondal (by road 251km)
Drive to Gondal, a princely town of considerable importance and affluence. Visit the 1748 AD Naulakha Palace which houses the erstwhile ruling family’s private collection of beadwork, textiles, brassware, hand-painted toys and silver crafts, the centre promoting weaving at Gondal, and the historic buildings of Gondal. Evening visit to Khadi Plaza, one of Gujarat’s major handloom weaving units. Stay at Riverside Palace/Orchard Palace, both of which are decorated with textiles from the former Maharanis’ collections.
Day-4: Gondal – Jetpur – Junagadh – Gondal (by road 150 km total)
Drive to Jetpur, known for its screen and block printing workshops, and a yarn-dyeing centre, and then to Junagadh where you can see gem-encrusted carpets, wardrobes and tapestery of the Nawab at the museums. A historic city, Junagadh has 3rd century BC Buddhist relics, medieval fort, mausoleum complexes, palaces, etc. Return to Gondal.
Day-5: Gondal –Bhuj (259km)
Drive to Bhuj calling in on the way at Rajkot to see the Watson Museum which has good examples of Gujarat’s craftsmanship skills, and Rashtriya Shala working to revive hand-weaving. Overnight Stay at hotel.
Day-6: Villages around Bhuj
Visit villages around Bhuj known for their distinctive styles of embroidery and other handiwork like weaving, block-printing, rogan-painting, etc. overnight stay at hotel or rural resort.
Day-7 Bhuj – Mandvi (by road 60km)
Drive to Mandvi, which is a tie-and-dye centre, and stay in a/c tented comfort of the royal resort by the private beach in the palace estate. Visit the dhow-building yard to see ocean-worthy vessels being hand-built. Stay at the hotel.
Day-8 Around Mandvi
Visit villages near Mandvi known for their picturesque houses called bhungas and Rabari embroidery. Stay at hotel.
Day-9 Mandvi - Wadhawan (by road 310 km)
Drive from Mandvi to Wadhwan. This historic walled town is a centre for bandhani tie-and-dye, weaving and metalcrafts. Overnight Stay at hotel.
DAY-10: Wadhawan - Dasada (73km)
At Dasada, watch Rabari women at work on their distinct embroideries. Evening safari in the Little Rann of Kutch. Stay at hotel/resort, an eco-resort designed using local materials and handicrafts to resemble a village.
Day-11: Dasada - Patan – Dasada
Morning safari in the Little Rann of Kutch. Day trip to Patan to watch the Salvis at work on the Patola, one of the richest silk textiles in the world, woven using the rare double-ikat technique. You will also see 11th century monuments at Modhera’s Sun Temple complex and in Patan. Return to hotel/resorts.
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