A Textile Soiree in Jaipur

Jaipur, where golden sands, indigo skies and crimson forts find an echo in its traditional fabrics. Here, the colours of the land become the colours of its people’s textile traditions. In a pink city that sports crimson forts in the middle of golden sands, there are live block printers who have traditionally used the colours of the land to bring their textile heritage alive. To be enlivened by them, you only need to Breakaway. 

The Jaipur textile tour promises interactions with master craftsmen and award-winning printers who will walk you through the beautiful Bagru, and  Indigo printing traditions of the desert kingdom. Get set to Immerse yourself in a riot of colours through a textile tour with artisans to also understand age-old printing techniques.

The Brilliance of Bagru

Painted in Pink in 1876 Jaipur is famous for its printed textiles. Traditional textile tours in Jaipur like this one will acquaint you with the quintessential Jaipur print, synonymous with big and small bootis, or jaals and borders with repeated patterned floral designs seen in today’s Bagru and Sanganer prints.

Our first look into Jaipur textiles is in Bagru, known for natural dyes and hand block printing. A trip to the iconic workshop of a master craftsman and award winner Bagru and Indigo artist, where we start our intellectual expedition into the craft of Bagru printing, once only seen on Rajasthani skirts known as ghagras and scarves called odhnis for women.

We aim to make a connection between the past and the present. With a textile designer at the helm, we leap into the sensitivity of blending Jaipur block printing and traditional textile designs and accessories now taking the form of contemporary fashions.  A visit to a traditional block maker and printer provides us a peek into his collection of exquisite brass blocks, hand blocks that are no longer available and are priceless.  As our eyes get fixated on the intricate sharpness of every carving, we get sensitized to the painstaking time and effort involved in each stage of the production process.

A Hands-on Approach

Visiting local production workshops and discussions with designers and textile producers is really what allows us to develop a fuller appreciation and outlook on a world filled with color and seeped in tradition and old-world techniques. We colour our hands with the reminisces of blues, pinks, and reds after testing our skills at hand block printing with pigment,  each offering a cultivated experience into the diversity in textiles.

Getting an interactive, hands-on experience, unlike any other through textile tours with artisans offers us a fresh new perspective on the technical composition of Indian textiles as we pace ourselves through exquisite handmade garments adorned with silver and gold warq printing.

Textiles have been a fundamental presence in Jaipur, and though it may just be art to some and tools to others, the Anokhi Museum reminds us that textiles are not only a livelihood but continue to be an evolving culture breathing through the stages of contemporary revival.

Carpet Weaving

Breakaway in partnership with Jaipur Rugs Company, invites you on a journey that promises you an enriching experience at every step. You will explore the rustic villages of Rajasthan and meet the extraordinary women of grit, who are keeping alive the traditional craft of hand-knotted carpet weaving.  As you sit in the welcoming verandas of their homes, you will enjoy delicious meals and heart-to-heart conversations that will make this journey an unforgettable experience.

Highlights

• Discover the almost-forgotten craft of rug weaving in one of Rajasthan’s many small and captivating villages.
• Meet the female artisans who have been empowered to provide for themselves and their families with the support of the Jaipur Rugs Foundation
• Enjoy the local Rajasthani food cooked with love by your new, multi-talented friends. 
• Try your hands at tying a Persian Knot as you learn the art of making a hand-knotted carpet.

Whether you’re a textile enthusiast or a lover of India’s rich cultural tapestry, the Jaipur textile trail is an unforgettable journey into the soul of India’s ancient craft and timeless beauty. Take a Jaipur textile tour with artisans to discover traditional textiles and block printing techniques that have added to the richness of the ‘Pink City’.