The northern region has a rich textile tradition, with each stat being renowned for its won specialities. The entire Himalayan region is known for its tastefully and aesthetically created pashmina and tus shawls
, as well as woollen fabrics. These colorful and intricately woven and embroidered shawls captured a sizeable chunk of the domestic as well as foreign markets around the late 18th- early 19th centuries. The phulkaris of Punjab and Haryana may not have been as successful as the pashmina shawls, but the former are evocative of a unique emotional association between the mother and the child. These khaddar head coverings were made by a mother or grandmother soon after the birth of a child or grandchild. Replete with geometric patterns embroidered in colorful silken threads,these phulkaris were gifted to a daughter or daughter-in-law at the time of her marriage.
Rajasthan is well known for its costumes and textiles embellished with bandhej (tie dye). This ancient art is famous for its bright colors. The earliest literary reference to bandhej is found in the harshacharita dating back to the 6th century AD. The visual evidence of bandhej appeared in Cave no. 1 of Ajanta Caves(Aurangabad, Maharashtra), dating back to the late 1st century and early 2nd century AD. Cotton fabric, block printed or bandhej-embellished, was used either for making garments or as a drape. While Rajasthan is known for its splash of bright colors, Uttar Pradesh has made an invaluable contribution to indian costumes
- a unique use of white on white, popularly known as chikan work. The beauty of chikan work is highlighted by the fine intricate embroidery with white cotton thread on white cotton fabric. Patronised by the nawabs of Avadh, chikan work was done mainly on angarkhas, chapkans, jamas, topis and chaddars. During this period Delhi became one of the centres for zari embroidery on velvet, known as zardozi work. Apart from zardozi embroidery on furnishings (tents, canapies, palanquin covers, caparisons), zari embroidery is done on various kinds of garments ranging from saris, odhanis, ghagras and angarkhas, to patkas and turbans. Caste and religion notwithstanding, from the shawl to the head covering, the kurta to the ghagra, each textile and costume hs some kind of embellishment that may vary according to the region. The chunari, for instance, is mostly used in Rajasthani marriages, whereas the odhani with gota kinnari (zari threads of varying size worked into different patterns and designs) is used in weddings in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. A colorful woollen chaddar is used in the Himalayan region, while a chikan-embroidered chaddar is popular in Uttar Pradesh.
nice post dear thanks for sharing. Jewellery
Posted by: Arsh | June 27, 2009 at 02:51 AM