In India the erliest traces of textile can be found in Rigveda, which
refers to weaving. The ancient Indian epics-Ramayana
and Mahabharata also speak of a variety
of fabrics of those times. The Ramayana
refers to the rich styles worn by the aristocracy
on one hand and the simple clothes worn
by the commoners and ascetics.
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.
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