Wonderful Workshops

Wonderful Workshops

Charisma, creativity and a kaleidoscope of colour. Sand, folk tales, and buzzing bazaars. Cuisine with spices that will tickle your taste buds.  Accommodation in a heritage property, full of character.

This is a culture-soaked experience summed up in a nutshell...although really there is more to it than meets the eye.

Wonderful Workshops is a programme which celebrates the traditional crafts and arts of Jaipur, the pink city of Rajasthan.  Held every January in partnership with the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (JVF), these workshops not only give you a hands-on experience but also helps support JVF’s values. The non-profit making trust is striving to promote Rajasthan’s culture and heritage, and pass on the skills of crafts for generations to come.

Each year, you are invited to take part in these exciting workshops, led by well-known teachers and designers from the UK in collaboration with local craftsmen. Courses include block printing, embroidery, miniature painting, mosaics, photography, and cooking.  Work with indigo dye, pomegranate rind and turmeric powder, transforming a white canvas into a colourful creation using carved blocks and your imagination.

Visit a four-storey haberdashery, learn about traditional stitching of the region, and sew your own stories and expressions into local fabrics. Decorate your handmade paper with stone pigments using a fine squirrel brush, and indulge in working with sumptuous gold leaf and liquid gold.

Create eye catching jewellery or sculptures, and hunt for treasures in the buzzing bazaars. Visit spice markets and craftsmen at work, capture moments that exist for one second, and preserve memories still whispering with desert tales and ringing with children’s laughter.

Train your hands to transform dough into popular Indian breads, immerse yourself in food markets, and experience rural life when cooking in a village and visiting local temples.

Accommodation is arranged at the delightful Diggi Palace, providing you with a taste of royal Rajasthani hospitality. The Haveli is over 200 years old, and is set in tended lawns and lush gardens. The rooms are traditionally decorated with modern facilities, and the restaurant serves organically grown food from the farms of the Diggi family.

This is a great opportunity to see India at a different angle, and at good value. The travelling possibilities are endless, as you can design a tailor made tour for yourself as an extension, either before or after the workshops.

Whether you are interested in the well-loved classic Golden Triangle, or prefer to venture off the beaten track, TransIndus can handpick destinations and activities to suit your interests.

“A fabulous introduction to this wonderful country.” “A memorable experience.” “A perfect way to start the year.” “One of the best weeks of my life.” Each year we have many returning clients, and receive great feedback. Glowing reports reflect that working in a creative environment with like-minded people makes for a fun holiday.

So celebrate the Rajasthani culture and help preserve its heritage whilst digging under the surface of Jaipur. Learn new skills and make discoveries in a country which still has hidden secrets around every corner. Forget the word standard, and think unique - this will be an unforgettable journey.