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Textiles
India's
textile tradition is an elegant legacy perfectly preserved over
millennia. The extraordinary range of Indian textiles reflects the
cutural richness and adaptability. The royal courts of India - from
the days of the Mauryas to the reign of great Mughals, have been
a witness to the best in Textile craft. Its overseas trade intensified
with the coming of the Europeans.
Cotton
with its cool appearance and soft, light feel, is said to be the
pearl of Indian textile and is woven universally all over India.
'Mulmul khas' - the royal muslin is the fabled and most famous cotton
weave. . Among elaborate styles in cotton weaving is 'jamdani' -
a fine tapestry work with delicate patterns of paisleys and floral
spigs that appear to merge and float within the cloth. 'Jamdani'
cottons are very lightweight and are traditionally woven in West
Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
The brilliance
of cotton is visible in the variety of sarees like the those of
Kota; 'Maheshwari' sarees of Central India with reversible borders
and the fabulous 'venkatgiri' of Andhra Pradesh, known for its gold
designs. Also popular are the cotton check lengths of Mamallapuram,
used as 'lungis' or sarongs by men.
Besides
cotton, silk brocades of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Kancheepuram
(Tamil Nadu) have a timeless appeal and are a pride of Indian textiles.
Dyeing
of clothes is a popular practice in India to create the realm of
multi-hued patterns on fabrics. Most renowned of these is distinctive
tie-and-dye or 'bandhini' of Rajasthan and Gujarat in which decorative
patterns are created by manipulating the dyes. Among the famous
varieties of 'bandhini' are 'lehariya' of Rajasthan and 'gharchola
of Gujarat. 'Bandhini' dupattas, odhnis, sarees and turbans with
their multi-hued, ethnic appeal have earned a special place in the
wardrobes of urban buyers.
Another famous
textile is 'Ikat' in which the warp or weft threads are bundled
and bound before the weaving of a cloth and is repeatedly dyed to
create bands of patterns. The oldest tradition of 'ikat' weaving
is that of Gujarat. 'Ikat' weave is extended to 'patolas', which
are double 'ikats', intricately patterned with lattice of flowers,
leaves and stars. The 'ikat' textiles of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh,
especially of Pochampalli and Chirala are equally attractive.
India is renowned
for its amazing variety of hand--made and block-printed designs,
ranging from floral sprays to geometric patterns. The hand-printed
textiles of Gujarat , the block-printed textiles of Sanganer & Barmer.
(Rajasthan) are immensely popular.
Indian muslin isn’t just the
stuff of once-upon-a-time stories that one hears from tottering
grandparents. And don’t you dare snigger if someone tells you that
a whole sheet of fine Indian muslin could pass through a ring. It’s
true, we swear. Indian chintz and paisley curtains were once the
pride of many a European home but they faded from world memory in
the early 19th century. Those days may have long been
past, but Indian silks, brocades and cottons still rule the ramp
in the West. The Italian couturier Versace put brocades to excellent
use when he turned them into glamorous cocktail dresses.
What sets Indian fabrics apart is excellent workmanship, colours
and durability. Here’s a quick round up of the best-known textile
weaves and prints of India.
Bandhani or Tie-and-Dye:- The people
of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh make up with the brilliancy
of their clothes for what the terrain lacks in colour. Cotton or
silk cloth is tied into sections to exclude the dye to achieve a
two-colour effect. For a more intricate design, different sections
are tied at every stage of dyeing and a variety of colours used.
Thereafter, the fabric opens out into amazing designs: dots, circles,
squares, waves and stripes.
Batik:- A resist process in which the
fabric is painted with molten wax and then dyed in cold dyes, Batik
is done on a large scale in Madhya Pradesh. Multi-coloured batik
saris, dupattas and bed sheets are popular for their contrasting
colour schemes.
Block-printing: Especially fascinating
for foreigners is the printing of cloth with carved wooden blocks.
Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur and Bikaner in Rajasthan
are the strongholds of this craft. The floral motifs favoured by
the printers of Bagru and Sanganer (just off Jaipur) are Persian
in origin, though Sanganeri designs are more sophisticated. They
usually have a white or pale background decorated with colorful
twigs or sprays. The not-so-fine Bagru prints were initially meant
for peasants and had a light brown background.
Ikats:- A complex and rather meticulous
process which involves the repeated dyeing of the warp and weft
threads before the cloth is woven. Both Andhra Pradesh and Orissa
are major centres of ikat weaving in silk and cotton. Don’t get
confused if somebody tells you that what you call ikat is actually
patola – they are one and the same thing.
Metal-thread Brocades:- Brocades of
yore used real silver and gold threads in the weave and were obviously
patronized by royalty and nobility. Banarasi brocades (Uttar Pradesh)
are known for their richness and glamour but boy, are they expensive!
Paithanis:- Named after the place of
their origin (Paithan in Maharashtra), Paithani saris use silk-patterned
brocade work instead of metal.
Chanderi:- The gossamer thin Chanderi
sari has been woven in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, for centuries.
The greater part of the town’s population works at producing the
Chanderi fabric known for its traditional motifs, intricately woven
borders and fragile pastel colours.
Maheshwari:- The Maheshwari was introduced by Rani Ahilya
Bai Holkar of Madhya Pradesh and has been traditionally woven for
more than 200 years. A blend of cotton and silk, the body of the
sari may be plain, checked or striped. The pallu, or the end section
which falls behind over the shoulder, is splendid with five stripes
(three coloured and two white) while the reversible borders have
floral designs.
Jamdani:- Jamdani cottons, traditionally
woven in Tanda, Uttar Pradesh, are lightweight patterned cloths
that essentially rely on tapestry technique. Weft patterns of paisley
and floral sprigs appear to merge with and float within the cloth.
Coloured or metal threads are commonly used to make these lovely
saris.
Kota:- Fine white, off-white or cream
coloured cloth is woven in Kota, Rajasthan and Palaghat and Trivandrum
in Kerala. Essentially cotton, it comes in soft checks, with or
without gold thread and borders and is later printed or dyed at
other centres.
Shawls
Considering our terrible winter that chills to the bone, it isn’t
surprising that India makes enough shawls to thaw the Antarctic.
Shawl weaving flourished in Kashmir under the patronage of the Mughals.
These are the shawls India is best known for though other kinds
are made in states like Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura,
Assam, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Pashmina:- The sinfully warm and delectably
fine pashmina shawl is made in Himachal and Kashmir. Greatly sought
after by tourists, these expensive shawls are made from the fine
hair of pashmina goats. Pashm is the wool of capra hircus, an Asian
species of mountain goat. The fine fleece used to make these shawls
is that which grows beneath the rough outer hair. Did you know that
the finest hair comes from the underbelly and is shed with the onset
of summer? The pashmina shawl usually comes in subtle shades of
cream, beige, brown and grey, depending on the natural colour of
the fleece. They may be dyed to produce brighter colours or livened
up with embroidery.
Shahtoosh:- The shahtoosh is even more
delicate than the pashmina. It is so fine and soft that it passes
through a ring quite easily. Wrapping oneself in a shahtoosh has
to be one of the most warmly sensual experiences in the world. However,
before you start getting any ideas, let us tell you that the making
and sale of shatoosh shawls is now banned in India.
Jamawar:- The art of weaving jamawar
or tapestry shawls rolled into India from Turkestan in the 15th
century. Having kept the Mughals in great comfort, these shawls
came to be wrapped around European beauties back in the 18th
century. Woven in shades of cream, brown and grey interspersed with
coloured threads to form floral patterns, the best jamawars are
now made in Basohli, Himachal Pradesh.
Kullu Shawls:- Kullu is famous for its vibrantly coloured
shawls with striking geometrical patterns. Though rather coarse
in comparison with pashmina, Kullu shawls are an excellent buy as
they look beautiful and come cheap.
Dhabla:- The people of Rajasthan and
Gujarat weave the rough, thick dhabla in black, brown or off white
with striped borders in black, red and ochre.
Special Shopping Destinations:
Jaipur, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Kota, (Rajasthan), Varanasi
& Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pochampalli (Andhra Pradesh), Calcutta
(West Bengal), Gujarat, Orissa and Tamil Nadu
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