NOTE: this is a series of blogs kindly go through
India has one of the finest textile traditions in the world with respect to dyeing, weaving and surface embellishment. The richness of its crafts is evident in the excavated findings of Harappa
and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley, which can
be dated back to 5000 years. Indian textile
history
has
been
layered
and
enriched
by
nuances
of
migratory
weavers,
foreign
invasions
and
religious influences. The wide
range of design and weave, specific to the region of their origin,
are masterpieces enhanced by the
skills of the particular craftsmen and their tradition. The
crafts
thrived
on
the
exploration
and
ingenuity
of
the
craftspeople
and
their
knowledge
of
locally
available material.
The journey of Indian artisans from royal
patronage to a life of forced workers under the British rule
was not a deterrent for the
evolution of fantastic weaves and designs. The freedom movement
under Gandhi’s leadership gave
importance to hand spinning and hand weaving of Khadi and
hence
provided political, economic and
moral arguments around cloth known
as ‘swadeshi’.
India’s
expertise
in
vegetable
dye
dates
back
to
ancient
times,
as
the
remnants
of
madder-dyed
fabrics,
printed
in
Gujarat
were
found
in
early
Egyptian
excavations
in
Fostat.
The
Indian
dyer’s
expertise was known worldwide,
for their mastery of the craft and their skill was unparalleled in
colouring textiles using natural
material. Apart from some literary sources, the visual evidence
of expertise in dyeing is
witnessed in the 6th or 7th century dated fresco paintings of Ajanta
Caves
of
Aurangabad
in
Maharashtra.
The
exquisite
and
intricate
resist
dyed
ikats
and
tie
-
dyed
fabrics in the attires of people,
as painted in the frescoes are evident of proficient dyeing skills
of craftsmen.
Each
state
of
India
displays
a
variety
of
designs,
producing
distinct
textiles
and
crafts
indigenous
to
the
region.
Thus
traditional
Indian
textiles
can
be
classified
according
to
the
region
of
production.
Another
classification
of Indian
textiles
can
be
based
on the
technique
of production.
The
textbook
‘Traditional
Indian
Textiles’
is
a
compilation
of
the
different
traditional
textiles
of India, categorized on the
basis of the production technique, namely Embroidered, Resist
Dyed, Printed and Hand-woven
textiles. The textbook introduces the students to the rich textile
traditions of India.
