In order to give exposure to craft communities post the pandemic, Craft Village for the third chapter of the India Craft Week (ICW) has invited RARE India, a community of some of the best conscious luxury hotels and experiences in India and the subcontinent, as a valuable partner. ICW 2021 will be held in partnership with the British Council India from February 18-21, 2021 at the British Council Building and Bikaner House in New Delhi. RARE India’s aim under this partnership is to bring into limelight the craft and textile heritage and traditions of various states of India through curated tours to the small towns and villages where these crafts and textiles are handmade.
Shoba Mohan, Founder, RARE India, said, “When we speak of the cultural heritage that India possesses, more often than not, we find ourselves picturing massive forts that have been an inherent part of our visual understanding of heritage for a long time. But as much as these tangible sources of cultural heritage narrate tales of the land and its people, several layers of culture remain hidden in the intangible aspects of life that eventually complete the picture of culture in totality. Art, craft, textile, food, festivals and folklore speak volumes about the ways of life practiced by people of a particular region and over the years, all the hotels in the RARE India Community have contributed significantly towards the conservation and promotion of these intangible elements of our culture.”
At ICW 2021, RARE India will be highlighting and promoting curated craft and textile tours drawn by experts to some of the destinations in which it has partner hotels, including West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kutch, Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. These crafts include Phad, Pichwai, Akola Print, Mughal Miniature and Minakari of Rajasthan; Kantha, Patua, Kalighat, Chhau Mask and Pattachitra of West Bengal; Maheshwari, Gond Art, Dhokra, Bagh and Chanderi of Central India; and Phulkari, Wood Inlay, Chamba Rumal, Patiala Work and Kangra Painting of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. All the RARE India Community hotels in these regions aim at the preservation of the art, craft and textile of the region by creating experiences where the travelers can see the skill of handmade crafts and gain first-hand experience of the rich and engaging art of the community.
