Thematic Tour

Formation of granite monoliths in Hyderabad, 2500 million years old, most probably older than the Himalayas.
Kolkatta; the city of joy, the land on which the Goddess Durga descends as the unique creations of the potters of the Kumortuli Street.

Enjoy the enticing, palatable, mouth-watering street food of Old Delhi.
The classic and unique beauty, busy vibrant coloured market of the Chaotic cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad & Bangalore.
The Cemetery lanes in Shimla
Heritage walk in Goa walking past the churches.
And quench the thirst of your curious questions, getting the perfect answers from the local, well-educated walking tour conductors.

Indian Chinese and paisley curtains were once the pride of many a European home but they faded from world memory in the early 19th century.  Those days may have long been past, but Indian silks, brocades, and cottons still are popular in the West.  What sets Indian fabrics apart is excellent workmanship, colors, and durability. 

The first American ship sailed to India in 1784 and returned home laden with goods, amongst them, of course, Indian textiles, both cotton, and silk which were acknowledged worldwide for their fine craftsmanship and beauty.  Indian textiles were already known in America, imported to her shores from Europe. This direct trade had broader implications as the men who travelled to India returned not just with goods but with experiences and tales of sights seen, India’s philosophy, literature, and religious texts, which left an imprint on the minds of the American people. 

By this time, however, the industrial revolution was already in motion with its focus on textile machinery.  Later, it was the genius of Mahatma Gandhi, who visualized the spinning wheel as the means to alleviate the poverty of the masses and khadi—India’s hand-spun hand-woven fabric—as a unifying national cause in the peaceful struggle for freedom.  It also re-established a craft-based structure in India, which continues until today and pervades the Indian landscape from region to region.

The diversity of textiles in India embraces cloth which is handspun, handwoven, hand block printed, hand embroidered, natural dyed to name a few of the techniques. Her craftspeople, both men and women who live in their natural habitats, have been perpetuating these textile crafts over generations. What we call crafts today were originally items made for consumption within the community and their discovery through travel and exposure beyond the boundaries of villages where they are produced has resulted in widespread use and demand both within India and the rest of the world.

Khadi: In 1920 Gandhi said, “I present the spinning wheel on which depends India’s economic salvation.” Khadi is a simple homespun fabric, handwoven in cotton, wool, or silk—the first fabric known to mankind.  On the economic and political fronts, this fabric played a momentous role in the movement for India’s independence. Mahatma Gandhi’s vision brought khadi to the forefront and was used as a tool for the upliftment of the poorest of the poor.  Later in the history of the freedom struggle, it became a powerful weapon of non-violence.

Tie-and-Dye: The people of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh make up with the brilliancy of their clothes for what the terrain lacks in color. Cotton or silk cloth is tied into sections to exclude the dye to achieve a two-color effect. For a more intricate design, different sections are tied at every stage of dyeing and a variety of colors used. Thereafter, the fabric opens out into amazing designs: dots, circles, squares, waves, and stripes.

Ajarakh:  Cloth, of predominately indigo coloring block printed in resist (usually on both sides) with geometric patterns made in Sind, Western Rajasthan, and Kutch.  It is worn by Muslim men as lungis or turbans, and represents, according to the story, the sky.  

Patola: Patolu and patola are the terms normally used in Gujarat for the art of silk weaving with design in double ikat i.e. for fabrics where the warp and weft threads are colored in section by tie-dying before weaving and are then woven to form intricate multi-colored designs.  Today, Patan Patola is one of the finest handwoven textiles produced. Besides, Patan the double ikat is found only in Bali in Indonesia

Maheshwar Textile: Handloom weaving has an ancient history in Maheshwar, dating back some 1500 years. Madhya Pradesh state is famous for its Maheshwari and Chanderi fabric frequently worn as saris.  Maheshwari saris are mostly in cotton and silk. The body is plain or has stripes or checks. These fabrics became famous as they were supported by the royal families of the time, who gifted these fine textiles to nobles throughout the land.

Chanderi Textile: The gossamer-thin Chanderi sari has been woven in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh state, for centuries. The greater part of the town’s population works at producing the Chanderi fabric known for its traditional motifs, intricately woven borders, and fragile pastel colors.

India has various destinations known for their textile importance like West Bengal and Assam for jute and terracotta and Muga silk, Bihar for Madhubani Painting, Varanasi, Kanchipuram and Mysore for silk.

Hindu religious Tours : 

The Himalayan Chardham Yatra (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri & Gangotri), Rath Yatra of Bhubaneshwar, Spiritual and Yoga tour of Haridwar and Rishikesh Tour, Temple Tour of South India, Kailsh Mansarovar Tour, Amarnath Yatra tour & Vaishno Devi Tour

Christian Tours : 

Churches of Goa tour & Cathedrals of South India.

Buddhist Tour : 

Footsteps of Buddha Tour & Nepal and Bihar Buddhism Tour.

Sikh Tour

Hemkund Sahib Tour, Golden Temple Tour & Tour of Gurudwaras of India.

Islamic Tour : 

Tour of Mosques of India, Mughal Tour, Ajmer Sharif Tour & Muslim Pilgrimage Tour

Jain Religious Tour : 

Jain temple tour of Rajasthan, South India and Gujrat. 

Jewish Tour : 

Jewish Tour of Synagogues in India

Delhi : There are so many local markets which are known for cheap and good quality fabric clothes. Designer clothes and garments for wedding are also very popular. Silk and wool based carpets are very popular.

Agra : Marble made products, hand embroidery and leather products

Jaipur : Jaipur is known worldwide for Jewelry and precious stones. Hand block printing and wool based carpet weaving, blue pottery.

Jodhpur : Antique furniture is the highlight of Jodhpur. 

Udaipur : Known for miniature paintings

Varanasi : Varanasi Silk

Kerala : Spices

Muradabad : Brass articles.

Kolkatta : Artificial jewelry 

Tea of Darjeeling, Munnar and Palampur is very famous. In fact every region of India has something to offer.

So tie you’re shoelaces, pick up the travel bag and set off for the new world.

ARCHITECTURE TOUR IN INDIA

One definition of a great civilization is the magnificence of its architectural legacy, and India is surely among the foremost. It is home to almost every conceivable historic style due to its numerous inter-cultural interactions. Referring to the architectural heritage of undivided India, Lord Curzon once commented that it was ‘the greatest galaxy of monuments in the world’.

The story of this ‘greatest galaxy of monuments’ goes back to the pre-historic times when early humans did their rudimentary constructions; the form developed into a full-fledged architecture towards the beginning of Christian Era and the Indian architecture reached its zenith during the early medieval times with temple architecture. With the dawn of the medieval times came the Muslim influence and the two great styles were attempted to be merged. This experiment at fusion was fully realised during the reign of the mighty Mughals in the so-called ‘Mughal Architecture’. While the Mughal style was still diffusing to other parts of the country the Europeans had also arrived in India; whatever might be the economic and political repercussions of their entry into the subcontinent, as far as architecture is concerned, they made their own contribution to the already rich Indian architecture.

Indian architecture was essentially a product of the soil, and whatever touched it in its long course of development practically grew into it giving it new form and colour in each successive phase.

Join us in our Architecture Tour of North& South India and learn the development of Indian Architecture from the earliest historical times to the arrival of the Europeans. The tour is not only an interesting survey of Indian Architecture traditions but also follows a chronological development of architecture in India.