TEXTILE TRADITION OF INDIA

History and Sources

India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. The origin of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohen-jo-Daro, have unearthed household items like needles made of bone and spindles made of wood, amply suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. Fragments of woven cotton have also been found from these sites.

The first literary information about textiles in India can be found in the Rigveda, which refers to weaving. The ancient Indian epics-Ramayana and Mahabharat also speak of a variety of fabrics of those times. The Ramayana refers to the rich styles worn by the aristocracy on one hand and the simple clothes worn by the commoners and ascetics.

Ample evidence on the ancient textiles of India can also be obtained from the various sculptures belonging to Mauryan and Gupta age as well as from ancient Buddhist scripts and murals (Ajanta caves). Legend has it that when Amrapali, a courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali met Gautam Buddha, she wore a richly woven semi transparent sari, which speaks volumes of the technical achievement of the ancient Indian weaver.

India had numerous trade links with the outside world and Indian textiles were popular in the ancient world. Indian silk was popular in Rome in the early centuries of the Christian era. Hoards of fragments of cotton material originating from Gujarat have been found in the Egyptian tombs at Fostat, belonging to 5th century A.D. Cotton textiles were also exported to China during the heydays of the silk route.

Silk fabrics from south India were exported to Indonesia during the 13th century. India also exported printed cotton fabrics or chintz, to European countries and the Far East before the coming of the Europeans to India. The British East India Company also traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics, which included the famous Dacca muslins. Muslins from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were also popular abroad. (Muslin-a very thin cotton material) (Chintz-cotton cloth, usually printed with flowery patterns, that has a slightly shiny appearance)

The past traditions of the textile and handlooms can still be seen amongst the motifs, patterns, designs, and the old techniques of weaving, still employed by the weavers.

Traditions

The textile tradition in India has been conditioned by a number of factors, like geography, climate, local culture, social customs, availability of raw material etc. A variety of raw material like silk, cotton, wool, jute etc is used in India for creating fabric. The geo-climatic and bio diversity of India has given birth to a myriad of textiles and weaving throughout India. Local, foreign markets and export potential dictate the traditional textile scenario of today.

The hilly and alpine region of the country has a rich array of woolen textiles. The world famous pashmina and shahtoosh shawls of Kashmir are fine examples of the woolen textile of our country, so are the shawls and garments from Himachal Pradesh and the North Eastern states. Shawls from these regions are also popular abroad. The textiles from the arid and semi arid regions are bright and have rich embroidery on them. The people in the coastal areas of the south and eastern regions prefer garments made of white fabrics. Cotton and silk textiles are popular in these areas. Utilitarian items such as cushions, bed sheets, covers, table mats, napkins, curtains etc are produced throughout the country. Each state has its own unique contribution in making these utilitarian items.

Major Traditions & Style

Silk and cotton weaving predominate the weaving traditions in India. Silk weaving is common in most parts of the country, important centers being Mysore, Assam, Banaras, Murshidabad, Surat, Kanchipuram and Paithan etc. There are numerous centers, which specialize in silk and cotton sari weaving. Some of the sari traditions which are popular are-Banarsi brocades, Maheshwari, Pochampalli, Kancheevaram, Patola, Paithani, Baluchari etc to name a few. The famous himroo and mushroo fabrics of Hyderabad are splendid examples of mixed fabric (cotton and silk). The mulberry silk which is largely produced in Assam is also a rare variety of silk used for making saree and traditional dress material. It's a traditional custom to wear mulberry silk outfit in the new year festival of Assam called bihu. This is a yellowish and brown colored delicate material produced from the mulberry silk cocoon which survives on mulberry tree leaves.

The tradition of Appliqu and embroidery is well known to Indians since ancient times. Punjab is famous for its Phulkari work, which is a rich form of Appliqu. Appliqu work from Kutchh region of Gujarat is also very ornate and is done on bright fabrics. It is also famous amongst the tribals of Orissa, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. The city of Lucknow is world famous for its Chikan style of embroidery, so is the crewelwork from Kashmir. Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajasthan and West Bengal all have their distinct styles of embroidery.

Tie and dye, hand printing and block printing are common across the country and come in numerous styles, influenced by local factors. The Tie and dye technique of printing in particular is popular in the arid and semi arid regions of the country where people prefer brightly coloured clothes. The states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are main centers for block printing.

Present Status

The present day textile tradition of India is not only the reflection of our rich past but also caters to the modern day requirements of the common man. Though some of the traditional textiles cater only to the needs of the upper crust of the society, there is a huge demand for utilitarian items such as bed covers, sheets, cushions, curtains, bags, table mats, furnishings etc. There is a glut of such items in the domestic market.

Statistics

Indian textile and allied products are not only popular in India but also abroad. The export of craft items associated with traditional textiles is on the rise. The export of hand printed (including batik, block printed, tie and dye etc) items touched a high of Rs 870.08 crores in 1997-98. Decorated textiles (embroidery, crochet and appliqu work) from India are also popular in foreign countries. The export of such products reached a peak at Rs 1030.89 crores in 1996-97.

The export of woolen shawls reached a peak of Rs 40.02 crores in 1997-98. Shawls from Kashmir and Himachal pradesh predominate this section. The export of zari and zari items reached a peak of Rs 91.34 crores in 1997-98. A variety of brocades from India are available to the foreign buyer.

Epilogue

The contemporary textile craft tradition of India is not only rural and traditional in ethos, but it is also capable of meeting the challenges of modern times. Along with earning valuable foreign exchange, this craft tradition has achieved the status of a highly organized small and medium-scale industry.


WEAVING TRADITION OF INDIA

Introduction

India has a rich and diverse weaving tradition. One can find different types of handlooms across the country, which produce a variety of fabric. Most of the traditional textile traditions use handspun yarn. India is known for fabrics made out of silk, cotton and wool. Silk and cotton weaving predominates the Indian weaving tradition, though wool is also used for weaving in many parts of the country.

Silk

India is known for its silk fabrics since ancient times. The present day silk weaving tradition revolves around the sari, the ethnic dress that is worn in most parts of the country. Silk is said to be the queen of textiles because of its shine and the glamour associated with it. The combination of the two has lead to the creation of a myriad of traditional sari styles, with each region lending its unique flavour to Indian ethnicity.

The finest silk saris are produced in centers from all over India. Silk saris are often created with zari (fabric woven with thin gold and silver wires) work on them. The main silk weaving centers are Banaras, Surat, Chander, Murshidabad, Mysore, Assam, Kanchepuram, Tanjore, Dharmavaram etc

Cotton

Indians have known weaving of material from cotton since 5000 years. The traditional Indian cotton weaving revolves around 'Khadi'. Khadi is a cloth woven by hand using handspun yarn only. Fine cotton fabrics are also referred as Muslin. India has been famous for its ultra fine Muslins in the past. As handspun yarn is used in making Khadi, this activity is mainly carried out in the rural areas of the country.

Cotton weaving is the heart and soul of Indian textiles. There are 23 different varieties of cotton found in India and there are about 4 million handlooms producing cotton fabric. Cotton is used in producing a wide range of items like: sari, bed sheets, covers, napkins, shirts, summer wear, tablemats etc.

Cotton fabric is very popular in a tropical country like India, because of the soft twist imparted by the hand, maintains the hairiness of the yarn to an extent, which gives maximum comfort. Handlooms producing Khadi weave cotton in such a way that the interlacing of threads provides maximum passage of air to the body, thus creating a cooling effect, making Khadi an ideal summer wear.