Black Swan - Travel and Beyond: Workshop on Gondh Art on 9th, 10th and 11th June...

Black Swan - Travel and Beyond:

Workshop on Gondh Art on 9th, 10th and 11th June...: Workshop on Gondh Art on 9th, 10th and 11th June 2012 at Bandhavgarh, MP

Workshop on Gondh Art on 9th, 10th and 11th June 2012 at Bandhavgarh, MP

Summer Holidays! Your Cubicle needs a break!

Its that time of the year again! summer vacations. this is the time you need your time off the most. you need to travel, get out of the heat in the city and make it to the hills, the lakes, the beaches or the quieter plains.

we at black-swan specialize at just that. holidays. vacations, travel. we endeavor to make sure, that your summer is not spent wishing you were someplace else. let us plan your vacations so when you get back, you never completely get back!

Some offbeat trips for you - 

Tapping the veins of gold' - 3 day excursion through the honey hunting reserves & bee keepers of the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu)

Everyone knows of the biodiversity hotspot that is the western ghats. What we don't know or rarely acknowledge, is that it is also one of the few places where indigenous honey hunting tribes also live and flourish. The Kurumbas, the Irulas & the Todas are connected to honey in one way or the other.Black-Swan, along with the Nilgiri Natural History Society presents, the veins of gold, a 3 day insight, into the honey trails of the Nilgiris. When - May & June 2012. (Minimum group size - 6 pax)

 

Explore the Life and times in the land of High Passes – La-Dakh

Spend a day as a Ladakhi with a Ladakhi family, participating in farming, herding, water managment and other daily chores.Participate in a cooking session with a ladakhi family to learn the local cuisine (and impress your folks back home !! )

See passive solar heating at work in SECMOL, and learn about educational reforms led by the youth.
When - May, June, July & Aug 2012. 

Monpa Cultural Circuit  (Arunachal Pradesh) -
Nowhere in India would one find such a unique diversity of tribes with the most peculiar and intriguing traditions. And we invite you to experience this very diversity first hand. A trip to the very heart of Monyal to experience the lifestyle of Monpas, a benevolent Buddhist tribe.

When - May 2012. (Minimum group size - 8 pax)

Independent India’s oldest (arguably) homestay (Uttarakhand)- 
A 19th century colonial bungalow set in an oak, pine and deodar forest estate in the Lake District of Kumaon. The house, built in the 1860's, with period furniture, preserves its original character. The warm and welcoming Indo-German family  share their home, lifestyle and the fascinating histories of the place and its people- first the British, then the grandparents - the German grandfather who escaped the Nazis, indian princess grandmother, descended from Tipu Sultan and Mughals.

When - May & June 2012.

Silk Looms, Chanderi (Madhya Pradesh) - 
Visit the village of the world famous Chanderi saris and let the looms create magic for your eyes and ears while you interact with weavers and design your own drape. The more adventurous could try their hand at weaving. Watch village life or visit the historic city of Chanderi while its past is unravelled brick by brick. Enjoy the folk tales hidden in the heart of Bundelkhand and surrender to folk music and lively dances

When - May & June 2012. 

 

 

(plan now, so you can get into vacation mode <in your boss's voice'> ASAP!)

To plan the holidays listed above and others write to us at knock@black-swan.in or call Shishir on +91 9822132092.

Black Swan - ArtHub

Black Swan - ArtHub: A photography exhibition conducted at Grubshup ArtHub from the 11th - 20th September 2011.

The Black Swan Traveler!

Travel along with respecting & benefiting local people & the environment - For those who've had enough of mass tourism.

It's about respecting and benefiting local people and the environment – but it's about far more than that. 

If you travel for relaxation, fulfillment, discovery, adventure and to learn – rather than simply to tick off 'places and things' – then Black Swan is the right partner for you.

Getting more out of your holiday! 
Our travel philosophy is about bringing you closer to local cultures and environments by involving local people in tourism. It's about doing this in a fair way that helps ensure that they will give you an even warmer welcome. For example, a local guide from the destination will open your eyes to their cultures and ways of life far better than an expat guide could ever do – they will also earn a much needed income from you. 

The Black Swan traveler prefers smaller groups, and to meet some local people (as well as fellow travelers) rather than be surrounded by 1000's of people from back home. They don't like being herded about in a large crowd like nameless faces and understand that traveling in smaller groups makes local people and cultures more accessible. 

The Black Swan traveler values authenticity – experiences integral to local people's traditions, cultures and rituals - rather than those created for tourism, or those whose existing meanings and uses have become lost as they have been packaged up for tourism.

At the same time the traveler understands that some cultural experiences are best kept private, and that their visit would be an intrusion. They believe that traveling with respect earns them respect.  

Rediscovering nature 
Black Swan travel is about re-discovering how to experience nature and to be in it, feeling it, smelling it and learning about it rather than just looking at it. The Black Swan traveler would rather get out on foot than sit in a big bus, and are determined to leave no physical evidence of their visit but their footprints. 

The Black Swan traveler understands local peoples relationship with environments, and that income from tourism can be a powerful incentive for conservation. The Black Swan traveler values diversity – diversity of people, cultures and environments. 

Above all else the Black Swan traveler wants to cut loose and experience their world. The experienced responsible traveler knows how difficult it can be to do the right thing – and is humble and learns from their mistakes. 

Art and Heritage Tour – Wai - krishnabai utsav

Art and Heritage Tour – Wai - krishnabai utsav

black-swan, along with renowned archeologist, historian and miniature artist Dr Shrikant Pradhan, had organized a one day trip to the temple town of Wai, visiting its heritage buildings, temples and witnessing the proceedings of the festival that is Krishnabai Utsav. 

Wai is also known for its collection of 150 odd year old miniatuare paintings, each one detailed better than the next, we wanted to make sure you get to see the paintings thru the eyes of an artist, a historian and your own thunderstruck eyes when they come out on display once a year. Wai is also known as 'a town of temples', with 7 ghats and brilliant temples on each of them. Some of them in ruins, but most of them intact and tell the long and inspiring tales of a great kingdom. 

"krishnabai utsav" is the main festival in Wai. When Afzal Khan set out from Wai to kill Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shende Shāstri from wai had prayed to the Krishna river for Shivaji's victory. 

The festival is a tribute to the blessings of the river goddess and the victory!

Date: Sunday, 5^th Feb 2012

Art and Heritage Tour – Rockstars - Ajanta - Ellora - Pitalkhora

Art and Heritage Tour – Rockstars - Ajanta - Ellora - Pitalkhora

more like cavestars. 

Ajanta - Ellora - Pitalkhora

as three of the best examples of rock cut architecture and art, Ajanta, Ellora and Pitalkhora stand tall deep and beautiful in our neighborhood. 

as promised, black-swan yet again, to bring you to the stories from the proverbial horses mouth, along with Dr. Pradhan, noted artist and archeologist and an expert on Ajanta paintings, we took you on a journey like none before.

these caves, cut and detailed within the rock that forms them, are truly level onerockstars!

on the 10/11/12 february 2012, we traveled, to learn, absorb and frankly, ogle at these massive testimonials to human endeavor and dedication.