art & soul of india

February 14 - March 6, 2005

Brilliantly colorful, culturally and historically compelling, India is one of the world’s great travel destinations. Drawing from our combined travel experience and fascination with India, Julia and I invite you to come along on our dream trip that we’ve carefully handcrafted with all of you in mind. We’ll see it all - from the most humble to the most luxurious. The trip is designed around our passion and interest for folk art, textiles, architecture and history. We’ll cover a lot of ground in the 18 days. This is a rigorous, action-packed trip. Be prepared for a lot of walking and physical activity!

We will be traveling from India’s capital city Delhi, to Buhj, Ahmenabad, Jaipur and then north to Nek Chand’s Rock Garden in Chandigargh. We’ll see all the classic sights such as the Taj Mahal, ancient forts, palaces, museums,and temples. Then, in Deb & Julia style, we’ll take you to small craft villages and workshops, and off-the-beaten-path markets where you’ll get to meet the artisans and see first hand the marvelous variety of folk art, embroidery, handmade paper, and all the craft traditions this country has to offer. We have also lined up some wonderful people - experts in their field who will guide us and share their knowledge.

We’ll be staying in India’s Heritage hotels (formerly palaces of the Raj’s) - complete with all the beauty and grandeur of times past, but newly renovated to accommodate our modern needs. We’ll dine on delicious and healthy food in the best restaurants, and together we will take in the truly magical and wondrous splendor of this fascinating country. We invite you to participate in our daily planned activities and events, or you can take time to relax in our luxurious hotels and explore on your own.

Here is our proposed itinerary in a nutshell:
2/14	Depart the USA, losing a day as we cross the dateline.
2/16-2/19	Late night arrival into Delhi. Spend the morning at leisure. Activities: A tour of New Delhi: The India Gate, Presidential palace, Parliament and Diplomatic Enclave Visit to the world-class National Museum, Textile & Crafts Museum, and the Cottage Industries Emporium Day trip to the Taj Mahal and Agra fort Visits to outskirts to Sanskriti, the Museum of Everyday Things and to 12th century A.D. landmark, Qutb Minar & much more! Accommodations: The Imperial Hotel, a beautifully restored example of colonial India architecture.
2/19-2/21	BUHJ This is the area of the Kutch, known for their incredible embroideries and handcrafts. Here we’ll be lead by textile expert and anthropologist, Judy Frater, who will give us a very special tour to various villages, and teach us about the embroideries. Other Activites: Flight from Delhi to Buhj Visit The Folk Art Museum, Palaces and The Bazaars Visit to Kalaaksha - an arts trust that pioneered the revival of local crafts Accommodations: The Prince Hotel
2/22	BUHJ & AHMEDABAD Activities: AM train trip to Ahmedabad A tour of the city highlighted by the architectural legacy of Le Corbusier, Louis Khan, and Balkrishna Doshi. Visit to the sublime and most famous Calico Museum Accommodations: 3 Nights at the House of ManGaldas Heritage Hotel, an 85 year old private residence
2/23	AHMEDABAD Activities: A tour the old city, visiting Hindu and Islamic monuments, unique wooden houses, narrow lanes bustling with artisan workplaces Visit to the Shreyas Folk Art Museum and NC Mehta Museum, housed in a building designed by Le Corbusier Evening excursion to outskirts of Ahmedabad to visit the unique Utensils Museum, and enjoy a typical Gujurati meal
2/24-2/27	AHMEDABAD & JAIPUR Activities: An excursion to Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram and the Adalaj Vav Stepwell Evening arrival to Jaipur Three days of sightseeing in Jaipur - the capital of the desert state of Rajasthan Visit the Amber Fort by elephant Explore the old city dominated by the City Palace, the art center at Jawahar Kala Kendra Visits to workshops with specially arranged demonstrations of woodblock printing on textiles and at Sanganer, we’ll view the production of papermaking Accommodations: four nights at the Raj Palace
2/28-3/2	CHANDIGARH Activities: Leave Jaipur thru Delhi and on to Chandigarh with afternoon arrival sightseeing and activities in Chandigarh include visiting Nek Chand’s Rock Garden, The Rose Festival, the Capital Complex, Museum and Art Gallery and nearby Pinjore Gardens Accommodations: 3 nights at Captain’s Retreat Hotel
3/3-3/5	DELHI Activities: After morning activities in Chandigarh, leave in PM by Express Train to Delhi with evening arrival Two days at leisure to pursue independent activities, like buying all your gifts, relaxing and packing to go home Accommodations: The Imperial Hotel
3/6	Depart Delhi on International flight home

Art & Soul Tours reserves the right to make any changes necessary to ensure the safety & well-being of the group.

1741 Massachusetts Avenue (Porter Square), Cambridge MA 02140
phone: 617-497-6677, email:
hours: Monday-Friday 10-7, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-6