History of

Costume
Textiles of Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir

Antwin James
FD IV
Acknowledgement

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs Roopali Rawat for providing us
the opportunity to make this document related to the textiles of two different states of
India- Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir. We would also like to thank her for her guidance and
patience, without which this document would not have been possible.

I would also like to thank my friends who helped me and supported me throughout
this assignment.

I also thank the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore- Resource centre
for all the materials and references.

Thanking You,

Antwin James

F&A 4
 Gujarat
Gujarat is one of the most vibrant states of
India. This is due to the fact that it has a rich
culture. The people of the state still follow the
ancient practices of art and craft with great
zeal. Gujarat arts and crafts are famous world-
wide. They were originally made for daily use
purpose in homes. But with time, the stature of
the crafts grew, converting it into a full-fledged
industry. Skilled artisans, inherent good taste,
creativity and economical use of the resources
contributed to the growth of the art and the
state. 

The wide array of items to choose from include

furniture, jewellery, metalwork items,
embroidered garments, colourful linen,
leatherwork, beadwork, mirror work, baked
clay articles, etc. Gujarat is famous for its
furnishings also. You can decorate your home
with ethnic craft pieces, ranging from elegant
cushion covers to quilts and from tablemats to
bedcovers. These items are available in simple
colourful geometric designs as well as complex
patterns. Gujarat's arts and crafts are
essentially the legacy of its glorious past. They
truly reflect the lifestyle, culture and, above all,
the spirit of the state. 

Gujarat Culture
Gujarat is a place of rich culture and heritage. They have
preserved the ancient art and craft techniques and still practice them
with great determination. The people of Gujarat are very simple and
live life to the fullest. The spirit of Gujarat is quite visible from the
varied fairs and festivals celebrated in the state. It is further enriched
by the tribal people residing here. Thus, Gujarat has a cultural
diversity which is a unique feature of the state and is randomly seen. 
Dances
Gujarat is known as the land of festivals. A number of fairs and festivals are
celebrated in the state with great fervor and joy. The celebrations of these occasions are
accompanied with traditional dance and music performances. The state has been blessed
with a rich tradition of performing arts. 

Music
Gujarat is a state of music lovers and has produced some of the best musicians of
India. It is said that the legendary musicians Baiju Bawra and Tana Riri belong to the state
itself. Narsinh Mehta, of the 'Vaishnav Janto' acclaim, also hails from Gujarat. 

Religion
Like all other states of India, Gujarat is also inhabited by people of different religions,
castes and creeds. It is one of the most industrialized states of India and provides
employment opportunities for the youth. As a result, people from across the country have
settled in the state. 

People
Gujarat boasts of a rich culture and heritage. The people of Gujarat are commonly
referred as Gujaratis and the main language spoken by them is Gujarati. Gujarat is a
flourishing state in all spheres and as a result, numerous people from different parts of India
have settled here for various reasons. 

History
Gujarat has an ancient history and origin to boast of. It was earlier known as
Gujarata (Gurjar Rashtra), which means Gurjar nation. Gurjars was on old clan, which
inhabited the area during the Mahabharat period. Another opinion regarding Gurjars is that
they belonged to Central Asia.

Gujarat Textile
Gujarat textiles reflect a love of Colour, an eye for design and form. They are the
expression of an initial artistic personality and rich cultural heritage. The state excels in both
quality and design of textiles, traditional and modern. The larger variety mills are combined
to produce a rich mingling of colours and textures.

The widest spectrum of woven fabrics is found in the resist technique. These range
from patola, double ikat, to the bandhej tie and dye the woven mashru and the resist or
resist or reserved printing on cotton and silk.
Patola
Patolu and patola are the terms normally
used in Gujarat for art of silk weaving with design in
double ikat i.e. for fabrics where the wrap and weft
threads are coloured in section by tie dying before
weaving and are then woven to form intricate
multi-coloured designs. Today, Patan Patola is one
of the finest hand woven textiles produced.
Besides, Patan the double ikat is found only in Bali
in Indonesia.

Patola silk is often termed as the queen of all silks. Patola Saris of Gujarat are one of the
finest hand-woven saris produced today. The place associated with Patola is Patan. Here,
exquisite patterns are woven on saris with great precision. 

Mashru
Mashru, a mixed fabric, woven with a
combination of cotton and silk, was essentially for
the use of Muslim men as there was a prohibition
on their wearing pure silk. The tradition of
mashru may have been influenced by weaving
traditions prevalent in Iraq and the Arab
countries where the habits were strictly adhered
to Mashru was woven all over India, though it
survives
today only in Gujarat.

Brocades

The brocades has a distinct style of weaving of silk satin cloth, gold brocading with
coloured threads on the borders and in the lay technique in some cases. They carried
traditional patterns of popat vel, stylized parrot flower border, jhardh, jhardh, flowering
shrub or tree motif or the mango and ashorfi circular gold coin. Today only simple ashorfi
brocade used in the rural areas is woven in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

Bandhani
The tied and dyed fabrics, known as bandhej
or bandhani, of saurashtra and kutch are perhaps the
finest produced in India. Amongst these, the most
intricate and refined styles are to be found in
Jamnagar, Bhuj and Mandavi. Jamnagar bandhej is
produced on superfine cotton mulmul and Muslim,
sometimes combined with gold checks and motifs worked in Jamdani technique.

Prints
The oldest known patterned fabrics from India are
from Gujarat. They are resist-dye and printed cottons
excavated at Fostate, which was the centre of distribution
of Indian printed cotton to the west. Their styled
delineation of the patterns was based on the decorative
styles of West Indian paintings and designs.

The matani

Pachedi made by the vaghris for ritual

purpose used a combinations of block printing
for the outline of the pattern and the painting of
the mordents. The dominant motif is of the
mother Goddess in her many forms and aspects.

Embroidery
Gujarat has the most vibrant, fine and varied
collection of embroidery to be found in any part of India.
The movement of pastoral no made and their settlement in
different parts of Gujarat gave a wide variation in
embroidery styles. Strong class and community instincts
maintained the distinct style. Kutch in North Western
Gujarat and Saurashtra in western Gujarat have the finest
embroidery and variety of styles.
Specimens of folk tradition, with its bold and igorous patterns and colours, are made by
peasant women for their own use. It is this embroidery which even today enriched the life
of the people of Kutch and Saurashtra.

Gujarat Handicrafts
Gujarat has an ancient history and a glorious cultural heritage. The age old crafts of
the place have survived till date. The art and crafts are preserved and are even practiced
widely across the state. The handicrafts of Gujarat are famous for their colour scheme,
detail and intricate work and artistic appearance. These handicrafts are a product of skilled
craftsmanship of India. There is a wide variety available in handicrafts. One can choose from
silver jewellery, embroidery, furniture, clay items, handmade durries (carpets), stone crafts
and other materials.

Brass and Iron Items

These items are best found at former princely state of Saurashtra and Kutch. The
items available here are fine beetle nut crackers, copper coated iron bells, knives and
cutlery.

Clay Items
Pottery is one of the oldest handicrafts of the state and is being practiced since the
ancient times. Those in the Aravallis and Chhota Udepur tribal lands are proficient in making
long necked terracotta figurines of the Gora Dev (tribal Horse-God).

Furniture
The craft of making wooden items includes rounding the wood with tools. This is
followed by painting it with floral and abstract designs in bright shades of gold, silver,
maroon, green, vermilion, and brown.

Dhurries
Dhurries, carpets, blankets and rugs are still woven on primitive pit looms in the
villages of Kutch. As a result, handloom weaving is an important occupation in villages,
situated on the Ahmedabad - Bhavnagar highway.

Silver Jewellery
Silver jewellery is the specialty of the state of Gujarat. The premier centres of silver
ornaments are Rajkot and Ahmedabad. Other than this, Kutch is also known for silver
engravings and ornaments.
Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir, the "Paradise on Earth", is known for its captivating beauty. It is

encircled by three mountain ranges of the Himalayas- Karakoram, Zanaskar and Pir
Panjal, running from northwest to northeast. Forming the backdrop of Kashmir, these
snow-capped ranges make Kashmir look like a picture straight out of a fairy-tale.
Dazzling rivers, serene lakes, splendid gardens, flowering meadows, etc. are some other
features of the landscape of the Kashmir valley. The breath-taking beauty of Kashmir
has earned it the name of the "Switzerland of the East". Nothing describes the beauty of
Kashmir better than the following words of a Mughal emperor:

"Gar Bar-ru-e-Zamin Ast; Hamin Ast, Hamin Ast Hamin Ast."

Kashmir valley of India is also popular for various adventure sports that it offers.
Skiing, golf, trekking, river rafting, paragliding, camping and a number of other sports
draw large number of tourists to the Kashmir valley. Kashmir also boasts of a number of
pilgrim places. In fact, it is the starting point of the most revered pilgrimages of
Amarnath and Vaishno Devi. The handicrafts of Kashmir are almost as popular as its
scenic beauty. The popular handicrafts of the valley are Pashmina shawls, silk carpets,
papier-mâché products, exquisite woodwork, copperware, silverware, and a number of
other crafts. All said and done, the beauty of Kashmir is unparalleled and it is truly
known as the "Paradise on Earth". Once you visit Kashmir, its beauty and charm will
remain etched in your memory forever.

Culture
The cultural heritage of Kashmir valley is an amalgamation of sorts. The numerous
civilizations that have inhabited the Kashmir valley from time to time have left their
impression on the culture of Kashmir. The state of Kashmir abounds in ancient literature,
language, religion, arts, crafts, dance, music, etc.
In fact, the people of Kashmir have made
significant contribution in the fields of
storytelling, poetry, philosophy, sciences, etc.
The handicrafts of Kashmir like Pashmina shawls,
papier-mâché products, silk carpets, woodwork, etc are admired throughout the world. 

Jammu and Kashmir Textiles

Carpet

The kind of carpets made in Kashmir resembles Central Asian styles like bokhara and
Turkish makes. Often, a cotton warp is mixed with a woollen weft. Silk carpets are also made.

Medallions, horse designs, and hunting and animal scenes are the motifs used. Floral
and plant designs in unusual sizes can also be found. Trellis designs, the hallmark of Mughal
traditions, are combined with plant motifs. Medallions in many varieties and shapes are found
along the borders.

Masnads and jamas are block printed floor coverings and considered very
comfortable. The designs are attractive floral and geometrical patterns. Another
popular craft is the Calico prints from Samba.

Silk

Barajasta is the technique in carpet-making

where the main design is worked out in pile and
the background has a plain weave in gold thread
which adds a lustrous appearance. Bokhara
carpets are made in pure wool and three rows of
irregular octagons form the main motif

Kashmiri has a wide range of verities in silk textile designs . The weaves popularly
known as 'chinon' and 'crepe de chine' are some of the fine qualities produced from the silk
yarn. Sericulture industry is supervised by the state government of Jammu & Kashmir. As
the state provides little raw-material for silk, weaving and printing of silk is not done on
large scale in the valley.

But its a known fact that the Mulberry cocoon reared in the state of
Jammu and Kashmir is the superior quality in the Asia. It yields a very fine fibre
can be compares with the best in the world.
Gabba rugs
Chain stitched rugs, Gabbas is made from old
woollens on which different coloured cut out forms are
secured with chain stitch. The edges and the field are
covered with large embroidery. these rugs are usually made
of 65 % wool or silk yarn & 35 % of cotton yarn the base of
the rug is hessian cloth in pastel colours 7 it is backed by by
cotton cloth on the surface Kashmiri embroidery is done the
motifs are traditional Kashmiri floral patterns .

Namdas
These are like small carpets but less expensive than
carpets .They are made from cotton or wool fibres ,The
fibres, which is manually pressed into shape , can be plain
or decorated by applique work of Chain stitch embroidery.
Prices vary with the percentage of wool – a Namda
containing 30 per cent wool being less expensive than the
one containing 75 per cent wool. Namdas known for their bright colours & lovely designs

Kashmiri Pashmina Shawls:

Shawls
Pashmina is known for its softness.
Kashmiri shawls are decorated by various
Pashmina yarn is spun from the
kind of embroideries Art or hook embroidery;
hair of the ibex found at 14,000 ft
motifs are well-known flower designs and 'sozni' or
above the sea level, Pure
needlework's, is finely done by experienced
Pashmina is expensive but mixed
craftsman's material & fine embroidery causes the
Pashmina with wool is less
hike in prices
expensive
You can get three main fibres types from
which the Kashmiri shawls are made, these are -
wool ,Pashmina and most expensive Shatoosh. Pure wool shawls called raffal which have
different counts of wool - 40, 60, 80 etc., if the count increases so does the price.

Shahtoosh, the legendary ‘ring shawl’ is famous for its lightness, softness and warmth.
But it is a banned item now because hair of the Tibetan antelope’s throat is
painstakingly collected until there are enough for a shawl.

Pheran
 Pheran is a traditional Kashmiri garment worn in winters to
get some warmth from frigid weather .It is eminently suited to the
Kashmiri way of life, because it provides space for "Kangri", an
earthen lamp carried close to the body for more warmth when
Temperature goes down from zero degree.

Men's Pherans are always made of tweed or coarse wool ,

while women's pherans, are more stylized, commonly made of
raffel with ari or hook embroidery at the throat, cuffs and edges.
The quality of embroidery and thickness of the raffel determines the price.

Jammu and Kashmir Handicrafts

Kashmiri crewelwork or Chain stitch
It is in great demand all over the world
because high quality of crewel embroidery done on
wall hangings and rugs. Chain stitch, be it in wool,
silk or cotton, is done by hook rather than needles
on white backgrounds The hook is referred to as art,
and quality for quality, hook work covers a much
larger area than needle work in the same amount of
time.

Small stitches are used to fill the entire area-the figures or motifs look fascinating in
striking colours. Cotton based crewel art pieces make excellent household furnishings being
hand or machine washable.

Kashmiri willow baskets

These are decorated by mesmerizing intricate designs. Surprisingly strong, these baskets
made by Willow rushes that grow in abundance in marshes and in lakes of Kashmir.

For local Kashmiri's use There is a covering case , made for the
Kangri - an earthen pot in which burning coals are kept on a bed of
ashes , these baskets can be used in homes or used as picnic
hampers, lampshades, glass
holders for holding tea, work
baskets, packing cases and large
presentation hampers .

Other Handicrafts
 The art of casting copperware & brassware in Kashmir had flourished from years.
The Kashmiri brassware is noted all over the world for good quality and design. The
brassware objects in Kashmir ranged from household, decorative and ceremonial items.
They comprise mostly cooking pots and sundry articles for the household. However, the
most celebrated item is samovars (tea-kettle of Russian origin).

The Kashmiri craftsman also produces excellent

products of copper-ware consisting mostly of cooking pots
and samovars and sundry articles for the household or the
mantelpieces, they are admiringly adapted for electroplating.
There is a good demand for beautiful copper trays inlet into
tables of carved walnut-wood, there are floral, stylized,
geometric, leaf and even calligraphic motifs that are
engraved or embossed on copper or brass.

Conclusion

From the thorough research of the textiles of Indian states, like Gujarat and Jammu
& Kashmir, it is concluded that even if India is very united in all the cultures and other
factors when compared to the other countries, still we find lots of culture difference inside
the country as well. All the states of India have a very distinct and unique culture and
textiles. Their mode of life is different so are their hobbies and jobs related to textiles.

Thus we can conclude that India is a very rich and vibrant country in terms of its
culture, textiles and handicrafts. We as designers should focus on implementing and using
the abundantly available resource and take inspirations from the different cultures. The
textiles can also be explored while designing.
Bibliography

http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu

http://www.bestofkashmir.com

http://www.azerbaijanrugs.com

http://www.indianetzone.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

http://www.wovensouls.com

http://www.starhandloom.com

http://textontextiles.files.wordpress.com

http://www.culturaltoursindia.com

http://www.bharatonline.com

http://gaatha.com

Silk in Kashmir- Sir Thomas Wardle