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Tracing the Loom
India’s handloom tradition is a living legacy—an intricate weave of culture, community, and craftsmanship that dates back thousands of years. From the vibrant Ikats of Odisha to the delicate Chanderis of Madhya Pradesh, Indian handlooms are more than just fabric; they are stories woven in thread. Tracing the journey of the handloom in India is to explore a parallel narrative of resistance, resilience, and revival.
All About the TRAIL
To trace the handloom in India is to follow a thread that runs through time, tying together past and present, labor and art, identity and resistance. As the world rediscovers the value of the handmade, Indian handloom stands resilient—waiting not just to be preserved, but celebrated.
These trails are not linear—they meander through bustling village looms, quiet dye pits, calloused hands, and ancestral whispers, weaving together a story that is both deeply rooted and constantly evolving.
In tracing India’s handloom traditions, we are not merely studying textiles—we are walking along lived histories. This is a journey through regional dialects of design, through motifs that once adorned royal courts and grassroots resistance. It is a tactile archive of identity—woven, worn, and passed on.
Editions
Kashmir is rich with layered textile traditions, ranging from the iconic Pashmina to intricate Kani weaves and Sozni embroidery. Designing a trail here can be an immersive experience that blends craft, storytelling, landscape, and hospitality.
Gujarat
Gujarat is a living museum of weaving and dyeing traditions—each region boasting its own style, motif language, and textile personality. From Kutch’s nomadic weaves to Patola silks of Patan, the state is rich in age-old techniques still alive in the hands of its artisans.
This former princely state is one of India’s most culturally rich yet understated regions. A Handloom Trail in Mayurbhanj, Odisha is a journey off the beaten path, rich in tribal identity, natural beauty, and deep-rooted craft traditions.
Rajasthan’s handlooms aren’t just cloth—they are carriers of royal grandeur, desert resilience, and folk symbolism. From leheriya patterns that mimic rain to dabu-resist prints made with mud and gota patti embroideries that gleam like desert stars, every weave tells a story.
What to expect?
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Curated Interactions
Trails are intentional, sensitive, and layered experiences crafted to ensure respect, reciprocity, and real learning. Every stop, conversation, and encounter is curated with purpose — not for display, but for dialogue. We seek to go beyond the surface, into the stories behind the hands, the tools, and the cloth.
Craft to Contemporary
Tracing the transformation of Indian handcrafts—especially handloom and textile arts—from traditional, community-rooted practices to modern design, art, fashion, and social enterprise. It highlights how artisans, designers, and curators reinterpret ancestral knowledge for global audiences, while keeping the soul of the craft alive.
Select Stays
In the world of handloom, every element has intention — from the alignment of warp threads to the tension of the weft, from the feel of the yarn to the rhythm of the shuttle. Every object, every corner, is a quiet participant in the larger story of the trail. A hand-thrown clay cup on a wooden tray. A diary left on the desk with pressed local flowers and a textile bookmark. A window seat where the afternoon light falls on a tapestry woven by a family three villages away.
Storytelling
In these trails, storytelling is not a performance — it is a form of presence. A way of being in relationship with land, loom, and lineage. These are not just textile journeys; they are oral archives carried in the voices and memories of weavers, dyers, farmers, women, elders, apprentices. These are the local facilitators, translators, guides — often artists, activists, researchers, or children of artisans who now serve as cultural bridges.
Select Stays, Boutique Lodges, Curated Experiences
MEET SOME OF THE
FINEST STORYTELLERS
SAPNA BHATIA
Journalist, Filmmaker & Founder - Kaner Retreat
PUBARUN BASU
Science Filmmaker & Photographer
AKSHITA & MRINALIKA BHANJDEO
Mayurbhanj Royal Family
VISHAL BALI
Photographer - Culture & Tribes
Sapna is an international journalist, filmmaker, and a wellness expert. She has curated botanical and culinary experiences for the guests to enjoy.
Jodhpur is Sapna’s hometown and the idea of Kaner was inspired by her childhood spent on a farm. Her global travels have added a contemporary touch to the traditional ethos. Sapna has done MA in International Journalism from City University, London.
A 22 year old photographer based in Kolkata, India. Pubarun made it to the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2022 -The Arts list. He was declared as the "Youth Photographer of the Year'' in the Sony World Photography Awards 2021 and his work has been published by international organisations such as National Geographic, Forbes, The Guardian, BBC, CNN, Rolling Stone, GQ, Vanity Fair, and more.
Pubarun’s work has encompassed themes of environmental conservation, connecting the stories of resilience of indigenous communities with their intangible heritage.
The two royal princesses, Mrinalika and Akshita, are social entrepreneurs and Directors of The Belgadia Palace and its philanthropic arm, The Mayurbhanj Foundation.
Both Mrinalika and Akshita Manjari Bhanj Deo studied abroad. When they set out to restore their ancestral Belgadia palace in 2016, the Indian princesses not only uncovered forgotten love stories, hidden memorabilia, and portraits, but they also gained a deep understanding of the palace's history and heritage – what it means to hold a title and how to carry forward their legacies through purposeful projects.
A travel photographer and experience creator, Vishal Bali curates stories from tribal and local landscapes with a zeal to provide an authentic and rooted experience to fellow travellers.
As a photographer, he documents the unseen tribes of India, to understand local life from the grass root level and works on preserving their knowledge systems and indigenous cultures.
HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Padmaja Rathore
Jodhpur Royal Family & Founder - Bagheeras Camp
"Extremely happy that someone has taken the initiative to bring a platform for storytellers in India"
Manish Saksena
Lead Advisor Aadyam Handwoven and Retail Consultant (TH/CK/Arrow)
"It was inspiring to meet storytellers and leaders on this journey of discovering Rajasthan"
Mohua Chinnappa
Author, Columnist & Podcaster
"Creating awareness about climate change, its causes and its subsequent effects is the need of the hour, and one effective medium of doing this is through visual communication mediums, the likes of photography and filmmaking."
Johann Binny Kuruvilla
Storyteller - Kochi Heritage Project
"It was inspiring to meet storytellers and leaders on this journey of discovering Rajasthan"
WHY JOIN THIS COLLECTIVE?
Harness the power of storytelling to shape positive narratives, revive lost legacies and serve as sentinels to voices that need attention.
Break away from travel companies, and discover curated explorations to gain insights and knowledge about nature, climate, cultures & traditions that co-exist.
For a creative mix of travel and storytelling, meaningful conversations and break-through sessions designed to share perspectives
Meet a collective that aims to build collective awareness and drive social change toward the dire issues of our times, by means of storytelling and leadership actions that range across the niches of exploration, travel, writing, climate research, nature studies, scientific expeditions, photography and filmmaking and more.
Explore the art of impact storytelling by discovering untold narratives that intertwine with social impact, art, environmental conservation, climate actions and restoration of lost legacies.
Authentic and inspiring storytelling through the lens of local leaders, social entrepreneurs, natural history storytellers, communities and educators, leading the way.
We take travel seriously, as means to create livelihood, foster impact storytelling and build a conscious collective that aims to leave a positive imprint, using skill and knowledge exchange.
VISUAL GALLERY
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We work at the intersection of creative exploration and impact storytelling. Fostering the use of photography, films and art to fuel environmental, cultural and social change.
A melting pot of inspirational storytellers getting together with keen seekers for the cause of building sustainable futures. A space where each attendee, creator, travel brand, conservationist or adventurer is a key influencer towards achieving a sustainable and collaborative way forward.
