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Textile in India
India has a different and rich textile tradition. The source of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used simple cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohen -jo-Daro, have discover household items like needles made of bone and spindles made of wood, sufficiently suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments.
Fragments of woven cotton have also been originated 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 proof 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.
South India is famous for silk fabrics and had exported to Indonesia during the 13th century. The British East India Company also traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics, which integrated the famous Dacca muslins. Muslins from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were also popular abroad. 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.
One of the India’s main industries is textiles. Great softness, vivid colors and translucent texture characterize the most famous silk
weaving of India. Brocade Silk from Varanasi is the most famous. Rajasthan cotton with its distinctive tie and dye design is brilliant and colorful, while Chennai cotton is quite attractive. Kashmir produces some of the beautiful woolens, particularly shawls.
Brocade Textiles : Varanasi, a well-known center for silk weaving is popular for its brocade or kinkab known as weaving in gold & silver, with a extensive variety of its various techniques and styles. The brocades are renowned by poetic names like chand tara (moon & star), dhupchaon (sunshine & shade), mazchar (ripples of silver), morgala (peacock’s neck), bulbul chasm (nightingale’s eyes). Varanasi is also famous for tanchoi saree, which resembles a fine miniature.
One can shop it from various parts of India like, Varanasi for Tanchoi sarees, Jamdani is the area of expertise of Tanda in Faizabad, Silk sarees of Mysore, Kanchipuram, Murshidabad and Kashmir, Cotton sarees of Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, and Patola sarees of Gujarat and Orissa.Embroidery complete in metal wires with zari is also very popular. The heavier and more elaborate form Zardozi. Kamdani is a lighter needlework done on lighter material producing a glitter effect.
Ideal destinations to shop: Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Chikan embroidery of Lucknow and other north Indian tourist’s towns.
Hand Block Printing : In this method, fabric is decorated by printing designs on it. Hand block printing in India was the chief occupation of the chippas – a community of printers. They use metal or wooden blocks to print designs on the fabrics by hand.
Uttar Pradesh, Kutch, Kathiawar, Rajasthan and Gujarat, well known for bandini designs and the perfect place to shop.
Ethnic Dresses : India a land of a mixture of communities has a wide variety of ethnic dresses from various parts of the country. Kashmiri Shikara, Rajasthani ghagra choli are famous among them. They are freely available in local markets.
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