Cotton fabrics all said to be the pearl of Indian weaving. It were as though these craftsmen were magicians and waved wands to produce what seemed like dreams. The weightlessness of these fabrics has been sung by many poets, comparing them to the moonlight on the tulip or a dewdrop on the rose. Indians have known weaving of material from cotton since 5000 years. Cotton is woven universally all over India and one can take note of only a few places for their distinctive weave.
The conventional cotton weaving revolves around `Khadi` which is woven by hand using handspun yarn. In India, 23 different varieties of cotton are found. Cotton is used in producing a wide range of items like: summer wear, saree,, bedsheets, napkins, shirts, tablemats etc.
Cotton fabric is very popular in India, because of the soft twist imparted by the hand, maintains the hairiness of the yarn to an extent, which gives maximum comfort. Indian states has its own traditional weaving tradition.
Beautiful sarees are produced from cotton. The elegant varieties of saris from Andhra pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are popular for their intricate designs.
Maheswari sarees
Maheshwar on the banks of the river Narmada weaves fine cotton saris with tiny checks, which combine complimentary colors together. Very soft colors are used for the dyeing.
Jamdani Sarees
The cotton saris of West Bengal are called Jamdani and they follow the traditional patterns.
Gharchola Sarees
Gharchola saris are mainly rooted in Gujarat. These are specially traditional wedding sarees.
Sambalpuri Sarees
Sambalpuri sarees which come in a variety of colours and traditional motifs inspired by nature are the most popular among the people.
Venkatagiri Sarees
The cotton saris of Andhra Pradesh have a rich variety. The best known in cotton is gadiwal, wainarpati, nainder and venkatagiri.
Paithani Sarees
Paithani sarees are used in special occations only. These sarees are basically from Andhra Pradesh.The paithani became very popular during the Maratha period.
Tanda
Toda Tribal embroidery is one of the most famous embroidery forms in India. When the sun is warm, the Toda women sits outside her house embroidering the handsome pudukulis, which protect both men and women from severe cold.
