Creative travel with craft workshops

Why Kerala?

Kerala is a beautiful state of India sandwiched between the emerald waters of the Lakshadweep Sea and the stunning mouthing ranges of the Western Ghats. It is noted for its famous works in metal and wood carvings and will be a focus on this craft tour. Here are some of the treats you can look forward to on this special trip.

 
 

Kutthampully handloom village

Kutthanpully (sometimes spelled Kuthanpully) is a traditional cotton weaving village in Thiruvilwamala Grama Panchayat, in Kerala. This is the source of the famous Kuthanpully Sarees, which feature such unique boarders. Almost entirely populated by the Devanga people, a Brahmin caste. Their oral history tells of weavers being assembled here 500 years ago at the behest of the Kochi Royal Family.

Kuthampully is noted for their use of the kasavu hand loom, with which they create the Kasavu Double Dhotis, Set Mundus and Veshti. Here, you’ll have the chance to learn to use this ancient weaving tool for yourselves, and learn a new (to you) way to weave.



 

 

 

 

Bee Keeping

Kerala is famous for many things, but one of the most interesting is apiculture, or bee keeping. Bees have been semi-domesticated for thousands of years, and Kerala is one of the ancient centres of this art. They even have a unique type of bee, the Trigona tripennis, AKA the Stingless Bee. Thes are not truly without a stinger, but the sting is poorly developed, and they are noticeably less aggressive than other varieties.

Colouricious has arranged a workshop where you can learn how these unique bees are kept in Kerala State, and of course taste some of the honey that is only produced here, in small batches.

 

Screw Pine Weaving

Another of Kerala’s traditional basket weaving techniques uses the leaves of the screw pine plant. This is traditionally a women’s craft, and has a history of at least 800 years in the region. The most common item woven from screw pine leaves is an ornate mat, such as might be offered to an honoured guest for sitting, or larger mats for sleeping. Other artisans specialise in making fine wall hangings with the all-natural material.
 
 
 
 
 

Coir Making

Coir (also known as ‘cocos’) is a fine, natural golden fibre which is woven into hundreds of textile and handicraft products. However, few who wear these materials outside of the region know that the soft, lustrous material they are wearing is derived from coconut husk. You will get the chance to learn how this lovely and amazingly ecologically friendly fibre is made, and just how many different things can be made from it!

 

Colouricious Holidays

Colouricious Holidays offer a organised crafting trip with crafting destinations, hotels, coaches and guides all arranged ready for your arrival. Now running for several years, many of our guests have met creative friends for life and have come back year after year! Relaxation is a key part of any holiday. We always find creative people need space to let their mind wonder. This wonderful but gentle adventure also offers yoga as a way to calm the body and mind learning from those who know it best.



To stay up to date with our creative holidays follow are newsfeed or visit our website to book a place!

Colouricious holidays craft tour

Come on a craft tour to Kerala

Colouricious Holidays offer you the opportunity to travel the Kerala region of India and delve into the wonderful craft culture that has been thriving there for centuries. On this craft tour you will visit crafting centres participating in a a range of creative workshops all organised for your enjoyment. You won"t have to worry about a thing! Here are a few of the crafts you can expect to experience, ready to takeaway new skills for your own creative home projects.

TASARA Centre for Creative Weaving

The TASARA Centre is located in the Beypore village of Kerala,along India’s west coast. ‘Tasara’ means ‘weaver’s shuttle’ in Sanskrit. The centre works to bring together both contemporary and traditional weavers and other textile artists to encourage both a respect for traditional forms and real innovation. The TASRA centre’s Artist in Residence programme has given studio space and facilities to support to artists and artisans throughout India for more than 25 years. And has jump-started the careers of many successful textile artists and painters.

TASRA also provides extensive training opportunities in weaving and both traditional and batik dyeing, using natural dyes and pigments as well as modern chemical colours. Its annual textile workshops have become a gathering place for weavers and textile artists throughout India to meet, network and collaborate.

Pottery Making 

Kolenchery is a small town in Kerala State, specifically a few kilometres east of Cocin in Ernakulam district, near India’s west coast. One of its most important features, as far as Colouricious Holidays is concerned, is the Pottery Making Unit which focuses on the traditional terra cotta pottery techniques of Kerala State. Not only is this an opportunity to see the works of some of India’s premier workers in terra cotta pottery, it is a chance to gain insight into the way this traditional crafting material (and a mixture of traditional and modern techniques) can be used to create art that is both thoroughly modern yet truly timeless.

Toddy Tapping

Throughout Kerala, toddy tapping is conducted in the same way it has been for hundreds if not thousands of years. The ‘palm toddy’ or simply ‘toddy’, is harvested from coconut palms without cutting down the coconuts – if they are instead carefully ‘tapped’, the milk inside will refill over time. In this way, a single tree can produce hundreds of litres of coconut milk each day. You’ll learn how this is accomplished, and also how to make a delicious palm toddy – even with purchased coconuts at home.

Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu is one of India’s oldest martial arts, and one of the oldest continuously practiced martial arts in the world. ‘Kalari’ means battle or battlefield, and ‘Kalaripayattu’ means ‘Practice in the Arts of the Battlefield’. Its written history is more than 2300 years old, but it is believed that many of the practices go back much further. It involves the use of what we would call mideval weapons, especially shields, spears, bows, swords and the more obscure silambam.

To stay up to date with our creative holidays follow are newsfeed or visit our website to book a place!