Textile design inspiration in Gujarat

Find textile inspiration with Colouricious Holidays

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Colouricious Holidays brings you all you need to know about Gujarat"s textiles. We encourage you to unleash your creativity and gather all the textile design inspiration you can! Offered as one of our tour destinations, Gujarat is full to the brim with incredible fabrics embellished with vibrant and colourful textures. Each day is planned to inspire your creativity with craft activities awaiting round every corner. We find the hidden gems of India to really show you wonderful hidden arts of this beautiful country. Visit out website www.colouriciousholidays.com to find out more.

Workshop on Kalamkari and hand block printing

Kalamkari art is an incredibly intricate craft and requires great skill. With Kalam meaning pen and kari translating to craft, these wonderful illustrations are hand-painted. Traditionally this textile technique was used to depict the accounts of villagers on their travels using large bolts of canvas and dyes extracted from plants.

There are 2 styles of Kalamkari, Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. Srikalahasti is distinctive in that the pen is used to draw freehand typically onto cotton textiles filling in the colours afterwards only with natural dyes. This is the most traditional of the Kalamkari techniques with hindu mythology being its main influence in design. Machilipatnam Kalamkari incorporate wooden printing blocks into their sketches with lotus motifs being the most common print design.

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Kalkamrai is being increasingly popular for textile craft today as it’s process doesn’t include harmful chemicals but still produces incredibly vibrant fabrics. This is a wonderful technique to try your hand at in workshops lead by skilled artists in the villages the country it was first created.

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You will take part in an organised workshop where this technique has been passed down through generations. These will be in remote villages but not to worry, you will have a guide and private coach to transport you from our selected hotels to these incredible authentic workshops where you can learn from the craftsman themselves.

 

The Calico Museum of Textiles

This premiere textile museum is the most celebrated institutions of its kind in the world for its diverse collection of beautiful Indian textiles. It has played an important role in establishing the curriculum taught at the prestigious National Institute of Design for the textile designing courses. There are 2 wings known as ‘Haveli’ and ‘Chauk’. Haveli houses the religious fabrics along with south Indian bronzes and sculptures, temple hangings, miniature paintings and Jaina art whereas ‘Chauk’, is home to royal tents carpets, furnishings and costumes of the Mughal and regional courts. There are also textile techniques galleries and a library.

 

Naulakha palace

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Naulakha palace is an incredible destination to visit. It is the oldest and arguably the most beautiful palace in Gondal. It possesses exclusive architectural features such as unique spiral staircases, incredible carved arches, impressive balconies and gorgeous courtyards. The palace is located along the river bed offering the most majestic views from the balconies. The onsite museum houses a rich variety of artefacts such as huge weighing scales used on special celebrations when he used to be weighed in gold equivalent which would then be donated to the poor. The interior decoration inside the palace is also something to be marvelled at from stuffed panthers to antique Belgian mirrors and luxurious chandeliers. Another interesting scene noted near a bridge over the river is the reflected image of the palace. There are many other structures within the complex such as the Huzoor Palace where the royal family currently reside.

 

Take a look at our other blogs to for textile design inspiration and keep up date with all our holiday offers!

Learn, create, be happy!