Taj Mahal and Bear Rescue

The UNESCO site of the Taj Mahal begins our trip in grand style. The exquisite Taj was commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction was begun in 1632 and completed in 1648. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex and is set in formal gardens.

For its construction, masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans were requisitioned from the whole of the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran. The Taj Mahal is considered to be the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Near Agra we’ll visit the Agra Bear Rescue Center, managed by the wonderful and caring Wildlife SOS team. For over 400 years, the Sloth Bear had been a target for human exploitation. A nomadic group known as the Kalandars began keeping sloth bears which entertained Mughal emperors. Over the centuries, the ‘dancing’ bear trade transitioned to become cheap roadside entertainment

The Wildlife SOS Organization has rescued hundreds of Sloth Bears and now gives the Kalandar people alternative ways of making a living. The facility is the world’s largest, and is truly a heart-warming place, with bears playing with balls, lounging on tire swings and in rope hammocks.

Agra to Jaipur

Next we’ll go by van to Jaipur, where we’ll visit many interesting places including the excellent Anokhi Printing Museum for a great introduction to our workshop of wooden block-printing! In a nearby village, we’ll visit an old friend and expert block print artist for a complete introduction into block-printed or stamped fabric. At his studio, everyone will print 2 yards of light cotton cloth suitable for clothing, a tablecloth, or a pareo/scarf. You’ll be able to choose your hand-carved wooden blocks, and the colors to embellish your cotton fabric. The technique is simple and the results are stunning!

Jaipur also has a large branch of the famous FabIndia store where you can get hand-made home furnishings and good quality Indian-style kurtas and pants for yourself. Everything in the store is handmade in India. FabIndia is an admirable enterprise, linking over 55,000 craft-based rural producers to modern markets and giving economic empowerment to disadvantaged rural women.

Printing Workshops

Textile artists are happy to open their studios and as we meet talented old friends/artisans along our route, we’ll learn detailed techniques of the traditional dyeing and printing processes. In addition to simple stamping, we will also learn the more complex technique of resist stamping or printing.

This is called Ajrakh, and uses various dye baths of indigo, madder and other natural substances make different color combinations. The resist is often a clay or mud-based substance stamped onto the cloth. It’s washed out once the dyed piece has dried.

In another town, we’ll meet dyers who will show us how to make our own beautiful silk bandhini-style tie-dyed scarves. By planning out a pattern on the silk, then pleating and tying circles and stripes.can make an exquisite scarf that you’ll be proud to wear at home. There may be an opportunity to purchase some of the artists’ beautiful work also.

Astronomy and Ikat Weavers

Also in Jaipur we’ll see the ingenious astronomical observatory called Jantar Mantar; it was completed in 1734. It features the world’s largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At this fascinating place we’ll learn about how the brilliant early scientists studied the universe. Jaipur also is known for a good selection of vintage silver jewelry. We’ll stop by one of our favorite silver shops!

Our great guide knows all the textile artists and collectors, so there will be some surprise visits! We’ll drive from Jaipur to Udaipur where we’ll see the impressive City Palace and other sights. Later we’ll head for Ahmedabad to see the historical city, the guide’s home town.

Also on this route is a visit to meet the famous silk ikat weavers of Patan. The Salvis’ ikat is double, meaning that both warp and weft have resist patterns tied and dyed in, to make a design when aligned correctly. The Salvi family has perfected the ikat tying, dyeing and weaving methods. They will show us how they bind the silk threads of both the warp and the weft, so the rich dye colors don’t penetrate the bound areas – and how they weave the complex patterns.

In their hometown of Patan, the Salvi family has established a private museum of the ikat technique with fabrics from all over the world. (They welcome donations too if you have ikat cloth from another country and don’t know what to do with it!) For special events wealthy women wear the Salvis’ exquisite silk ikat saris that cost thousands of dollars.