The Revival of Heritage Textiles
S. Basak
ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering Technology (NINFET)
M. Bhowmick
ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering Technology (NINFET)
S. Debnath
ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering Technology (NINFET)
D.B. Shakyawar
ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering Technology (NINFET)
&
Debarshi Ghosh
ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering Technology (NINFET)
Introduction and Background of Heritage Textiles
The revival of Indian heritage textiles is about perseverance, observation, innovation, implications, and implementations with newer technologies and a focus on the construction of a sustainable bridge between the culture of the past and the future in the domain of heritage textile materials. From the last thousands of years, India has been a highly productive country for the production of various types of textiles. In one word, in a country like India, textiles were one of the signatures of culture and civilisation. From archaeological evidence of the Indus Valley Civilisation dating back from c.3300 to 1300 BCE to the time of modernisation, the fabric manufacturing process has been passed through an enormous change and modification, i.e., in the fields of spinning, weaving, dyeing and printing. Literature registered aristocracy and elegance of natural fibre-based textile materials as an indication of social status, and it also revealed the creative contribution of artisans in the making of traditional textile products in terms of garments or accessories. It also elucidates the corroboration of Indian heritage textiles with the economic facets of ancient India. For example, Muslin fabric has a long history of development, and it was the signature of aristocracy, culture and technological development of ancient India. The Indian “Arthashastra” revealed the demand for Muslin cloth in the Middle East region and in central Europe, and also for the requirement of colour-fast dyes for maintaining its softness and quality. The Buddhist bibliography suggests number of Indian garments like linen made “Khoman”, cotton “Kappasikam”, and silk “Kosseyam”. Moreover, professions such as weaving and spinning, natural dyeing, etc., were also mentioned in ancient literature of Indian archives. Ajanta Cave keeps the testimony of Indian attire and culture for a long period between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE. A dancer’s statue from the Gupta Era is observed wearing a snug churidar tunic, unleashing the commonness of compact stitches of garments. On and after c.1200 CE, Indian culture was hybridised and influenced by the Persian flavour of choices in the domains of garments, art, and ornaments. At the same time, the influence of Afghan culture was also visible on the shawls and robes. Gujarat weavers learned to make lampas, and Kashmiri looms started to manufacture Jamawar shawls. The Indo-Islamic fusion in prevalent Indian culture brought some new aspects, like the incorporation of Persian threads into the previous structure of fabric. In the same time period, a great development has also been observed in the field of fancy and long-lasting aristocratic build-up, especially in the garment section. In the same era, other technologically elegant fabrics like Dhakai Jamdani, chintz, Kalamkari cloths, Patola sarees, and the bandhani style of cloth with the tying and dyeing method also evolved.
Different Heritage Textiles of India and Their Down Drift with Time
Maurya, Gupta, Mughal, Colonial, and Post-Colonial—every era has kept their own features, stories, myths, hymns of deities or emperors, and the hard times’ testimony in each fibre. The Baluchari saree of West Bengal depicts epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata on pallus; it has a myth that wearing these sarees on the skin protects women from being widowed. “Dhakai Jamdani” has its name from the Persian origin meaning "flower vase"; some myths suggest it can pass through a ring to symbolise its fineness. Some stories say Sambalpuri Ikat from Odisha is inspired by Sri Jagannath Dev’s attire, and the tie-dye method for this represents the cosmic order. Risa of Tripura is presented to newborn daughters and brides as protection by the goddess of fertility and protection. Muga silk represents royalty in Assam. Tussar silk is linked to tribal rituals in Jharkhand, while Rishi Markandeya was the first one to weave Kanchipuram silk of Tamil Nadu using lotus fibre; a special feature is that the borders are separately woven and interlocked. Double ikat weaves of Patola, considered sacred, were used to wrap idols and worn by priests and royals. Pashmina is another remarkable protein fibre-based heritage textile that was woven into wearables for Sufi saints first, then for Mughal emperors. It was said that pashmina goats are blessed by Mata Parvati in the Himalayan region. Therefore, their wool is also sacred. The ‘Paithani” saree was patronised by Satavahana kings, symbolising immortality. This was in the belief that it is so auspicious that it may let the wearer cross over to the afterlife. These specific stories are very significant for folklore to be represented as an inspiration to the present and upcoming generations. In the Mughal era, Tussar from Assam, Different kinds of silk (Muga, eri, etc.) from Bengal, and imported cotton were mixed for ‘zari-thread’ for cloth production. It was well proven that before the invasion of foreign dictators and the implementation of colonialism, India had a good export-to-import ratio for textile trade. During the British colonial rule, Indian textile heritage, textile industries, and handloom faced many challenges for their self-reliance and survival. Indeed, British products had good availability due to their lower price and high production in less time. As a result, the fine muslin of Bengal, the brocades of Gujarat and other heritage textiles suffer during this phase. The export-to-import ratio of heritage textiles from era to era has gone through many variations, but to be specific, from the pre-colonial to the post-colonial era, it has faced a strong decline. It was 10:1 in the pre-colonial era; in the colonial era, it stood at 1:5; it is now at 6:1, which is a good recovery. Yet, the economic status of heritage textiles has a big void, and it requires the implementation and integration of manual, technological, and psychological aspects to reconstruct the void.
Steps Taken and Future Prospects for the Revival of Heritage Textiles
In the Initial period of self-initiative, the Swadeshi movement took charge in late colonised India and assisted in reviving the importance of Indian weavers and holding cultural greetings of each province of India. Among these movements, the Khadi movement, led by Gandhi, was truly appreciable and really assisted in carrying forward the glory of Indian heritage in the post-colonial period. To recover the damage caused by foreign dominance in policies, rules, and strategies, the independent Indian government established the All-India Handloom Board and institutes to train designers with a clear objective to re-establish the heritage. Several projects and research work have been accomplished to revive Handloom weaving, as well as handmade fabrics, which are economically significant and symbolically prestigious. The national sentiment has culminated in the protective Geographical Indication (GI) tags for many garments carrying heritage. For the revival of heritage textiles, the sustainability of human resources, economic security of weavers, clearance of daily wages of weavers, and proper handholding training programmes are very much essential for proper awareness about the integrity and know-how of technology. To date, most of the heritage textile production houses are decentralised, follow mundane processes, and require serious technological intervention, standardisation and regulatory requirements for catching the main flow of the market. Some of the heritage textiles like muslin, paithani, panjabari, namda print, Kalamkari, Baluchari, etc., of different provinces of India require technical intervention for sustainable value addition and a rapid production process. For enhancing production, in some cases, artificial intelligence, computer-aided weave design, etc., may have taken the place of manpower in many areas. Different technological upliftment and product development in the field of heritage textiles can be exhibited in exhibitions and also in national-level museums for more awareness and popularity among consumers. Implementation of the current policies of the Indian government into the vision and mission of the revival of heritage textiles will give a supporting boost towards achievement. To this end, antiquities and AMASR act to prevent illegal export of textiles, handloom schemes such as NHDP and CHCDS to provide infrastructure development, market support for traditional weaving and UNESCO documentation to highlight artistry, preservation strategies, and global awareness are going on. Indeed, the Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India, has also taken new initiatives for technological improvement of heritage textile products of India. Hope, in the coming days, heritage textiles can see the rising sun from multiple angles.