As the Textile Society of America prepares for its upcoming Textile Study Tour (September 10–September 30, 2026) to Rajasthan and Gujarat, India, we are pleased to share a recent podcast episode recorded at Shrujan Living and Learning Design Centre (LLDC) in Kutch, one of the destinations participants will visit during the 21-day immersive program.
The podcast, recorded earlier this year during a visit by Dr. Isabella Rosner, curator of textiles at the Royal School of Needlework UK, for the Sew What podcast, offers a meaningful introduction to the work, atmosphere, and mission of LLDC and Shrujan. Listeners are introduced to the organization’s decades-long commitment to researching, preserving, and supporting the embroidery, textile, and craft traditions sustained by communities across Kutch.
TSA is grateful to Uthra Rajgopal, International Curatorial and Relations Adviser at LLDC in Kutch, Gujarat, for sharing this thoughtful resource with the TSA community and helping deepen awareness of the region’s extraordinary textile heritage. For those considering participation, the podcast offers insight into the kinds of relationships, exchanges, and learning environments that define the program.
Click play on the media player above to begin listening
TSA’s textile study tour itself moves across western India through Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, and Ahmedabad, connecting participants directly with artisans, scholars, guides, and cultural leaders whose work continues to shape textile traditions today. Experiences include Ralli quiltmaking with Sindhi women artisans, Ajrakh block printing workshops, Bandhani tie-dye demonstrations, Rogan art visits, weaving studios, community collaborations, and guided visits to major institutions including LLDC and the Calico Museum of Textiles.
Rather than approaching textiles only through display or observation, the program emphasizes direct engagement with the people and communities who sustain these practices in daily life. Participants will spend time in artisan homes, workshops, villages, markets, museums, and cultural spaces, gaining a deeper understanding of textiles as living cultural knowledge carried across generations.
Registration for the Textile Study Tour to Rajasthan and Gujarat is currently open, with limited enrollment available. There are only a few spots left, so don’t miss this opportunity and register before August 1st.
Click here to learn more and register: https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/programs/featured-tsa-programs#Rajasthan-Gujarat
