"The earth offers us its colors in a spirit of abundance, and in return, we dye with respect and gratitude, knowing that the plants hold the wisdom of time." - India Flint, textile artist
This fun and interactive workshop is a doorway to artistic expression through natural dyeing on cloth. Although you will learn techniques of dyeing using abundantly available plant materials and minerals. the focus will be on play, experimentation, and learning through mistakes. You'll rediscover the child in you and go home more curious about life in general.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU IF…
YOU ARE AN UNLEARNER OF SOME KIND
YOU WOULD LOVE TO IMMERSE IN NATURE, CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE & INDIGENOUS CULTURES
You're on a journey of unlearning preconditioned ways of living and are experimenting with your personal artistic expression. You'd love to learn a new skill while being playful, making mistakes, and embracing the child in you.
You would love to spend a few days immersing in the beauty of a permaculture farm, meet other people on a conscious journey, and interact with Dularia's indigenous tribal community.
YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CREATING A SUSTAINABLE WARDDROBE
Rather than buying off-the-shelf clothing dyed with toxic chemicals, you're interested in making a start on creating your own clothing using dyes extracted from abundantly available plant materials and minerals. You want to make conscious choices and wish for the cloth that touches your skin to be pure and vibrant, and even medicinal
YOU ARE SIMPLY NEEDING A PAUSE
Life may have been hectic and you're simply looking for a meaningful pause. time for yourself, and doing activities you'll enjoy. You'd love a break from mind-bending work and would just want to use your hands to make something.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
Moitri Dutta
Moitri is a natural living practitioner and visual artist exploring diverse art forms as a means to understand herself better. Her journey toward self-acceptance began in 2020, leading her back to a cherished childhood pastime: drawing. This rediscovery sparked a deeper connection with the earth through natural dyeing and painting with plant-based pigments, now central to her creative expression. She has led several natural dyeing gatherings across the country. She follows the methods of co-learning and un-teaching, as she believes that we are all learners with nature (& our unique individual natures) as our shared teacher. She loves to tie-dye as the results are magnificent and unmatched each time, and she loves to convey this art through her workshops.
She is a Dularia team member supporting with many aspects of event management, social media and the entrepreneurship journey of our village team.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
You will learn the process of natural dyeing in a systematic, stepwise fashion, and will also receive a handbook that you can take back home as a resource. You will be encouraged to be playful and experiment with various colours and patterns. The following aspects will be included in the learning journey.
EXPLORING FABRIC TYPES AND THEIR DYEING PREPARATIONS
IDEAL WASH PRACTICES
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Various fibre types and the way they are processed into fabric
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Scouring the fabric to remove impurities that may prevent the dyeing process
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Applying different mordants that are used for the fabric to enable the pigment from the herbs to bond with the fabric.
LEARN DYEING METHODS & TIE-DYE KNOTS
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Washing the cloth, starching and maintaining it
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Practices that will ensure that the colour does not fade with time but instead matures gracefully
PLAYING WITH FOLIAGE WHILE THE COLOUR COOKS
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Preparing dyes out of plant materials
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Experimenting with the fabric to dye in a single colour
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Practicing tie-dye knots and experimenting to see various results
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Time allowing, experimenting with multiple colours on a single fabric
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Collecting various types of foliage on and around the Dularia plot
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Experimenting with making paintings with the foliage on paper or fabric
“This experience was more than just learning about colours; it was about reconnecting with the Earth and the simple magic of life”
— Cherlin Thanyasuthareevate
“Learning from Moitri was an immense pleasure and brought complete freedom. I started my own natural dyeing clothing brand soon after completing her workshop!”
— Kavinmathi Rajeswaran
FOOD & ACCOMMODATION
We have 3 options for accommodation:
1
Our gorgeous Earthhome (can be shared among four people, available on a first-come, first serve basis)
2
In a tent with bedding provided, pitched in the middle of our food forest. Shared showers and toilets are available on the premises.
3
Any of the surrounding guest-houses. Two options are Panchabati Resort ( 850 m away from Dularia) or Khoai Village Resort (2.7 km away from Dularia).
Meals consist of wholesome vegetarian food containing fresh vegetables and greens harvested from our farm, and cooked on our wood-fired stove in the Santhal tribal or local Bengali tradition. We serve two big meals plus fruit, tea and snacks to keep you well-fed and energized for the tasks of the day.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
DATES
Mar 20 - 22, 2026
Arrival is suggested on Mar 19 by 5 pm latest, and departure is at 5pm on Mar 22.
Last date for registration: Mar 01, 2026
PARTICIPANTS
Min 3 - Max 6
Book your spot soon as limited places are available! This is an intimate program where you'll meet like-minded people on an intentional, nature-loving journey and get plenty of personal attention from your facilitator.
COST
Tuition fees: INR 12,000/-
Includes taxes, excludes food & accommodation. To book your spot, a non-refundable deposit of INR 5,000/- will be required.
Food: INR 2,100/-
Includes all meals. Vegetarian meals using local tribal and Bengali recipes will be prepared using organic ingredients from the farm.
Accommodation:
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In a tent with bedding provided (4 spots available): 900/-
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Shared stay in our Earthhome (only 4 spots available, first-come, first serve basis): 3,000/-
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For homestays outside Dularia please enquire with them directly
All inclusive prices, including food and accommodation:
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In a tent: 15,000/-
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In our Earthhome: 17,100/-
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In the homestay of your choice: 14,100/- plus accommodation expenses.
DAILY SCHEDULE
This is a rough schedule that can change based on the activities planned for the day.
7:00 - 9:00: Herbal Tea + Morning walk with Movement & Meditation + Prep work for that day’s dyeing (fabric prep, herbs soaking etc) or Reveal of previous day’s work
9:00 - 9:30: Breakfast (optionally tea/coffee)
9:30 - 12:30: Morning session. These sessions will cover the core content of the course and be hands-on
12:30 - 14:30: Lunch and personal time
14:30 - 17:00: Afternoon session. These sessions will cover the core content of the course. All content will be hands-on. Afternoon tea & snacks will be served)
18:00 - 18: 30: Dinner
18:30 - 21:00: Bon-fire, songs, sharing, relaxation. Participation is optional
21:00: Suggested bed time!
WHERE WE'RE LOCATED
Dularia is located in a rural setting, just ten kilometers away from Shantiniketan, which has been recently recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site for its historical and cultural value. This makes it all the more attractive to visit Dularia and to take a few days extra to visit the surroundings.
HOW TO REACH US
The closest train stations to Dularia are Prantik and Bolpur stations, and the closest airport is Durgapur.
If you want to come by flight, you could fly into Kolkata airport, followed by either a train journey from Howrah/ Sealdah stations to Bolpur/Prantik stations, or take a 4-hour taxi ride directly to Dularia. Alternately, you could fly into Durgapur airport, followed by a 2-hour taxi ride to Dularia. Kolkata has several more flight options than Durgapur does, so both airports have their advantages/disadvantages.
If you want to arrive by train, you can come to Bolpur/Prantik stations, and then take an electric rickshaw (Toto) to Dularia. There are better and faster train connections to Durgapur train
