FABRIC TOUR OF INDIA

A land of variety in every sense — ​India has so much to offer,

it ​might just take you by surprise​. From the array of
delicacies to the interesting customs, traditions and festivals we
celebrate, every state has its own cultural identity. And an
essential part of that is the attire of the people.

Did you know that not just the outfits, but even the fabric used
to make them are unique to each state of India?

Yes, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, every region has its own

handloom techniques that are used to weave many unique
fabrics.

Let’s go on this amazing Fabric Tour of India, shall we?

 JAMMU AND KASHMIR- PASHMINA

● Pashmina is warmest, lightest and softest natural fabric

available on earth.

● A pure handmade Pashmina shawl is one of the most

expensive piece of cloth when a complex elite class
embroidery is involved.

● Pashmina is one of the finest wool obtained from the

Changthangi breed of the Capra Hircus goat found in very
altitude 12000–14000 feet above from sea level of
Himalayan region which popularly known as Pashmina
goat or Kashmiri goat .

● Thickness of of fine Pashmina is between 11–16 microns

whereas a normal human hair has 75 microns of
thickness​.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR- PASHMINA

HIMACHAL PRADESH- KULLU
SHAWLS
● An integral part of Himachal Pradesh, Kullu shawls
are hand woven from three types of wool :
Merino Wool, Angora Wool and Local sheep wool.

● Worn by both ,men and women, these shawls were

originally devoid of any pattern but now they
commonly feature geometric designs and bright
colours.

● Despite being pricey, there is a huge demand for

kullu shawls both in Inida and abroad.

HIMACHAL PRADESH- KULLU

SHAWLS
 PUNJAB - PHULKARI

● As the name suggests, Phulkari means “ flower work” is

the embroidery of flower motifs on fabric. Traditionally
practised by the women of the Punjabi household as a
past time, this embroidery is quits a unique one.

● The stitches are embroidered on the reverse of the cloth

so that the design takes shape on the front.

● Phulkari usually features brightly coloured floral thread

work on lighter coloured fabric.

● Geometrical pattern are usually embroidered on the

Phulkaris.
 PUNJAB - PHULKARI

HARYANA – PANJA DURRIES

● Known for a rich handlooms tradition , the towns of
Panipat in Haryana produces Panja.

● Panja is an interesting weaving technique that gets its

name from the tool used in the weaving process.

● It is primarily used for durries,rugs and other floor

coverings that are found in almost every village home in
the state of Haryana.

● Panja fabrics are made from thick threads and features

beautifully and usually complicated patterns.

HARYANA – PANJA DURRIES

UTTARAKHAND – PANCHACHULI WEAVE
● In the Panchachuli range of the Himalayas (north east of
Uttarakhand), rural women have been knitting the most
beautiful garments in Tibetan cashmere and sheep wool.

● They earn their livelihood from the sale of their high quality
woollen products like Shawl, Stoles, Wraps and more.

● The Panchachuli cooperative that came into existence in

1990 has helped to promote the weave in foreign
countries too​.

UTTARAKHAND – PANCHACHULI WEAVE

UTTAR PRADESH – CHIKANKARI
● Chikankari is a delicate and intricate embroidery style from
Lucknow that is believed to have been introduced by Noor
Jahan , the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir.

● A peice of cloth is first block printed and then the chikan

stitches are embroidered along the outline.

● Originally a white – on – white embroidery , today

Chikankari uses a variety of colours both bright and pastel.

UTTAR PRADESH – CHIKANKARI

 RAJASTHAN – SHISHA

● It was the Mughals who brought mirror work or Shisha

embroidery to India in the 17​th​ century.

● The Mughals , however, did not wear clothes embellished

with mirrors rather used them in their door.

● Today, Shisha has been fully adopted by the states of

Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

● Embroidered banners called Abla Torana and Shish

Torana are hung over the entrance of homes to ward off
evil.

RAJASTHAN – SHISHA
BIHAR – BHAGALPURI SILK
● Populary known as the Silk city ,the silk weaving industry
in Bhagalpur ,Bihar goes back over a century !

● This region produces the famous Bhagalpuri variety of

Tussar silk as the fabric is woven from colourfully dyed
threads produced rom the tussar cocoons.

● Bhagalpuri silk sarees are a favourite among women all

over India ,thanks to the wide variety they offer in terms of
colour and design.

BIHAR – BHAGALPURI SILK

SIKKIM – LEPCHA
● Of all the tribes in Sikkim, the Lepcha community is the
most well known for its handloom tradition.

● The Lepcha Fabrics used for traditional garments as well

as shoulder bags, napkins, cushion covers, table mats and
more.

● While the base fabric is cotton , wool is used for the motifs
that are woven onto its textiles.

SIKKIM – LEPCHA
 ASSAM – MUGA SILK

● Produced only in Assam, Muga silk is known for its fine

texture and durable in nature.

● Known as “ The Golden Fibre ”, this hand – washable silk

has a naturally yellow gold tint and its lustre increases with
every wash.

● Once reserved for the use of royality ,it is now used to

make the traditional garment of Assamese women ,the
Mekhela Chador.

ASSAM – MUGA SILK

 ARUNACHAL PRADESH - APATANI

● The Apatani weave comes from the Apatani tribe of

Arunachal Pradesh.
● The weaving techniques of this tribe are considerably
more advanced than the rest of the tribes of Arunachal
Pradesh.

● The Apatani woven fabric is known for geometric patterns,

mainly angular designs and zigzag patterns.

● It forms an essential part of the daily wardrobe of the

people.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH - APATANI

 NAGALAND – NAGA SHAWLS

● Traditional weaving is made of red and black wool, Naga

shawls are made by several tribes in the region.
● Every major tribe has its own distinct shawl pattern and
some warrior shawls even features of tiger, elephant,
human head, cock and spear.

NAGALAND – NAGA SHAWLS

 MANIPUR – PHANEK

● The traditional Manipur costume, Phanek refers to the

colour block striped skirt that is hand woven from cotton
and silk thread.

● Worn by women in the region, the Phanek is very similar

to a wrap-around skirt and usually features a heavily
embroidered border at the bottom.

● It is usually worn as a mini saree with a blouse and an

upper cloth.

MANIPUR – PHANEK
 MEGHALAYA – ERI SILK

● A highly textured silk from the North East, Eri or Endi silk
has shorter fibres than silk varieties and must be handled
with care.

● While its naturally dull gold sheen makes it a coveted

fabric in the world of fashion , it is also used for Pattachitra
art and Kantha embroidery.

● Eri silk is highly preferred by Buddhist monks because of

its eco – friendly production process that does not harm
any living creatures.

MEGHALAYA – ERI SILK

MIZORAM – PUANS
● The traditional attire of Mizoram , Puan is essentially a
wrap around skirt with few colours and the prominent
presence of black and white .

● Designs on this fabric range from simple to intricate

depending on the wearer and type of Puan could reveal a
person’s status in the society.

● Sadly , however , the handloom tradition of Puan is

disappearing as fewer people are wearing the garment.

MIZORAM – PUANS
TRIPURA – PACHRA
● A handloom fabric from the state of Tripura , Pachra is
essentially a long piece of cloth worn as a lower garment
by the women of the region .

● Extending just below the knee , the pachra features

intricate stripes and embroidery in different colours.

● The pachra garment is usually worn with risa , a short that

covers the upper half of the body .

TRIPURA – PACHRA
 JHARKHAND – KUCHAI SILK
● From the Kharsawan – Kuchai region of Jharkhand ,
Kuchai silk ,an organic traditional Indian fabric has seen a
spike in demand in recent times.

● Promoting of the Kuchai silk weave has benefited over 3

lakhs artisans and weavers in the region.

● This silk is now being appreciated by connoisseurs in India

and abroad.
JHARKHAND – KUCHAI SILK
ODISHA – SAMBALPURI SAREE
● The famous Sambalpuri saree produced in the Bargarh ,
Sonepur,Sambalpur,Balangir and Boudh districts of
Odisha is a handwoven ikat saree in which the yarn is first
tie- dyed and later woven into a beautiful fabric.

● Varities of the Sambalpuri saree include Sonepuri,

Pasapali, Bomkai, Barpali and Bapta, which are commonly
known as Pata.

ODISHA – SAMBALPURI SAREE

MADHYA PRADESH - CHANDERI
● Reference in Hindu mythology suggest that Chanderi , the
traditional saree of Madhya Pradesh , was first introduced
by Lord Krishna’s cousin Shishupal.

● These saree are available in pure silk , Chanderi cotton

and a combination of silk and cotton too.

● Light,sheer texture, the fabric that flourished during the

Mughal period has earned itself the name “ woven air ”.

MADHYA PRADESH - CHANDERI

 MAHARASHTRA - PAITHANI

● A handwoven silk saree from the town of Paithani in

Aurangabad , Maharashtra .
● Paithani was once upon a time used to clothe the royals.

● The effort intensive process of weaving a Paithani results

in a fabric of unparalled beauty that looks exactly the
same on both sides.

● An integral part of Maharashtrian culture, the centre of

Paithani weaving is now in Yeola.

MAHARASHTRA – PAITHANI
CHHATTISGARH – KOSA SILK
● Kosa is the Sanskrit name for desi tussar.

● Made from an extremely rare worm,the extraction and

weaving of kosa silk saree involves a painstaking process
that anywhere from 3 to 5 days .

● Nevertheless Kosa is even more popular in Chhattisgarh

than pure silk for its durability.

● The Kosa silk produced in Champa district of Chhattisgarh

is considered to be the finest in the world.

CHHATTISGARH – KOSA SILK

​ ​

TELANGANA – POCHAMPALLY IKAT

● Made in Bhoodan Pochampally, Telangana , this double
ikat textile is known for its geometric patterns and an
intentional bleed.

● This place has found a spot on UNESCO’s tentative list of

World Heritage Sites as part of the “ICONIC SAREE
WEAVING CLUSTER OF INDIA”

TELANGANA – POCHAMPALLY IKAT

GOA – KUNBI
● From Goa’s oldest tribe – Kunbi – comes a cotton
chequered fabric that was draped as a saree just below
the knees by the tribal women who worked in the paddy
fields.

● With the advent of the Portuguese , however, the use of

Kunbi saree declined and the weaving of these sarees
completely stopped by the 20​th​ century.

● Inrecent years,designer Wendell Rodricks has tried to

revive the weaving of this saree.

GOA – KUNBI
ANDHRA PRADESH – KALAMKARI
● Kalmkari comes from the Persian word “qalam” meaning
:pen and “kari” meaning :craftmanship.

● This pen art from Andhra Pradesh was once upon a time
used to tell the great stories of Hindu mythology and
hence is characterised by the presence of Hindu deities.

● This art form,which was patronised by the Mughals is now

more popular as a block print used on sarees,dupattas
and more.

ANDHRA PRADESH – KALAMKARI

 KARNATAKA – MYSORE SILKS

● The silk industry saw an unprecedented growth in the

Kingdom of Mysore during the reign of Tipu Sultan.
● Today,Mysore is the largest producer of silk in the country.

● The exquisite silk sarees from this region,known for their

quality and craftmanship,are traditionally woven with pure
silk and gold zari.

● No wonder they are not just famous in India,but also

around the world.

KARNATAKA – MYSORE SILKS

TAMIL NADU – KANJEEVARAM SILK
● Among the dozens of different handwoven silks made in
India,there is none moreexpensive than Kanjeevaram.

● From the Kanchipuram region of Tamil Nadu , this most

famous silk saree from South India is knowns for its
lusturous fabric and elaborate zari work.

● Today , a Kanjeevaram saree remains one of the few

sarees in India where gold is still used in the weaving
process.

TAMIL NADU – KANJEEVARAM SILK

KERALA – KASAVU
● The pride of Kerala ,the traditional off – white and gold
Kasavu saree is famously worn by women of the Malayali
community on the occasion of Onam.

● Kasavu actually refers to the golden zari border on the

mundu – saree that is handwovenfrom 100% unbleached
cotton.

● These sarees feature kara or line designs at the bottom,

and sometimes peacock and temple designs on the pallu.

KERALA – KASAVU