UNESCO lists 50 iconic Indian textiles

• The UNESCO recently released a list of 50 exclusive and iconic heritage textile crafts of the country.
• Handmade for the 21st Century: Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textile lists the histories and legends behind the textiles.

About the list

• Describes the complicated and secret processes behind these textiles making.
• Mentions the causes for their dwindling popularity
• Provides strategies for their preservation.
• Aims to bring together years of research on the 50 selected textiles.

Major textiles documented from India

• Khes from Panipat
• Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh
• Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh
• Awadh Jamdani from Varanasi.
• Ilkal and Lambadi or Banjara embroidery from Karnataka
• Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari from Thanjavur
• Kunbi weaves from Goa
• Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat
• Himroo from Maharashtra
• Garad Koirial from West Bengal

Prelims Takeaway

• UNESCO