Wool Carpet

The Indian carpentry tradition dates back to the reign of the Mughals. During the time, the handmade wool carpet from India was a fine expression of the dexterity and creative skill of the craftsmen who combined Persian and local patterns in the most delightful ways.

The quality of these traditional wool carpets is determined by the number of knots per square inch. The higher the number, the more refined is the woolen carpet. The durability of the knotted wool carpet also depends on this number, which usually varies from 200 to 900 knots per square inch.

Wool carpets are made in several parts of India. The famous hand knotted woolen carpets from India hail from

•  Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Khamaria, Ghosia, Varanasi & Agra in Uttar Pradesh

•  Amritsar & Pathankot in Punjab

•  Jaipur in Rajasthan

•  Kashmir

•  Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh

•  Darjeeling in West Bengal

In these Indian woolen carpets, there is a lot of local variety, which is very interesting to understand.

The handmade woolen carpets from Kashmir are world renowned for their intricate predominantly floral patterns. They are one of the most popular Kashmiri handicrafts . Along with the woolen yarn that the craftsmen use to make these magnificent hand knotted carpets, silk yarn is also used. Kashmiri woolen carpets are also known for their durability. This may be attributed to their high number of knots.

In the handmade carpets from India that hail from Ladakh and Darjeeling , there is a marked Tibetan influence. The predominant theme is the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha.

In the towns of Bhadohi, Varanasi and Kamaria in Uttar Pradesh, India, hand knotted Gabbeh carpets are made. These carpets have 75% wool content and 25% cotton content in them. They portray the tribal traditions of our country. In Agra in Uttar Pradesh, the Indian woolen carpet is vegetable dyed. The wool carpet from the Bhadohi-Mirzapur belt in Uttar Pradesh has a distinctly Persian appearance. Its detailed designs and bright colors recall the Mughal carpet. The floral patterns of the Aubusson carpet from Bhadohi and Varanasi are well known in the tradition of handmade woolen carpets from India.

The hand made carpets of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, also reflect Persian influence, and like the woolen carpets of Agra, they are vegetable dyed.

Another kind of handmade woolen carpet is the hand tufted carpet. These hand tufted woolen carpets are made with the help of tufting guns. These carpets from India are available in a variety of designs and colors. Panipat in Haryana, India, is the main producing center for these handmade woolen carpets from India.