TRADITIONAL TEXTILES | FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION | L-24|

Traditional Textiles

The rich culture and tradition of India are truly reflected in its traditional textiles. Many people view India’s textiles as one of its most important exports. India has long been renowned for its textiles, which include both traditional and contemporary styles. Cotton, silk, wool, paper, and jute are just a few of the materials that have been used to create Indian textiles. These fabrics’ designs and patterns have changed over time to reflect Indian cultures and traditions. Various birds and animals that can be found throughout India have served as inspiration for traditional textile designs.

Traditional Indian clothing is predominantly made of red, yellow, green, blue, and black colors. The colours can be used in a variety of contexts, including embroidery, patterns, and décor. These dresses also have really lovely embellishments.

History of Traditional Indian Textiles

The Indus Valley Civilization is where the history of Indian textiles begins. In an excavation in Mohenjo-Daro (an ancient town located in Pakistan), the earliest piece of cloth still in existence was found. It was discovered with a skeleton wrapped around it and was 2800 years old. This incredible discovery implies that mankind was wearing clothing thousands of years ago.

The East India Company, which established Bombay (now Mumbai) as a trading centre in 1618, has had a significant influence on the primary fashion trends in this region. The corporation decided to send out their own traders to locate new sources of materials for their fashion companies back home since they were having problems obtaining appropriate fabrics and styles to wear at home in England and they wanted to create trade relations with other nations.

Manufacturing Techniques

Following are the major manufacturing techniques −

Embroidery

An ordinary piece of fabric can become a work of art through the use of the surface ornamentation technique of embroidery. Each embroidery in India is based on a distinct set of motifs that are used with a specific set of coloured threads on specific fabrics, such as khaddar for phulkari, voile for chikankari, and Kantha from Bengal.

Illustration and Printing

In Rajasthan and Gujarat, handblock printing is a technique used to create designs on fabrics that may be used for both clothing and furniture. Sanganeri and Bagru are the two types of block printing, and kalamkari is a popular hand-painting style in Andhra Pradesh. Intricate motifs are made using special kalam.

Resist Dyeing

A traditional method of connecting fabric with threads and creating a variety of motifs, such as bandhani and leheria, is called tie and dye. It is widely used in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Popular fabrics from Gujarat and Rajasthan called patola and mahsru are used to make pricey saris and turbans. Their warp and weft are dyed. Wax is used as a resist in the batik process, which also uses cold dyeing to apply the dyes.

Handloom or Handwoven Textiles

Weft-faced weaves are the norm in India. Heddle looms are used to produce Kashmiri shawls. Shawls from Kashmir are also embroidered. Zari yarns are used by Banaras’s Brocade of Banaras to make their hefty wedding sarees. In South India, sarees from Kanjivaram and Pochampally are prominent. Eastern India is where Jamdani sarees are made. Maharashtra is where Paithani sarees are woven. Every type of saree has distinctive patterns and colors. The density of the cloth varies along with the yarn count. The cloth known as “khadi” is woven by hand using only hand-spun cotton and occasionally silk.

Conclusion

Every culture has its own distinctive traditional textile arts and production techniques, which are reflected in the world’s commercial production of textiles and clothing. The demand for handmade goods and small-batch textile production is rising as consumers seek out locally owned, distinctive goods that are not mass-produced. Traditional textile handcrafts and techniques flow through many different cultures, all with unique aesthetics and end uses. These textiles are in line with the ideals of the luxury industry because they are made to order by highly skilled artisans.