Handloom Weaving

Bihar is the largest producer of tassar silk in India. There are three varieties of silk produced and woven in the state: tassar, mulberry and eri silk. Bhagalpur is the paradise for tassar weaving. The shades produced are cream, light brown, beige, grey, camel colour, coffee, and gold tones. Handspun yarn is woven into high quality khadi cloth with the blend of synthetic yarn.

Roghan work on cloth, now a dying art, which gives the impression of embroidery is actually the craft of fabric painting that is centuries old. The effect is generated due to the surface application of paint has an embossed and shiny look akin to embroidery. In olden days this craft was practised in Ahmedabad and Patan in Gujarat and Nasik in Maharashtra but now it is only alive in Nirona, a small village in Kutch (Gujarat). The finished handicraft is also known as Afridi lac cloth.

The tribal designs of Assam are woven on Rajampai fabric in striking colours. Kumbung, which means chaddar in the Rabha language, is a traditional Rabha dress and is used by the Rabha women like a shawl draped over the shoulder as an accessory to the sarong or kocha lufung. The patterns are generally geometrical lines embellished with floral tracery in between coloured strips and is woven on a loin-loom with traditional colours. The traditional Rabha muffler is woven on fly- shuttle looms with traditional colours and exceptionally fine patterns.

The Bodo tribes of Assam are from the plains and their women wear the traditional dhakana, a fabric wrapped around the body with only the shoulders exposed. This is very much like a sari and has a border running along its edges.

Originated in Nalgonda district, Ikat is an expertise of weaving randomly dyed yarn in natural zigzag or geometric patterns. This art of weaving has been recognized throughout the world. In the present day, Ikat weaving is practiced in the villages like Puttapaka, Pochampalli and Chautuppal. Exclusive to Andhra Pradesh, Ikat technique of weaving is extremely popular throughout India.

Jamdani is a hand loom woven fabric made of cotton, which historically was referred to as muslin. The Jamdani weaving tradition is of Bengali origin. It is one of the most time and labor intensive forms of weaving hand loom weaving.

The raised patch patterns are known as jamdani and are special to Bengal, their extra threads require cutting after weaving.

Mainly Jamdani work used for sarees, scarves and handkerchiefs. The types of Jamdani sarees are Daccai Jamdani, Tangail Jamdani, Shantipur Jamdani, Dhaniakhali Jamdani.

Patola silk is often termed as the queen of all silks. Patola sarees of Gujarat are one of the finest hand-woven sarees produced in India today. The place associated with Patola is Patan. Besides Patan, Surat is known for patola patterns on velvets. Patola silk has an exciting history. It was brought to Gujarat by the Salvi community of silk weavers from Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is said that these weavers arrived in Patan in the 12th century to make the most of the patronage of the Solanki Rajputs.

The art of weaving Patola sarees is the most complex and meticulous job in this world. The exquisite textiles designs of the fabric are unique and simply amazing. In Patan, the Patola is done in ikkat style. This is a tedious process, which takes days of hard work.

Tanchoi is another weaving style in Gujarat. This weaving technique changes the texture of the fabric. The base material used in this technique is satin. An extra weave float is merged into the fabric. The process is simple yet ingenious. It was introduced by Chinese weavers in Surat. Later, the Parsi community used it extensively. The technique is employed to weave sarees as well as dress material in silk.
Gharchola and Panetar