This photo-expedition is sold out with long waiting list
 
 

 
 
TOUR & PRICE INFORMATION


$2810 (on twin-share)*


*COST DETAILS
$2810(twin share based on 6 members)
$540 (Single Supplement)
$180 (Tip Kitty for fixers, driver, etc)

The cost of the expedition includes photo shoots and transfer services as per the itinerary, all accommodations, meals as per the itinerary, guides/fixers (subject to locations), a driver and vehicle for transfers from and to the Ahmedabad airport, and land travel in Gujarat. It does not include any expenses of personal nature, laundry or any beverages.

International Flights:
The cost of international flights from the USA (or elsewhere) to and from India are not included, and must be arranged so that you arrive in Ahmedabad on the morning of 30 January, 2011.

Internal Flights***
Depending on participants' international flights (arriving/departing to/from Delhi or to/from Mumbai), there are many internal flights to and from Ahmedabad. My Delhi based agent can arrange these for you, as well as hotel accommodations in Delhi or Mumbai. Alternatively, you can arrange these yourself directly.

Deposit:
A deposit of $300 is required to secure a place on the In Search of Gujarat's Sufis Photo Expedition. This down payment is fully refundable if notice is given 90 days prior to the departure date. The balance of the cost is due 90 days prior to departure date.

Important Notice
This photo expedition is not recommended for first timers to India, nor is it for starting photographers.

The Travel Agent
Our travel agent is based in Delhi, and has arranged a number of photo-expeditions for The Travel Photographer.

A Note On Our Hotel Accommodations:
We shall be staying in a variety of hotels during this photo-expedition. In Ahmedabad, our hotel is one of the best 5-star establishments in the city, while those in South Gujarat are the most comfortable accommodations available in the area. In the Rann of Kutch, we will be staying in Rann Riders; which are delightful cottage-like accommodations, with attached private baths. All accommodations have attached private baths.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY
I assume no responsibility for accidents or injury to individuals participating in the In Search of Gujarat's Sufis Photo Expedition. You will be requested to read, accept and sign an agreement which releases me from any responsibility of liability in the event of any of the situations mentioned below.

I also assume no responsibility if a traveler is refused entry into a country for any reason. It is the traveler's sole responsibility to ensure all travel documents are valid and effective. A passport, valid for six months after the intended date of return is required in many cases for travel overseas. Some countries may require visas for US or non-US citizens. Please check with the corresponding consulates prior to leaving. This is the traveler's responsibility.

I cannot assume any liability whatsoever for injury, sickness, damage, death, loss, accident or delay to person or property due to an act of negligence of or default of any travel agent, hotel, carrier, restaurant, company, airline, or person rendering any of the services included in the In Search of Gujarat's Sufis Photo Expedition , or by act of God, act of war or terrorism. Further, no responsibilities are accepted for any damage, changes or delays due to sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, weather or other causes beyond my personal control. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omissions and schedule changes, forced stopovers, rerouting or acts of any governments or authority. I reserve the right to decline or accept any person as a member of any tour or to cancel or alter the tour without notice. It is also the responsibility of the traveler to keep informed on deposit and payment date requirements. It is highly recommended that all individuals obtain adequate travel insurance.

 

 

 
   
   
 

 

West Gujarat, part of its Rann of Kutch and its southern peninsula are the main areas of our exploration on this photo expedition. It will include Ahmedabad, a bustling city founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate, and a repository of Islamic traditions and shrines.

As befits the context of this photo expedition, it will be multi-pronged; one will involve photographing tribal life as practiced by the Banjara, the Gowdia and Garacia, the Rabaris and the Jats in western Gujarat, around the town of Bhuj, Dasada and Balaram. Another will involve photographing and document the hijras at the famed Bahucharji temple, while a main objective will be to document the syncretism between Sufi Islam and Hinduism in various shrines and sacred sites in Gujarat's southern peninsula. Many of the Sufi dargahs in the area are also pilgrimage sites for Hindus, thus weaving age-old disparate traditions into one. Another interesting site is the dargah in Mehsana where trances are performed by pilgrims of both persuasions.

Another objective will be to document the Sidis; the Sufi descendants of African slaves, who've settled in Gujarat some 800 years ago, and are known as the African Indian Mystics of Gujarat, with distinctive music and rituals. The intellectual context of this photo expedition is not mine. It's inspired by the work of Asim Rafiqui, a US photographer and photojournalist based in Sweden, whose The Idea of India is a fascinating philosophical and visual opus that documents religious and cultural pluralism as a prominent feature of Indian life, and which has been her heritage for centuries.

I've led a 10-person strong photo-expedition in January 2010 to the tribal lands of Gujarat, and here's one of the resulting photo galleries Traversing The Kachchh.

The Travel Photographer's Photo~Expeditions are best described as a mixture of "documentary photojournalism, ethno-photography and travel photography" adventures. As with other previous expeditions, this two-week long trip will include both documentary-style (candid and on-the-run) photography, as well as posed photo sessions with selected members of the tribal groups we will encounter.

The In Search of Gujarat's Sufis Photo Expedition is ideal for photographers interested in documentary photography, ethno-photography and multimedia, and for those ready to create visual projects from their inventory of photographs, and learn how to control story length, intent, pace, use of music and ambient sound, narration, field recordings and interviews.

Tewfic El-Sawy is The Travel Photographer, a freelance photographer who specializes in documenting endangered cultures and traditional life ways of Asia, Latin America and Africa, has been organizing and leading photo expeditions since 2000. He's passionate about documentary-travel photography and produces multimedia stories, merging still photography and ambient sound, as well as musical soundtracks. His favorite destination is India, which he visited no less than 16 times. More information is available at WHO IS THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER?

Important Notice: The In Search of Gujarat's Sufis Photo Expedition is limited to 5 photographers only (excluding the leader). It is not for first timers to India, nor for starting photographers. It is for those who seek to document tribal life in Gujarat and are genuinely interested in exploring (and learning) the various layers of syncretism between Sufism and Hinduism. It is also not for the faint of heart as we will be visiting sites that may have rituals that could be disturbing to some. Participation will be subject to a portfolio review.


::WHO IS THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER?::

::CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION & REGISTRATION::

::THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER'S WEBSITE::

::THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER"S BLOG::

   OUTLINE OF ITINERARY: 15 DAYS

Details of Itinerary on Request Only

  MAP: SOUTH RAJASTHAN & GUJARAT


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Images & Itinerary copyright Tewfic El-Sawy -