Craft, clothes & textile tour of Kolkata - India

Fly to Mumbai/ Delhi. Upon reaching, you will be warmly welcomed by our representatives. From there, you will be transferred to the hotel for an overnight stay.

After morning breakfast, we will board our flight to Kolkata. Upon landing, you will be escorted to the hotel to freshen up. There will be an afternoon visit to Victoria Memorial. It is a magnificent building made up of marble. It is built in the memory of Queen Victoria. It has now become a museum and popular tourist point of the state. This large and exquisite monument is a well-crafted architectural gem and stands as the most visited tourist destination. There are 25 galleries in this memorial, and you will get a glimpse of an extraordinary collection of paintings, textiles, historical possessions of the Queen, stamps and many other historical items. After this, we will make a visit to Park Street Cemetery which is a significant heritage site built during the British colonial rule. This oldest cemetery was the first non-church cemetery, and it includes the tombs of numerous emigrants who were an integral part of Kolkata’s history. This place showcases the splendor of the colonial period. The journey of this day will end with an overnight stay at the hotel.

After having a delicious morning breakfast, we will start this day by taking the blessings of God in Pareshnath Jain Temple. It is one of the most cherished and holy places of Jains in Kolkata. This temple is famous for its gracefulness as well as the spiritual ambience that it creates which attracts a lot of worshippers and tourists. Pareshnath Temple has flawless designs and profound structure. You will witness exquisite interior and scenic beauty in the form of gardens that surround the temple. After this, we will visit Kumartuli which is the potter’s town in North Kolkata. The lanes and by-lanes of Kumartuli offer a unique dose of culture. You will get a sight of skilled artists creating intricately beautiful clay sculptures and idols of gods. A look into the workshops of sculptors working with passion and incredible efficiency will leave you wonderstruck. In the afternoon, there will be a tour of BBD Bagh which is the heart of Old Kolkata. Then you will have a walking tour through New Market which is the collection of innumerable shops that offer you everything. This place is definitely a shopaholic’s delight. You can fulfil your shopping desires by buying anything and everything you want.

This day will embark on the journey of exploration of the rich crafts and textiles of West Bengal. Drive to Baharampur where a number of skilled weavers from Bangladesh settled after Partition of India. On the way, we will drive you to the villages of Shantipur, Phulia and Beldanga which are famous for their beautiful textiles such as silk and cotton handwoven sarees. After exploring these villages and getting an insight into their supremely fine textiles, we will resume our journey to Baharampur and arrive in time for dinner.

Baharampur is the fifth largest city in West Bengal and is known for its rich cultural heritage; this place is home to many Brahmin families.

After the scrumptious breakfast, we will proceed to visit a silk thread co-operative and witness the process of extraction of silk from the silkworm cocoons, followed by spinning and weaving. This will be followed by a drive to Murshidabad which was the capital of Bengal before the advent of the British. This city still has a lot of historical prominence as it holds the tombs, mosques and gardens in the memories of Nawabs. After this, we will visit Katra mosque which was established as a centre of Islamic learning by Murshid Quli Khand, and now it houses his tomb. After having a view of this mosque, we will drive to Hazarduari Palace which means a palace of thousand doors. It is built over a space of 41 acres and has now been converted into a museum which displays the various possessions of Nawabs and other artistic items. Later drive back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

After wholesome breakfast, continue the journey to Shanti Niketan which is a small town founded by the father of the famous poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore. It is known as the abode of peace. After lunch, we will take a tour of some textile villages around Shanti Niketan. Here you will get to know about some weaving techniques such as batik work and Tassar silk weaving. You will also catch sight of ladies doing traditional Kantha weaving on clothes, quilts and other household clothing items.

After breakfast, drive to Uttara, a complex at Shantiniketan. It is the place where Rabindranath Tagore used to live and thus it is a very popular location. Here you will witness fascinating outdoor artwork by contemporary artists. After this, we will visit the Vichitra Museum that holds the artefacts and remains from the life of Tagore which comprise of his sketches and paintings. This will be followed by a visit to gemologist who uses biological plant material in his designs. There will also be a visit to the workshop of embossed leather goods. Return to the hotel for an overnight stay.

After the delicious breakfast in the morning, drive to Bishnupur which is famous for its terracotta temples. It is well known among the tourists for its rich and diverse culture, including architecture, music and handicraft. On the route, we will be stopping at Bikna village where you will observe the metal sculpture making with the Dhokra technique which is a form of lost wax casting. After this, we will drive towards Bishnupur and reach there for a temple tour visiting temples like Jor Bangla and Madan Mohan. An overnight stay in a hotel.

After breakfast, ride to a village of potters who make the internationally acclaimed Bankura horse votives with red terracotta. This will be followed by a visit to indigenous Baluchari sari weavers whose splendid silk on silk embroidered sarees and garments are famous among women all over India. This will be followed by a meet and greet with skilled artisans who carve and craft beautiful shells and bracelets. In the afternoon ride back to Kolkata, witness Maslong Grass Mat weaving at Midnapur. You will find fine drawn patterns and designs on these mats that are made using the natural colours of grass, and they are as soft as woven cotton. Experience the world of art by meeting the artists who create paintings on cloth or palm leaves. These paintings are done by using natural pigments and colours, and they represent the village lifestyle as well as Hindu Mythology. Arrive back in Kolkata for an overnight stay.

Explore Kolkata by visiting the Agri Horticultural Society, which is the oldest agricultural society of India. This will be followed by a visit to Kalighat which is a spiritual spot.

Make a visit to Malik ghat flower market and Indian Museum which has a remarkable collection of historical artefacts, sculptures, ancient paintings and coins. After this, you will be transferred to the airport for onward journey. This will mark as an amazing end to the exploration tour of diverse crafts and textiles of Kolkata.