Passport to Folk Art: India
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157 Old Lamy Trail Lamy, NM 87540 USA PH: (505) 466-2289 FAX: (505) 466-6234 Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.bjadventures.com PASSPORT TO FOLK ART: INDIA MUMBAI, BHUJ, AHMEDABAD, JAIPUR, DELHI NOVEMBER 10, 2016 Arrive in Mumbai, India NOVEMBER 21, 2016 Depart from Delhi, India $7,380 Per Person, Sharing; $1,675 Single Supplement Based on 10 people participating or a surcharge will apply Trip Highlights: • Meet with the best folk artists in the Gujarat area of India • Develop unprecedented understanding and knowledge of the textiles of Gujarat • Learn about the Indian cultures from the people themselves • Assist in preserving these cultures for the world of art • Experience Diwali (Festival of Lights) Wednesday, November 9, 2016 Depart U.S. Thursday, November 10, 2016 - Mumbai Arrive in Mumbai where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Mumbai is a long, narrow promontory covering 166 square miles, which juts into the Arabian Sea. Its downtown is the historic Fort Area in South Mumbai that derives its name from earlier colonial fortifications. This is the city's nerve center, with the best known sights, hotels and restaurants. Accommodations: Trident Nariman Point - 2 Nights Friday, November 11, 2016 – Mumbai After breakfast, our only day of touring in Mumbai begins with the Kala Ghoda area of Mumbai. This area teems with museums, art galleries, educational institutions, boutiques, restaurants and the finest array of heritage buildings. Visit the Prince of Wales Museum housed in an impressive building designed by George Wittet to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales to India in 1905. The museum has a good collection of ancient Indus Valley artifacts dating back to 2000 BC and some priceless Tibetan and Nepali Art. Time permitting, included will be a visit to several of the following: National Gallery of Modern Art, Victoria Terminus, Hanging Gardens and Mani Bhawan -Gandhi's Mumbai base between 1917 and 1934, which is now a permanent memorial to the Mahatma. En route stop on the Mahalaxmi Bridge to see the extraordinary activity at Dhobi Ghat, the largest open-air laundry of the world. After lunch visit Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world. Founded in 1880 during the British colonial era, Dharavi is now a multi- religious, multi- ethnic, and diverse settlement with a total population of over 1 million. It has an active informal economy in which numerous household enterprises employ many of the slum residents. Leather, textiles and pottery products are among the goods made inside Dharavi by the slum residents and exported around the world. Walk through the narrow lanes of Dharavi and experience a wide range of activities such as recycling, pottery- making, embroidery, bakery, soap factory, leather tanning, poppadom-making and much more. Most of these things are created in innovative ways and in very small spaces. Accommodations: Trident Nariman Point Saturday, November 12, 2016 - Bhuj You will have an early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Bhuj, a fascinating walled city, with beautiful palaces, havelis and a bazaar famous for its rich handicrafts and jewelry. It was the capital of the prosperous princely state of Kutch whose wealth derived from its sea trade with East Africa and the Persian Gulf ports. The narrow streets and old bazaars of the 16th Century town retain a medieval flavor. Upon arrival, transfer to Hotel Prince. After completing check-in formalities, Touring begins with a visit to Bhujodi, a major textile center of Kutch with the vast majority of the 1200 inhabitants involved in textile handicraft production. Here the weavers produce traditional shawls, stoles, textiles and carpets with traditional motifs on pits and shuttle looms in local wool, cottons and silks. Continue on to Padhar and Ajrakhpur weaving villages famous for Ajrakh block-prints. Blocks carved in traditional designs are coated in dye and pressed onto cloth. Layers of colors and prints are added Soni Dharmendra and Kundan Jewelry between stages of rinsing, dyeing and sun drying. Visit weaver homes and their workshops to learn about various stages of textile production and observe them at work. Other Market artist visits will be to see bell making and Kundan jewelry. Accommodations: Hotel Prince – 2 nights Sunday, November 13, 2016 – Bhuj Overview: The surrounding areas of Bhuj are famous for Kutch appliqué and embroidery with beads, mirror-work, tie-and-dye, embroidery on leather, gold and silver jewelry, gilding and enamel- Janmamad Salemamad Luhar – Bell Maker ling, and colorful Namda rugs. The vast grasslands of Banni meet the Great Rann in the Khavda region, north of Bhuj. They are home to numerous pastoral nomadic, semi-nomadic and resident people who keep sheep, goats, camels, buffaloes and other livestock. The forty or so hamlets here are best known for the minute detail of their embroidery. More recently, these villages have started focusing on selling handicrafts as their other source of income. Ramu Harijan in the village of Hodka. Ramu’s quilt making and his family Following breakfast visit Hodka, Ramu Harijan’s village, famous for their Sooph embroidery and patch work, made without a plan by counting warp and weft of the material, woodcarving, leather embroidery and mirror work on cloth and clay. The Meghwal tribe, considered to be the untouchables or Harijan caste, inhabits the village. Lunch will be on the premises of the Meghwal Chieftain’s house. Afterwards, we will take a jeep excursion to Banni villages inhabited by the tribal Kutch communities, each identified by their individual costumes. In the afternoon, you will visit the home of Market artists, Abdullah and Abduljabbbar Khatri , who practice the traditional “bandhani” – or tie-and-dye – process of their community. A pattern is stenciled on fabric in a dye solution, and when the threads are removed, beautiful patterns are made on cloth used by both men and women. Abdullah received the UNESCO Award of Excellence in 2008, and Abduljabbar in 2006 and 2007. Accommodations: Hotel Prince Abduljabbar Khatri – Bandhani scarves Monday, November 14, 2016 — Bhuj to Ahmedabad Depart very early from Bhuj and drive 250 miles in 8 hours to Ahmedabad, a leading city of Gujarat. Founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah, the city spreads along both banks of the Sabarmati River. A sojourn into the old walled city reveals an intriguing labyrinth of by-lanes and exquisitely carved wooden mansions full of architectural delights. Ahmedabad has many monuments constructed using a blend of Hindu and Muslim influences. En route, visit Adipur, where Judy Frater, long-time Market participant, has founded Somaiya Kala Vidya, where you will meet and talk to Market artists who have graduated from its workshops in teaching craft traditions. After lunch drive to Ahmedabad and check-in to The House of MG. It was built in 1924 as a private home of a wealthy textile magnate and now a boutique heritage. Accommodations: The House of MG – 3 nights Juned Ismail Khatri – block printing Dahyalal Kudecha - weaving Tuesday, November 15, 2016 – Ahmedabad Set off the day visiting the world renowned Calico Museum of Textiles (subject to permission). A major center of India’s textile trade and industry since the 15th century, Ahmedabad is an appropriate location for this outstanding museum. Its collection includes a number of exquisite pieces made for the British, Portuguese and India's Royal households. Enjoy viewing embroidered tents and robes of Shah Jahan, patola saris, and extravagant zari work, where saris are gilded in heavy gold and stitching. Afterward visit a workshop to see Kalamkari and Mata-ni-Pachedi paintings, which are produced by the Vaghari community as an offering and displayed in temples to honor the Mother Goddess. The afternoon includes a visit to Shreyas Folk Museum and NC Mehta Gallery. Shreyas Folk Museum is a tribute to the indefatigable spirit of the Gujarati women who have added remarkable value to the Gujarati heritage with their soulful crafts and unbound imagination. Displayed here the art forms range from varied communities such as the Kathi, Rabari, Ahir, Mer, Charan, Bharvad, Kanbi, Koli, Bhansali, Rajput, Brahmin, Vania, Meghaval, Khoja Bohra, Meman, Miana and several others. The NC Mehta Gallery, located in the complex of the L D Institute of Indology, has a vast exquisite and ornate collection of miniature paintings from Rajasthan, Mewar, Mughal, Kangra and other schools Accommodations: The House of MG Wednesday, November 16, 2016 – Ahmedabad Today we have a special day planned to visit with Reema Nanavaty, Director of Economic and Rural Development for SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association), an organization including over 3,500 artisan shareholders in 80 villages in India’s western state of Gujarat. The women — all skilled home-based embroidery and textile artisans — are the producers, managers, and owners of their collective livelihood. The women are involved in every phase of the business — including micro-financing, management training, social security, health, and childcare services, product development, pricing, and quality control. It is a special treat to visit them, see their amazing museum and Kankuben Lalabhai Parmar of SEWA meet the women of the cooperative. Accommodations: The House of MG Thursday, November 17, 2016 – Ahmedabad to Jaipur Enjoy a heritage walking tour of the fascinating old quarter redolent with Gujarat’s traditional culture and history. A maze of narrow winding alleys with thriving bazaars, pols, exquisitely carved façades, temples, mosques and subterranean step-wells mark the old city. Visit the Jami m Masjid built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1423. This yellow sandstone structure ingeniously used pieces retrieved from demolished Hindu and Jain temples. Proceed to the Tomb of Ahmed Shah where the sultan, his son and grandson are buried. Continue on to Rani Sipri’s mosque, also known as Masjid-e-Nagina or “jewel of a mosque” because of its elegant proportions and slender minarets.