We spend the first part of the tour in Gujarat because it is the state where most textiles have originated from, with Rajasthan coming second.

Gujarat has been known for its textiles since Egyptian and Roman times. There are 8th century records of large amounts of textiles exported to many ports of Africa and Middle Eastern countries.

In the last four centuries many textiles have come to Europe from Gujarat. The first items we received were painted pieces of cloth which became known as 'Chintz'. These are often of the tree of life with exotic animals beneath. The embroidereres of the age transposed many of these design elements into their crewel work.