MODERN INDIAN LITERATURE and Folk Crafts

THE 19TH CENTURY INDIAN RENAISSANCE: In almost all the Indian languages,
the modern age begins with the first struggle for India's freedom in 1857, or near
that time. A large number of writers opted for a synthesis between lndianization and
westernization, in their search for a national ideology. It was a renaissance in a
country which was under foreign domination. So it was not that kind of renaissance
which had spread in Europe, where scientific reasoning, individual freedom and
humanism were the dominant characteristics. The Indian renaissance took a
different shape, in the context of the Indian race, moment and milieu, and as a
result, nationalistic, reformistic and revivalistic thinking found its way into literature,
which slowly turned itself into a pan-Indian movement, spearheaded in different
parts of the country by renaissance leaders like Raja Rammohnn Roy (1772-1833),
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Vivekananda, Madhav Govind Ranade, U.V.
Swaminatha Aiyer, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, K.V. Pantulu, Narmada Shankar
Lalshankar Dave and others.
The most important literary event that revolutionalised literature was the
emergence of literary prose in all the modern Indian languages, and the advent of
the printing press, under the patronage of an Englishman, William Carey (17611834), at Serampore, Bengal. It is true that Sanskrit and Persian had a vast body of
prose, but the necessity for prose in modern Indian languages, for use in
administration and higher education, led to the emergence of prose in different
languages at the beginning of the modern period. The birth of newspapers and
periodicals in Indian languages between 1800 and 1850 was extremely important
for the development of prose. Missionaries of Serampore started off Bengali
Journalism. Bankim Chandra wrote many historical novels like Durgesh
Nandini(1965), and Anand Math (1882), acquired a pan-Indian popularity and made
nationalism and patriotism a part of dharma. This alternative was a distinctive
civilizational concept of universalism that was accepted by many as a reply to
western colonial-ism: Rabindra Nath Tagore (Bengali, 1861-1942), the greatest
name in modern Indian literature, made federalism an important part of his concept
of national ideology. The foundation for tradition of unity in diversity had been laid
in India at the social level, not the political, by saints like Nanak, Kabir, Chaitanya
and others. Modern Indian pluralism is multi-lingual, multi-cultural, secular, nationalstate concept.
The Literature of Nationalism, Reformism and Revivalism
Rangalal in Bengali, Mirza Ghalib in Urdu and Bharatendu Harishchandra in hindi
expressed themselves as the patriotic voice of that era. This voice was, on the one
hand, against colonial rule, and on the other, for the glorification of India. Besides,
Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) wrote ghazals in Urdu, about love, with unusual imagery
and metaphors. He accepted life both as a joyous existence and as a dark and
painful experience. Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-73) wrote the first modern epic

in an Indian language, and naturalised blank verse in Bengali. Subramania Bharati

(1882-1921) was the great Tamil patriot-poet, who revolutionized the poetic
tradition in Tamil. Themes from mythology or history were taken to write epics, by
Maithili Saran Gupta (Hindi, 1886- 1964), Bhai Vir Singh (Punjabi, 1872- 1957), and
others, with the express purpose of fulfilling the needs of the patriotic reader.
The birth of the novel is associated with the social reform-oriented movement
of the 19th century. This new genre, borrowed from the West, is characterized by a
spirit of revolt, right from its adoption into the Indian system. The first Tamil novel,
Pratap Mudaliyar Charitram (1879) by Samuel V. Pillai, the first Telugu novel, Sri
Ranga Raja Charitra (1872) by Krishnamma Chetty, and the first Malayalam novel,
Indu Lekha (1889) by Chandu Menon were written with didactic intentions and to reexamine evil social customs and practices like untouchability, caste distinctions,
denial of remarriage of widows, etc. In other first novels, like the Bengali novel,
Phulmani O Karunar Bibaran (1852), by an Englishwoman, H. Catherine Mullens, or
the Hindi novel, Pariksha Guru (1882) by Lala Sriniwas Das, one can discover shared
patterns of response and articulation towards social problems.
Historical novels were written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Bengali), Hari
Narayan Apte (Marathi), and others, to describe the glorious past of India, and to
instill nationalist fervour in her people. In fact the idea of national identity emerged
from literature. Tagore started writing the novel Gora (1910), to challenge colonial
rule, colonial criteria and colonial authority, and to give new meaning to Indian
nationalism.
INDIAN ROMANTICISM
The trend of Indian romanticism ushered in by three great forces influenced the
destiny of modern Indian literature. These forces were Sri Aurobindo's search for the
divine in man, Tagore's quest for the beautiful in nature and man, and Mahatma
Gandhi's experiments with truth and non-violence. Sri Aurobindo, through his poetry
arid philosophical treatise, 'The Life Divine', presents the prospect of the ultimate
revelation of divinity in everything. Tagore's quest for beauty was a spiritual quest,
which attained fruition in the final realisation that service to humanity was the best
form of contact with God. Tagore was aware of a supreme principle pervading
nature and the entire universe. This supreme principle, or the unknown mystique, is
beautiful, because it shines through the known; and it is only in the unknown that
we have perpetual freedom. His collection of poetry in Bengali, Gitanjali (song
offerings), received the Novel Prize in 1913. Tagores' poetry, after the award,
inspired writers of different Indian languages to popularize the age of romantic
poetry. The age of romantic poetry in Hindi is known as Chhayavad, the age of
romantic mystery, in Kannada, is Navodaya, the rising sun, and in Oriya, it is known
as Sabuj, the age of green. Jaishankar Prasad, Nirala, Sumitra Nandan Pant and
Mahadevi (Hindi); Vallathol, Kumaran Asan (Malayalam); Kalindi Charan Panigrahi
(Oriya); B.M. Srikantayya, Puttappa, Bendre (Kannada); Viswanath Satyanarayana

(Telugu); Uma Shankar Joshi (Gujarati), and poets of other languages highlighted
mysticism and romantic subjectivity in their poetry. The poets of Ravikiran Mandal
(a group of six poets of Marathi) searched for the hidden reality in nature. Indian
romanticism is fraught with mysticism - not like English romanticism, which wants to
break puritanic shackles, seeking joy in Hellenism. In fact, the romantic trend of the
modern times follows the tradition of Indian poetry, where romanticism indicates
the Vedantic (the philosophy of one Reality) oneness between Nature and man,
more along the lines of Vedic symbolism and not Paganism. Muhammad lqbal (1877198), the greatest poet that Urdu had produced, second only to Ghalib, went
through initially a romantic-cum-nationalistic phase in his poetry. His best collection
of Urdu poems is Bang-i-Dara (1924). His quest for Pan-Islamism did not deter him
in his concern for humanity at large.
THE ADVENT OF MAHATMA GANDHI
The emergence of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Gujarati, English, and Hindi,
1869-1948) and Tagore, influencing Indian life and literature, were quite often
complementary to one another. Gandhi spoke the language of the common man,
and was for the outcasts. His weapon was the weapon of truth and non-violence.
Gandhi became the theme of both poetry and fiction of cultural nationalism. Poets
like Vallathol (Malayalam), Satyendranath Datta (Bengali), Kazi Nazrul Islam
(Bengali) and Akbar
Allahabadi (Urdu) accepted Gandhi as a challenge to western civilization, and as an
assertion of the dignity of Asian values. Raja Rao (English), Tara Shankar
Bandyopadhyay (Bengali), Premchand (Hindi), V.S. Khandekar (Marathi), Sarat
Chandra Chatterjee (Bengali), Lakshmi Narayan (Telugu) all created Gandhian
protagonists as rural reformers or social workers with moral and religious
commitments. It was not the writers, but the people, who created the Gandhi myth,
and the writers, in their turn, used it effectively to mark a period of great
awakening. Sarat Chandra Chatterjee (1876- 1938) was one of the most popular
Bengali novelists. His pet theme was the man-woman relationship, and he was well
known for his portrayal of women, their sufferings and their often unspoken love.
Premchand (1880-1936) wrote novels in Hindi. He was a true son of the soil, deeply
attached to the Indian earth. He was the finest literary exponent of the Indian
peasantry in Indian literature. As a true Gandhian, he believed in the idealistic
theory of 'a change of heart' in the exploiters. But, in his magnum opus, Godan
(1936), he becomes a realist and records the suffering and struggle of the Indian
rural poor.
PROGRESSIVE LITERATURE
The advent of Marxism on the Indian literary scene in the thirties is a phenomenon
which India shared with many other countries. Both Gandhi and Marx were driven by
opposition to imperialism and concern for the dispossessed sections of society. The

Progressive Writers Association was originally established in 1936 by some

expatriate writers in London, like Mulk Raj Anand (English). However, soon it
became a great pan-Indian movement that brought together Gandhian and Marxist
insights into society. The movement was especially conspicuous in Urdu, Punjabi,
Bengali, Telugu and Malayalam, but its impact was felt all over India. It compelled
every writer to reexamine his/her relationship with social reality. In Hindi,
Chhayavad was challenged by a progressive school that .came to be known as
Pragativad (progressivism). Nagarjun was undisputedly the most powerful and
noted Hindi poet of the progressive group. The Bengali poets, Samar Sen and
Subhas Mukhopadhyay, added a new socio-political outlook to their poetry. Fakir
Mohan Senapati (Oriya, 1893-1918) was the first Indian novelist of social realism.
Rootedness to the soil, compassion for the wretched, and sincerity of expression are
the qualities of the novels of Senapati. Manik Bandyopadhyay was the most wellknown Marxist Bengali novelist. Malayalam fiction writers like Vaikkom Muhammed
Basheer, S.K. Pottekkat and Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, made history by writing
progressive fiction of high literary value. They covered fresh ground exploring the
life of ordinary men and the human relations that economic and social inequalities
fostered. Shivaram Karanath, the most versatile fiction writer in Kannada, never
forgot his early Gandhian lessons. Sri Sri (Telugu) was a Marxist, but showed interest
in modernism at a later stage in his life. Abdul Malik, in Assamese, writes with an
ideological bias. The critical norms of progressive literature were established by the
pioneer of this phase in Punjabi by Sant Singh Sekhon. The progressive writers'
movement attracted the attention of eminent poets of Urdu, like Josh Malihabadi
and Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Both imbued with the Marxist spirit, infused in the age-old love
symbolism a political meaning.
SEARCH FOR MODERNITY
A great work of art, in the Indian context, is the expression of both the traditional
and the actual. As a result, the concept of modernism grew in the Indian context
along different lines. The urge was to create something new. Even the imitations of
western modernist came as a challenge to understand their own realities. Writers
during this time presented their manifestos, explaining their ideas of modernity. A
new language was found to articulate their own historical position. Jibanananda Das
(1899-1954) was the most important Bengali poet after Tagore who had a total
sense of poetry. He was an imagist and used language not just to communicate, but
to grasp reality. Bibhuti Bhushan Bandyopadhyay (1899-1950) the Bengali fiction
writer, whose novel Pather Panchali (The Saga of the Road) was filmed by Satyajit
Ray, and which received international acclaim, presents the unsophisticated and
warmhearted village life that is passing away. In his quest for identification with
man's everyday relation with nature, he proved himself to be no less modern. Tara
Shankar Bandyopadhyay (Bengali 1898-1971) depicts in his novels the pulsating life
of a whole generation staying in a village or a city, where society itself becomes the
hero. In depicting regional life, the social change and human behaviour, he achieves

utmost success. Uma Shankar Joshi (Gujarati) initiated new experimental poetry and
spoke of the shattered self in the modern day world. Amrita Pritam (Punjabi) creates
an intensely personal poetry of an unearthly glory, without losing contact with the
earth. B.S. Mardhekar (Marathi, 1909-1956) reflects in his poetry contemporary
reality with the help of images, indicating the limitations of man and the inevitable
despair arising from them. Gopal Krishna Adiga (1918-92), the famous modern
Kannada poet, developed his own personal idiom, and became mystical. He also
displays the agony of his time. Practically all the writers reflect the despair of man,
arising out of his sense of helplessness in society and in the larger sphere of history.
The limitation of the West, the degeneration of canons and the disillusionment of
the middle-class psyche, are some of the characteristics of Indian modernity.
However, the tradition of humanism is also very much alive and hope for a better
future is not discarded. In western terminology, modernism is a breaking away from
established rules, traditions and conventions, but in India, it is a search for
alternatives to existing literary models. But one cannot identify one single reference
point of modernity and, therefore, one may conclude that Indian modernity is like a
mosaic.
LITERARY SCENE AFTER INDEPENDENCE
After independence, in the fifties, the disillusionment became more Vivid because of
the pressure of the disintegration of society and a broken relation-ship with India's
past heritage. In 1946, India witnessed the worst bloodbath in the memory of the
sub-continent, just before it became Independent, after the partition of the country.
India's national-ism at that juncture was a nationalism of mourning. At that time, a
Majority of new writers portrayed a dreadful artificial world, based on the formulas
of western modernism. There were experimentalists who showed concern for the
inner reality - intellectualism entered the realm of modernity. In a culture like
India's, the past does not pass off. It keeps on providing paradigms for the present,
but the rhythm broke down because of modernistic experimentations.
Most Indian poets looked outside, and accepted TS. Eliot, Malarme, yeats or
Baudelaire as their masters, and in the process, rejected Tagore, Bharati, Kumaran
Asan, Sri Aurobindo and Gandhi. But then, these poets of the fifties, and 'even the
sixties of 'dark modernism', developed an identity crisis. This specific identity crisis,
the conflict between traditional lndianness and western modernity, is discernable in
the writings of the major language areas in India during those days. Those who
adhered to western modernity separated themselves from the common masses arid
their reality. But the concept of experimentation (Prayog) sometimes developed
independent of western influence, as a quest for new values and a searching
examination of the basic sanctions or sources of value. S.H. Vatsyayan Ajneya
(Hindi), Navakanta Barua (Assamese), B.S. Mardhekar (Marathi), Harbhajan Singh
(Punjabi), Sharatchandra Muktibodh (Marathi) and V.K. Gokak (Kannada) emerged
with a distinct voice and vision, enriching the new movement.

Besides, the literature of social realism, having its roots in the soil, became a
dominant trend in contemporary literature. It was a continuation of the progressive
literature of the thirties and forties, but definitely more militant in its approach. G.M.
Muktibodh (Hindi), Bistmu Dey (Bengali) or the Telugu naked (Digambar) poets
revealed the poet's solitary struggle in opposition to the mounting crisis of uprooted
identity.
They wrote political poetry on the theme of agony and struggle. It was a
poetry of commitment. Literature now moved to the downtrodden and the
exploited. The Kannada Bandaya (the rebels) were concerned with forms of violence
in a class society. People like Dhurnil (Hindi) showed a great range of social realism.
O.N.V. Kurup (Malayalam) added to his lyricism the sharpness of anger towards
social injustice. Then came the Naxalite movement of the seventies, and with it
post-modernism entered the Indian literary scene. In the Indian context, postmodernism arrived as a reaction to media-operated and market-guided reality - a
reaction to the modernism of the sixties of the existential anguish, of the crisis of
identity, and of the frustration of the idealist, but it carried with it the trend of
progressive literature of protest and struggle.
DALIT LITERATURE
One of the most significant features of the post-modernist era was the emergence
of writings of the outcasts, as a major literary force. The literature which is
concerned with the socially underprivileged, and which asserts the socio-political
stature of the underdogs, is known by this name. The Dalit movement was started
in literature by Marathi, Gujarati and Kannada writes under the leadership of Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar. It came into the limelight because of progressive literature moving
nearer to the downtrodden. It is a literature of militant protest against upper caste
literature upholding Brahmanical values. Marathi poets, Namdev Dhasal or Narayan
Surve, or novelists like Daya Pawar, or Laxman Gaikwad, reflect in their writings the
anguish of a community, and demand the shaping of a just and realistic future for
the underprivileged and the outcast in society. Mahadev Devanur (Kannada) and
Joseph Macwan (Gujarati), in their novels, deal with the experience of violence,
protest and exploitation. It challenges the tone and context of existing literary
canons and decentralises the whole process of a literary movement.
USE OF MYTHOLOGY
In order to bridge the gap between urban and rural consciousness, between the
past and the present, another trend which is very much visible in the postmodernist poetry scene is the use of mythology to present the modern predicament.
Mythic thoughts, in fact, are attempts to mediate the gaps between continuity and
change, thereby authenticating the idea of 'total poetry'. By using similar
mythological situations, a broader dimension is given to the present-day chaotic
condition in which humanity is living today. The mythical past affirms man's

relationship to the transcendent. It has a value-structure. It is a rediscovery of the

past for the present, and an adaptation for the future. In Ajneya's (Hindi) poetry,
one finds a shift towards the realisation that the individual's entity is just a humble
part of a larger reality. Ramakanta Rath (Oriya) and Sitakant Mahapatra (Oriya) use
mythology or folk legends to contemplate on man's alienation from a life of
nourishment and grace. One comes across many instances of writers trying to
explore their roots, find their moorings, and probe whole areas of experience,
blurred during a period of extreme modernism during the last several decades. In
contemporary Indian poetry, along with a sense of urbanity, an attitude of irony,
frequent use of mythological sequences as structural images, and a continuous
involvement with the problems of expediency and eternity, are very visible.
Playwrights like Girish Karnad, Kambar (Kannada), Mohan Rakesh, Mani Madhukar
(Hindi), G.P. Satish Alekar (Marathi), Manoj Mitra and Badal Sircar (Bengali) are using
myths, folk legends and religio-centric tradition to understand India's present-day
existence. The departure from Euro-centric modernism has created a new sociocultural mythical code, which is used in the poetry of Kunwar Narayan (Hindi), Dilip
Chitre (Marathi) and Sankho Ghosh (Bengali), and in novels by Bhyrappa (Kannada),
Prapancham (Tamil) and others. Myth is now accepted as a meaningful sub-text of
the literary text. U.R. Anantha Murthv (Kannada), in his stories, explores the
relevance of some traditional values in today's changed context. His novel,
Samskara, is a world classic, which portrays the spiritual struggle of man in terms of
the urgency of life's demands. These writers have made an effort to retrieve,
rediscover, and redefine elements of culture in a creative way, by a return to pride
in one's roots, while looking ahead.
CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE
In the uttara Adhunika (post-modern) era the effort is to be natural, to be Indian, to
be near to the common man, to be socially conscious. The third generation of
Malayalam writers like N. Prabhakaran, and P. Surendran prefer the term antimodernism to post-modernism and are content simply to narrate human tales
without any explicit social message or philosophical pretensions. Vijayadan Detha
(Rajasthani, under the umbrella language Hindi) and Surendra Prakash (Urdu) are
now writing stories without any ideological prejudices. The modernist idea that
anything simple should not be accepted is now questioned. It is established now
that simple texts may present complex extra-textual structures. Even cultural
references simply stated in poetry can have different semantic values.
In the contemporary Indian novels by jayamohan (Tamil), Debes Ray (Bengali)
and Shivprasad Singh (Hindi), dealing with various neglected regions, and the
spoken dialect of that area, a composite picture of a total India, pulsating with new
experience and struggling to hold on to the old values, and in the process
sometimes discarding them, is also easily discernible. In this period of Uttara
Adhunikta (post-modernism), these novels dramatise the shift of the dominant from
problems of knowing to problems of modes of being. It gives a glimpse of the actual

India of the villages, and also makes it amply clear that this country belongs to the
Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Its culture is a composite culture. These
regional novelists have forcefully demolished the myths created by the western
Indologists that Indianness is just fatalism, or that Indianness is to be identified with
harmony and order, and Indian vision cannot perceive its own reality.
The central tension experienced by the vast majority of contemporary Indian
novelists is that of transition from the rural and traditional to an urban and postmodern situation, expressed either through a romantic nostalgia for the village left
behind, or through fear and hatred of the cruel impersonal city, with all its sex,
horror, murder and cruelty. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (Assamese), Sunil
Garigopadhyay (Bengali), Pannalal Patel (Gujarati), Mannu Bhandari (Hindi),
Nayantara Sahgal (English), V. Bedekar (Marathi), Samaresh Basu (Bengali) and
others, with their rural-urban sensitivity, have portrayed the Indian experience in its
totality. Some fiction writers, with the help of symbols, images and other poetic
means, magnify a particular moment in life. Nirnial Verma (Hindi), Mori Manikyam
(Telugu) and many others have made their presence felt in this area. Emancipatory
women's writing has emerged strongly in all Indian languages, seeking to subvert
the man-dominated social order, forging revisionary myths and counter-metaphors
by women writers like Kamala Das (Malayalam, English), Krishna Sobti (Hindi),
Ashapurna Devi (Bengali), Ra-jam Krishnan (Tamil) and others. The present-day
crisis in India is the conflict between expediency and universality, and as a result, a
large number of writers are in the process of identifying a pattern of problemsolving within the traditional system, vigorous enough to generate and sustain an
indigenous process of modernization, which does not need readymade external
solutions, and is in accord with indigenous needs and attitudes. The new crop of
writers are concerned with truth as they see it in life around them. Even for the
Indian English writers, English is no more a colonial language. Arnitava Ghosh,
Shashi Tharoor, Vikram Seth, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Arundhati Roy and others are
using it without showing a lack of commitment to Indianness. Those writ-ers who
are aware of their inheritance, complexity and uniqueness, express in their work,
without any conscious effort, both tradition and the actual.
INDIAN HANDICRAFTS AND HANDLOOMS
Indians Handicrafts history can be traced back to, as old as, the Stone Age. The art
of spinning and weaving of cotton was known to the Harrappans some 5000 years
ago. Handicrafts are considered as a means of adding color to life. Block print
fabrics, mainly of Gujarat region, found in Egyptian tombs are a proof that India was
producing enough cotton textiles to import them to other countries, in the medieval
ages. Handicraft tradition in India has withstood various invasions; still, it has
managed to flourish; as craftsmen have always welcomed new ideas and
Incorporated them for generating creative imitations.

After Indus Valley Civilization, it was the Vedic age that has mentions about pottery
art, pottery makers, weaving and wood crafting with the Rig Veda clearly stating the
beauty of pottery made from clay, metal and wood. The vivacity of Indian handicraft
was evident in the Mauryan Empire in the 84 thousand Stupas, its carvings and
women figurines with jewelry which speak about the importance of art in that time.
The post Mauryan Era saw various changes in the field of art and handicrafts. From
pottery to weaving, jewelry designing, metal work, sculpture making, stone and
wooden carvings, everything saw the influence of dynasties taking over. The
artisans were flexible enough to accept the changes and incorporate them into their
products. This field also witnessed the influence of British demands. On an overall
basis, the legacy of Indian handicraft has passed on from various hands to a wellestablished form of art.
PRINTING, WEAVING AND EMBROIDERY STYLES
BLOCK PRINTING: Initially, cotton was the fabric used for printing in almost every
part of India and a pen was used to making designs. Later on, in the medieval
times, wooden blocks came to the limelight. It became quite popular in Rajasthan
and Gujarat. From there on, this art flourished to other parts of the country. The
process of block printing is carried out with the help of Buntas (Wooden blocks of
different sizes). It is the lower side of the block that has the various designs carved
on them. Firstly, the new blocks with holes for the passage of extra pressure or color
is soaked in oil. This makes the rough grains present on the block to soften. Then,
the fabric is washed properly to remove starch. In case of requirement to tie and
dye the cloth, it is done before printing. Further, the cloth is washed thoroughly to
remove excess dye, stretched over printing table and fastened with the small pins
in the end to avoid cripples. And finally, the blocks are dipped in color and stamped
hard on the fabric to create perfect impression. In printing the cloth, chemical colors
and even vegetable dyes are used.
RESIST PRINTING: Resist printing technology is used for controlling the excess
effect of dye and color. It is applied before the tie and dye process. In the style of
resist printing, the materials like clay, resin or wax are applied over the printing
area for resisting the effect of dye. After that, the fabric is immersed in dye. Then,
the resist material is removed from the fabric. This creates a tonal effect on the
material used. In Jaisalmer, wax is used in the process of resist printing. Such fine
art of resist printing is quite famous in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
numerous other parts, of India also. Generally, the colors used in this art are red,
pink, black and blue.
TIE AND DIE PRINTING: The process of tie and dye in earlier times was done with
the use of basic colors extracted from plants. The Shellac was used for reds,
Turmeric for yellow, Iron Shavings and Vinegar for black, and Pomegranate rinds for
green. This art form reflects an essence of royalty arid is created as per the
requirement. Shikhara arid Chandokhni are, basically, used for bridal purposes.

Barah Baag is a design that looks like a bed or garden of flowers, when opened. And
Ambadal is a pattern in which branches and leaves are interwoven with various
kinds of birds. On the other hand, Chokidal is the pattern of squares with elephants
and other animals. All these patterns of tie and dye printing are prevalent in various
parts of the country and have their own specialty. Tie and dye is carried out by
bleaching the cloth first and then folding it into layers, as per the thickness of cloth.
Then, a designer marks the layout of the pattern with wooden blocks dipped in Geru
(Sienna color mixed with water) and craftsmen begin to tie the cloth that is not
meant for dyeing. Then, folds of the material within the small motif are lifted and
tied. After this, the first set of tied material is dyed in yellow color. Then again, the
other part of the material is dyed in red and green. This art style is quite famous in
Gujarat as Bandhni and in Rajasthan as Bandhej.
BATIK PRINTING: The art of Batik printing is known for its vibrancy and color
scheme. Its glorious history can be traced back to 2000 years, when it was known
for the representation of art, tradition and culture. Known for elegance and stylish
beauty, Batik printed handloom pieces can adorn any part of home, office or even
vehicles. With several methods of batik printing - screen printing, splash method
and hand painting - this technique [Wig popularized all over. Batik, generally, is a
process of decorating a piece of cloth by covering a part of it with wax and dyeing
it. After that, the wax is removed and a pattern is created with the contrast. This
printing technology has enabled people to go for natural and traditional style; rather
than getting more westernized.
SPRAY PRINTING: By using spray or a pen, the designs are printed on the cloth
piece. Spray printing technology is famous for stylish designs being made with the
help of spray gun. In this style of printing, spray gun is used for forcing the color
through a screen. After this, electro coating is used for applying a patterned pile.
Since, this technique is a low cost affair; this is quite prevalent among every
category of people. The best part of spray printing is that it can be carried out on all
types of materials. POCHAMPALLI: Pochampalli is a place in Andhra Pradesh, which
is world famous as Silk City. Almost 100 villages in this region are involved in
weaving pochampalli saris. What makes them exclusive is a perfect mix of history,
tradition, culture and modernity. With the use of traditional looms, Pochampalli
sarees are woven intrinsically beautiful. Since the technology is getting advanced,
the use of mechanical looms is catching pace. In fact, they are experimenting with
jacquard or dobby techniques and mixing them with their weaving style to create
innovative trends. The uniqueness of this design lies in the transfer of color
combination and design into warp and weft threads. Then, these threads are woven
intricately. Usually, the base material used for this weaving style is cotton, silk or a
mix of both.
KOTA DORIA: The style of Kota Doria started 200 years ago, when some weavers
from Kaithun (near Kota, Rajasthan) used to weave coarse plain fabric. With unique
patterns and motifs, this design form has enabled people to showcase culture in the

best possible form. The uniqueness of this art lies in its stylish weaving with colorful
threads and intricate motifs. The weaving style of Kota Doria Is known for silk and
cotton fabric stylishly woven with colorful flowered and checked motifs on them in
golden thread. After that, the borders and other centers are dyed or printed. This
design form is prevalent in Rajasthan and Trivandrum. Its story says that Raja of
Mysore came along Kota weavers, while on his way to expanding the empire. He
liked their work so much that they were brought to Kota.
JAMDANI: The art of weaving Jamdani started years and years ago that finds
mention in Kautilya's Arthashastra. In order to carry out this process, plain cotton
piece is required without any bleach. Jamdani is a patterned piece of muslin cloth
used for embroidery during weaving process. It, usually, contains geometrical and
floral patterns dyed in a light shade. After this, the designs are drawn on it using
colors like maroon, white, green, black, silver and golden color. Sometimes, the
weavers make use of Muga silk piece of dark golden color to create patterns. This all
makes Jamdani to be a stylish pattern coupled with creative designs. One of the
most famous pattern of cloth is Panna Hazaar (thousand emerald), which is
characterized by floral patterns being highlighted by flowers interlaced with gold
and silver threads. Another one sought after is Phulwar that is worked on black, grey
and off-white backgrounds.
MAHESHWARI: The Maheshwari saree is quite famous for its sheer beauty and
gossamer thin blend of silk and cotton yarn. This weaving art is carried out either on
a pure cotton fabric, or a mix of silk and cotton. It is characterized by geometrical
motifs, such as small checks or stripes made on the cloth with dark colored border.
Generally, the borders of such sarees bear heavy gold or silver Zari work. Signifying
the royal texture and style, Maheshwari is known to be one of the subtle forms of
designs. It belongs to Maheshwar, a small place in Madhya Pradesh. With elasticity,
lightness and fine thread cutout, Maheshwari sarees are considered apt to be worn
in summers. In previous times, earthy colors were used, like red, purple, green,
maroon and black by. using natural dyes. And now, Maheshwari sarees are woven in
jewel tones derived from chemicals. Even, the color selection has also included
mauve, blue, yellow, orange and pink that is mixed with gold or silver threads.
CHANDHERI: Chanderi is a town near to Gwalior, which is famous for hand woven
silk sarees. This style of weaving is considered to be extremely fine with intricately
woven borders. Saris designed from this art were exclusively known for their
gossamer shimmer and delicacy. In fact, it was patronized to be the royal style with
motifs considered to be unparalleled. It requires three basic things: cotton fabric,
silk thread and gold thread. In the earlier times, Chanderi was woven with hand
spun cotton yarns. But now, the technology has enabled the weavers to make use of
imported silk in the warp and mill-made cotton thread in the weft. Presently, the raw
materials used in this form of weaving are cotton, silk thread, and zari or gold
thread. Being famous in Madhya Pradesh, Chanderi signifies royal look. IKKAT:
Weaving has been a form of art in India that tends to beautify even the simplest of

the material. Among others, Ikat is quite well-known for classy thread work, along
with tie and dye process. Famous in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, this
weaving style is known by various names in different towns. It is the intricacy and
beauty of the Ikat that has made it popular worldwide and a favorite among many
people. The fkat style of weaving is an intricate process that requires tie and dye of
warp bundles, covered with wax to resist the excess penetration of colors. The
process can be repeated to make elaborate patterns. After that, the loom is set and
the bundles are spread and tied on the loom to make the pattern visible to weaver.
Then, the threads are adjusted and weaving or printing of pattern is started. Since,
it is a complex procedure; extra care is required to check the accuracy of colors and
set-up of threads. PAITHANE The legendary story of Paithani can be traced to
Satvahana Era (some 2000 years ago). Since then, it has been flourishing without
any obstacle. As per the tradition goes, real Paithani is known to be hand woven
pure silk and gold or silver thread. What make this style exclusive are the intricate
designs on pallu and border. In fact, one can see floral and various other motifs
taken from 'Ajanta Caves.. It is the sheer hard work of weavers that lends Paithani
sarees a special identity and style. Belonging to the state of Maharashtra, Paithani
art is known for fine weaving of embroidery and complex bleaching/ dyeing of the
material. It is, in fact, a merger of ethnicity and classicism. In the earlier times, the
legacy of Paithani spoke through plain saris with heavy zari border and ornamental
pallu. As the tradition has undergone several modifications, the use of peacocks,
stars, circles and flower motifs have been lend-ing grace to the entire piece. Along
with this, golden and silver threads are used for zari work, so as to make the saree
look imperialistic. Paithani saris are a fine example of Maharashtrian culture.
JAMAWAR: The art of Jamawar was brought to Kashmir by Persians, centuries ago.
But, it grew and reached its zenith in the Mughal period. From that time to now, the
art of Jamawar reflects a perfect blend of beauty, warmth and luxury. What made
this style exclusive is the design based on flora and fauna. In fact, the most
demanding patterns have been jaldar and buti work. Jamawar style of weaving is
quite famous for a mix of creativity blended with traditionalism. Its beauty lies in the
stylishness of intricate designs. It is a painstaking art that requires the use of
various wooden shuttles of different colors on a single weft line of the fabric.
The best part of Jamawar is that the artist can use almost 50 colors in one go
to create beauty on the fabric. Generally, this art can be seen on woolen material
mixed with a bit of cotton. Some of the colors that are used in this stylizing form are
blue, crimson, yellow, white, black, ferozi, green, scarlet and purple.
BALUCHARI: Weaving has been popular in India, since time immemorial. And
Baluchari is among the royal arts of weaving, which is famous for the portrayal of
royal lifestyle and trends. In the previous times, intricate designs of traditional epics
were woven on the borders of these sarees. The present trend of fashion has given
a chance t6 various innovations, such as pleasure boat with. love birds, animal
figurines, traditional marriage or other customary practices and kalka motifs.

Generally, these motifs are woven diagonally to make them look extraordinary. The
art of Baluchari weaving came from Baluchar, a place near Murshidabad. Its best
feature is that of using human brocade figures for decorating pallu and borders.
What makes this weaving style more elegant is the use of fine quality silk and silver
zari work. Generally, in this pattern, the ground colors are beige, red, blue and pink
with contrast colored borders.
BROCADE: The basic cloth required for this form is silk as it is quite durable and
stylish. Some of the weavers also make use of a mix of silk and cotton. With a
variety of silk and cotton fabric available in India, one can get to see uniqueness in
every piece. hi the work of Brocade, base color of the borders plays an important
role. They are used to lend different tones to the fabric. Previously, natural dyes
were used. And now, weavers and dyers make use of fast colors and aniline dyes.
The Brocade work is well-known throughout the world for its royalty and ethnic
style. It's the shimmer in this work that enhances the beauty. In this form of
weaving, golden and silver threads are used. Even, the Zari brocade is popular
among the masses. The designs are first 'drawn on paper and then the artists draw
this pattern in a framework of cotton threads. After that, the design is copied on
cloth piece. Though, this art can be seen in all parts of India; still, it is the most
preferred form of art in South India.
CHIKANKARI: Embroidery has always been an art of stitches that tends to decorate
even a simple piece of cloth. And when it comes to talking about Chikankari work,
all we know is the culmination of finesse. The Chikankari style of embroidery is quite
famous for its delicacy and intricate designs. It is an art of decorating cloth piece
with high attention as it requires complicated weaving. In the earlier times, the base
cloth used for embroidery was muslin. Today, the weavers have started using
cotton, chiffon, georgette and numerous other fine fabrics. This has enabled them to
explore various new designs and patterns. Nowadays, flat stitches (close to the
fabric), embossed stitches (grainy appearance), cut work and jail work (net effect)
are a part of weaving styles. All this gives a stylish look to the designer piece,
besides having a traditional touch. This process includes six stages - cutting,
stitching, printing, embroidery, washing and finishing. Cutting takes place carefully
with the garments and layout is done to lessen the wastage. Then, the stitching of
the material is done as per layout and printing is completed with wooden block. And
finally, it is embroidered before washing and bleaching process. Such kind of
embroideries, usually, carries floral motifs.
PHULKARI: Phulkari art of embroidery is the pride of Punjab. Almost every woman
in the state is seen weaving this stitch craft with thin needles. At times, the use of
thick needles is also required. It literally means the flowers spread on a piece of
cloth. If the entire piece of cloth is covered with Phulkari work, it is called as Bagh.
And the Bagh explains the art to be garden of flowers. After all, the threads used in
it are from silk yarn with bright colors, such as red, crimson, orange, blue, green,pink, yellow and golden. Phulkari is one of the most fascinating sides of Punjab's

tradition. The motifs are created on the cloth piece in horizontal, vertical and
diagonal styles. Starting with geometrical designs, this art expanded with designs of
animals, pots, human figures, vegetables and daily-used objects. In fact, the designs
oven as a part of Phulkari symbolizes various kinds of moods too. Chope is a cloth
piece with embroidery on borders, which is given to the bride by her mother. Van i
Da Bagh symbolizes fertility and happiness that is character-ized by red cloth woven
with golden yellow embroidery.
STATE'S TRADITIONS
ANDHRA PRADESH - Chirala Textiles - Chirala place well-known for fabrics;
weavers, generally, use wax and clay for smearing over the fabric on the loom;
Finally fabric is dyed in different colors for a distinctive look. Kondapalli toys designed from softwood (Tella Poniki) with tamarind seed powder, sawdust and
water colors; toys are carved on wood, the paste of tamarind, wood and sawdust is
applied to gives various shapes. Banjara Embroidery - 'Banjara means nomads;
live in a community called 'Tandas', were once nomads; influenced by communities
they come in contact with; tattoos on hand, women carry art; magnificent pieces of
cloth studded with impressive mirror work. Bidri craft, silver inlay on metal;
nomadic craft. Folk Paintings - long painted scrolls found in Cherial in Warangal
District. Kalamkari and Block Printed Fabrics - art of painting on fabrics using a
pen; name derived from 'kalam' meaning pen and 'kari' means work; started with
designs of religious importance; flourished under temple guardianship; Earlier colors
were extracted from plants like indigofera anil and rubia tinctorurn, now artificially
synthesized indigo and alizarine are used; main areas are Machilipatnam and
Srikalahasti. Hyderabad Pearls - a part of Hyderabad since time of Nizams;
Nizams brought in the most expensive and exclusive pearls from all around the
world; Hyderabad referred as 'Pearl City of India'. Metal Works - Statues of gods
and goddesses are made of bronze and for other metal crafts, brass is the main
metal; metal work called Dokra prevalent in a small village Adilabad; no two items
are similar; Statues of tribal gods and figures of many animals are the main features
of this art form; uniqueness of Dokra is that although it is primarily made of brass, it
has a clay core inside the metal casting.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH - From the viewpoint of the art and culture the state may
be divided into three zones. The first of these zones includes the Buddhist tribes;
the second occupies the central part (from east Kameng in the west to Lohit in the
east); and the third zone is the south eastern part of the territory. The people of the
first zone make beautiful masks. They also periodically stage pantomimes and
masked dances. They also make exquisite carpets, painted wooden vessels and
silver articles. Those of the second zone are expert workers in cane and bamboo.
The shawls and jackets, shoulder bags and coats are other products. The people of
the third zone are famous for their wooden carvings. They weave beautiful bags and
loin cloths too. Goat's hair, ivory, boar's tusks, beads of agate and other stones as
well as of brass and glass are the specialties of the people of this zone. Popular

items include Sherduk-pen shawls, Apatani jackets and scarves, Adi skirts,
jackets and bags, Mishmi shawls, blouses and jackets; and Wancho bags.
Carpet Making - A speciality of the Monpas, the Buddhist community, is carpet
weaving, with exotic designs of dragons, geometric and floral patterns. Wood
Carving - Monpa wood carver scoopes out beautiful cups, dishes and fruit bowls
and ceremonial masks for dances and pantomimes. Ithamptis carve out beautiful
religious images, figures of dancers, toys and other objects. Ornaments- widely
practiced; multicoloured beads, feathers of birds and wings of the green beetles are
used; Akas make bamboo bangles and ear rings; Monpas make paper locally, from
pulp of trees called Sukso or the paper trees; used for writing religious prayers.
ASSAM - Cane And Bamboo - favorite form of handicrafts; main items are the
cane baskets, music instruments and the weaving accessories; most famous
'product is Jaapi, the traditional sunshade. Metal Crafts - generally bell metal and
brass metal; ancient times in utensils and statues; Today, for fancy household items;
Hajo and Sarthebari. villages are most famous. Pottery - The Kumars and Hiras are
two traditional communities that indulge in Pottery works; Kumars use the Potters
wheel; Hiras make without wheel;in FIiras only women indulge in pottery works,
Then go out for procuring raw materials and for selling the finished items.