FACE TO FACE WITH RAJASTHAN'S CRAFTS, ARTISANS, AND BAZAARS

Rajasthan has an ancient and varied craft tradition. Thriving princely kingdoms, a powerful and sizeable merchant class, and Rajasthan's strategic location on the ancient Silk Route historically ensured a market for the goods produced. The region's arid topography and the dependence of agriculture on uncertain rainfall also provided a spur for diversification of skills. The Rajput chieftains saw themselves as patrons of art and sculpture and encouraged artisans to set up schools for the training and propagation of craft skills. Rajasthan is one of the few states in the country where almost every town has an artisan quarter specializing in particular crafts.

Jewellery-making using gold and precious stones is predictably a famous craft of Rajasthan. Traditional styles of hand-made jewellery that used to be patronized by the royalty and that are unique to the region are: precious and semi-precious stones set in gold (kundan), coloured enamel painting on gold (meenakari), and gold filigree on coloured glass (thewa). There is today a thriving modern designer counterpart that includes work in precious stones set in precious metals, semi-precious stones set in silver, and inexpensive stone-based costume jewellery. Heavy and intricately worked tribal silver jewellery - the state is home to the country's largest tribal population, and the handsome tribal women and men habitually wear all their jewellery on their person - is also famous for its range of designs and functionality, and has a huge appeal to the modern user.

Other crafts typical of Rajasthan are: textiles - block printing and tie-and-dye (bandhini, laheria) on cotton, silk, georgette and chiffon -; hand-made embroidery on cotton embellished with mirrors; quilting; stone and marble sculpture; embroidered leathercraft (bags, shoes called mojaris, sandals); pottery - blue pottery made from crushed quartz and painted in glowing shades of blue, green and yellow, and unglazed terracotta folk crafts; religious paintings on fabric; among others.

Guests at Savista will have a chance to visit shops displaying and selling these handicrafts, workshops where they are made, and exhibitions where artisans and cooperative craft societies from various parts of Rajasthan and, often, from other states of the country, set up their own stalls to vend their products without the mediation of middle-men.

We also arrange to take our guests to traditional spice, vegetable and flower markets with their explosions of colours and fragrances.

The costs of these visits range from USD 50 to 80 per person.