India has been on the travel bucket list for the world since the beginning of the Indus Valley civilization due to the rich cultural diversity, even before Vasco da Gama sailed out to reach the country the Indian subcontinent was renowned for its spice trade with Greece and the Roman empire. In the time and age of cultural diversity, when international borders welcome travellers with open arms, thanks to social media, more and more people are now aware of India’s rich heritage and culture.
The state of Rajasthan is popular among international travellers, with Jaipur being the most visited city during the months of November to February. Jaipur was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II on November 18, 1727. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was a Kachwaha Rajput who ruled Jaipur from 1699-1743. The construction of the city began in 1727.
Art and culture
Relinde Van chose the Wooden Block form workshop for her art and cultural learning as a part of her voyage. She did all the essential research on how she could attend an artistic workshop, learn and observe the making of this art form. Van came across the artistic organization Rajasthan Studio in Jaipur. The startup joins travellers along with local artisans for unforgettable artistic memories to carry back their homes. Relinde reached out to the artist and contacted them and the creative team at Rajasthan studio who supervised her experience with Paper Wooden Block Artist Gayur Ahmed.
Wooden Block
Wood Block making – the traditional form of woodblock printing includes various types of wooden blocks and the extraordinary talent of the artisans. Printing blocks have been used in India roughly since 3000 BC, although no such blocks or textiles carrying their imprint have survived the history of time. Some scholars believe that India is the birthplace of the first printed textiles.
Gayur Ahmed Ji
Gayur Ahmed comes from an artistic family who have a history of 400 years old traditional family of wooden carvers from Jaipur. He learnt this art from his father, his grandfather was a carver by profession. Gayur Ji is the seventh generation in his family who is practicing this artistic and creative art form. He won the National Award from the Government of India (the Ministry of Textiles) in the year 2014.
Through the workshop conducted by Rajasthan Studio, Relinde got a chance to have a look at Gayur Ahmed Ji’s artistic work and achievements. The humility with which he spoke about the art form, his journey and achievements were incredible. Gayur Ahmed Ji talked about a traditional design named Chunari. The intricacy and detailing of the design is quite impressive
Relinde’s Experience
As one visits the royal city, blending in with the vibrant culture Relinde carried with her a part of the city in her heart. Relinde wore the traditional pagdi post the Wooden block Making workshop as her face had a gleam of happiness. She dreams of visiting India again, getting to know more rich art forms and artisans and sharing this beautiful experience with her family and friends.
Also follow Rajasthan Studio on Instagram for more amazing travel content. Reach out to us on email at contact[at]rajasthanstudio[dot]com. This blog is curated by Rajasthan Studio.
