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Textiles and Handicrafts of Gujarat Tour
Textiles and Handicrafts of Gujarat Tour
DURATION : 23 Days / 22 Nights
DESTINATIONS COVERED : Delhi - Ahmedabad - Sayla - Gondal - Jetpur -
Junagadh - Jamnagar - Bhuj - Mandvi - Dasada - Patan - Mount Abu - Udaipur -
Bundi - Kota - Ranthambore - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi
Day-1: DELHI
Arrive in Delhi and check in Hotel.Afternoon sightseeing in Old Delhi and New
Delhi which includes the Chandani Chowk,Jama Masjid,India Gate,Red Fort,Qutub
Minar,Presdentail House,Lotus Temple,AksharDham Temple etc.
Day-2:
DELHI-AHMEDABAD
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.
Stay at House of Mangaldas Girdhardas, a heritage hotel owned by a former textile
industrialist family.
Visit the Calico Museum of Textiles, one ofIndia'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: AHMEDABAD - SAYLA 136 km
Drive to Sayla, via Limbdi where mirrors are made for Gujarat's famous mirrorwork
embroidery, and visit the Bharwad and Kathi villages where beadwork traditions
thrive, the silk weavers who use the ikat technique, and the town ofWadhwan
where women work on bandhani or tie-and-dye. Wadhwan's walled town has historic
buildings and a living heritage of metalwork crafts.
Stay at Old Bell Guest House, a heritage hotel.
Day-4:
SAYLA - GONDAL 130km
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 bead work, textiles, brassware, hand-painted toys and silver
crafts, the centre promoting weaving at Gondal, and the historic buildings
of Gondal. Stay at Riverside Palace/Orchard Palace, both of which are decorated
with textiles from the former Maharanis' collections.
Day-5: GONDAL - JETPUR - JUNAGADH - GONDAL 150 km total
Drive to Jetpur, known for its screen and block printing workshops, and a
yam-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-6: GONDAL - JAMNAGAR 10km
Drive to Jamnagar. Visit the Vanzas who are known for their bandhani tie-and-dye
sarees. Stay at Hotel President.
Day-7: 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.
Stay at Hotel Prince/KBN.
Day-8:
VILLAGES AROUND BHUJ
Visit villages around Bhuj known for their distinctive styles of embroidery
and other handiwork like weaving, block-printing, rogan-painting, etc. Stay
as on day-6:
Day-9: BHUJ - MANDVI 60km
Drive to Mandvi, which is a tie-and-dye centre, and stay in ale tented comfort
ofthe 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 palace estate.
Day-10: AROUND MANDVI
Visit villages near Mandvi known for their picturesque houses called bhungas
and Rabari embroidery. Stay as on day-8:
Day-11: MANDVI-DASADA 320km
Drive from Mandvi to Dasada passing picturesque old towns and villages. At
Dasada, watch Rabari women at work on their distinct embroideries. Stay at
Rann Riders, an eeo-resort designed using local materials and handicrafts
to resemble a village.
Day-12: DASADA-PATAN - DASADA
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
11 th century monuments at Modhera's Sun Temple complex and in Patan.oVERNIGHT
AT hOTEL.
Day-13: DASDA - MOUNT ABU
After Breakfast drive to Mount Abu.Afternoon sightseeing in Udaipur.
Day 14: Mount Abu - Udaipur
After Breakfast depart to Udaipur.After lunch leisure at Hotel.Ovenight at
Hotel.
Day
15: Udaipur
The city of Udaipur is a lovely land around the Azure water lakes hemmed in
by the lush hills of the Aravails.
A vision in white drenched in romance and beauty, Udaipur is a fascinating
blend of sights sounds and experience-an inspiration for the imagination of
poets, painters and writen.
Day 16: Udaipur - Bundi - Kota
After hearty breakfast depart to Kota ,enroute Bundi.Afternoon sightseeing
in Kota.
Day 17: Kota - Ranthambore
After Breakfast drive to Ranthambore.After lunch rest at hotel.Evening excursions
in Ranthambore National park.
Day 18: Ranthambore
Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, at the junction of the Aravalis and the Vindhyas,
is a unique example of natural and historical richness, standing out conspicuously
in the vast, arid and denuded tract of eastern Rajasthan, barely 14 kilometers
from Sawai Madhopur. Get in tune with nature for a luxury holiday in the heart
of the jungle. Ranthambhore - perhaps the best place in the world to sight
a tiger in the wild. The Ranthambhore National Park has had more Tiger sightings
than any other National Park in the country. It has come to be known as "The
land of the Tiger", where most of the documented footage of this majestic
beast has been recorded.
It spreads over a highly undulating topography varying from gentle to steep
slopes; from flat topped hills of the Vindhyas to the conical hillocks and
sharp ridges of the Aravalis, from wide and flat valleys to narrow rocky gorges.
An important geological feature the 'Great Boundary Fault' where the Vindhya
plateaus meet the Aravali hill ranges, meanders through the Reserve. The National
Park is bound by the rivers Chambal in the south and Banas in the north.
Day 19: Ranthambore - Jaipur
After Breakfast depart to Jaipur.After lunch leisure at hotel.Evening excursion
in local market.
Day
20: Jaipur
Jaipur is 260 km from Delhi and 240 km from Agra and forms the most chosen
tourism golden triangle of Delhi,Agra and Jaipur.
AMBER FORT PALACE - Amber is the classic romantic Rajasthani fort palace.
Its construction was started by Man Singh I in 1592, and completed by his
descendent Jai Singh I. Its forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where
a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate expression.
Proceed for sight-seeing of the city.
CITY PALACE - A delightful blend of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture,
the City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area in the walled city. It
houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
JANTAR MANTAR - This is the largest and the best preserved of the five observatories
built by Jai Singh II in different parts of the country. This observatory
onsisting of outsized astronomical instruments is still in use.
HAWA MAHAL - The ornamental facade of this "Palace of Winds" is
a prominent landmark in Jaipur. It is a five-storey structure of sandstone
plastered pink encrusted with fine trelliswork and elaborate balconies. The
palace has 953 niches and windows. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh, the Mahal
was a royal grandstand for the palace women.
Explore the city markets. Overnight will be at Jaipur.
Day 21: Jaipur - Agra
Morning drive to Agra.After arrival transfer to Hotel.
Day
22: Agra
Enjoy battery van ride to the Taj.
AGRA: Two great Mughal monarchs, Akbar and Shah Jahan, transformed the little
village of Agra into a befitting second capital of the Mughal Empire - giving
it the name Dar-ul-Khilafat {seat of the Emperor}. Today a visitor to Agra
is caught up in a world of contrasting edifices, of red sandstone and white
marble, narrow galleys and quaint buggies, and that irresistible charm that
this favorite city of the Mughals still retains. It is not surprising, that
modern Agra still reflects its Mughal heritage most conspicuously. A walk
down the narrow bustling streets of the city will introduce the visitor to
the wafting aroma of Mughlai cuisine.
TAJ MAHAL: Little needs to be said about this architectural wonder which
is always the soul raison-de-etre for every tourist's visit to Agra. Built
by Shah Jahan, the Taj is a white marble memorial to his beautiful wife Mumtaz
Mahal. This monument took 22 years to be completed and was designed, and planned
by Persian architect Ustad Isa. Apart from its stunning design balance and
perfect symmetry, the Taj is also noted particularly for its elegant domes,
intricately carved screens and some of the best inlay work ever seen.
Proceed for sight-seeing to the AGRA FORT - Built by the famed Mughal emperor
Akbar in 1565 AD, the fort is predominantly of red sandstone. Ensconced within
is the picture perfect Pearl Mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.
Visit Itmadullah's Tomb built by Empress NOOR JEHAN in memory of her father
(The interiors of which are considered better than the Taj).
Day 23: Agra - Delhi
After hearty breakfast drive to Delhi and after welcome dinner transfer to International
Airport for onward destination.
Textiles and Handicrafts of Gujarat Tour Reservation Form
Taj
Mahal
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