Tribes and Villages of Gujarat

Day 1 - Welcome to Gujarat! An Active India Holiday representative will greet you at the pickup point of the Ahmedabad Airport. As you drive to the hotel in comfort, enjoy the sights along the way while our representative briefs you about the experience that awaits you. Check in at the hotel and freshen up. The rest of the day is free to explore the historic city of Ahmedabad, a major centre of traditional and contemporary textiles. Depending upon your arrival time, you may choose to have a traditional Gujarati dinner in the evening with an entertaining live show at the Vishala Village Restaurant. Overnight stay in Ahmedabad.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 2 - Ahmedabad is a city defined by its architecture and is home to a diverse variety of styles. Post breakfast, we proceed on an early morning heritage walk to the old city of Ahmedabad. We start our exploration with a guided heritage walk at 07:30 AM. The walk focuses on the old city, which was once enclosed by an imposing 10km-long wall, of which only 15 gates remain. We walk through a maze of bazaars and see intricately carved building facades, temples, and mosques. There a lot to see on this one-of-a-kind interesting journey through history. Walk Duration: 2 to 3 hrs. Next we visit an architectural marvel - the step well in Adalaj, a village 17 kilometres north of Ahmedabad. On our way back we stop by the Gandhi Ashram, also known as the Sabarmati Ashram, once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi, established in 1915. It is without a doubt Ahmedabad's most popular tourist attraction. Our day ends with a visit to the Swaminarayan temple - a magnificent example of 19th Century architecture, embellished with vibrant colours and exquisite carvings. Overnight stay in Ahmedabad.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 3 - After breakfast we will drive to Vadodara, the Cultural Capital of Gujarat and home to one of India's most opulent palaces, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, as well as other legendary monuments. Upon arrival we check-in at the hotel. Late afternoon we visit Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Champaner, an ancient city, was once the capital of Gujarat. We visit the Mata Kali temple devoted to the Hindu goddess Maa Kali. Built between the 900s and 1000s, it is the oldest and most celebrated temple of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park. Next we visit the Champaner Fort of Pavagadh, built in the 15th century by Sultan Mahmud of Ahmedabad. Begadha, Nagina, and Jami mosques are among the most exquisite examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Overnight stay in Vadodara.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 4 - Today we drive for about 110 km to Chhota Udaipur to see the Rathwa tribes of the region. The Rathwa are a prominent tribe of this region and the men wear a red turban tied in a specific style, while the women wear knee-length skirts, colourful blouses, and silver jewellery. These tribes live in small villages and come to Chhota Udaipur to sell vegetables, grains, and other produce in the market and to purchase groceries and other everyday essentials. After witnessing the tribal market (also called Haat), we visit the tribal museum of Chhota Udaipur, which has a fine range of tribal items and model huts of Rathwas and Nayakas depicting their lifestyle. After lunch we stop at a Rathwa house to see the Pithora wall paintings, traditional art done in the Rathwa houses. Once can see Pithora paintings on the main walls of houses at the entry or where people sit. These paintings depict horses, lions, elephants, and goats and are God's vision. Overnight stay in Vadodara.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 5 - We leave for Poshina after breakfast. Upon arrival check-in at the heritage hotel Darbargadh. Darbargadh is an ancient fort that is now a family-run heritage hotel, owned and maintained by the royals who ruled these regions before Indian independence. After we freshen up, we pay a visit to a tribal shrine. In the evening we visit the village market, well-known for its tribal silver jewellery, sleeved daggers, and terracotta horses. Poshina offers the actual ambience of a bygone era along with experiences that are offbeat. Overnight stay in Poshina.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 6 - Today we go on a guided tour of the tribal villages around Poshina. This enchanting city is home to a number of artisans, tribal arrow craftsmen, potters and blacksmiths. It is inhabited by the tribal communities, mainly the Rabaris, Garasia and Bhils, who are renowned for their silver ornaments, colourful attire and arrow making. The Bhils are the largest and most famous tribal community in Gujarat, proficient in the use of arrows and bows. We visit the terracotta temple devoted to a village goddess, where we can see thousands of terracotta horses. The locals claim that the Goddess grants their wishes, and they sell terracotta horses in exchange for sacrifices to appease her. Overnight stay in Poshina.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 7 - After breakfast we drive to Dasada, stopping in Danta village, Patan, and Modhera along the way. In Danta Village we first meet with the Dungri Garasia tribes. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the two states that comprise the Garasia. Dungri Garasia is a common term that refers to a half-dozen endogamous hierarchical sub-tribes, such as Garasia or Dungri Garasia. Then we travel to Patan to see the Patola weavers and the Rani Ki Vav step-well, one of Gujarat's most beautiful monuments. Queen Udayamati constructed the intricately-built step-well of Patan called Rani Ki Vav in the 11th Century in the memory of her husband, King Bhimdev. Our next stop is the Modhera Sun Temple, which was built between 1026 and 1027 CE. The complex includes a shrine hall, an assembly hall, and a reservoir. The walls of the hall and exteriors are intricately carved. Later, we continue our journey and arrive in Dasada, where we check in at the resort - Rann Riders. Overnight stay in Dasada.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 8 - Today we head out for a full-day excursion and discover the unique wildlife of the Rann of Kutch. At dawn we take a jeep safari ride into the wetland area of Little Rann of Kutch to spot the amazing desert wildlife and birds. During the jeep safari, we may spot the Indian gazelle, black buck, blue bull (Nilgai), jackal, fox, and jungle cats. If we are fortunate, we may also see an Indian wolf. After the safari we drive to the nearby villages and visit women who are experts in embroidery, using herringbone stitches interspersed with small mirrors and occasional chain stitches to create peacock motifs. Overnight stay in Dasada.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 9 - Post breakfast we leave for Bhuj, stopping on the way to visit the village of Ajrakhpur, which is renowned for its indigo block printing. Ajrakhpur artisans are experts in Ajrakh, a block-printed cotton fabric commonly used by local herdsmen and dyed with natural dyes. Its geometric and non-figurative motifs often resemble those seen in Islamic-influenced Indian architecture. Upon arrival at Bhuj check in at the hotel. Rest of the day is free to relax. Overnight stay in Bhuj.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 10 - Today we take a full-day tour of the group of Banni villages where the Meghwal-Harijans who emigrated from Rajasthan use Kambira Kharek Kudi stitches in their embroidery. We visit Hodka, is well-known for its exquisite embroidery and mud work, besides its leather. Men and women are also deeply involved in the growth of the region's artistic and craft traditions. Ludiya The major communities in this village are Harijans and Muslims. Monsoon tradition, cattle rearing, intricate wood carving, complex embroidery, mud and wall painting for home decoration are the major local occupations. Harijan men do wood carving while Harijan women work in embroidery and wall decoration and Dhordo is the best place to see lovely traditional mud houses (Bhungas) with mirror work and fine Mutwa embroidery with small mirrors. After the tour we head back to the hotel.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 11 - Today we take a city tour of Bhuj, visiting historical sites such as the Prag Mahal Palace, the Aina Mahal, and the Kutch Museum. Prag Mahal Palace, the royal cenotaph, was designed by Colonel Henry Saint Wilkins, a well-known architect in 1865. Made of Italian marble and sandstone, the magnificent palace is an excellent example of Italian Gothic architecture combined with some European-style elements. Aina Mahal, built in the 18th Century, displays Kutch art and cultural heritage. The walls are white marble with mirrors divided by gilded ornaments. The palace showcases mixed Indo-European-style. Kutch Museum is the oldest in Gujarat, founded in 1877. The museum has a section dedicated to tribal cultures, which has many examples of ancient artefacts, folk arts and crafts, and information about tribal people. It includes exhibits of embroidery, paintings, arms, musical instruments, sculpture, precious metalwork – and much more. Overnight stay in Bhuj.

Overnight - Hotel

Day 12 - Our tour of Tribes and Villages of Gujarat comes to an end and it’s time to pack your bags and head back with memories of a lifetime. After breakfast, we check out from the hotel and get a transfer to the Bhuj Airport for onward travel.

Tour Ends