Timeless Traditionsa journey through the fabric of time with Ron Ho

delhi - surajkund - jaipur - nawalgarh - nagaur - jodhpur - aurangabad - mumbai

As “make in India” continues to be the buzzword these days, here is an opportunity to interact with people who have been making in India - by hand, using simple tools, often in the exact same manner that they did hundreds of years ago. This journey will take you to the remote corners of India, closer to the people who matter and their remarkable stories- of their struggle and success. While on this three week trip, you will not only interact with the master craftsmen and explore the various forms of art, but you will also visit some unusual fairs - where cattle are traded,- dine at exquisite places, stay in havelis, learn about the various forms of architecture and cook with the locals. This will be a kaleidoscope of colors and cultures.

day 1 : depart seattleday 2 : arrive in delhiday 3 : a day at surajkund fairday 4 : one more day at the fair OR an optional trip to tajday 5 : drive to jaipurday 6 : explore jaipurday 7 : one more day in jaipurday 8 : drive to nawalgarhday 9 : in the havelis of shekhawatiday 10 : drive to nagaurday 11 : a day at the fair

day 12 : drive to Jodhpurday 13 : a day in Jodhpurday 14 : fly to Auragabad day 15 : excursion to Ajanta cavesday 16 : a day in Surangabadday 17 : excursion to Ellora caves followed by a flight to Mumbaiday 18 : a day in Mumbaiday 18 : back to Seattle

day-wise itinerary

day 1: leave Seattleboard your emirates flight to Delhi

day 2: arrive in DelhiArrive Delhi by International flight at 19:50hrsYour hotel will be reserved from noon, and the rooms will be available for immediate check-in.

day 3: a day in Surajkund fairToday you will be at the Surajkund fair to explore the craft mela. First celebrated in 1981, Surajkund craft fair is a great platform for local artists from different states of India to showcase their skills & products. This colourful mela where artists meet the art-lovers is organized annually in the first fortnight in February. Visitors can experience a variety of products including paintings, pottery, lacquer work & stone work. Additionally many folk performances are organized by different state tourism to showcase & promote their local culture.  

day 4: a day at the fair OR a visit to TajToday the participants can either spend one more day at the Surajkund fair or they can drive to Agra for a visit of Taj.

day 5: off to the pink cityAfter breakfast, you will drive to Jaipur.This will be a long drive - about 6 hrs to cover a distance of 260kms - but we will make it interesting by breaking the journey with a stop at Shahpura - a village where “lac” bangles are made.

day 6: for the forts and the palaces This day will start with a visit to Amber Fort which is located on the top of a hill. You can either ride on an elephant’s back or board a jeep to the fort. After the visit you will explore the Anokhi Museum of Textiles to get an insight into the rich textile history of Rajasthan. In the afternoon, you will visit the pottery studio of late Sardar Kirpal Singh Shekhawat - a world famous painter. Later in the day, you will also attend a workshop on jewelry making at an unit specializing in silver and gold ornaments.

day 7: to Bagru After breakfast, you will drive out to Sanganer, known for block printing on textile. A local artisan will explain the making of dyes and will also help the participants in the creation of a personalised table cloth.  In the afternoon your textile journey will take you to Bagru to see Daboo or mud-printing on textiles. This unique art where kneading of the clay with gum and components is done by foot by men and printing is always done by women. There are about 300 families engaged in this work in Bagru.

day 8: the artistic explorationThis morning you will drive to Nawalgarh- a drive of approx 4 hrs. Nawalgarh is a small town in Shekhawati region, and is known as an open art gallery for beautiful painted havelis. In the afternoon explore the local town visiting the interesting bazaar and the painted havelis in Nawalgarh on camel carts.

day 9: art of tying and dying After breakfast you will visit the house of a craftsman to understand the technique of tie-and-dye. You would also have an opportunity to try your hand at it. Continue the exploration of Shekhawati region visiting a local potters family. In the evening - there will be a cooking demonstration on Rajasthani cuisine at a local home

day 10: to the fair like no otherThis morning you will drive to Nagaur. it is the site of Asia’s largest annual cattle & camel fair.  

day 11: trading cattle A day in Nagaur to experience this unique fair. Nagaur cattle fair is a big event for locals to trade cows, bullocks, oxen, camels & horses. Local men in turbans and flaunting long mustaches and women in colourful lehengas [traditional long skirts] participate in the fair with great enthusiasm. Many traditional games like tug-of-War, camel races, cock & bull fights are organized. Wooden items, iron craft and leather accessories are available in abundance during the fair. Nagaur is also a place where chilli crop is harvested and sold at this fair.

day 12: to the blue cityAfter spending the morning at leisure, you will drive to Jodhpur. In the afternoon you will embark on a guided tour of Jodhpur visiting magnificent Mehrangarh fort & the cenotaphs at Jaswant Thada. This will be followed by a tuk-tuk ride around the clock tower to visit the interesting Sadar market.

day 13 : strings of royal pastIn the morning you will visit a village of the Bishnoi tribes to see their traditional lifestyle followed by a visit to Salawas weavers village to see the making of durries [rugs] at the house of a local artist. The afternoon will be spent at a workshop on leather products.

day 14: up in the airToday you will travel to Aurangabad. The group will be transferred to the airport to board a flight to Aurangabad (current connection is via Delhi).You will reach Aurangabad in the late afternoon and will spend the day in the environs of the hotel.

day 15: exploring the cavesThis day is for an excursion to Ajanta caves. These ancient caves are known for cave paintings from the early Buddhist era and are located 100kms away from Aurangabad

day 16: for the love of sareeThis morning you will spend time in Paithan village to see “Paithani-style” of saree weaving. In the afternoon witness the famous Himroo work at a home of a local artist.

day 17: to the ellora caves This morning you will visit the rock cut caves at Ellora - known for sculptures. Later in the day you will fly to Mumbai.

day 18: in the maxim cityThis morning you will travel to a village of the Warli tribe near Thane to witness the famous Warli style of painting.   In the afternoon, you will embark on a short walking tour of what is popularly known as the “Kala-ghoda”.The day will conclude with a farewell dinner for the group. This will be organised at the Khyber restaurant, named after the Khyber pass.

day 19: back to seattleToday you will bid adieu to India as you connect to your onward flight.

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