Chikan Kari to Enlightenment

Working on a new Tour is always fun....
there was so much we knew about and so much that was unexpected and delightful.
Over all the surprise finds along the way really exceeded expectation.

Here is a bunch of photos in no particular sequence.... kind of like my mind as we start to weave the events into a trip to share with our participants

 There was a kingdom of Gandhara that existed through the region 2500 years ago..... and in the Museum at Lucknow some stunning sculptures. I never expected to meet Atlas in Lucknow.

 Wandering our friends village in Bihar, quite a few women are part of the Women's Self Help group she co-ordinates

 Barabar Caves were just a dot on the map and I thought lets squeeze them in. So glad... magical.
Carved from granite boulders 2500 years ago- yeh amazing but why the excitement....walk inside and walls still have a mirror shine and then our guide starts to chant....OOOHHHH Booyyyyy it was wonderful. our whole body vibrated....I was sure if I stayed there long enough I would be able to levitate.
Truly an extraordinary place :)

 Smell-o-vision needed, what a divinely scented business

 The old fort at Varansi was charming and their collection of stuff quite amazing

 Gorgeous Rumi Dwarja in Lucknow

 Weavers- he has spent ages getting all the threads in place... tweaking this and that before he weaves. I have no patience, just imagining his, blows my mind

 This one is at the start of 3 months weaving after the hallabalu of setting up the loom....

 Chikan Kari embroidery has the patterns stamped on, is stitched and then washed carefully to remove the print....

 The evening Aari or fire ceremony in Varanasi was peaceful and beautiful....

Wandering around the Sujani village, we poked into everyone's houses, visited the farms, the mango orchard, fish ponds and held some new babies....
Just a hint of what we found.... really pleased with what we found.
Now to work on lists and all the write ups and such and get the show on the road.