Textiles

Indian chintz and paisley curtains were once the pride of many a European home but they faded from world memory in the early 19^th 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, colors 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 color. Cotton or silk cloth is tied into sections to exclude the dye to achieve a two-color effect. For a more intricate design, different sections are tied at every stage of dyeing and a variety of colors 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-colored batik saris, dupattas and bed sheets are popular for their contrasting color 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 favored by the printers of Bagru and Sanganer (Around 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 centers 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.


¤ 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 colors.


¤ 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 colored 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. Colored or metal threads are commonly used to make these lovely saris.


¤ Kota

Fine white, off-white or cream colored 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 centers.