Sacred Textiles of India

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Fabrics play a vital role in the ceremonies that mark every stage of religious, cultural and social life in India. Traditionally, the creation of a textile is considered an act of worship, and the wearing of sacred cloths is an important rite of passage.

The book begins with an overview of the ritual importance of textiles through the major religions of India and an exploration of ikat, the “magical” textile common to many cultures of the world. Subsequent articles present pioneering research on the Islamic and Buddhist textiles of Ladakh; the ritual garments of the Parsi Zoroastrians; the representation of sacred trees in the kanthas of Bengal; the Hindu, Islamic and Christian traditions of Goa; and the significance of the torans of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The final chapter studies the fabrics imported from India which are indispensable in the ceremonies of the Kalabari of Nigeria.

This range of unusual themes presented by textile experts and designers is a first step in presenting some of the unique sacred textile traditions of India, while recognizing that innumerable others await study and documentation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jasleen Dhamija

Jasleen Dhamija, who has edited and put together the book on Asian Embroidery, is a well-known researcher and writer on Textiles History. She has written and edited a number of publications on the Living Cultural Traditions of Asia and has been visiting faculty at Institutes in India and Australia. She was awarded the Hill Professorship in University of Minnesota. She worked on development of handicrafts, textiles in India at the pioneering stage for 17 years. She has worked with United Nations Organisation in Iran, Central Asia, East Europe, Africa and South East Asia. She also evaluated the work of UNESCO for the last decade of the previous millennium.