TRADITIONAL TEXTILE

Introduction
India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. The origin of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohen-jo-Daro have unearthed household items like needles made of bone and spindles made of wood, amply suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. Fragments of woven cotton have also been found from these sites. The first literary information about textiles in India can be found in Rigveda, which refers to weaving. The ancient Indian epics Ramayana & Mahabhart also speaks of a variety of fabrics of those times. Ramayana refers to the rich styles worn by the aristocracy on one hand and the simple clothes worn by the commoners and ascetics on the other. Ample evidence on the ancient textiles of India can also be obtained from the various sculptures belonging to Mauryan and Gupta age as well as from ancient Buddhist scripts and murals (Ajanta Caves). Legend has it that when Amrapali, a courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali met Gautam Buddha, she wore a richly woven semi-transparent sari, which speaks volumes of the technical achievement of the ancient Indian weaver. India had numerous trade links with the outside world and Indian Textiles were popular in the ancient world. Indian silk was popular in Rome in the early centuries of the Christian era. Hoards of fragments of cotton material originating from Gujarat have been found in the Egyptian tombs at Fostat, belonging to 5th century A.D. Cotton textiles were also exported to China during the heydays of the silk route.

Silk fabrics from South India were exported to Indonesia during the 13th century. India also exported printed fabrics or chintz, to European countries and the Far East before coming of the Europeans to India. The British East India Company also traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics, which included the famous Dacca muslins. Muslins from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were also popular abroad. (Muslin a very thin cotton material) (Chintz cotton clothe, usually printed with flowery patterns, that has a slightly shiny appearance). The past traditions of textiles and handlooms can still be seen amongst the motifs, patterns, designs and the old techniques of weaving, still employed by the weavers.

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-------BROCADES OF BANARAS (U.P)--------Banaras, is one of the rich weaving craft center of India, is famous for Brocade Saris and allover dress material. Exclusive varieties of the saris are Jangla, Tanchoi, Vaskat, Cutwork, Tissue, and Butidar which are made of silk warp and silk weft, on plain /satin ground base, brocaded with extra weft patterns in different layouts introducing Buties, Bells, creepers, Buttas in ground, border and Anchal for getting glamours appearance. As in the History of the India Banaras is known since Rigveda about 1500 year 2000 year BC and also a period of Ramayana and Mahabharat come to know identical reference about the fame of Banarasi Sari and Fabrics as known Hiranya Vastra (Putamber Vastra). In the ancient time Banaras was famous for the weaving of cotton Sari and dress materials, but slowly switched over to silk weaving, during the Mughal period around 14th century weaving of brocades with intricate designs using gold & Silver threads called "Jari was the specialty of Banaras.

What is Brocade? Brocade refers to those textiles where in patterns are created in weaving by
transfixing or thrusting the pattern-thread between the warp. In regular weaving the weft thread passes over and under the warp thread regularly. But when brocade designs in gold, silver silk or cotton threads are to be woven, special threads are transfixed in between by skipping the passage of the regular weft over a certain number of warp threads (depending upon the pattern) and by regularizing the skipping by means of pre-arranged heddles for each type of

patterning. There may be several sets of heddles so arranged that on different occasions, they raise and depress irregular number of threads in turn, as required by the exigencies of the pattern.

Zari-brocades-When gold and silver threads are use along with or without silkthreads, thrust either as special weft or warp to create glittering raised ornamentation. We have the Zari brocade kind of fabrics. When we talk of gold or silver threads. It is to be under stood that the gold, threads are actually only silver threads with gold polish and that these threads are obtained by closely winding extremely fine gold or silver wire around a silk thread. According to Sir George Watt, When the gold and silver threads were used so densely that the ground was hardly visible, the material was kinkhab proper and was too heavy for clothing, it was therefore used for trappings, hangings and furnishing. Only that material in which the Zari patterns were scattered was true brocade. This was used for clothing. Brocade weaving, especially with gold and silver, has been an age-old tradition in India. There are two broad classes of brocades. Brocades of pure silk or silk and cotton blends and zari brocades with gold and silver threads. The most important material in brocade weaving is silk. It facilitates lovely weaves, is durable, strong, fine and smooth. There are several varieties of raw silk of which the chief ones used for brocades are Tanduri, Banaka and Mukta. Tanduri is imported from Malda and other places in Bengal. Banaka is thinner and finer variety and is mostly used to weave soft fabrics such as turbans and handkerchiefs. Mukta is a coarse and durable silk used for kimkhabs, as fine silk would not withstand heavy gold patterns. Refining Silk For Brocade Making Raw silk is specially treated for brocades. It is first twisted (called 'silk throwing') after which the threads undergo reeling and checking for uniformity and roundness. When the yarn has been processed, it is bleached and "degummed", as raw silk has a gum-like substance (sericin) in its composition. This has to be removed in order to bring out the sheen and softness and to enable penetration of the dye. The task has to be done with great care as the fibers can weaken or get damaged. The silk is boiled in soap water for a certain duration and then sent for dying.

Importance Of Color Color plays a vital part in weaving brocade. The charm and subtle beauty of the brocade depends upon color synchronization. Colors are surcharged with nuances of mood and poetic association in fabrics and weaving as much as in painting. Red - the color of love. The three tones of red evoke the three states of love. Yellow - is the color of vasant (spring), of young blossoms, southern winds and

swarms of bees. Nila (indigo) is the color of Lord Krishna who is like to a rain-filled cloud. Hari nila is the color of water in which the sky is reflected. Gerwa (saffron) is the color of the earth and of the yogi the wandering minstrel, the seer, the poet who renounces the world. Earlier, vegetable dyes were used during weaving. These produced fast colors, lasted for almost a generation, and remained as beautiful and vivid as ever. Nowadays aniline dyes have gained popularity as they are cheaper, less timeconsuming and produce a larger variety of colors. Making Nakshas (Designs) On Brocades Making of nakshas (designs) forms an important part of brocade weaving. Banaras is the main center where the nakshabandha (designer) tradition prevails. The skill and imagination of nakshabandha plays a prominent part in making of designs. Designs are associated with legends and symbolism. The most popular motifs are drawn from nature. In Banaras, it is said that nakshabandha families were brought to this country during the reign of Muhammed Tughlak (1325-1350 A.D.). They were supreme masters of the art of tying designs into the loom. Local artisans and weavers learned this art from these great craftsmen. Some of these craftsmen were also great poets-perhaps they wove their poetry into their designs. One such renowned poet was Ghias-I-Naqsband, mentioned in Abul Fazl's 'Ain-I-Akbari'. The nakshas are first worked on paper. This part of the work is called likhai (writing). The nakshabandha then makes a little pattern of it in a framework of cotton threads like a graph. This pattern gives guidance to the working of that design into weaving.

Current Scenario
Today brocades are still used by some for curtains and upholstery. Brocaded zari saris and lehengas (long skirts) are still in demand for marriages, religious ceremonies and other auspicious and social occasions. Indian brocades are also in great demand abroad and foreign designers are fashioning garments of this material that lends itself so well to the creation of fantasies. Looking back a hundred years, one is amazed to find that in spite of rapid industrialization, most of the age-old centers of handloom textiles still continue to produce beautifully woven fabrics. The main centers besides Banaras are Ahmedabad and Surat where saris of the finest silk, gauze and gold with lively color schemes are woven. Murshidabad in Bengal was a reputed center for kimkhab during the 19th century. Paithan and Aurangabad are other centers of brocade manufacture. In the south, Triuchirapalli and Tanjore produce a variety of kimkhabs known as gulbadan in which gold wire is used profusely.

Brocade weaving, a craft that was on the decline, is again showing a very promising trend. Most of the credit for this goes to the village handloom weavers, designers and dyers who, with their combined efforts, have kept alive our tradition of weaving. Diversification of Traditional Product: The need for the diversification of traditional Varanasi Saris and dress material was felt long ago to get global market.The main item which have been diversified are named below: -

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

Stole Scarf Muffler Mats Dress material Running Furnishing Running Wall Hanging Various dimension Made ups like Curtain, cushion cover, Table cover, Napkins, Runners etc.

Since, the fashion of the international consumer changes from time to time. Therefore, making pace with the same the Handloom weavers have to switch over to the new type of products, keeping alive their traditional skills, for earning comparatively better wages. In the Banaras following locality are famous for weaving of different traditional diversified products- Madanpura, Reori talab, Bajardeeha, Ram Nagar, Lohta, Bari Bazar, Pili Kothi, Chittanpura, Doshipura and Lallapura etc. Angika Hathkargha Vikas Udyog Sahkari Samiti Ltd.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BROCADE SAREES BANARAS SILK JAMDANI: The silk Jamdani, a technical variety of brocade or the 'figured muslin, traditionally woven in Banaras may be considered to be one of the finest products to come out of the Banarasi loom. Here silk fabric is brocaded with cotton and rarely with zari threads. Jamdani is woven by transfixing the pattern thread between a varying number of warp threads in proportion to the size of the designed then throwing the shuttle to pass the regular weft. By repeating this process, where in the size and placing of the cut-thread is in accordance with the character of the pattern, the Jamdani weaver produces arrange of intricate designs. Some of the traditional motifs of Jamdani included Chameli (Jas mine), Panna hazar (Thousand emeralds) genda buti (marigold flower), pan buti (leaf form) tircha (diagonally striped) etc. The most attractive design feature of the Jamdani sari was konia or a corner-motif having a floral mango buta.

It has own special character of (URTU), Binding in the figured designs on ground fabrics using extra weft designs thread dam patch technique for the ornamentation of the sari. It is silk x silk base fabrics ornamented with extra looking and technique of weaving in Karhuwan. JANGLA SAREE: Brocade weavers of Banaras have often endeavored to add a sense of gaiety and festivity by brocading patterns in colorful silk threads amidst the usual gold and silver motifs ;of the brocade convention. The present sari is an example in which munga silk motifs have been in laid. Jangala wildly scrolling and spreading vegetation motif is among the eldest in Banares brocades. This old rose sari is embellished with beautifully contrasted gold-creepers and silver flowers of the Jangala motif. The borders have brocaded running creepers in munga silk, gold, and silver-Zari threads. The end panel is a combination of motifs of the borders and condensed Jangala of the field. Munga silk brocading enhances the beauty of the sari while reducing the cost. All over Jal, Jangla design to get the stylish work of the saris and also used mina work for the decoration of the fabrics. The exclusive design sari has time taking skilled work; costly fabrics are widely accepted during the wedding occasion. JAM WAR TANCHOI SARI: Using a technique similar to that of brocade, weavers of Banaras weave saris using colorful extra weft silk yarn for patterning. This varietiy known as Tanchoi. This maroon-colored sari in satin weave is brocaded with elaborate motifs from the Jamawar shawl tradition from Kashmir, the characteristic feature of which was paisley motif, often elaborated into a maze, which would look kaleidoscopic in character. The field has a densely spread minute diaper of Jamawar style paisley. The end panel has large motifs of multiple paisley forms-one growing out of the other. The border, as well as the cross-borders of the end panel, has miniature paisley creepers. Tanchoi fabric has remarkable fame in the India as well as all over in the world widely acceptable to all kind of the people. TISSUE SAREE: The renowned Zari brocade weaver of Banaras has evolved a technique of weaving tissue material, which looked like golden cloth. By running Zari in weft a combination of Zari and silk in extra-weft (pattern thread) and silk in warp, the weave of this sari has densely patterned with golden lotuses floating in a glimmering pond. The 'drops of water' are created by cutwork technique. The borders and the end panel have a diaper of diamond patterns enclosed by a border of running paisley motifs. Tissue saris are most popular as wedding saris among the affluent. Tissue sari has glazed, shining character due to the use of real gold Zari/Silver Zari in weft on silk warp ground are ornamented with the particulars traditional design such as Jangla, Butidar, Shikargah, meander etc.

CUTWORK SAREE: This type of sari prepared by cut work technique on plain ground texture after removing of the floated thread which are not design (Woven) during the weaving process which provide good transparent look. Cutwork is the cheaper version of the Jamdani variety. In cut work the; pattern is made to run from selvage to selvage letting it hang loosely between two motifs and the extra-thread is then cut manually, giving the effect of Jamdani. BUTIDAR SAREE: The most striking feature of this dark blue silken sari is that it is brocaded with pattern threads of gold, silver and silk. Due to darker shade of gold and lighter of silver this variety of patterning in brocade is conventionally known as GangaJamuna, indicating the confluence of these two rivers whose waters are believed to be dark and light receptively. The end panel has a row of arches, in each of which a bouquet of flowers is placed. A slightly smaller and variegated bouquet is diapered all over the field. The butidar sari is a rich kind of the Banaras Sari in high traditional pattern and motif of the design locally popularized such as Angoor Bail, Gojar Bail, Luttar Bail, Khulta bail, Baluchar bail, Mehrab bail, Doller butti,Ashraffi Butti, Latiffa Butti, Reshem Butti Jhummar Butti,Jhari Butta, Kalma Butti,Patti Butti, Lichhi Butti, Latiffa Butta, Kairy Kalanga Thakka Anchal, Mehrab Anchal, Baluchar Butta with the use of real gold and silver Jari and Katan silk in the weft. ______________________________________________________________________

-------KOTA DORIA & TIE-DYE OF RAJASTHAN------Kota Doria

Kota a small district situated in southeast of Rajasthan is famous for the fine translucent muslins called Masuria Malmal. Originally, such saris were called Masuria because they were woven in Mysore. Rao Kishore Singh who was a general in the Mughal army subsequently brought the weavers to Kota. The weavers were brought to Kota in the late 17th and early 18th century and the saris came to be known as 'Kota-Masuria'. Kota saris are popularly known as 'Masuria' in Kota and Kota doria outside the state. 'Doria' means thread These saris are woven in the neighboring villages of Kaithoon, Siswali, and Mangroal. These dories are fine woven fabrics containing a special type of check pattern in the weave itself, locally called khat. The weavers are Muslims belonging to communities like the ansaris, mewatis, fakirs, and mehrasis. One remarkable feature about this craft is that the weavers are all women. Being delicate, porous, and lightweight, kota dorias allow for surface ornamentation techniques like batik tie-and-dye, embroidery, chikan work, hand-block printing, and appliqu work. This fabric has been patronized by

designers and is being used for furnishings, lampshades, and fashions accessories.
Bandhani or Tie and Dye Origin Of Tie And Dye It is difficult to trace the origins of this craft to any particular area. According to some references it first developed in Jaipur in the form of leheriya. But it is widely believed that Muslim Khatris who are still the largest community involved in the craft brought it to Kutch from Sindh. Bandhni was introduced in Jamnagar when the city was founded 400 years ago. This city has now become one of the principal centers of bandhani, creating new pattern and experimenting with modern colors. The earliest reference to bandhni is in Bana Bhatt's Harshacharita, where he describes a royal wedding; "the old matrons were skilled in many sorts of textile patterning, some of which were in the process of being tied (bandhya mana)". This material was used to make the skirts for women. A bandhni garment was considered auspicious for the bride. One also finds the maids in the Ajanta wall paintings wearing blouses of tie and dye patterns. Designs used in Tie-n-dye Bandhej or Bandhni is the Art of royalty. Tie and dye is one of the most widely accepted and one of the very traditional methods of printing textiles in India.

According to the design and the motif, each pattern has its special significance. The chandokhni and shikhara are specially created for the brides. The barah baag, when opened looks like a garden of flowers - a set of 12 (barah) beds of flowers. There was also a design called bavan (52) baag, but no one makes it now because it takes too much time and labor. Ambadal, a network of branches and leaves interwoven with a variety of birds, represents the branches of a mango tree. Chokidal is a pattern of squares with elephants and other animals. And then there is kambaliya - a design with a dotted pattern in the center and a different design along the border. The basant bahar represents the flowers of spring, the mor zad - a peacock pattern, etc. All these designs are traditional. Any new design that a craftsman of modern times creates is called fancy. Raw Materials Needed The raw materials required for bandhni are - muslin, handloom or silk cloth, ordinary thread for tying, starch and colors for dyeing. Traditionally vegetable dyes were used but today chemical dyes are becoming very popular. The tools required are also very basic - wooden blocks for marking designs and the simple implements for dyeing. The Main Color Used The colors commonly used in bandhni are red - a symbol of marriage, saffron- a color worn by yogi who has renounced the world, yellow - stands for spring and black and maroon - used for mourning. Bandhni material is sold folded and with the knots tied. One has to pull the folds apart for the knots to open. The payment is made according to the number of dots in the pattern. An intricate design in a sari would have approximately 75000 dots. What is essential in bandhni is the minute and skilful manipulation of the fingers for tying, extensive knowledge of color schemes and skill in dyeing materials. It takes several years for a craftsman to perfect his skill. It is essentially a household craft supervised by the head of the family. The fabric is skillfully knotted by the women, while the portfolio of dyeing rests with the men. The women often grow a long nail on the little finger of the left hand, or wear a ring with a little blunt spike on it, with which they push the cloth upwards to form a tiny peak. The Jaipur dyer rarely works with more than two dye baths while the additional colors are spot dyed, which makes the process much easier. Thereafter, the fabric opens out into amazing designs in kaleidoscopic colors: dots, circles, squares, waves and stripes. Tie And Dye Technique As the name suggests, the technique of Tie and Dye involves two stages: tying sections of a length of cloth (silk or cotton) and then dunking it into vats of color. The rainbow-tinged turbans of the Rajputs and the odhnis of their women are

shaded by this method of resist dyeing. Bagru and Sanganer near Jaipur are famous for this work and Chhipa community of dyers can be observed at work in these towns. Malmal (fine muslin), handloom or silk cloth is first bleached and then folded into two or four layers depending on the thickness of the cloth. A rangara or designer marks the layout of the pattern on the material using wooden blocks dipped in geru, a burnt sienna color mixed with water. The craftsmen then begin to tie the cloth, which is not to be dyed. The folds of the material within the small motif are lifted and tied together. The material with the first set of ties is dyed yellow. There is also a process, mostly followed in Rajasthan of dyeing parts of the material by hand - lipai technique. The material is again tied and dyed into red or green. If the border has to be darker all the lighter parts are tied and covered with plastics foil and the edges are dyed with the required colors. Repeated tying and dyeing produces elaborate designs. The Laheriya or Ripple Effect On Fabric The laheriya or the ripple effect is achieved by a variation of this technique. Lengths of permeable muslin are rolled diagonally from one corner to the opposite, bound tightly at intervals and then dyed. The ties are then undone and the process repeated by diagonally rolling the adjacent corner toward the opposite and repeating the process. Both Jaipur and Jodhpur are major centers of laheriya. Jaipur in particular, due to its status as the state capital, has girt its loins to meet the extensive demands of both the domestic and export markets. Tie and dye cloth is never too expensive but the colors always run. So, it is safer to get it dry-cleaned. Major Centers Of Tie And Dye The centers of tie and dye fabrics, especially in Gujarat are Jamnagar in Saurashtra (the water in this area brings out the brightest red while dying), and Ahmedabad. The finest bandhni work of Rajasthan comes from Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Pali, Udaipur and Nathdwara. Rajasthan is well known for its leheriya pattern - literally meaning waves. These are harmoniously arranged diagonal stripes, which were originally, dyed in the auspicious colors of yellow and red. Pochampalli is also one of the three main traditional yarn-dyeing centers in the country. The process of making bandhni (tie and dye) varies in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Even the patterns, designs and craftsmanship vary in both the regions. The craftsmen from Rajasthan are easily recognized because they grow a nail on their little finger to facilitate the lifting of cloth for tying or wear a small metal ring with a point. The Gujarati craftsmen prefer to work without these aids. The flow is much better when one works with one's bare hands, as it assures no damage to the cloth. The dyeing and printing of textiles has become a highly developed craft in Gujarat. Bandhni, a form of tie-resist dyeing and patola are two outstanding examples of the Indian dyer's art.

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----: PHULKARI & BAGH OF PUNJAB: ---PHULKARI: FLOWERING ON CLOTH The Punjabi women are responsible for the state's most famous handicraft item the phulkari, which is a shawl completely covered in dense silk embroidery, folk motifs in jewel-tones on an ochre background. The origin of this beautiful art can be traced back to the 15th century AD. Women in villages and small towns all over Punjab are often busy creating spectacular flower-embroidery on dupattas, shawls or other garments. This embroidery is known as Phulkari - the art of growing flowers on fabric. It is the floral tribute by women of Punjab, called phulkari in local parlance. The word Phulkari literally means flowering. It is a form of craft in which embroidery is done in a simple and sparse design over shawls and dupattas. In some cases where the design is worked over very closely, covering the material entirely, it is called Bagh (a garden of flowers). THE MAKING The embroidery of Phulkari and Bagh is done with long and short darn stitch, which is created into innumerable designs and patterns. It is the skilful manipulation of this single stitch that lends an interesting and characteristic dimension to this needlework. While the stitch itself is uncomplicated, the quality of the Phulkari depends upon the size of the stitch. The smaller the stitch, the finer is the embroidery. The threads used for Phulkari are of a silk yarn called Pat. In the past, the silk threads were brought in from different parts of India, like Kashmir and Bengal and also from Afghanistan and China. COLOURS USED Bright colors are always preferred and among these, golden yellow, red, crimson, orange, green, blue, pink etc, are the popular ones. For the embroidery, only a single strand is used at a time, each part works in one color. Shading and variation are not done by using various colors of thread instead the effect is obtained by the dexterous or skillful use of horizontal, vertical or diagonal stitches. This gives an illusion of more than one shade when light falls on the cloth and when it is viewed from different angles. To keep the embroidered part clean while working on the cloth, the finished portion is rolled and covered with a muslin cloth. Specially created designs vary from village to village or region-to-region in Punjab and have suitable names descriptive of their form. While Phulkari is used to ornament cloth, the Bagh ensures that not even a square inch of the base cloth is visible.

BASE CLOTHE The cloth primarily used and preferred by the women, is the homespun, locally woven and dyed khadi. As to the reasons why khadi is used, they are as follows 1. It is strong, long lasting, and cheap and serves the purpose of keeping the wearer warm during winters. 2. The embroidery involves the counting of threads while doing the straight darn stitch. Hence, the coarse weave makes this task easier. 3. As the cloth is thick, it does not pucker and pull and can be worked upon (embroidered) without a frame. 4. Usually, pieces of small width, about 45 to 60 centimeters, are worked on separately and the two or three strips are joined together to form the required size. REFLECTING EMOTIONS With time, the Phulkaris became closely interwoven with the lives of the women of Punjab. The joys, sorrows, hopes, dreams and yearnings of the young girls and women who embroidered the Phulkaris were often transferred onto cloth. Many folk songs grew out of this expressive combination of skills and intense feelings. So, it is that one hears a young woman, whose betrothed or fianc has not sent a promised message to her, murmuring sadly, softly, as she embroiders peacocks on a Phulkari. It was not long before Phulkari folk songs became a part of the famous, pulsating folk dances of Punjab - the Gidda and Bhangra. A SYMBOL OF FAMILY TIES The women of Punjab created Phulkari mostly for personal use. The cycle began with the young girl who followed her mother's chores and learned household work including this embroidery. When the girl got married, Phulkari formed a part of her bridal trousseau. If a son were born to her, her mother would start preparing a Vari-da-bagh-a gift she would present to her grand daughter-in- law. The Bagh was considered a symbol of marriage and among the wealthy families, sometimes up to fifty-one pieces of various designs were given to the bride. She, in turn, wore them for auspicious and ceremonial occasions. In some parts of Punjab, it was customary to drape the new mother with a Bagh on the eleventh day after the birth of the child, when she left the maternity room for the first time. TRADITIONAL DRESSES A generation ago, the turban was the "crowning glory" of all the Punjabis, whether Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. Today, Muslims and Hindus have given up their turbans, but it remains, literally, an article of faith for Sikh men whose religion forbids them to cut their hair. The kurta, a long, straight-cut, loose shirt teamed with pyjamas, the loose baggy salwar, or a kind of sarong called a loongi or tehmat constitutes the traditional dress for men. Winter sees the rustic Punjabi in colorful sweaters

that the womenfolk are so skilled in making. A blanket finishes his ensemble. When the urban Punjabi steps out to work he will be dressed in a shirt and pant or a suit - sartorially indistinguishable from his counterparts in Tokyo or Toronto. Back home, in the evening, he is likely to be found in more traditional dress. Traditional Punjabi shoes, called juttis retain their popularity with both rural and urban men. Patiala and Muktsar are famous for juttis. All Punjabi women, Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh, traditionally dress in salwar topped by a kameez, which may be fitted like a dress or be loose like the kurta, accented by a rectangular scarf 2.5 meters long, called the chunni or duppatta. JWELLERY Punjabi women are liberally adorned with golden ornaments and the jewelers of Punjab stock an enormous range of designs in bangles, necklaces, rings and earrings, nose-pins, ornaments to pin in the hair, anklets and toe-rings. Gold still remains the most valuable and prominent metal for making ornaments, followed by silver. A steel bangle, called a kada, is the tip-off in recognizing Sikh men and women. ______________________________________________________________________ -----KALAMKARI----Introduction Kalamkari is an exquisite ancient craft of painted and printed fabrics. It derives its name from Kalam meaning Pen, and Kari meaning Work, literally Pen-work. It is a hand painting as well as block printing with vegetable dyes. Kalamkari art has evolved through trial and error over the last 3000 years. Techniques of craftsmanship in Kalamkari were handed down within the families from generation to generation. India is rich in art, craft, and Kalamkari that is painted on Cloth is done in several parts of India and Iran. In Andhra Pradesh, both the Masulipatnam and Srikalahasti village are recognized as major centers for Kalamkari painting. Masulipatnam located on the south east coast of India, 200 miles east of Hyderabad, and Srikalahasti 80 miles north of Chennai near Tirupati are the leaders in producing Kalamkari paintings. Kalamkari as practiced in Masulipatnam is different from the Kalamkari practiced in Srikalahasti. History The discovery of a resist-dyed piece of cloth on a silver vase at the ancient site of Haarappa confirms that the tradition of Kalamkari is very old. Even the ancient Buddhist Chaitya Viharas were decorated with Kalamkari cloth. The great

Alexander is also supposed to have acquired this Kalamkari cloth.It is believed that the earliest fragments of painted fabrics were found during the Indus valley civilization and in ancient Greece before the time of Christ. The archaeological evidences tell us that the hand painting on resists dyed cloth was discovered in the 8th century. The popularity of this art was found in the old writings of the French traveler, Francois Bernies. Other evidence like the illustration of the Hamzanamesh done at the time of Akbar, also talk about profuse use of painted fabrics produced in the Golconda region. The Moghuls patronized this craft in the Coromandel and Golconda provinces. Thus the name Kalamkari comes from the Urdu word Qualam(kalam) meaning Pen. In the early seventeenth century, the Golconda cotton paintings as they were known, came from Chennai Golconda, and Masulipatnam became a well-known center. As Golconda was Under Muslim rule, the artistic designs produced in Masulipatnam catered to Persian taste. As Srikalahasti was under Hindu rulers, it flourished directly under the patronage of temples, and exclusively drew figures and narrated mythological stories. At the end of 1565, there was a great European demand, and both the Masulipatnam and Srikalahasti Schools created new exotic Eastern motifs. British East India Company and French East India Company asked for their choice of designs, and it is interesting to note that even a Chinese looking The French ordered Kalamkari! Then a new type of Kalamkari named Karrupur emerged in Thanjavur and was patronized by the Maratha rulers. It was delicately painted on the golden brocaded cloth. Srikalahasti style of figurative painting became important centre only in the 19th century. This specialization with panels or individual episodes was taken from epics and continues in Srikalahasti even today. In the beginning of twentieth century there was less demand for exporting Kalamkari painting and thereby it lost its creative value. The Kalamkari artists suffered, and most of them turned to different professions. Today as we entered into the new millennium, there is a flourishing demand on Kalamkari painting and this dying craft is saved! These Kalamkari paintings are always done for wall hangings, but today it is also painted on sarees, dhotis, dupatas, cushion covers, lampshades,tablecovers,bedspreads,napkins,etc. Masulipatnam style of painting Masulipatnam designs are Iranian in character with intricate and delicate forms. The old traditional block prints were largely used with Persian motifs like trees, creepers, flowers and leaf designs. Later came the Dutch influence when there was an increase in demand from Europe. This style of Kalamkari was mainly done on bed covers, curtains and also garments, as it was a popular demand from the west. In the nineteenth century block prints reached its peak and even today its largely produced for Indians and foreigners. The Masalipatnam kalamkari uses wood blocks to print designs. However, the use of vegetable dyes and mordant make it still a time consuming process.

Srikalahasti style of painting Coming to Srikalahasti, temples were a major inspiration. The art flourished under the patronage of the temples with their demands for scrolls and wall hangings with story figurative and narratives components. It richly displayed episodes from the Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and other Mythological stories for their themes painted in the panels with a script running along the border. The subjects chosen to paint were restricted to Gods such as Krishna, Brahma, Ganesha, Durga, Kiratavinyaar juna, Lakshmi, Rama, Shiva and Parvathi. Kalamkaris are used in clothes, cushion covers, bedspreads, etc. Hand painted cloths of Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, works of art drawn entirely by hand, were originally created predominantly for the temples as narrative murals. These murals tell the stories of the great Hindu epics in picture form. Techniques The Kalamkari art of painting undergoes a laborious, slow process of resist dyeing and hand printing. Many stages have to be undergone before the final results are achieved. Unlike other styles of painting, Kalamkari painting demands a lot of treatment before and after the painting is completed on the cotton fabric. Depending on the treatment of cloth, or quality of the mordant, the colors change accordingly. Every step from soaking of clothe, to sketching the outlines to washing and drying the cloth, is done carefully and correctly. All the world over people are turning away from dangerous chemical dyes. The harmless, naturally dyed fabrics is used for Kalamkari painting. The artists believe in using natural dyes, extracting from bark, flower and root. One would be stunned to know that the color red is obtained by using the Indian madder root, yellow from the pomegranate seed or even mango bark, and color black from myrobalam fruit. No chemical dyes are used is producing Kalamkari colors! The process used for both schools of Kalamkari painting is more or less the same. The only major difference is that SrikalahastiPaintings, depend entirely on the brush like pen where as the Masulipatnam style uses block-printing procedures. The process done in Srikalahasti is more tedious. The cloth is treated and washed twice, and two or three times alum is painted. Stages Immersing it in a solution of goat or cow dung and letting it dry in the sun for few days first, whitens cloth. Cloth is then treated in Myrobalan solution. Ripe fruits are used in Masulipatnam, raw ones in Srikalahasti. Milk is then added to the solution to prevent the color spreading in the next step. The iron acetate solution is filled in, either for solid spaces or as outlines, with a brush pen in Srikalahasti, and wooden blocks in Masulipatnam. All the areas meant to be red are painted or printed over with the alum solution as a mordant. Mordant is a substance that fixes the natural dye on the material. After applying alum, the cloth is kept for at least 24 hours. Then the excess mordant is removed by washing the cloth under flowing water.

 The dyeing is done for the red color by boiling with the red coloring materials. All the portions that are not to be blue are covered with wax. The waxed cloth is immersed in indigo solution. In Srikalahasti the blue is painted with the kalam. Then the wax is removed by boiling the cloth in water. The yellow is painted on to produce yellow and green. The cloth is finally washed again and dried before final colors emerge. ___________________________________________________________________

-----BANDHANI OF GUJRAT (PATOLA)----Patola of Gujarat is the most extraordinary woven sari woven anywhere in the word. It is only in Bali, Indonesia that this type of weave is created. Here the technique is that both the wrap and the weft threads are tied in areas where the original is to be retained and then dyed. They continue to tie the threads from the lighter color to the darker color until the final pattern is dyed on to the un-woven thread. After this both tied and dyed weft, wrap threads are woven, and design emerges. This is known as patola. Internationally this technique is known as ikat, an Indonesian word. The finest example of ikat known in the world is the patola of Patan, which is the double ikat, where the wrap and weft is the tied and dyed before they are woven. The pattern emerges as the wrap is laid out and then gets brilliantly delineated when the weft is thrown across. Tenganan in Bali is the only other center where double ikat is still practiced. Salvi communities, who weave the patola in Patan, have perfected this technique into a fineart.

Method
The wrap for the border and the body are prepared separately. The wrap is then stretched in a narrow long street using lease rods to stretch the threads. The pattern to be created is marked by using powdered charcoal mixed in water. The weft is prepared by wrapping it around two rods, which are inserted in to a beam stretched according to the required width. Inserting thick twisted cotton threads between them separates the groups of weft. The pattern is then tied. First those sections, which are remaining white, are tied, since the design is outline in the base color. The main pattern color emerges during this process. The final dye bath is the main background color, which more often than not, is red. Each color requires that the tied sections are untied and threads to be protected the tie and then dyed. This process is painstaking

and great precision is required from the very beginning, when the wrap and the weft are prepared, and when the warp threads are laid. The dyed warp threads are once again stretched to their entire length, which is normally 20 yards, needed for three saris. The warp for the borders is attached at this stage and the entire warp of the sari is then tied to the lease rods, rolled and stored ready for weaving. This is then mounted on the simple single harness loom and the weft threads are reeled into the shuttle bobbins. The beam is placed at an angle with one side raised higher. The weft is thrown across and is carefully adjusted often with the use of a long needle so that the patterns synchronize and solid color emerges. So the patterns are based on a square grid, the lines are never distinct, causing a slight haziness, giving the impression of viewing the pattern through flowing water.

Design&Patterns The sarees have patterns like the pan bhat, leaf pattern, the nari-kunjarjhar, lady, elephant and plat motif, in closed in a border or a jal, trelliswork pattern. Chhabadi bhat, basket design, chowkdi bhat, square or lozenges, pattern with flowers in each corner, ratan chowk bhat, the jewelled square, raas bhat, the circular dance design, vohra gaji bhat, the design woven for the Vohra community, and many others. Today only three families of Salvis continue this tradition in Patan. As a result of a training centre started by the Khadi and Village Industries Board in the late fifties, single ikat sarees are being woven in Rajkot also. Places/Countries Patan used to export patolas from ancient times to the Far East. In Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia the patola played an important part in rituals and ceremonies and became integral part of their lives. A large scarf or kerchief with the line motif was a popular item, which was sent out from Multan to Java. Since Cambay, today's Khambhat, was another port from which patolas were exported, the name Cambay became associated with them. Some of the motifs drawn from the repertoire of these countries were absorbed into the designs woven on the sarees for local use. ________________________________________________________________

----TELIARUMAL OF ANDHRA---Ikat weaving is done in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. In Pochampalli, Andhra Pradesh it is known as pagdu bandha baddabhasi or chilka. The

finer tie and dye patterns earlier woven in Chirala were woven in geometric patterns, known as telia-numal. The origin of this style is not known; some trace it to Gujarat, others to Orissa. Yet, another possibility is that it might have been developed in Jalna, since the rumals were used by the fishermen o the coast. In rural areas people still use the rumal as turban as and upper cloth called baddabhasi. The telia rumal used to be exported to Aden in large quantities in the early 19th century and were then distributed to the Gulf countries and Africa. Pochampalli began production of the rumals as late as the beginning of the last century and began to export them to Iran and the Gulf. The Second World War disrupted the trade causing difficulties to the weavers. In 1955-56, Pochampalli was a poor isolated village with not even a road. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, who was the Chairman of the All India Handicrafts Board, went by jeep to Pochampalli. They persuaded the weavers to weave the first cotton saree of 60 counts, which proved to be very popular and the weaver seized the opportunity to begin producing sarees. Later the Board sent two weavers to Varanasi to study silk weaving and this resulted in the production of ikat work silk sarees, for which the demand has been growing steadily. Today Pochampalli is a prosperous village and a few master weavers are also copying the Patan patola. The weaving of ikat furnishing is now done in the entire Nalgonda district and involves nearly 18,000 looms. Orissa has a distinctive style of ikat known as bandha. In this tradition the single ikat is worked in the warp and the borders are prepared separately. The Sambalpur Vachitraouri sarees has an extra warp pattern on the body and an Hand-Printed, Dyed and Painted Fabrics extra warp pattern on the pallu, while the shkarpara designs of squares of different colors-white, red and black-are in double ikat. The famous silk ikat sarees of Navapatan combine woven patterns on the border and pallu. They also wove calligraphic ikat shawls with verses from Geeta Govinda, which were offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri. What does Telia Rumal mean? Telia Rumal is the traditional hand-woven textile from Puttapaka, Andra Pradesh, India that shows the pleasant designs and harmonious colour scheme. The name Telia Rumal is taken from the words 'tel' meaning oil, relating to the dye process requiring an extensive oil treatment and 'rumal' meaning square or kerchief. These rumals are approximately one metre square, of fine cotton yarn. Cotton is a cellulose material requiring treatment called 'mordanting' to enable the dye to bond with the fibre.

TECHNIQUE (Ikat)

The early man discovered the key to complex dyeing processes on fibres so highly resistant to coloring. India held the secret to many difficult dye techniques, giving them trade superiority for over a thousand years, only lost with the European development of synthetic dyes. The Ajanta cave drawings were the first record of what appear to be ikat designs. The ikat process is a technique of decorating yarn before the weaving begins, organizing carefully planned motifs to be dyed through a resist process of binding areas before dyeing. Several bindings and dyeing take place depending on the number of colors used. The weaving is plain cloth but highly decorated by the pre-determined designs. The complex technical processes are divided into four areas, which are as follows (1) (2) (3) (4) Treatment of the cotton fibre with mordant to enable dye to bond. Design of the motifs including plan of thread organization. Tie and dye procedures. Weaving the fabric.

Mordant Treatment

Dyeing Process (double ikat handwoven textile)

Telia Rumal is a double Ikat hand-woven textile. Ikat is a fabric in which the pattern is tied and dyed before weaving. The fabric is said to be Double ikat when both the weft and warp are tie-dyed. After the designing has been done, the warp is folded and marked, the wrapping and dyeing is done. The areas to remain white and black are tightly wrapped to resist the red dye bath. Originally plant material such as palm leaves were used for this purpose. However, now cotton string is used for the fine areas and rubber inner tube is used for larger area. The red dye bath is made using alum and alizarin. Alizarin is another mordant, is obtained from Morinda citrifolia, Al tree bark in the traditional way or synthetic sources requires the same complex treatments. The shade and intensity varies according to the combination of the variables. Using a mortar and pestle the ingredients are finely ground before being dissolved in hot water. The yarn is then added to the dye bath and worked by hand to penetrate the areas between the tightly bound resist areas. After thorough saturation of yarn, the container is taken to the fire to boil for an hour or two. The yarn should remain in

the dye bath until cooling has been completed. If the intensity of the red color is not satisfactory, the process is repeated with a fresh batch of dye. After rinsing, the yarn is put under tension while still wet and the areas to be dyed black are unwrapped. Then the red areas are tightly wrapped to prevent black intrusion. The black dye is prepared using verakasu (combined with alizarin) or a fermented iron solution. Again the yarn is submerged into the dye and worked by hand before being heated. The unwrapping requires great care especially with the fine cotton ties to avoid cutting the dyed threads. Displacement of the design can occur if length is changed. Mending can be achieved by skillful twisting of the threads causing minimum effect. After unwrapping, the warp is unfolded to full length, taken outside and realigned to place the repeated design elements in the correct order. The plain red border threads and white stripes and edges are added. Starching of the warps helps to keep the alignment. The warp is now ready to be attached to the reed of the loom by twisting the ends with the remains of the previous cloth woven using that reed. The weft, which is the yarn woven across the warp to create the fabric, still has to be tied and dyed. But this doesn't happen until the warp is on the loom and the plain heading is woven so accurate measurements can be taken concerning the weaving width. The weft is wound out on a semi-circular frame with a central peg and many nails on the rim. Each nail represents a unit in the design module. Repeats of the design are wound, then tied and dyed as for the warp. After washing and drying these yarns are wound out on the bobbins and then placed in the shuttles for the weaving.

Weaving of Telia Rumal

The great preparation of tie-dyeing warp and weft constitutes the largest proportion of time in the Telia Rumal process. The setting up of the loom requires precision in maintaining the dyeing alignment so carefully calculated and carried out. The reed is threaded, by tying onto the cut end of the previous warp so the ends can be pulled through the reed and heddles saving a great deal of time. It is then taken outdoors for stretching the length out fully where there is plenty of space to work. Any repairs to the warp are made before going to the loom. The warp in perfect condition is then folded up neatly to be carried to the loom. The heddles are hooked on, reed set in place and front ends of warp are attached to the breast beam of the pit loom. Lease sticks are left in, behind the heddles, to keep the threads in order. Then the weaver goes to the back of the loom and

stretches the warp out the length of the room, attaching the loose end to a pole. Much care must be taken to get even tension and perfect alignment. The weaving begins using a fly shuttle, operated by pulling a cord in the center of the loom. When weaving plain fabric this can go extremely fast, but with double ikat each throw of the shuttle has to be carefully checked to make sure that the design is intersecting perfectly. However there is always a slight movement of yarn that creates a feathered edge to the motifs giving a characteristic blurring of the design when inspecting closely. At this beginning stage minor adjustments are made to any imperfections of alignment that show up with the first few inches of weaving. It is important to check behind the heddles often to loosen any yarns that are starched together or twisted. Broken threads can be mended as the work progresses. A Master Weaver can weave the full length of eight rumals in 4 or 5 days, however the average weaver could take several weeks to complete the piece. When finished, the fabric is starched before being removed from the loom. When dry the product is inspected for any flaws, which are then mended. This finishes the lengthy process.

STYLE
The earliest examples of imagery within the Telia Rumal tradition, from the 19th century, used simple geometric designs able to be created by simple repetitive resist tying. Small squares, crosses and dots were well suited to the technique of tying resist areas. requiring limited tying to create the motifs. Some of these designs were created in warp ikat, some in weft ikat, and only a few in double ikat. The complexity of having both warp and weft containing design elements that must interlock increased the difficulty of achieving design alignment by many fold. Curved lines were introduced requiring much more intricate and time-consuming tying. Eventually simple motifs such as flowers, birds, lions, stars, moons, depending on the market, began to be integrated into the ikat. These were now all developed in the double ikat technique. A growing Arab market required Muslim symbolism such as the stars and moon. Hindu imagery such as the lion, parrot, and peacock were in demand in the local market. As weavers skills increased, the desire to create more complex imagery led to the development of 'modern' designs featuring planes, clocks, and even gramophones. No matter what the central design units contained, the border format remained the same, consisting of eight inches of either red or black with

white dividing stripes and white edge. This gave the unifying look to the entire group of rumals styles. The amount of time required to prepare these designs, to complete the dye process and to weave the cloth could add up to six to eight weeks depending on the complexity. Each warp yielded only eighth rumals. However often eight lengths would be prepared at a time

Conclusions Modern practice of the telia rumal tradition has seen new products developed using the traditional motifs and characteristic colour schemes. Originally these cloths were used for turbans and loincloths. Occasionally double pieces were used for scarves called dupattas. Now sari lengths are also produced and even bedspreads and furnishing fabrics with enlarged designs add to the range. However the turban still seems to be a popular use of this textile. Use of chemical dyes replacing traditional natural dyes has been the biggest factor in greater efficiency. Although the same colour range is used, something has been lost in the richness of colour. Warping mills have replaced the laborious wall pegs for preparation of thread length. Mercerized cotton yarns and occasionally silk have given variety to the product. These changes are adaptations of a traditional product to modern markets. However the enormous time required to produce even a metre of this fabric will not be economically viable unless the general public learn to appreciate the great skill required to produce this unique hand crafted textile. ___________________________________________________________________________

--------BALUCHARI & JAMDANI OF BENGAL----------Baluchari Silk weaving of Baluchar continues to be an important landmark of Bengal's handloom tradition. Skills from South India and Banaras have by and large, overshadowed styles from other regions of India. However, one silk tradition that continues to fascinate, is that of Baluchar, a village situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi, 14 miles from Berhampore town in Murshidabad district. The tradition dates back to the 7th century A.D and since then it has undergone several changes in style and technique in the intervening ages. Murshidabad was a thriving trading center in silks in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, catering to French, British and Dutch demand for this inimitable fabric. The Baluchari tradition of weaving reached its pinnacle of excellence during the reign of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, who extended lavish patronage to the art. The most

distinctive feature of Baluchari is the use of human brocade figures to adorn the borders and pallu. Kings and noblemen seated on howdahs atop elephants and nautch girls in graceful postures were recurrent themes during this period. The motifs were entirely in silver zari and the fabric was a gorgeous affair. However, when Dubraj, the last of the master weavers of Baluchari died at the beginning of this century without imparting his skills to anyone, the glorious tradition ended with him. Subsequently, several schemes have been launched to revive the ancient Baluchari tradition. The craft, in its much-diminished glory is now being practiced in Bishnupur in Bankura district, where Baluchari styles have been superimposed on an existing silk weaving tradition. The intricately carved terracotta temples of Bishnupur provide ample inspiration for the weavers who reproduce whole epics on the pallu of the sari. The ground colors range from sober beige, to resplendent blues and reds with contrast borders, all on fine mulberry silk. While the present-day Baluchari may not be as grand as its ancestor, it still has a unique appeal, making the wearer stand out in a crowd. Baluchari is an exception in the Bengali scheme of preferences for silk. All the rest are usually the muted Matka or Tussar, not Mulberry. Other Murshidabad silks are usually hand printed with vegetable and synthetic dyes, and very reasonably priced.

Jamdani
The Jamdani is a fabric of fine cotton muslin of Bengali origin, with colored stripes and patterns. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani. In the late nineteenth century, T. N. Mukharji referred to this fabric as the jamdani muslin. Whether figured or flowered, the jamdani was a woven fabric in cotton, and it was undoubtedly one of the varieties of the finest muslin. It has been spoken of as the most artistic textile of the Bangladeshi weaver. Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the loom brocade, the jamdani is fabulously rich in motifs. The word 'Jamdani' The word Jamdani is of Persian origin from 'Jam' meaning flower and 'Dani' meaning a vase or a cotainer. The earliest mention of the origin of Jamdani and its development as an industry is found in Kautikaya's (about 3rd century BC), where it is stated that this fine cloth was used in Bengla and Pundra. Varieties of Jamdani Work Though mostly used for saris, Jamdani is also used for scarves and handkerchiefs. Jamdani is believed to be a fusion of the ancient cloth-making techniques of Bengal (perhaps 2,000 years old) with the muslins produced by Bengali Muslims since the 14th century. Jamdani is the most expensive product of Dhaka looms since it requires the most lengthy and dedicated labor of the highest quality. Jamdani patterns are mostly of geometric, plants, and floral designs and are said to originate due to Persian and Mughal fusion thousands of years ago. Due to the exquisite pain-staking methodology required, only aristocrats and royal families were able to afford such luxuries. __________________________________________________________________________________

-----Madhubani Paintings----Madhubani paintings, (also referred to as Mithila Art as it flourishes in the Mithila region of Bihar), are characterized by line drawings based on mythological themes, in bright colours and decorative borders. They are so called because they originated in and around a large agricultural town in Bihar, Madhubani or 'Forest of Honey'.
Originally, Madhubani Paintings were executed on freshly plastered mud walls, on religious occasions or weddings. Each painting was a prayer and an accompaniment to meditation. Well executed paintings were believed to be inhabited by the deities depicted in them. The colors used in these paintings were made from Natural Dyes. Today, Madhubani Paintings are made on silk, Handmade paper, cloth, canvas etc for commercial purposes. The use of chemical dyes and paints have resulted in brighter multicolored paintings. The Madhubani Artists Madhubani paintings are mostly made by Hindu village women who traditionally passed on this skill from mother to daughter. Different castes use different colours and motifs in their painting. For example, Brahmins use yellow, lemon, blue and black, while the paintings made by Kayasthas are usually in just black or deep red. Even today, most of their work remains anonymous. Few women like to mark their paintings with their names, and are quite reluctant to consider themselves individual producers of "works of art". Motifs in Madhubani Paintings Madhubani paintings usually revolve around mythological themes (Hindu deities such as Krishna, Rama, Siva, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Sun, Moon and Tulasi) and socio-cultural themes (court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings). The subjects most commonly depicted include sun, moon, birds, fish, and bidh-bidhata (a male and a female bird facing each other), patia (mat woven from mothi), nag-nagin (entwined male and female cobras), pan ka ghar (leaf house) and naina jogin (Goddess with magical powers). Flowers, birds, animals and geometrical designs are interspersed throughout the painting. One trait that diffrentiates Madhubani Paintings from Warli Paintings and other forms of Indian folk art is that they have no empty spaces the artist covers every inch of his canvas with motifs. Like Warli Paintings, Madhubani paintings also look two-dimensional or flat. Dyes in Madhubani Paintings Traditionally, Madhubani paintings were always made with Natural Dyes. Black was obtained by mixing soot with cow dung; yellow from turmeric or pollen

or lime and the milk of banyan leaves; blue from indigo; red from the kusam flower juice or red sandalwood; green from the leaves of the wood apple tree; white from rice powder; orange from palasha flowers. Madhubani Paintings Present Scenario Origanally, Madhubani Paintings were a womens perogative. However, in recent years, many men have also taken to making them as they have come to represent a major non-agricultural source of income, . There have been many innovations in Madhubani paintings, especially in terms of what they are painted on. Earlier they were painted on walls, but today, artists paint on Handmade Paper, silk, saris, stoles and pottery. The production and initial marketing of Madhubani Paintings has been regulated by regional craft guilds, the state government of Bihar, and the Government of India. The continuing market in this art throughout the world is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Mithila who have successfully transferred their techniques of Bhitti chitra or wall-painting to the medium of paper, and have resisted the temptation to adapt their traditional designs too freely in pursuit of modern customer preferences.

TEXTILES OF SOUTH

Kancheepuram, Salem, Coimbatore, Pudukottai, Madurai & Shankeranarkoil is famous for cotton weaves with motifs & checks lay on the body. The border & pallav are worked with thread or zari weaves. Karakal sarees from Kerala These are plain unbleached woven cottons with zari border & pallav. Kancheepuram weaves of Tamil Nadu The silk sarees are woven with fine silk with contrasting border & pallav woven with a variety of zari motifs such as rudraksham, malli moggu, gopuram, etc. There are other areas in Tamil Nadu that are famous for their silk weaves such as Dharmavaram, Arni. Tanjore is famous for the all over gold woven sarees used for temples. Patola weaves are practiced in various regions with slight variations based on local taste. In Patola weaving the warp and weft threads are tied and dyed before it is woven. The warp thread is first stretched on the loom and the design is marked on this. Areas are tied and dyed. The tie & dye process is done in various colours from lighter to darker colour shade. The weft threads are fixed on a prepared frame placed at an angle & the same process is carried out. The weft

threads are thrown over the warp & woven using long bamboo needles to hold the design. Sometimes only the warp or weft is tie-dyed & then it is known as single patola. The double Ikat technique is followed in Rajkot & Patan, Gujarat. Andhra Pradesh is famous for the Pochampally sarees with the geometrical patterns, which are usually made with only the weft tie-dyed. Chirala in Andhra Pradesh is another centre famous for Patola weaving. Orissa is famous for Vichitrapuri sarees. Here in addition to the patola technique, additionally have extra warp weaves of natural silk. Apart form the usual geometrical patterns; complicated temple designs are woven in the pallav.