Textile printing
Due to its strategic position as a mid state that shares its border with many others, Madhya Pradesh has engrossed influences from mainly textile traditions of India. The tie-and-dye (bandhani) and block-printing background of Rajasthan and Gujarat are followed in Mandsaur, Indore and Ujjain. The Malwa and Nimar regions are renowned for their hand block-printed cotton while the textiles of Bagh, located in the Dhar district, are world-renowned.
Batik, a resist method in which the fabric is painted with molten wax and then dyed in cold dyes, is done on a huge scale in Indore and Bherongarh. Multi-colored batik saris, dupattas and bed sheets are well-liked for their contrasting color schemes.
Textile Weaving
Very old texts talk of Madhya Pradesh as a well-known centre of weaving between 7th century and 2nd century BC. Among the supreme textures of northern India are the Maheshwari and Chanderi saris. Weavers settled in
Maheshwar from Surat, Burhanpur and Banaras, at the insistence of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, who supported the growth of handloom weaving. The Maheshwari sari is gossamer thin - a delicate blend of silk and cotton yarn - made in tiny checks or stripes with a colored border.
The Chanderi, widely woven in Guna, is also extremely well but has a more intricately woven border (with motifs) than the
Maheshwari. The weavers in both Chanderi and Maheshwar are Muslims, while Hindus take on the trading. As with mainly handlooms and handicrafts of India, weaving these saris is mostly a family affair.
Tussar silk woven by the Devangan community of Madhya Pradesh is known by its Sanskrit name kosa. Raigarh and Champa are important centres for tussar silk saris and fabrics.
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