Western India

Western India is famous for its textiles, crafts, and cultural and social diversity. Led by our experienced Indian tour facilitator, Ranjith Henry, this tour takes us through the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat and has a strong textile flavour. Along the way we visit embroiderers, weavers and organic cotton farmers, some of whom have been working with Traidcraft for over 25 years.

We begin in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, home to some of Asia's largest slums and where we will see both sides of this complex city. From Mumbai we move on to Kutch to learn more about block printing with Shrujan and we visit small-holder cotton farmers who are working with Agrocel. In Ahmadabad we visit St Mary's, the inspiring women's group set up by Dominican nuns in the 1950s to support textile producers in Ahmadabad. St Mary's has been working with Traidcraft since 1986 and the ladies here create their intricately embroidered Tree of Life wall hangings.

Along our journey through western India we visit various sites of historic and cultural interest and our tour will finish with a visit to Agra to see the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal.

Photos: Shailan Parker, Jeff & Hilary Heine, Tim Moth, Rajendra Shaw