Textiles, Tribes and Animals of Gujarat West India

Namaste! Welcome to India!
Arrive today at Ahmedabad Airport. Our representative will meet you in the arrival area of the airport after you clear all immigration and customs formalities.

Explore India’s textile city, starting with the Calico Museum of Textile and Handicrafts, which is famous for embroidery from the 19th century. Tour Ahmedabad, getting a chance to see Sarkhej Roza, the Kite Museumand theGandhi Ashram. a hub of India’s freedom movement.

Drive to Champaner, home to the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park. The park showcases an intriguing blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture dating back to the 16th centuy, including the Great Mosque(Jami Masjid). Later, travel to Jambughoda and its eponymous palace, set in the midst of lovely gardens.

Visit the Jambughoda wildlife sanctuary today, spotting everything from blue bulls, hyenas, jackals, sloth bears and perhaps, if you’re lucky, even the elusive panther or four-horned antelope. Later, get to know some of the local tribes as you stop by the Bhilala and Bayaka tribal villages.

Venture to Bhavnagar—an erstwhile princely state—as we continue on our West India tour. Today, this 18thcentury city is a premier cotton-exporting seaport with buzzing marketplaces and esteemed educational institutions. Learn about the life of the Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti, and stop by the Barton Library to peruse the old books, manuscripts and rare coins here.

Travel to Palitana, home to an astounding number of magnificent temples—863 in all—that were built over a span of 900 years. Each generation of pilgrims has made its own contribution to the shrines here.

Gir is our next stop, where we’ll get a chance to glimpse the rare Asiatic Lion in Gir National Park. Explore the rugged terrain here, from the large patches of grasslands to the stands of teak, acacia and dhak trees. You’ll stay at the Lion Safari Camp, an eco-friendly escape located in a private mango orchard overlooking the Hiran River.

Discover the wilds of Gir National Park in the morning and afternoon today. The last remaining refuge of the Asiatic Lion (there are 300 here), Gir is also home to one of the largest leopard populations in any park in India. The forest is also rich in bird life—an estimated of 300 species have been spotted here.

Next up is Junagarh, a historic city home to Buddhist relics from the 3rd century BC, as well Buddhist caves with ornamented pillars, carved entrances and monastic cells. Other intriguing sights include Upperkot, an impressive fort originally built in 319 BC, and one of the famous Rock Edicts of King Ashoka. You’ll also stop by Jetpur, known for its screen- and block-printing workshops, before proceeding to Gondal.

As you discover this town of considerable historic importance, visit the 18th century Naulakha Palace. The palace houses the former ruling family’s private collection of beadwork, textiles, brassware, hand-painted toys and silver crafts. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about weaving practices in the region.

Our West India tour now takes us to the westernmost city in India: Bhuj. Known for its unique heritage and culture, the city’s grandiose palaces and temples are sure to amaze.

You’ll visit Banni villages in the area, getting to know the local tribes and their textiles. The tribes do embroidery work on leather shoes as well as purses, belts and wallets, and they are also known for their distinctive weaving, block-printing and rogan-painting work.

You’re off to the port of Mandvi, once a vital sea-trade post between the Near East and the Far East. In addition to admiring the fine palaces and buildings here, you’ll visit nearby villages known for their Rabari embroidery and picturesque houses called bhungas

Wild Ass, as well as a haven for migratory birds such as flamingos, pelicans and cranes. You’ll stay at Rann Riders, an eco-friendly resort imaginatively designed using local materials to recreate the appearance of a village.

After breakfast, head out to the Rann of Kutch. A marshy region in the Thar Desert, the Rann of Kutch is home to captivating creatures such as wolves, foxes and jackals. The area is also home to a number of pastoral tribes, and you’ll get a chance to enjoy the culture of some of these unique communities while you’re here.

Today brings a wide range of discovery, ranging from the Sun Temple in Modhera (built during the 11th century) to Patan’s silk textiles. Patan is also one of the centers for Mushroo, a fabric made of silk and cotton, and Rani-ki-Vav, the most magnificent stepwell in Gujarat. Continue onward to Poshina.

The Poshina bazaar is famous for silver tribal jewelry, ornate sheathed daggers and terra cotta horses, and is home to a number of artisans ranging from potters to blacksmiths. You’ll get a chance to check out the bazaar, before enjoying a full day adventure to the nearby tribal villages. You’ll get to see the crafts created here, including arrow crafting, bow stringing and basket weaving.

Drive to Ahmedabad, and enjoy some leisure time before being transferred to the airport for your flight home.