Textile news
HandloomJharkhand showcases six GI-tagged handloom products at Bharat Tex 2026HandloomPochampally Ikat products get QR-code tagsWeaversGujarat chief minister buys khadi on Gandhi JayantiWeaversThe art of Hablon weaving in IloiloHandloomShortage of weavers despite GI tag leaves Kasaragod Saree hanging by a threadWeaversMinistry of Textiles to Celebrate 12th National Handloom Day on August 7WeaversPM Modi calls upon people to celebrate National Handloom Day by showcasing India’s rich handloom heritageHandloomA first look into RmKV’s newest collection at weaves & wonders ’26WeavesMatières Fécales makes history at Paris Fashion Week with 99 models of colour—and a bold Banarasi touchHandloomSiddipet weaver revives five-decade-old Muthyampet sareeHandloomJharkhand showcases six GI-tagged handloom products at Bharat Tex 2026HandloomPochampally Ikat products get QR-code tagsWeaversGujarat chief minister buys khadi on Gandhi JayantiWeaversThe art of Hablon weaving in IloiloHandloomShortage of weavers despite GI tag leaves Kasaragod Saree hanging by a threadWeaversMinistry of Textiles to Celebrate 12th National Handloom Day on August 7WeaversPM Modi calls upon people to celebrate National Handloom Day by showcasing India’s rich handloom heritageHandloomA first look into RmKV’s newest collection at weaves & wonders ’26WeavesMatières Fécales makes history at Paris Fashion Week with 99 models of colour—and a bold Banarasi touchHandloomSiddipet weaver revives five-decade-old Muthyampet saree
Pallu

Weaves and crafts

Brocade, jamdani, ikat, bandhani, block print, kalamkari, kantha and more: how the pattern gets into the cloth, each drawn.

BrocadeGold and silver zari threads woven into the cloth in raised patterns.31
JamdaniMotifs woven in by hand with a supplementary weft, thread by thread, on a fine cotton ground.12
IkatYarn tie-dyed before weaving, so the pattern emerges with a soft, feathered edge.20
Tie-dyeCloth tied in tiny knots or bands and dyed: bandhani, leheriya and their kin.15
Block printPatterns stamped from carved wooden blocks, in natural or chemical dyes.14
KalamkariPen-drawn or block-printed storytelling cloth, coloured with natural dyes.2
BatikWax-resist patterns, dyed layer on layer.9
EmbroideryStitched by hand: chikankari, kasuti, phulkari, zardozi and many more.39
KanthaRunning stitch worked over layers of cloth, the folk embroidery of Bengal.2
Zari workGold- or silver-wrapped thread, woven or sewn in for borders and motifs.40
Mirror workTiny mirrors held by stitches, from Kutch and Rajasthan.6
AppliquéShapes of cloth cut and stitched onto a base, as in Odisha and Bihar.8
Hand paintingPainted by brush or pen: Madhubani, Kalamkari and others.9
TanchoiDense, small-scale silk brocade woven in the same colour as the ground.1
Temple borderThe stepped, triangular border of the south, like the outline of a gopuram.4
Checks and stripesPlain geometry in the warp and weft: the kodi and kattam of the south.23

The weekly drape

Every Monday: seven sarees you may not know, what is being worn this week, and one drape explained step by step.