Page 18 - Science India August 2022

COLLECTOR’S EDITION 2.0
Swatantrata ka Amrut Mahotsava
TEXTILE
From Glory to Ruination: The Saga of Indian Textile Industry Under Colonial Rule
Systematic destruction of the Indian textile industry by the British reduced the world’s largest textile producer to a mere market for finished foreign goods, and its skilled weavers to farm labourers
n Dr Vivek Kumar
The textiles of India is probably the oldest industry as accounted by historical evidence such as Indian muslin, which was used by the Egyptians for dressing their mummies even before 5000 B.C. Various archaeological findings and ancient texts manifest its existence. In- dian textiles gained prominence during the ancient and medieval times; uniqueness and versatility in styles and aesthetics, artistry, dexterity in weaves and designs of textiles from various regions of the country illus- trate the richness of this Indian tradition.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
A woman at
a handloom, weaving khadi, a traditional Indian fabric, spun and woven by hand and with natural material like cotton, silk
or wool
From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, every region in India has its own techniques to weave unique fabrics. From Pashmina of
Kashmir to Kalamkari of Andhra Pradesh, from Bandhani of Gujarat to Muga silk of Assam, Indian textile still holds special status in the global panorama of textiles.
18 SCIENCE INDIA AUGUST 2022