Handloom
Carpet weaving – Gwalior is state’s world renowned center of this originally Persian craft
Carpet-weaving is one of the old craft of Madhya Pradesh which has undergone innovative changes over generations and evolved as what it stands today. However, one thing is very much clear that the long traditional heritage of craft has succeeded to uphold its distinctive individuality to date.
Carpet-weaving came to India from Persia. In fact, the history of carpet weaving can be traced back to Iran and the craft was very dear to the Mughals. No surprise, Gwalior developed into a carpet-weaving centre of the state.
Dexterous craftsmen of Gwalior are now reputed as the unquestionable masters of the art of weaving as well as dyeing throughout the world. You simply can’t resist picking up the fine woolen carpets, bright in color and flaunting floral and geometric designs.
Because of the dearth of archeological evidences, nothing much can be stated about the elaborate alterations that took place in the art. But from the few pieces of worn-out carpets which are left to substantiate the existence of the craft, it can be inferred that the material that was mostly used comprised of wool, silk and cotton.
Dhurries-attractive flat woven carpet, specialty of women
Dhurries – flat woven-carpet, that is – are in main floor coverings of Madhya Pradesh available in a rich variety of designs. They are basically a thick cotton woven fabric made in the most traditional way of weaving. These bright coloured dhurries are aved by hand- operated- looms. Craftspersons dye the yarn according to the design and the combination required to finish the product. Dhurrie-weaving is chiefly the specialty area of women of Sironj, Jhabua, Raigarh and Jabalpur towns of the state.
Jajamas or the floor coverings are known widely for their eye-catching designs. Traditionally, jamas have pinkish- white back ground and bright red colour designs, separated by black or bright red colour lines. Artisans work on many kinds of motifs on the jajamas.
The cotton and woolen punja dhurries, which are hand-woven in various colours, with patterns based on kiln designs, geometric traditional motifs and animal and human figures are particularly in demand.
The loveliness of the craftsmanship stares one in the face from the neempati motif which has 24- petal flowers bounded by flowers and leaves. Sunflower design is another motif which is made purely in yellow colour or as desired by the buyer.
Textile Printing – unmatchable Bagh print is impossible to screen or machine print
Textile printing of Madhya Pradesh has influences of nearby states as Rajasthan, Gujrat. Needless to add, it has maintained its individuality and is world renowned for it. The Malwa and Nimar regions of the state are popular for their hand block-printed cotton while Bagh print saree of Bagh situated in Dhar district and Batik print saree are other well known print of Madhya Pradesh.The tie-and-dye (bandhani) and block-printing practiced in Mandsaur, Indore and Ujjain follow printing tradition of Rajasthan and Gujrat.
Hand block printing is among the most important crafts of Madhya Pradesh. The fashionable colours used in this process are vegetable and natural dyes like Indigo, turmeric roots, pomegranate skin, lac, iron. These natural colours do not fade, permeate the fabric and lend it an pretty look.
Printer communities of Bherongarh near Ujjain specialise in lugda, jajams, oudhnis and quilts. History says that these printed quilts were presented in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar and were exported to Europe during the pre-independence days by the East India Co. Now a wide range of hand block-printed products like dupattas, dress material, bed sheets, pillow covers, table cloths are available.
A community of printers called ‘Chheepa’ (derived from the Hindi word “chhapna” meaning printing) creates Bagh print. The printers of Bagh as well as Kukshi and Manawar use vegetable and natural dyes, in particular extracted from roots of “Aal” or madder and get bright shades of red and black and also occasional indigo. The blocks are made of intricately stylized motifs developed over hundred of years.
Bagh layouts, inspired only by the paintings found on the caves there, dramatically use black and red alternately on a white background. The black colour is prepared with ferrous sulphate mixed with tamarind seed powder and glue cooked in water and stored for use. After the printing of design, each sari takes a minimum of three weeks to complete. In the course of this period, it is washed at last three times and sent to the bhatti or oven at least twice. Two persons stand knee deep in water to wash the fabric so that superfluous colour is removed. The sari is boiled in a cauldron of water on a bhatti with regulated heat for the colour to emerge. 
Originally, the fabric used was cotton; but now saw tassar, crepe, and silk are being used with excellent results, too.
Batik is done on a large scale in Indore and Bherongarh. The process requires painting of the fabric with molten wax and then dying in cold dyes. Multi-coloured batik saris, dupattas and bed sheets are popular for their contrasting colour schemes.
The art of tying and dyeing fabric is known locally as Bandhani or Bandhej. In the process, parts of the fabric are tied with thread or twined into minute knots and then dipped in dye. Mandsaur is the most acclaimed center of bandhanis. In Indore and Ujjain also, craftspersons produce exquisite samples of tie and dye.
Textile Weaving – though inspired partly by bordering states, local textiles have niqueness of style
Textile weaving is a part of the rich heritage of Madhya Pradesh. According to ancient texts, the state was an eminent center of weaving between 7th century and 2nd century BC. Maheshwari and Chanderi saris and Tussar silk are some of the finest textures of the state. The textile weaving of Madhya Pradesh, though it has its own distinctive style and individuality, has certain influences from the neighbouring states of Orissa, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The Maheshwari sari, woven at Maheshwar, is gossamer thin – a delicate blend of silk and cotton yarn – made in tiny checks or stripes with a coloured border. The saree contains printing inspired only by the paintings found on the historical fort of the town. The Chanderi, is also extremely fine but has a more intricately woven border (with motifs) than the Maheshwari. Chanderi is in main woven at Guna. Weavers in both cities are mainly Muslims while Hindus handle trading. History reveals that 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.
Craftsperson use silk as warp and fine cotton as weft in Chanderi sarees.. The Chanderi cotton sarees are ideal wear for summer. In the silk “Zari” sarees, which generally have a rich gold border and two gold bands on the pallav, there are craft influences of Varanasi..
The Maheshwari saree, available mostly in cotton and silk, is known for their simplicity. The body is either chequered, plain or has stripes, combined with complementary colours. The saree with reversible border, that is it can be worn either side, is a specialty. The pallav of Maheshwari saree is unique, too. It has five stripes, three coloured and two white alternating.
Tussar silk is woven by the Devangan community of Madhya Pradesh. It is as well known by its Sanskrit name kosa. Raigarh and Champa are important centres of the state for tussar silk. In sarees, brocade work is done with Zari to give them an ornate look. These sarees have the pallavs and borders woven with thread, coloured in the Ikat style so as to give them a designer touch. Apart from sarees, a wide range of tussar dress material is also available.
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