 Handloom Textile Weaving includes shawl making, yarn spinning, Khadi weaving and related tasks. Weaving is an act of passing threads or strands of material under and over each other. By Weaving cloth, rugs, blankets shawls etc. are manufactured. Natural fibers used for weaving are cotton, silk and wool. Synthetic fibers such as nylon and Orlon are also used.
Due to mechanization, weaving is now done with the help of machines. Machines have increased the production and improved the quality of the final products. But traditional method of handloom weaving is still practiced in some states of India.
Shawls of Kullu and Kashmir are famous all over the world. Shawls are a protective layer of woolen stuff against winter. Kullu and Kashmir Shawls are prepared from angora and pashmina pure wool. There are different varieties of shawls - with borders on both opposite sides, borders on all four sides, shawls with floral patterns, shawls with natural images or Phulkari work etc.
 Today Indian rugs are in demand. These are very cheap and easily available. During their invasions, Muslim rulers introduced rugs. These rugs were of Persian style and were preferred to Indian rugs. Due to the flourishing industry of rugs, weavers shifted their focus from shawls to rugs. |
