Brochure: Rajasthan & Gujarat, India, February 2019

Following the success of HALI’s first Textile Arts of India tour in 2018, we are pleased to announce that we will offer privileged access to several important public and private textile collections in Rajasthan and Gujarat for a second time 9-22 February 2019. Once again, the tour will be guided by the internationally respected Indian textiles scholar Rosemary Crill, with contributions from Indian carpet expert Steven Cohen.

The HALI Textile Arts of India Tour in association with Martin Randall Travel offers exclusive access to iconic carpets and textiles of India, with visits to places rarely seen by tourists. Beginning in Delhi, the tour charts a course through Rajasthan and Gujarat in northwest India, ending in Mumbai, with private curator-led visits throughout. The extraordinary richness and variety of textiles in these two states make the region unique not only in India but in the world.

Some of the most spectacular textiles and carpets ever made were woven in northern India under the patronage of Mughal and Rajput rulers. Many have since been dispersed, but some royal palaces, notably those of Jaipur and Jodhpur, have retained many historic pieces, tents, carpets, furnishings and garments made for the courts.

Rajasthan is the heartland of Rajput culture, and the fortified palaces of Mehrangarh in Jodhpur and Amber outside Jaipur are spectacular manifestations of a rich hybrid tradition, blending Hindu and Islamic styles.

Both Rajasthan and Gujarat are also known for their rich local textile arts, especially embroidery, block-printing and tie-dyeing, and these traditions are on view at Sanskriti Kendra in Delhi, Brigitte Singh’s block-printing atelier in Jaipur and the Shreyas Foundation in Ahmedabad. Gujarat is also home to two of the greatest collections of historic Indian textiles built up in more recent times—The Sarabhai Collection at the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad, and the TAPI Collection in Surat. Both collections are included in the tour itinerary, as are the notable holdings of the National Museum of India in New Delhi and the CSMVS (former Prince of Wales Museum) in Mumbai.

For further information, to receive a brochure by email, or to be added to the HALI Tours mailing list, please contact Rachel Meek at [email protected] or call +44 (0)203 370 7572.