By Tanushri Krishna:
Fredrick Max Muller, the famous historian once said that if God asks him to define a paradise, he would think of only one country, that’s India. This country has been the epicenter of glorious cultural diversity and majestic historical dynamism. From the days of Ramayana and Mahabharata till the invasions of Mughals and the British, this land has witnessed variant traditions and customs. The most brilliant point is that this country has welcomed all and has absorbed their relative norms and conditions. India is surely the only country in the entire world which serves the beautiful and perfect amalgamation of modernity and tradition which differentiates it clearly from the rest of the world.
Different regions of this country have harnessed their corresponding customs and styles which have been their symbol of recognizance and have in turn developed a huge paradigm of unparalleled aesthetic sense and unmatched vibrant culture. Weaving is the one name which binds this vast land into a colorful framework with its dimensions marked with venerable layouts and dignified interpretations. It has been a “way of life” for the people than merely being a tradition as it inculcates their variant outlooks and cognitive abilities. Whether it is Pigment painted textiles of Gujarat or the dye paintings famous at Agra and Sironj, these diversified designs and patterns depict the historical legacy of India.
The textile industry underwent a great tussle for identical proof as there was a huge political and cultural revolution raged in the entire country. The art of block printing were different depending on the regions where a number of factors decided the colors and patterns of the clothes. The kind of water available, the character of local woods and carving techniques had a great influence over the quality of the printing which meant that the weavers had to depend on local ecology.
What is the most striking feature is that this art did not set its limits within the Indian borders but also deciphered the centrality of cross border exchanges. Most stimulated and enduring trade conversations account on the creative interchange of Indian and Indonesian designs. The sacred connotations attributed with these textiles were a scoring factor for raising the market value. The Indonesian weavers preserved the Indian patterns and some of them even modified these designs into their majestically cultivated interpretations. The landscape and the flowering tree designs were a common feature of both Indian and Indonesian cloth designing.
The depth of the textile exchanges between these two countries reveals the involvement of the commercial aspect which attracted numerous traders who were profit motivated. Textiles are arguably and culturally significant art form throughout the Indonesian region. Ornamental techniques and thread weaving and pattern dyeing are the innovative characteristics of Indonesian art form. More than just a symbol of wealth status, the clothes also represented the aristocratic heights and spiritual independence.
The cultural and commercial base of any country should be strong enough so that it can harness the ability to stand apart in the entire global framework and thus channelize the cultural communication within itself and others. Religion as well has imparted grave influences over the sequences of the art designs. For e.g. Islam in Indonesia had preserved its own connotations deciphered from the Indian textiles and also tried to mould the designs according to their own sets of beliefs. The textile industry of India had been greatly affected with the different kinds of regimes and dynasties who ruled here and thus harvest escalated and vibrant forms of captivating patterns and color amalgamation. Today the entire global scenario is such that the world market is inclining towards the depth of these art forms and thus is becoming cognizant of the paramount importance of these culturally communicative channels which in turn is acting as an action of force for its revival and upgradation.