Beauty in every fibre
India has always surprised its visitors with experiences that ignite the senses.
From the feeling of energy in the busy streets to the tantalising aroma of spicy food – perhaps the greatest surprise comes at the sight of India’s amazing textiles.
Renowned and admired for its use of colour, stunning design and luxurious materials; it is little wonder that India upholds a reputation as the textile capital of the world.
But just how big is India’s textile industry?
It is huge! India’s textile industry employs over 35 million people across the country and the nation is thesecond largest producer of fibre in the world. Cotton is the most abundant, but other famous fibres produced in India include silk, jute and wool.
The art of weaving is engrained in Indian culture, and its people have produced some of the finest hand-crafted textiles the world has ever seen. India’s textile industry is one of the major reasons that thousands of visitors from around the world travel to India.
The Kutch district in the state of Gujarat is one of India’s most renowned areas for colourful embroidery, weaving, appliqué, patchwork, tie-dye, block-printing and other crafts. The embroidered garments with mirror-work and the camel wool shawls are extremely famous; as is the chunky silver jewellery and carved woodcraft. These are produced in a large number of small to medium-sized villages specializing in particular crafts.
If you would like to experience an authentic and educational textile tour of India, come along with us on ourBeauty Unwound textile tour (departing 29th November 2013 and 8th February 2014).
Enlightening, fascinating and so much fun, Beauty Unwound is an Indian textile tour with a difference. While the tour takes you on an adventure through many of the country’s most famous sights, you will see and experience many of its wonderful hidden treasures – visiting villages and homes, seeing artisans at work and having the opportunity to buy directly from them.
We also visit amazing Bazaars, markets, state government emporiums and the famous Calico Museum of Textiles (which holds the world’s finest collection of antique and modern textiles) as well as the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Jaipur which is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of block printed cloth.
Famous sites on the tour include the majestic Taj Mahal, Amber Fort in Jaipur – the fabulous ‘pink city’ of Rajasthan, Bara Imbara in Lucknow and the ancient wonders of Varanasi and Old Delhi.
A special part of the Beauty Unwound tour is the fact that we are joined by the lovely Sunita, a Mumbai resident and textile expert. As part of the tour, Sunita takes us to a village near Lucknow where she employs approximately 30 people. We meet the local textile workers and are invited into their homes, where we see first-hand how they live and work. It is such a heart-warming experience.
Perfect for lovers of crafts at all levels, the Beauty Unwound tour offers an up close and intimate experience of Indian textiles – with no more than 9 people on each tour.
To find out more or to secure a place on our Beauty Unwound textile tours get in contact with us today.
Call us on 1300722932 or email us at info@touchofspirittours.com.au
For our full range of season tours click here.
See you next week!
