Ah, India – such a country of contradictions. So dirty and polluted, yet so much exquisite beauty in the craftsmanship. Such palatial grandeur, but also blatant poverty. I am pondering why I love it here so much... I think it is the brimming energy, a hive of industry everywhere you look, and of course the exuberant patterns and colours which make my soul sing. I mean, anywhere that has trucks looking like this has got to be brilliant!
I have loved every moment of this tour. It’s been utterly exhilarating but a little exhausting too… read on to see just one day’s worth of activities! I was slightly nervous about joining a group tour as I am not one for being told what to do by other people 😂. But all the women in my group have turned out to be fabulous company, and relinquishing responsibility of everyday decision making has been liberating.
Arriving in Ahmedabad
We woke up on day 2 at the crack of dawn to fly to Ahmedabad. The whole 11 days were spent with us trying to master the pronunciation of this city. Ahmed-A-Bad, or as the locals call it, Am-Va-Bad, neither option seemed to stick!
We checked into our eccentric hotel, The House of MG, and relaxed for the rest of the day. In the evening, we enjoyed a typical Gujarati thali meal on the rooftop with fireworks banging and kites flying overhead. Gujaratis love sugar, and I found the meal to be slightly sweeter than the Indian food I am used to, but delicious nonetheless.
The next morning, we wandered around the city admiring the old and rather dilapidated buildings. The colours were unbelievable and will certainly be a source of inspiration for future work. It was positive to see pavements being fixed and signs of refurbishment. I noticed whole families working on the building sites, with women certainly doing their share (usually more!) of heavy manual labour… in sarees no less.
On our walk we met brothers Pintu and Kalu, who had spent 4 months applying red glass powder to kite strings. The international kite festival was taking place, and kites and their debris were everywhere. I didn’t take a picture of the dead pigeon that was tangled up next to this kite string 😔
Temple Tranquility
Whilst touring the city, we visited the Swaminarayan Sampraday Hindu temple and were lucky to catch sight of the head nun making a circuit (she was fully covered up so no men can see her - below right). After we had wandered around enjoying the beautiful colours and holy atmosphere, we sat peacefully in the nunnery with the women (unfortunately no photographs allowed), many of whom had brought their household chores, such as shelling chickpeas, to occupy themselves as they sat and chatted in groups.
Memories from the Mosque
Our next stop was the Jami' Masjid Mosque, which was built in 1424. It is one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture, blending Islamic designs with Hindu & Jain influences. Ahmedabad has a population of 80% Hindu’s, 14% Muslims, and the remainder made up of Jains and Christians living largely harmoniously together.
We huddled together for a group picture, not expecting our photobombing friend - can you spot him?!
One of the amusing things I encountered in India was that to many, we seemed as exciting and exotic as the locals did to us. We were frequently asked to have our photo taken together, which is what happened in this temple with a group of women wearing burqas. They had driven for 6 hours from near the Pakistan border to shop for a wedding, and were thrilled to meet us. I am actually holding one of their phones to take this selfie, and the other photo was mine. A modern day cultural exchange indeed!
Khadi Paper Making
The next stop was the Klam Khush paper factory, where waste cotton fabric scraps are transformed into handmade paper. Mahatma Gandhi introduced papermaking here as part of Gandhi's Ashram activities during his stay. It turned into a paper manufacturing unit in 1956.
This cotton waste is churned for 6 hours to make a pulp. It is then syphoned into this vat and a thin sheet is picked up through a fine meshed screen, coved in fabric. The soaking sheets are stacked up with the cloth in between and then pressed a few times between steel sheets, and then left out to dry.
The results are these beautiful textured papers which are used in everything from pages in government note books to gifts bags .
Next of all it was lunchtime - yes, all of that took place before lunch! So you see it may take me a while to write about everything we have experienced on this trip...
Stick marks and mindful painting
In the afternoon, we spent the day with Kirit, one of only a handful of Chitara families that still practice Mata ni Pachedi, a traditional form of fabric painting. The technique involves using a stick (in his case, a repurposed kite frame) dipped in a mixture made from rust and tamarind. He only uses natural dyes for his art pieces. We were all given a piece of fabric and a stick to have a go at creating our own masterpieces, and it was exactly as difficult as it sounds! As the only practicing textile designer in the group, the pressure was on for me to create something half acceptable, and I am not really sure I succeeded! (bottom right)
We were observed closely by Kirit's cheeky son, who watched us all curiously... Below is the piece that I purchased, which I can't wait to frame when I get home. I have a new respect for his incredible skill now I have had a go!
The day ended with some kite flying from Kirit's roof (or an attempt to...), another thing that is much harder than it looks!
