Cotton
Indians have known weaving of material
from since 5000 years. The traditional
Indian cotton weaving revolves around 'Khadi'.
Khadi is a cloth woven by hand using handspun
yarn only. Fine cotton fabrics are also
referred as Muslin. India has been famous
for its ultra fine Muslins in the past.
As handspun yarn is used in making Khadi,
this activity is mainly carried out in the
rural areas of the country.
Cotton weaving is the heart and soul of
Indian textiles. There are 23 different
varieties of cotton found in India and there
are about 4 million handlooms producing
cotton fabric. Cotton is used in producing
a wide range of items like: sari, bed sheets,
covers, napkins, shirts, summer wear, tablemats
etc.
Cotton fabric is very popular in a tropical
country like India, because of
the soft twist imparted by the hand, maintains
the hairiness of the yarn to an extent,
which gives maximum comfort. producing
Khadi weave cotton in such a way that the
interlacing of threads provides maximum
passage of air to the body, thus creating
a cooling effect, making Khadi an ideal
summer wear.
Every state has its own traditional cotton
weaving tradition:
Fine embroidery and appliqué work
done on garments, from various parts of
Gujarat and mainly from Kutchh is done on
cotton fabric.
Cotton is used to create beautiful saris
and is an integral part of the sari weaving
tradition of India. The tasteful varieties
of saris from Chander in
are not only produced in silk but also have
- cotton types.The tribal regions of
Madhya Pradesh are also known for their
cotton saris or Gamchhas.
The jamdani cotton saris from Tanda and
Banaras in Uttar Pradesh are popular. So
are the tangail cottons Of West Bengal and
Sambalpuri and Vichitrapuri saris of Orissa.
These saris come in a variety of colours
and traditional motifs inspired by nature.
The city of Hyderabad is known for its
ancient cotton weaving tradition. The Venkatgiri
fine cotton saris are produced here, which
are ideal for summers. These saris are mainly
in off-white colour and decorated with dull
golden motifs.
is also known for Ponduru
Khadi, which is obtained from wild variety
of cotton. It is used in shirting and furnishings.
Cotton fabrics from the handlooms from
West Bengal, , Assam, ,
Karnatka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc
are used in creating a variety of items
ranging from dress material, shirting, furnishing,
hosiery, bedspreads etc.
The craft of weaving cotton fabric in India
has achieved the status of small and medium
scale industry. It not only caters to the
local demands but is also exported to other
countries on a large scale. Being eco friendly
and 100% natural, the demand for products
made out of cotton is on the rise. |