Now Reading: Slow travel in India: hidden lotus pond and craft villages
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Slow travel in India: hidden lotus pond and craft villages
In a personal essay for The Hindu, designer Nisha Vikram describes how she travels across India seeking craft traditions and chance encounters, rather than following guidebooks or Instagram hotspots. She recounts finding…
The Story in Brief
In a personal essay for The Hindu, designer Nisha Vikram describes how she travels across India seeking craft traditions and chance encounters, rather than following guidebooks or Instagram hotspots. She recounts finding a hidden lotus pond between Kumbakonam and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, a monsoon trip to Goa inspired by a book on the monsoon, and visits to stone carvers in Shivarapatna, Karnataka, and embroidery artist Lalita Vakil in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Her design studio CraftCanvas works with over 30 craft traditions.
Vikram argues that travel differs from tourism when you allow sights to meet you. She quotes a line from Lucky Ali's song and says her method involves using the book 'Handmade in India' and trusting local people to point the way. Her 8-year-old daughter, however, prefers trips to South Korea or Paris.
The Indian Opinion
The essay romanticises unplanned travel, but the reality for most Indians is harsher: limited leave, tight budgets, and poor rural infrastructure. Glossing over the privilege required to chase hidden lakes and artisans risks making craft tourism another elite pursuit. The real test is whether this approach helps the artisans' bottom line. Will a family in Shivarapatna earn enough from such niche visitors to keep carving stone in 2030?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
