Why join us?
What you'll love about our workshop
Dularia's unique culture
You'll immerse in an ancient indigenous tribal culture that has been connected with nature for centuries and can pass down it’s wisdom to the modern world
You'll connect with nature in an inspiring surrounding that is built with regenerative principles
Immersive teaching styles
You'll be taught by self-taught artists who have learnt purely through observation and experimentation. They have been working on botanical printing for the last six years, before which they have engaged in various forms of artistic expression. You'll be learning from people who love what they do and are delighted to share their knowledge.
Hands-on learning
The entire workshop will be hands-on and walk you through a step-by-step process of preparing the cloth for printing, identifying and collecting the foliage, and getting beautiful prints on the cloths you have prepared. Each participant will be given a kit, which will enable you to not only do the practical steps during the workshop but also repeat the process once you're back home
Dates:
March 7 - 9, 2025
Arrival is suggested on Mar 7 by 5 pm latest, and departure is after 2 pm on Mar 9
No. of participants:
Min 6 - Max 12
Book your spot soon as limited places are available!
Fees:
Tuition fees: INR 13,000.
Includes taxes, excludes food & accommodation)
To book your spot, a non-refundable deposit of
INR 5,000/- will be required.
Food and accommodation
All inclusive; see below for details:
In our Earthhome: INR 5,400/- (only four spots available on first-come, first-serve basis)
In Santhal tribal bamboo huts/ own tent: INR 3,300/-
What you'll experience
The course will be conducted in a very practical and interactive way.
A brief outline of the content is as follows.
Preparing the fabric
We'll learn to scoure the fabric to remove impurities that may prevent the print from emerging. Following that, we will mordant the fabric using metal ionic solutions that will enable the pigment from the leaves to bond with the fabric
Collecting leaves and bundling
We'll explore the Dularia plot and nearby areas to identify trees and collect the foliage. We will then learn how to bundle the cloth and steam it with the leaves to obtain the print
Final wash before use
We'll teach you how to wash the cloth and starch it in an appropriate manner so that the print remains and doesn't fade.
Meet your instructors
Swati and Boot are Santiniketan-based artisans who are self-made and self-taught. They are lovers of nature and it's rhythms and do their work as a labour of love. From wood- and stone-carving to sketching, art direction for films, nature-based tourism, they have been fascinated with the art of botanical printing for the last six years. They have learnt through meticulous experimentation with various types of leaves, flowers, roots, and barks. Preparation of one piece of cloth takes up to fifteen days of careful and patient work, and each cloth is distinct and impossible to replicate. They are now keen to transfer their knowledge through workshops like this one.
Accommodation:
We have two options for accommodation: either in our gorgeous Earthhome (limited to four people on a first-come, first serve basis), or in Santhali tribal style bamboo and straw huts in the midst of our food forest. All accommodation options are shared, unless you want to bring your own tent and pitch it on our plot. Bathrooms and showers are also shared.
Food:
Meals consist of simple yet wholesome vegetarian food containing fresh vegetables and greens harvested from our farm, and often cooked on our wood-fired stove in the Santal tribal tradition. We serve three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) plus tea and snacks to keep you well-fed and energized for the tasks of the day.
Where we're located
Dularia is located in a rural setting, just ten kilometers away from Shantiniketan, which has been recently recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site for its historical and cultural value. This makes it all the more attractive to visit Dularia and to take a few days extra to visit the surroundings.
How to reach us
The closest train stations to Dularia are Prantik and Bolpur stations, and the closest airport is Durgapur.
If you want to come by flight, you could fly into Kolkata airport, followed by either a train journey from Howrah/ Sealdah stations to Bolpur/Prantik stations, or take a 4-hour taxi ride directly to Dularia. Alternately, you could fly into Durgapur airport, followed by a 2-hour taxi ride to Dularia. Kolkata has several more flight options than Durgapur does, so both airports have their advantages/disadvantages.
If you want to arrive by train, you can come to Bolpur/Prantik stations, and then take an electric rickshaw (Toto) to Dularia. There are better and faster train connections to Durgapur train
Have questions? Contact Us
Sharmishtha Dattagupta (WhatsApp): +91-9831404006
