India was a key part of the British Empire and Victorian influence on the Indian way of life, architecture and craftsmanship was very strong. The apparent placidity of the British Raj (a Sanskrit word meaning ‘rule’) helped.
India one of the ancient civilizations in the world, has a rich heritage of weaves and crafts. Like the nation’s age old history, the origin of textiles also dates back to the era of Indus valley civilization. The Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata shows references of rich Indian textiles and intricate craftsmanship. India boasts of diverse textiles and traditional crafts originating from the different parts of the country.
Each region has its own weaves with its unique regional essence of craftsmanship and colours. Right from cotton, silk to wool and jute- India boasts of a wide variety of textiles. According to history in the 13th century Indian silk used to be imported by the western countries. During British Raj (Sanskrit word for “rule”) Indian textiles were globally acclaimed for its quality. Famous textiles like Bengal’s muslin, hand block printed cottons from Gujrat, ikkat prints from Orissa were appreciated throughout the world.
A wide variety of natural fibres are grown in various regions for textile production. In Jammu and Kashmir while people wear a phiran to keep themselves warm, in south Indian men wear a sarong like garment called the mundu. The saree is the quintessential drape for Indian women. Sarees are woven in silk, cotton and many other fibres. Kanjivaram, Mysore, Paithani, Pochampalli, Jamdani, Balucheri, Benarasi, Sambalpuri
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