Cultural Preservation Through Textiles in the Indian Subcontinent
摘要
The essence of India lies in the cultural practices that have been passed down naturally through generations by its diverse communities. These traditional communities work persistently to preserve their cultural heritage through intricate craftsmanship displayed in the form of extensive traditional textile crafts. These textiles represent the changing socio-cultural narrative over centuries and serve as a testament to the strong cultural beliefs and societal norms of the Indian diaspora. However, due to inadequate documentation, many cultural stories have been lost with time. Textiles like Kantha, Phulkari, soof embroidery, Garchola sari, etc. are believed to serve as protective nature, indicators of prosperity, and good luck and mark the new beginning in the wearer's life. Some textiles are made to facilitate the rituals performed during different ceremonies like Pichhwai painting as a backdrop for the Srinathji idol, Phad painting for performing rituals, mata-ne-phachedi as a goddess backdrop in Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The chapter provides an overview of many such textiles and their role in forming a socio-cultural narrative. The textile traditions revolving around the usage of traditional textiles have been elucidated.