Consider the following towns of India:

Bhadrachalem - Chanderi - Kanchipuram - Karanal

Which of the above are famous for the production of
traditional sarees/fabric

www.nextgenias.com
OR
nextgenias.blogspot.com

INDIAN CRAFTS

Traditional Craftsmanship Skill with materials & manual dexterity in

manipulating tools

Total operation involves Emotions, mind, body and vibrant rhythm for the
coordination of crafts

 Preserve certain values indispensable to mankind

Dignity + creativity symbolizes link with the past
Most splendid expressions of life in India Hand spun & handloomed cloth
worn by men, women and children

Applique, embroidery and dyeing techniques enhance the cloth and woven
textiles :silk, cotton or woolen fabrics flourished in India

Contemporary India household shrines handicrafted with metal, stone or

clay are fashioned by local craftsmen and artisans

 These living traditions are visible in the unsurpassed beauty of Indian

handicrafts.
Endowed with a highly developed sense of clay, wood, stone, ivory and textile
traditions exist within the Indian craftsmen.

TEXTILES:
Muslin also known as Malmal known for delicacy and fineness

 Best Kings Muslin (Malmai Khas) >> Ab-i-rawan : Running water and
Shabnam(dew)
Chief centre of production Dhaka

PATOLA Silk or wedding saree of Gujarat and Maharashtra design appear on

both side of the material

2 principle styles
1. Cambay Pattern with white flowers on dark green stems

2. Pattan Pattern with broader strips of field picture, series of elephants,

flowering shrubs, human figures and birds

BROCADE Represent large group of textiles in which designs are produced by

the use of WARP and WEFT threads

Pure silk Amru

Gold thread Kimkhab: famous varnasi

 Represents most generous and ornamental fabric of India

Tanchoi Brocades named after 3 brothers who learnt from China and
practiced in Surat. Base of this fabric Satin woven in floral and bird motifs

Brocade - generic term used for any textile that is richly figured, especially for
those with a pattern in gold or silver
Pattern extra weft threads of different coloured silk or zari, metallic threads
are woven into the basic fabric
Patternic technique kadwa

 Special type brocade gyasar: secular use in Buddhist areas like Bhutan and
Ladakh

SAREE Classical Indian garment remained in fashion over 2000 yrs

Evolved in distinct weaving patterns
Motives reflect nature, everyday life and weavers creativity and his aesthetic
sensibilities

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Types of Sarees
Paithani
Tanchoi silk Pochampalli Chanderi
Muga silk
Sambalpuri Jamdani
Baluchari
-

Places Famous for it

paithan (Maharashtra)
Varnasi
Hyderabad
Chanderi (MP)
Sualkuchi (Assam)
Sambalpur
Bengal and UP
Murshidabad (W.Bengal)

TIE & DIE (Bandhani)

Chief centres of production Rajasthan and Gujarat

 Rich patterns are outlined by small dots of different colours

Designs of dancing women and animal forms are produced by knot dyeing
process still fashion in countryside
Hunting scenes, female performing Garbha, plenty of floral and bird designs
are in the intervening spaces and borders
KALAMKARI
Painted & printed textiles of AP
Kalamkari came from brush like instrument like Kalam: used in medieval
period to draw pattern on fabric with natural colour.

The clothes from the former school were influenced by Persian painting and
the tenets of Islam and Kalahasthi school reproduced scenes from Hindu
mythology

 The art of Kalamkari belongs to 2 distinct schools Masulipatnam (muslim

rulers) & Srikalahasthi (Hindu temples)
APA TANI WEAVES:
Apa Tani tribe lower Subansiri dt of Arunachal Pradesh
Home Ziro in Apa Tani plateau located in North of Itanagar
Women weaving and one or two portable loin loom

Traditional colours Red, Green and Yellow obtained from leaves, roots,
creepers and the barks of trees
Cloth use of broad stripes alternating with narrow ones
Other geometric patterns extra weft technique

BLOCK PRINTING
Best known Palampore and Machilipatnam bed covers: decoration
incomparable
Typical design Tree of Life

Baademeri Print
Manifestation of Rajasthani folk art on textiles
Recognized by their motifs, boldness of designs and stark colours
Chief centre of production Sindh: Hindus of Badmer are engaged in this art

EMBROIDERY:
Batik style of painting whose claim lies in being Individualistic have the
scintillating quality of stained glass

Kantha embroidery of Bengal> uses discarded sarees which are piled up and
quilted. Thread stitches are drawn from the old borders

Pichwais temple cloth for temples and chariots depicting Srinath as Krishna
in blue. Background dark and richly coloured. Nathwara is famous for it

Pattachitra cloth painting of Orissa where whole stories are shown on a long
piece of cloth like a picture film. Earthen colours are used

Pipli Applique pipli near Bhubneshwar is famous for his work which uses
bright coloured embroidered cloth probably originating from its traditional
use in Jagganath temple

Chikan (shawl / fabric) Lucknow

The word Chikan stems from a Persian word: meaning to raise
Brought to Awadh from Persia which flourished under the patronage of
Lucknow Nawabs
Traditionally it is embroidered onto Muslin with a white thread.
3 types of designs
1. Bhakia
2. Tepchi
3. Kamdani

Gujarat:
AARI embroidary with silk threads using a hook is a popular craft of Kutchch,
Gujarat
Motifs dancing peacocks, human figures in dancing postures

Uttar Pradesh:
Chikan work different assumptions and beliefs
Megasthanes art of Chikankari (floral prints on fine Muuslin clothes) started
in east Bengal

West Bengal:
Kantha embroidary
Popular rural women

J & K:
Jaal work
Takes months to complete thread work on one shawl, bedspread
Artisans stitch decorative motifs of birds, maple leaves and other decorative
designs
The most popular form of thread work is the chain stitch that is done on
shawls and clothes.

MANIPUR:
Unique type - uses one stitch, in deference to the weavers in the area
This is done in dark matching shade with untwisted silk thread on the border
of the phanek (A lungi or lower body wrap worn by women).

ANDHRA PRADESH:
Mathurias - tribe found only in Adilabad
inhabit the forest area and being nomadic, move from place to place looking
for agricultural work on land
BIHAR:
Kasida embroidery with geometrical patterns of Bihar resembles to the
kasuti embroidery of Mysore and is found in many different Styles.

KERALA:
Syrian embroidery, the first to find its way into Kerala, is no longer practised
here

MADHYA PRADESH:
The Banjaras of Madhya Pradesh, who are found in the districts of Malwa and
Nimar have their own distinct style of embroidery.

PUNJAB:
The art of phulkari has its origins in the early part of the 19th century, when
the odhini or head cloth was highlighted with embroidered flowers.

ORISSA:
Patta Chitra is a cloth painting of Orissa, where whole stories are shown on a
long piece of cloth

uses earthen colours

 other type of embroidery works

(a) Mirror Work Embroidery (b) Sequins Embroidery
(c) Resham Embroidery (d) Kundan Embroidery