India and Sri Lanka are a mosaic of landscapes, cultures and cuisines that flood the senses and stir the soul.

PRIOR BespokeDestination India Sri Lanka 1

PRIOR BespokeDestination India SriLanka

India Sri Lanka Hero

Explore India: Bespoke Trips to India | PRIOR

India & Sri Lanka

Destination Pages > Start Planning

ISL Bespoke Hero Text

India > Sticky Banner

From the kaleidoscopic bazaars of Jaipur and the mist-cloaked mountains of Darjeeling to Mumbai’s rhythmic pulse, India unfolds as an intoxicating tapestry of color, spirituality, and culinary revelation. Journey through landscapes that shift effortlessly from ancient palaces to bustling street markets, embracing a land where every corner whispers a new story and every flavor carries the heritage of a thousand spices.

Destination > ISL > Header > Content

Destinations > India > Header

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/C8oGNVJnLTbEhCIO7UCeV/8afb643f99eb56908508442b44b1c5ef/3.21.23_wire-art_body_1_.png"/><figcaption> Illustration: Elliot Beaumont.</figcaption></figure> 

In India, Diwali celebrates light over darkness. Just as the new moon arrives on the darkest night of the lunar cycle, the country, too, is lit up with lanterns, small earthen oil lamps, firecrackers and strings of fairy lights.

This fall, join us in India to experience Diwali in a whole new light. From November 4 to 13, [our ten-day pilgrimage](https://priorworld.com/trips/diwali-in-india-the-festival-of-lights) will take us to the sacred river banks of Varanasi, underground bazaars of Jaipur and "Golden City" of Jaisalmer in the heart of the Thar Desert. (Book your reservation [here](https://priorworld.com/trips/diwali-in-india-the-festival-of-lights).)

This year's Festival of Lights promises to be brighter than ever, thanks to a new current of excitement running through India.

Perhaps it's an afterglow from the year’s biggest [movie-music moment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsU0CGZoV8E): the *Naatu Naatu* number in the Telugu blockbuster *RRR*, which just became the first Indian production in history to win an Oscar for best original song.

Or the country's shining influence in fashion. Next week's [Dior show](https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/diors-upcoming-show-in-mumbai-deciphers-indias-sweet-spot-in-a-global-luxury-market) at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai will showcase the partnership between Maria Grazia Chiuri, the label's creative director, and [Chanakya School of Craft](https://www.chanakya.school), the embroidery workshop and school in Mumbai.

Even the country's remotest regions are in the spotlight. [Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School](https://www.archdaily.com/960824/the-rajkumari-ratnavati-girls-school-diana-kellogg-architects), a breathtaking education center designed by the New York architect Diana Kellogg in the northwestern fort city of Jaisalmer, is earning praise as an architectural marvel and wellspring for the region's young artisans.

A toast should also be given to India's ongoing [craft-gin boom](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/28/world/asia/india-goa-gin.html), spurred by artisanal distilleries crafting spirits from Himalayan berries and local ingredients, like turmeric or smoked wood from the country’s cricket bats. 

As Anand Virmani, the 35-year-old founder of Nao Spirits, a company on the forefront of today's *gin-aissance*, put it: "This is modern India." 

Got questions about your summer travel? [Contact us](https://priorworld.com/contact-us?_kx=iTEvSm3-8Ynr92va3HdKJhAcfBApnSth8dg0llMa05Y%3D.S94Dk6).

## Seeking Nirvana and Dosas in Varanasi

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/5AsmQwbI2TOajimVD9hwv5/fbb63fd1909ae399b1749b5e523405ad/3.21.23_wire-art_body_2.png"/><figcaption>From left: The sacred waters of the Ganges River's lit by Diwali lights. Photo: Ashutosh Mayank. Festive diyas in Varanasi. Photo: Sagnik Das.</figcaption></figure> 

There is a special ebb and flow to Varanasi, India’s holiest city. By day, the Ganges hosts bathing spiritual-seeking and pilgrams scattering ashes of loved ones by the banks. Come sunset, the city sparkles with thousands of candles bobbing up and down the river's gentle currents.

The best way to see this ancient city is by staying in one Varanasi's oldest buildings: [BrijRama Palace](https://www.brijhotels.com/brijrama-palace-hotel-in-varanasi/), an 18th-century hotel situated on its own Darbhanga Ghat. For Poras Chaudhary, a photojournalist in North India, salvation comes in smaller forms, too. 

"From the narrow streets of Varanasi to the flashiest of five-star hotels, you can find masala dosa in virtually every corner," he writes, in a [love letter](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/29/travel/popular-traditional-food-dishes-asia.html) to the country's signature crispy and savory dish published by The New York Times. "The history of the dish is difficult to trace, though many food historians believe that dosas have been around for at least a thousand years. And like many Indian foods, the dish varies depending on region and occasion." 

Varanasi's introduction to the authentic South Indian dish is credited to [Sagar Ratna](https://sagarratna.in/about-us), a restaurant chain founded by Jayaram Banan in 1986. Today, North India's love for dosas is so strong, Chaudhary notes, that there are now 90 Sagar Ratna restaurant across the country.

For more on India’s culinary heritage, [contact our team](https://priorworld.com/contact-us?_kx=PAg8QOeG0UNcDC8fMYquX4gTOf732g8pw91Id8dWoC3iIx_rYfDLsRPg47KgbnAt.S94Dk6) to plan your custom itinerary.

## On the Hunt for Handicrafts in Jaipur

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/czziPL0jBnrEnaDcWJZAh/f1790e9d1eb5998aaaeceb00bb1ea854/3.21.23_wire-art_body_3.png"/><figcaption>Clockwise from top left: A stall selling handicrafts in Jaipur; standing guard by City Palace; the lobby of Samode Haveli hotel; marigolds at the Jaipur Flower market. </figcaption></figure> 

In Jaipur, all roads lead to [Samode Haveli](http://www.samode.com/samodehaveli/), a 200-year-old mansion with frescoed walls in the north part of town. The hotel is a certainly a refuge after a day spent navigating the city's maze of bazaars, hidden craft shops and artisan ateliers selling stacks of gota-patti textiles and coco de mer, fertility keepsakes crafted from the husks of coconuts that honor the goddess Shakti in Hinduism.

Khadi, the homespun cotton fabric worn by Ghandi, is sudddenly popular outside of India. (See: the New-York label Bode.) The country's khadi stores are government run, so quality varies wildly. For block-printed fabrics and textiles with Rajasthan’s signature embroidery, [Conor Burke](https://www.instagram.com/conorwburke/?hl=en), PRIOR’s creative director, recommends Gramya Khadi Handicraft Emporium in Jaipur. (For more, read Burke's [tour of India's Old World shops](https://priorworld.com/editorial/treasure-hunting-in-india).)

A tip from Joanna Williams of [Kneeland Co.](https://kneelandco.com) in Los Angeles: Rajasthan Fabrics and Arts, an unassuming textile shop by the gates of City Palace, “filled with vintage photography, paintings, jewelry and curiosities — kind of everything, really,” Burke said.

At [Gem Palace](http://www.gempalace.com), the jewelry emporium run for generations by the Kasliwal family, Burke picked up a large frog ring made from carved blue lapis and diamond-set eyes. The amphibious ring even "kind of wobbles on your finger when you wear it," he said.

Contact [our team](https://priorworld.com/contact-us?_kx=PAg8QOeG0UNcDC8fMYquX4gTOf732g8pw91Id8dWoC3iIx_rYfDLsRPg47KgbnAt.S94Dk6) to plan your own treasure hunt across India.

## Modernism in Ancient Jaisalmer

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/9y3VEPTHnlC5DKJIachqJ/2741df9b4235e482af9a5b1650643c91/3.21.23_wire-art_body_4.png"/><figcaption>A view of Sujan the Serai in Jaisalmer.</figcaption></figure> 

The final stop on our Diwali trip is Jaisalmer, the medieval city in the heart of the Thar Desert. With its ancient, yellow-sandstone architecture, the "Golden City” is a fairy-tale world, where old-timey markets sell vibrant flower cuttings just as they have for centuries and elegant troops of camels wander the surrounding rolling sand hills.

You may even stumble across the occasional peacock at [SUJÁN The Serai](https://thesujanlife.com/the-serai), an opulent "camp" on a 100-acre private estate harkening back to the Royal Caravan sites of Rajputana. During Diwali, the Great Indian Desert transforms into a spectacle of thousands of small diya candles scattered across the sand.

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/2GESyhbj8luNuvRVK5uyKH/4fde5bf1466e716108dc7714e57ee4da/3.21.23_wire-art_body_5.png"/><figcaption>The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School designed by Diana Kellogg.</figcaption></figure> 

A new addition to the region's landscape of royal palaces and Jain temples is [Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School](https://awards.azuremagazine.com/article/az-awards-2021-winner-rajkumari-ratnavati-girls-school/), a modernist community center serving some 400 girls the region.

Sculpted from sandstone by the New York-based studio [Diana Kellogg Architects](https://www.dkarchitects.com), the school's egg-like shape is structured to withstand high desert temperatures. “As a female architect designing for women, I looked at feminine symbols across cultures and specifically symbols of strength," Diana Kellogg said, in an interview with the architecture site [Dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/15/diana-kellogg-architects-oval-shaped-school-indias-thar-desert/). 

"I ultimately landed on this oval shape that is representative of femininity and resonated with me as the formulation of infinity," she said. "A building that simultaneously blended and grew out of the natural landscape, much like the Jaisalmer sandstone."

[Get in touch with our travel designers](https://priorworld.com/contact-us?_kx=PAg8QOeG0UNcDC8fMYquX4gTOf732g8pw91Id8dWoC3iIx_rYfDLsRPg47KgbnAt.S94Dk6) to create an itinerary that combines your interests with our access.

Wire Banner

3.21.23 wire-art INDEX

Experience the enchanting Festival of Lights, Diwali, as PRIOR takes you on a ten-day journey through the sacred Varanasi, the artisan havens of Jaipur, and the golden sands of Jaisalmer. Join us for a unique celebration of light and culture in North India.

Discover the Magic of Diwali in North India: Varanasi, Jaipur, and Jaisalmer | PRIOR

March 21, 2023 | Join PRIOR in a celebration of light across the sacred river banks of Varanasi, the handicraft havens of Jaipur and the desert city of Jaisalmer.

A Journey to North India, Guided by Diwali Lights

In Mumbai, a great meal is as ubiquitous as the city’s iconic *kali-peelis*, or retro black-and-yellow taxis. Its food scene is restless, evolving, alive. Once a constellation of Portuguese fishing villages, streets in the now-global dining destination are thick with the scents of centuries-old migration. 

*Pav*, once Portuguese *pão*, now forms the bedrock of street foods like *misal* (sprout)*pav, pav bhaji* (mixed vegetable), and, of course, piping-hot *vada pav*, Mumbai’s official sandwich, a kind of potato slider with a deep-fried green chile inside. The city is a crossroads of influence: Muslim-owned biryani and kebab shops dotting Mohammad Ali Road, verdant Gujarati thalis, or platters with tiny steel bowls that hold an array of vegetarian dishes, and buttered buns at Iranian cafés with soda machines from back when Mumbai was called Bombay. And no Mumbai trip is complete without the Malvani lunch homes serving fiery seafood sought by both locals and tourists. 

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/3Ta8rFa4LeRcewtguznXxG/50143d3adbfdbc0ed0711e5899684e84/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_1.png"/><figcaption>Ferment-forward, Ayurveda-inspired plates at Ekaa.</figcaption></figure>

But in 2015, a seismic shift rippled through the bay when the late legendary chef Floyd Cardoz, behind Danny Meyer’s Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar in New York, opened the epochal [Bombay Canteen](https://thebombaycanteen.com/pages/about-us) in Lower Parel, showcasing a futuristic menu that contemplated an “India without borders.” With hyper-regional techniques and esoteric ingredients, Bombay Canteen felt cerebral yet accessible and set the tone for what was to come. Now, a new wave of Floydian chefs is ushering in a new age of culinary ambition that nods to history but refuses to be confined by it. 

From a reclamation of Colonial era delights at [Gallops](https://www.instagram.com/gallopsmumbai/reels/) (think Lobster Thermidor and Chicken à la Kiev) to full-throttle Goan fare at O Pedro, ferment-forward, Ayurveda-inspired plates at [Ekaa](https://www.instagram.com/ekaamumbai/?hl=en) rooted in Ayurveda, to modern takes on snacktime classics at [Bandra Born](https://www.instagram.com/bandraborn/?hl=en), it’s a great time to be hungry in Mumbai. Three chefs at the forefront share their favorite places to eat around town. 

## Hussain Shahzad
Hussain Shahzad, a Cardoz protege, is arguably in the prime of his craft. The Chennai native worked as an executive chef at Frangipani at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai before cooking under Daniel Humm’s storied fine dining institution, Eleven Madison Park in New York, perfecting European cuisine. But two years later, Mumbai’s magic, or rather, Cardoz’s magic, called out to Shahzad, who moved to the city to cook under Cardoz at Bombay Canteen. Shahzad, now the executive chef at Hunger Hospitality Inc. ([Bombay Canteen](https://www.instagram.com/thebombaycanteen/?hl=en), [O Pedro](https://www.instagram.com/opedromumbai/?hl=en), [Bombay Sweet Shop](https://www.instagram.com/bombaysweetshop/?hl=en), [Veronica’s](https://www.instagram.com/veronicasbombay/?hl=en)), opened [Papa’s](https://www.instagram.com/papasbombay/?hl=en), an intimate, 12-seater chef’s counter inside the historic St. Jude’s Bakery last year. The ambitious menu traverses India’s landscape, with dishes like duck biryani-paella hybrid, a Kashmiri Wellington suspended over a pumpkin makhani sauce, and a rabbit dish called Bugs Bunny, cossetted in a red weaver ant chutney. 

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/3zHORBPUWyeoCdtJ4UufWK/5d8e118c19c77cec60b3b4ad93906fb9/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_2.png"/><figcaption>Chef Hussain Shahzad leads the kitchen at Papa's, where dishes like chhena poda topped with caviar are served. </figcaption></figure>

### [Canara Lunch Home and Bar](https://www.zomato.com/mumbai/canara-lunch-home-fort)
Shahzad said that this narrow eatery is a Shetty bar, typically associated with Karnataka communities that make and sell alcohol, along with incredible catch-of-the-day fried fish. “It’s a hole in the wall, so expect a small boat catch instead of commercial fish like the snappers and sea basses of the world,” he says. “You’ll find the smaller fish like *mandeli* (similar to anchovies) and, of course, bombil or Bombay duck. That, to me, is exciting, and it’s the kind of rare place where alcohol is still available there by the quarter.” -- A 2, Amba Sadan, Jerbai Wadia Rd, Parel

### [Mizu Izakaya](https://www.instagram.com/mizuizakaya/?hl=en)
The Bandra spot, beloved by Bollywood stars and locals, has served traditional Japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi, donburi, and ramen since opening in 2018. “The chef [Lakhan Jethani] keeps alternating these amazing cuts of fish,” Shahzad, who is a regular at Mizu, says. “As a cook, it’s exciting to see a grilled hamachi collar one day and a kame-toro or fatty tuna the next.” -- Ganga Jamuna Building, 14th Rd, Khar West, Pali

### [Khao Man Gai by Seefah](https://www.instagram.com/khaomangai_byseefah/?hl=en)
The Thai-style joint brought the eponymous dish, which translates to “chicken fat rice,” to Mumbai earlier this year, and is a kind of chicken church: you can find steamed, fried, or grilled chicken with fragrant rice and a savory broth.  “It’s an absolutely smashing dish,” Shahzad says, “everything from the rice to the soup, to the sauce[s] are great. And a little bit of fried chicken on the side.” -- Shop No 14, Dunhill Apartments, Waroda Rd, Ranwar, Bandra West

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/74FXssj34epBL14gZez61A/1b4cc0f9bd0459880a02a586ee4af7a4/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_3.png"/><figcaption>A Kashmiri Wellington at Papa's and a Thai-inspired grilled chicken satay dish from Khao Man Gai.</figcaption></figure>

## Yajush Malik
Yajush Malik, now the executive chef and partner at [Gallops](https://www.instagram.com/gallopsmumbai/?hl=en), a historic restaurant overlooking the Mahalaxmi Race Course, is the son of Rahul Malik, who opened the restaurant with his friends Jasmine and Iqbal Singh in 1986. But that didn’t guarantee Malik immediate access to its kitchen. He worked at a startup that brought meals to food deserts until 2014, when the owners decided that he had learned the ropes of the business. Now, Gallops, which serves Indian staples interspersed with “continental” British-era standbys, a dying cuisine, is among the hottest tables in town. Malik describes his cooking philosophy as “innovative takes on classics and pushing boundaries without trying to reinvent the wheel.” There’s a Bengali *daab chingri*, shrimp lacquered with velvety mustard curry, a Rajasthani, brick-red *laal maas* with lamb, along with prawn cocktail, cheesy croquettes, and chicken liver pate—done the Gallops way. 

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/3BY7yuQ55xMKaFNxtVeNAD/cb53df6395d03624a7b883beac0488c3/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_4.png"/><figcaption>Gallop's Nalli Nihari, a dish of tender lamb meat and bone marrow in an aromatic sauce.</figcaption></figure>

### [Ashok Vada Pav](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304554-d8052808-Reviews-Ashok_Vada_Pav-Mumbai_Maharashtra.html)
While you can find craveable vada pav, battered-and-deep-fried potato cakes sandwiched between pav with lashings of green chutney and a chili-garlic spice mix across town, this humble stall is a popular choice among Mumbaikars, including Malik. Ashok Vaidya reportedly set up a small cart outside Kirti College in Dadar in 1966. His secret sauce? Dropping bits of the chickpea flour batter into hot oil to form golden, craggly bits, akin to putting potato chips in a turkey sandwich, to create a more textured bite. It’s the only dish the stall sells, which costs around $0.30. -- Kashinath Dhuru Marg, Dadar West, Dadar 

### [Veronica’s](https://www.instagram.com/veronicasbombay/?hl=en)
Malik describes Veronica’s, an all-day sandwich cafe from Hunger Hospitality, as “the closest thing to a New York deli,” where you can find elevated takes on pastrami sandwiches, po’boys, smash burgers, melts, and more on housemade bread. He orders the Italian Job, which includes mortadella, smoked ham, buffalo mozzarella, and a hot relish on ciabatta. “It’s coleslaw-meets-relish, and it’s outstanding,” Malik says. -- 3R3G+JMX, Waroda Rd, Ranwar, Bandra West

### [Gajalee](https://www.instagram.com/gajaleerestaurantofficial/?hl=en)
Along with touchstones such as *fried bombil* (Bombay duck), served with neon pink *sol kadhi*, a tart, refreshing coconut milk drink soured with kokum fruit, the restaurant highlights shellfish-driven cooking from the Malvan region. The menu is a love letter to seafood prepared every which way, such as masala clams, tandoori crab, butter garlic oysters, and spicy shark curry. It’s where Malik goes when he craves seafood, and in 2024, the restaurant made the [World’s 50 Best list](https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/Establishments/India/Mumbai/Gajalee.html). -- Kadamgiri Complex Hanuman Road, next to Icici Bank, Vile Parle East

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/1t4g4P9XQq9S4N6Hr7BNUv/4fa50ca9b05c0d136712e64a7d3529e4/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_5.png"/><figcaption>The heritage-inspired creations of Gallop's, the right taking a cue from the "khansamas" of Awadh, served over mini sheermal (saffron-flavored flatbread).</figcaption></figure>

## Varun Totlani
It’s hard to overstate the impact of Aditi Dugar’s [Masque](https://www.masquerestaurant.com/) on the course of Indian fine dining.  Arguably [among](https://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/the-list/Masque.html) the buzziest restaurants in Asia, its seasonal tasting menus are driven by ingredients from all over the subcontinent. The restaurant’s nose-to-tail or root-to-steam philosophy includes a 1,250-square-foot lab designed exclusively to study the limits of these ingredients. Head Chef Varun Totlani, a Mumbai native whose earliest memories include lining up for pav bhaji, has helmed Masque since 2022. Totlani, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, previously trained at the Intercontinental Hotel on Marine Drive and the Taj Mahal Hotel. After staging at Eleven Madison Park in New York, Totlani returned to Mumbai and took the reins at Masque. The ten-course tasting menu at Masque includes a take on *paan* with pork-stuffed betel leaves, a barramundi *paani puri*, and a take on *makki ki roti*, a cornmeal bread served with a sweet corn dip. 

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/1gVhpc2H8FhH6QX1IF0TEq/54b0c138c8954748f0c61d369a1a5a9a/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_6.png"/><figcaption>Moments from Masque's ten course tasting menu, highlighting ingredients from all across India.</figcaption></figure>

### [Ayub’s](https://www.instagram.com/ayubskalaghoda/?hl=en)
Since 1985, this no-frills kebab hotspot has served some of the best *seekh kebab* (minced spiced lamb) rolls and *baida roti* (egg and chicken stuffed parathas) south of the Yamuna River. “It’s such a core memory, sitting in your car and eating Ayub’s kebab rolls with friends,” Totlani says, “I can eat it anytime, anywhere…you’re standing outside, chatting, chilling, and having a fun time. Lots of times, you’re going to Ayub after drinks, so you’re in a good mood anyway.” -- 43, Forbes St, Near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda, Fort

### [Trishna](https://www.instagram.com/trishnamumbai/?hl=en)
While the longstanding crab paradise has become synonymous with its butter garlic crab, the dish is Totlani’s “third favorite crab dish” at Trishna, after the tandoori crab and the Chettinad crab doused in an incendiary coconut and chili curry. “The tandoori crab is the best dish in Bombay right now, across categories,” Totlani says, “I love how the shell is coated in a rich masala that you have to scrape off with your mouth while the meat inside remains sweet and delicate, and the flavor of the crab still shines through.” -- Sai Baba Mandir Marg, next to Commerce House, Kala Ghoda, Fort

### [Americano](https://www.instagram.com/americanobombay/?hl=en)
Veteran Chef Alex Sanchez and restaurateur Mallyeka Watsa’s Americano has drawn crowds with its Neopolitan pizza, gelato, and housemade pasta since opening in 2019. “Americano is Italian American comfort food, but executed to perfection,” Totlani says. “It’s casual, easy food that doesn’t require you to have to think too much. But behind the scenes, there’s a lot of thought put into it.” -- 121/123 Radha Bhavan, Nagindas Master Rd, Kala Ghoda, Fort

<figure><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/6alb7q886wpg/5IR32Ucbl1nsjjObHMQlky/d6de79aa6111fc9aa577a2b1fd959cde/8.8.25_Mumbai_body_7.png"/><figcaption>Crispy Tandoori Pomfret and fiery Prawn Hari Mirchi at Trishna.</figcaption></figure>


8.8.25 Mumbai HERO

8.8.25 Mumbai INDEX

From carts slinging plump vada pavs to locally-inspired, progressive restaurants that overlook the Arabian Sea, there’s never been a more thrilling time to eat in India’s financial capital. Here, three Indian chefs share the most coveted reservations and the street stalls worth lining up for.

The Chefs Choice On Where to Eat in Mumbai | PROIR

Mumbai: Where the Indian Chefs Eat

An essential part of traditional Rajasthani social life, Kathputli puppetry (derived from “*kath*,” meaning wood, and “*putli*,” meaning doll) is believed to have originated over 1500 years ago in a tribal Bhat community. The wandering puppeteers performed during the dry season before returning to their villages during the rains to cultivate their crops. The Bhats found favor and patronage with the royal and noble families of Rajasthan, performing epics heralding the life and deeds of the great kings and their ancestors, until the Mughal invasion saw a change in taste and the demand for their craft dwindled. 

However, the contemporary descendants of the Bhats, known as Nat Bhat (those who perform plays), still share the nomadic life of their ancestors, traveling from village to village in troupes performing plays that narrate local history, myth and legend.

Puppeteers carve the timber heads of the Kathputli by hand, giving the puppets a distinctive nose that is offset with large stylized eyes, arched eyebrows and thin red lips. Dressed in vibrant miniatures of traditional attire, the costumes are complete with colorful accessories, like turbans and crowns to note a character's social status.
 
The dexterous puppeteers animate the marionettes with strings looped around their fingertips, the rhythmic movements of the puppets are kept in time to a shrill reed-like bamboo instrument that acts to heighten comic moments and the the beats of a Dholak drum.

While still an intrinsic element of Rajasthani festivities and street life, competition from contemporary forms of entertainment have pushed the art form away from the foundation of traditional stories, threatening the knowledge held by the puppeteers as keepers of the folk tales and stories of the regions.

Cabinet

Gentl & Hyers

SQ Puppet

PRIOR's guide to Kathputli and puppets in Rajasthan will enlighten you on the history of the Kathputli puppet & more.

Kathputli & Puppets in Rajasthan: A History of Kathputli | PRIOR

Once a fixture in the royal courts of India, Rajasthan’s nomadic Kathputli puppeteers remain a part of festivities and street life. However, modern pressures are endangering their ancient craft. 

India & Sri Lanka

Explore India & Sri Lanka

A Journey to North India, Guided by Diwali Lights

Mumbai: Where the Indian Chefs Eat

The Puppets of Rajasthan

Oh... and also

Run through an explosion of color and music during the Holi festival to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Pray with Buddhist monks, walk with expert hikers and witness traditional rituals in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Meander through the slopes of Sri Lanka’s tea trail and learn about tea production on an estate.

India & Sri Lanka