Weaving in India

Have you ever seen women wearing colorful silk saris? These woven fabrics are examples of textiles from India. India is a vast, diverse country with a rich history of weaving. Weaving is the process of making textiles by interlacing fiber threads. Examples of Indian cotton textiles date back 5,000 years ago. References to hiranya, or cloth made of gold, can be found in the ancient Vedas texts.Weaving centers in India made saris for royalty in the 12th and 13th centuries. Saris are women's garments made from a single, long piece of fabric. By the time trading customs were established along the fabled Silk Road, India was well known for its woven textiles.Regions, villages, and communities throughout India have unique weaving traditions with distinct customs and patterns. Depending on the location, textiles may be woven from cotton, wool, or silk. Today, weaving remains important to India's economy with roughly 4.3 million people involved. The country even has a Ministry of Textiles.