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INTACHThe heriTage Club NewsleTTer

JulY - sePTeMber 2015 VOl. 12 No. 3

CONTENTS

Cotton - The Fabric of india 1The Cotton story 2The Fabled Fabric 3Khadi - The Fabric of Freedom 4-5weaving wisdom 6Textile Traditions 7india’s Traditional Textile spread 8-9Modern Mills 10-11activities 4 u 12-14heritage News 15

Prize winners, what’s Next? 16

Dear Friends,Loved by all, cotton clothes are one of the most popular fabrics in India. Clothes made from cotton are light, soft and comfortable to wear. Cotton is truly a miracle fibre. It has been spun, woven and dyed since ancient times and is still the most widely used fibre for making cloth today. The richness of textile traditions has linked people across the world. Cotton is synonymous with our Culture!

Cotton - the Fabric of Indiahailed as the ‘white gold’, history of cotton is as old as history of harappan civilization. Cotton in india is growing since time immemorial. it is called Kurpasa and Karpasum in sanskrit, Qutun in arabic and Karpas in greek. For almost four millennia, the indian subcontinent has produced some of the finest textiles in the world.

at Mohenjo-daro, archaeologists found evidence of an existing textile industry. a fragment of madder dyed cotton cloth was found wrapped around a silver jar. in a hymn to agni (rig Veda, book 6, hymn iX) worshippers of the fire god proclaim:“ I know not either warp or woof, I know not the web they weave”. Down the millennia, the most sought after commodity in trade was the indian cotton.

Making of khadi or hand spun cotton was made popular by Mahatma gandhi during the swadeshi Movement wherein wearing of handmade cotton clothes was encouraged. Cotton has witnessed all the  ups and downs in the history of india. Cotton shares a strong bonding with india. No wonder cotton is called the fabric of India!

MY STORYI am cotton, fluffy and light,Giggling with friends, in sun so brightWe are plucked and rolled into balls,Taken to our mentor-Charkha in the hall.He threads us by spinning spindle onto a spool,We enjoy the ride with fun-so ample and cool.This exciting journey doesn't end here,We're taken to the weaver's loom there.We enjoy the swings-rather a dare,With us interwoven into fabric-you like to wear!Ankita Banerjee, X, D.A.V Model School, IIT Kharagpur

MAGICAL MUSLIN

The earliest reference of this amazing fabric

is from Kautilya’s Arthashastra. Pliny

also mentioned muslin as a prized import item

from India. Muslin is said to have been used as shrouds for Egyptian

mummies.

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Contributions to introduction:Swati Verma, VIII F, P.K.R. Jain Sr. Sec. Public School, Ambala; Divyanshi Arora, VIII E, St. Mark’s Sr. Sec. School, Meera Bagh, Delhi; Kavya Singhal, VIII-B, Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' Public School, Jaipur

I N d I a N N a T I O N a l T r u S T f O r a r T a N d C u l T u r a l H E r I T a g E

So delicate, so light, yet

powerful in our freedom fight!

Illustration by: Arpna Jain, XI-B, Hans Raj Model School, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi

Illustration by: Swechchha

Tripathi, XA, Suditi Global

Academy, Etawah

THE COTTON STORYIndia is a land of rich textile traditions. From the Rig Veda to the times of Harappan Civilization to India’s freedom struggle, cotton has been a silent witness to the changing times and landscapes yet remains the favourite … Let’s explore the world of the Humble Cotton!

ANCIENT PERIOD People at Mohenjo-daro and harappa used cotton fabric.

The rigveda and other ancient texts mention the importance of cotton in daily life.

During the Mauryan period, cotton was an important part of trade. Kautilya in arthashastra written during 2nd century bC has referred to the fine cotton of Vanga.

by the gupta period, about 200 aD, india sold cotton to the Parthians in the west and Chinese in the east.

Mahi Verma, VE, Bridgeford School, Ranchi

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Terracotta panel (1st century BC) showing hand spinning and weaving

MEDIEVAL PERIODDuring the Delhi sultanate, fine cotton textiles were an important part of royal gifts and clothing. ibn battuta mentions fine cotton like ‘shirin baft’ etc. Cambay in gujarat was an important centre for cotton cloth production and trade.

in the Mughal period, especially under akbar, production and export of cotton and cotton textiles continued.

ACTIVITYCan you suggest some interesting names in your local language for fabrics.

Colour Name Meaning

blue

Orange

green

MODERN PERIOD The british and the east india Company wanted raw cotton for their industries and

sold cheap british manufactured goods in india, crushing the poor weavers, spinners and artisans. The british began cultivating hybrid or “New world Cotton” in india.

in mid-19th century, cotton mills were set up by indian industrialists to promote manufacturing of cotton cloth. gandhiji asked people to wear home-spun cotton cloth or Khadi. it became a symbol of freedom.

Heard my story down the ages! I am special. Haven’t you seen your mother wear a beautiful

cotton !!

MUGHAL MULMUL!!During the Mughal rule, the weavers received royal patronage. The kings and queens wore fine cotton called Mulmul Khas. ‘abrawan’ or running water was the next best quality. The lesser fabrics were shabnam or evening dew, ‘Nyansook’ or soothing to the eyes and ‘Nilambari’ or blue skies.

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THE LAMB OF TARTARYeuropeans were amazed by the fine quality of indian cotton, when they got acquainted with it during the middle ages. They turned to the writings of greeks and europeans who had written about their visit to the mystery land where cotton grew, to look for information about this new kind of “wool”. henry lee researched this myth in his book ‘The Vegetable lamb of Tartary’ (1887). There was a place called Tartar where grew a unique plant from which the natives got a light fabric called cotton. The plant was unique, for it was half plant and half animal. The seeds were like gourds and when the buds flowered, little lambs emerged out of it. These lambs were like any other lambs, but they were connected to the plant by an umbilical cord. The stem of the plant was flexible and the lambs could bend down and eat the foliage around. when the foliage finished, the lambs died of starvation. From these magical lambs called “the lambs of Tartary”, the natives obtained soft fleece called cotton which they traded with the outsiders!! This is how like Chinese whispers, lambs of Tartary story evolved!

THE FABLED FABRICFables on cotton travelled with the fabric across the world.Cotton weaves also had their own unique stories.

THE WISDOM OF THE BUDDHA

During the times of buddha, one of his disciples went to him and asked for a new robe. The next day buddha asked his disciple about the old robe. The disciple told him that he was using it as a kitchen cloth. buddha asked him again that now that he has a new k i t c h e n c l o t h , w h e r e was the previous one. The disciple humbly replied that the kitchen cloth is now being used to clean the floors. buddha asked him once again that what happened to the earlier cleaning cloth. The disciple understood and gently answered that the mopping cloth is now turned into wicks used for lighting the lamps. The story conveys a great message of recycling!

The Indians use some kind of wool

that grows on plantsIn India

cotton plants grow. There are

seeds from which grow little lambs

connected to the earth.

WEAVE A WISE TALE !Create your own story in around 200 words with the words mentioned below. The words should be woven into the fabric of your text! You should have a message in the end too!!

•Cotton •King •Farmer •Coin •Rains •Lamp

Title _________________________

Message _____________________

DID YOU KNOW ?

Trade Winds played an important part in sea trade

and that is how they got their name.

Indian traders used the movement of the winds to

travel with their exports of cotton textiles!

TANKO BOLE CHHE (The Stitches Speak)

This is a unique animated docu-mentary which traces the journey of the Kutch artisans towards discovering their identity. The stitches come alive and bring out the events which are traumatic as well as happy. it touches upon the gujarat earthquake and life after that. The film celebrates the art and passion of the Kutch artisans associated with Kala raksha Trust. it is a must see!

VOl. 12 No. 3VOl. 12 No. 3

GANDHIJI AND THE ROLE OF KHADIin india, Khadi is not just a cloth, it was a whole movement started by Mohandas Karamchand gandhi. The swadeshi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods. gandhiji promoted Khadi for rural self-employment and self–reliance. The first Khadi production center was established at Kathiawad, gujarat.Sakshi Bassi, X, P.K.R. Jain Sr. Sec. Public School, Ambala

Khadi rendered an opportunity to every man, woman and child to cultivate self-discipline and self–sacrifice as a part of the Non-Cooperation movement.Sunidhi Bhalla, IX – E, Bhavan’s S.L. Public School, Amritsar

Mahatma gandhi took it upon himself to safeguard the interests of the craftspersons living in the villages in the wake of foreign machine-made goods.Ronak Pattnaik, VII-B, Green Fields School, Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi.

The charkha was taken up by gandhiji as a symbol of swaraj. The national flag during the independence struggle also had the charkha symbol at the centre.Priya Matia, IX- C, Indian Public Senior Secondary School, Yamunanagar

KHADI – the FABRIC OF FREEDOMKhadi means hand-spun and hand-woven cloth. Khadi stays cool in summer and warm in winter which makes it unique. It provides employment to small cotton farmers, is eco-friendly, porous, airy and has simplicity. Khadi played an important role in India’s freedom movement.

The first true indian designer was Mahatma gandhi when he urged the people of india to wear khadi. it was not only a call to create self-reliance but a call to wear something that could prove the unity of india.Saumili Jana,VIII-C, Amity International School, Sec-43, Gurgaon; Ch. Lavanya, Akshara School, Kakinada

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KHADI’S PERSONAL DIARYKhadi writes about her experience with gandhiji in her diary. she shares her importance in india’s freedom struggle. Continue this letter describing Khadi’s journey in india.

Dear Diary,

Tears of joy roll down when I remember those days which I spent with Bapu. I am hand-spun and hand-woven cloth made out of cotton. But in India I am not just a cloth. I was started as a movement. Bapuji promoted an ideology that Indians can be self-reliant on cotton___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jai Hind, Khadi

Khyati Shekhar, X, D.A.V. Model School, Kharagpur

“If you wear Khadi worth 1 Rupee, 13 annas will be paid out of that to the poor people. But if you were to buy foreign cloth that money would go

out of country. The poverty witnessed in this country is not found elsewhere in the world, and if

you wish to remove it you should wear Khadi.”

– gandhiji

Illustration by: Sinjini Bhattacharya, Unison World School, Dehradun

Made by: Gurmehar Seth, XB, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala Cantt,

Haryana

Illustration by: Ronak Pattnaik, VII B, Green Fields School, Safdarjung Enclave,

New Delhi

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I AM KHADIWHO AM I??I AM KHADI!!

Who am I? I am Khadi!Some people say I am ShabbyOthers say I am uncomfortable and coarse.But you must know that I was the oneWho helped to drive out the British without the use of force.I am not machine madeInstead I am spun by the hand.I helped the Indian to throw away their chainsTo rise up and take a stand.

Who am I? I am Khadi!I was often spun on the charkhaBy the Indians who supported Gandhiji,I was respected and worn by everyoneWho lived in the ashram on the banks of Sabarmati.The people wanted to protest against the British They burned all their foreign clothes at the fire,They boycotted all British goodsThey started using me as their daily attire.

So Who am I ? I am Khadi!I helped the Indians attain freedomYup, that was all me!!Madhusmita Saha, D.A.V. Model School, IIt, Kharagpur

ACTIVITY interpret these words of guru Nanak.

Make mercy thy cotton, contentment thy thread, continence its knot, truth

its twist.

;g pj[kk rksi gS] ck:n blds cu x;s xksysAblh ls ySadk'kk;j eSupsLVj dks mM+k nsaxsAAmit, VIII B, Ajanta Public School, Sec-31, Gurgaon

HOW IS KHADI ECO-FRIENDLY?Khadi is eco-friendly because it decomposes in the earth within six months. Khadi is also skin friendly.Himanshi, XII, Lord Mahavir Jain Public School, Ambala; Srinivasan, VIII-F, Delhi Public School, Sec- 45, Gurgaon

KHADI: AN ORGANIC FABRICKhadi is not just any other garment. Not only does it look elegant but it contributes to the ecological balance as well. by wearing Khadi we are actually protecting our skin from the hazards of synthetics. Khadi was the product of india’s freedom movement. No wonder gandhiji concluded that “for every minute i spin thread, is in me the consciousnesss that i am adding to the Nation’s wealth.”Anshika Gupta, VII-G, Gwalior Glory High School, Gwalior

VOl. 12 No. 3

Illustration by: Sakshi Saini, VI-C, Ryan Intl. School, Sector 40, Gurgaon

Made by: Swapnil Sengupta, VIII A, D.A.V. Model School, IIT, Kharagpur

Made by: Sristi, XE, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhawan’s Public School, Jubilee Hills,

Hyderabad

Illustration by: Arshmeet

VOl. 12 No. 3

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MASTER WEAVERSrabindranath Saha

rabindranath saha, a master weaver from Kalna in bardhaman district, developed a technique to make the 500-count cloth using a faster, less laborious method with the help of the Khadi and Village industries Commission.

gajam anjaiah

gajam anjaiah, an indian Master handloom designer is recognised in the handloom industry for his innovations and developments of Tie and Dye handloom products along with Telia rumal technique of weaving. he was also awarded the Padma shri in 2013.

V. gunasekaran

V. gunasekaran, a weaver from sirumugai village near Mettupalayam, 65 km away from Coimbatore, won the prestigious national award in 2010 for weaving.

l. Venkat rao

92-year old l. Venkat rao, from andhra Pradesh’s east godavari, is an expert dyer and designer. he is informally described as the “Pioneer” who brought in Jamdani patterns from bengal to the south.

44 45

METHODS

WeavingWeaving is a technique in which the fabric is woven on a loom, with sets of thread or yarn running parallel horizontally (weft) and vertically (warp) to each other at right angles. Most textiles are made by this method.

KnottingKnotting is a method in which the knots are made with a small shuttle at intervals while weaving a fabric. KnittingKnitting is a method in which a series of interlocking loops of a yarn are made in such a way that a new loop is pulled through an existing loop in a continuous pattern.

BraidingBraiding is a method in which the threads are intertwined together in such a way that they cross one another diagonally, forming a thin strip of a cloth. It is also known as plaiting.

Spread towSpread tow is a method in which the threads are spread into thin shaped strips, and then woven into fabric.

WA

RP. W

AR

P.

WA

RP.

WEFT

WEFT

HERE IS A DIAGRAM TO SHOW YOU

HOW CLOTH IS WOVEN ON A LOOM.

WHEN THE LOOM IS OPERATED

MANUALLY, THE CLOTH THAT IS

CREATED IS CALLED 'HANDLOOM

CLOTH'.

WEAVING WISDOM“As soft and fresh as blossoms, as light as smoke and as delicate and transparent as the vapours of milk, are the fabrics that flow from the looms of the Indian weaver.”

-The Indian Crafts Journal, Dastkari Haat Samiti

PROCESSESSHEddINg

This process involves moving the treadle with the feet to make the alternate warp threads open for the shuttle.

PICKINg

Propels the shuttle to run across to the other side.

BEaTINg

involves patting the weft thread into place.

COTTON WEAVES OF INDIA weaving is a technique in which the fabric is woven on a loom with sets of thread running parallel horizontally (i.e. weft) and vertically (i.e. warp) to each other at right angles. Most textiles are made by this method. Throughout the country, traditional textiles are woven on horizontal or low warp. it is done on variety of looms like throw-shuttle loom, fly-shuttle loom, pit loom, and jacquard.

These movements are repeated to produce the basic fabric. Texture of the fabric is controlled by varying the count of the warp threads, and by weaving them either tight or loose. For making a colorful cloth, colored warp and weft threads are used.

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MAGICAL MOTIFSDepiction of the Tree of life is popular, especially the banyan tree and the Peepal tree. The roots of these trees are known to be the base or foundation of life.

Tree of Life Lotus

lotus is an important motif in indian textiles and one of the oldest sacred symbols in the world symbolising cosmic balance.

Paisley or ambi is a mango shaped motif of indian and Persian origin.

Creeping vine is a motif of Persian origin which came to india through the Mughals. it is used in block prints and is from Machilipattanam too.

fish, tortoise and shankh (conch shell)are motifs related to sea and water bodies and are used in textiles like Kantha of bengal.

Peacock motif is also common. Many a times they are seen dancing around lord Krishna. it is famous in textiles of rajasthan.

DYEING TRADITIONSIndigo or Indigofera is a natural plant based fibre. its use dates back to harappan Civilization. it is a blue colored substance extracted from the leaves of indigo plant. indigo played a very significant role in the struggle for independence.

Indian Madder or Manjit is a vegetable dye extracted from the root of the plant of Rubia cordifolia. it produces red color. The people of indus Valley Civilization used this dye extensively.

TEXTILE TRADITIONS “The tiny needle, a flash of coloured thread, a peaceful silence—this is the ambience that envelopes the Indian embroiderer.”

– The Indian Crafts Journal, Dastakari Haat Samiti

Did you know ?Muslin is a cotton fabric. This name is derived from the Indian town, Masulipatnam or Masalia in ancient times and Calico is derived from

Calicut in Kerala. Kirti Kashyap, X-B, V.V.D.A.V. Public School, Delhi

Chakrika, IX, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Public School, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad

SOME TExTILE DECORATIONS

Printing AnD Dyeing

rajasthan and gujarat

eMbroiDery

Phulkari(Punjab)

Kantha(West bengal)

Kasuti(Karnataka)

Chikankari(Lucknow)

bLoCK Printing

reSiSt Dyeing

bandhej(rajasthan

and gujarat)

Laheria(rajasthan

and gujarat)

ikat(Andhra Pradesh,

odisha and gujarat)

batik(West bengal)

Kalamkari(Andhra Pradesh)

VOl. 12 No. 3

Indigo Dyed Fabric

Block for Printing

Paisley

Peacock

VOl. 12 No. 3

Owing to the rich and diverse culture of our country, different types of weaving, dyeing and stitching methods are found across India.

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Madhya Pradesh ChaNDeri

uttar Pradesh

ChiKaNKariJaMDaNi

Maharashtra

NauVari NagPur saree

goa KuNbi

gujarat

baNDhaNi PaNeTar

iKaT- PaTOla

rajasthan

baNDhaNi KOTa DOria

saree

Jammu & Kashmir

KashiDa

Punjab

PhulKari

himachal PradeshChaMba ruMal

Karnataka

iiKal sareeKasuTi

Tamil Nadu

MaDurai suNguNDiKOra sari

POOrNaKuMbhaM

andhra Pradesh

KalaMKariPOChaMPalli

gaDwalVeNKaTagiri

JAMMU AND KASHMIRaari and Kashida are the two important types

of embroidery that are famous in Kashmir. Chinar leaf (maple) and Pamposh (lotus) are

some of the popular designs.

MAHARASHTRAPaithani weave of

Maharashtra has a special place in the life of women. it is made from natural silk or cotton with precious gold.

also famous is the handloom woven saris of Poona.

RAJASTHANThe art of Bandhani is widely practiced in rajasthan, with barmer, Jaipur, sikar, Jodhpur, Pali and bikaner being the main centres. The art of bandhani can also be seen in the

Kota doria sarees of rajasthan.

Kanika Jakhar, Class 7th, D.C. Model Sr. Sec. School, Sec-9, Faridabad

GUJARATresist dyeing and block printing are two famous methods of patterning the

cotton cloth in gujarat. For example bandhani in Jamnagar and block

printing from ajrakhpur.

MADHYA PRADESH One of the most famous sarees from Madhya Pradesh is Chanderi from

Chanderi district. Coarse cotton sarees are widespread in Madhya Pradesh.

GOAgoa is known for godhadi (quilt) and the Kunbi saree which was

originally worn by women of Kunbi and gawda tribes. it is dyed in red and black and woven in small and large checks.

Eden Lemos, VII, Navy Children School, Goa

KARNATAKAKasuti is a traditional form of intricate embroidery practiced in

Karnataka. it involves putting up to 5,000 stitches by hand and is traditionally made on dress wear like ilkal sarees.

KERALATraditional sarees with Kasavu or golden border  are woven by

inserting extra wefts with hands. Thorthu is a shoulder cloth made of cotton. lungi or Kaili is worn by the men which are in checks

or stripes.

Sita Mandakini, VI, L’ecole Chempakan Society for Educare, trivandrum

Kerala

ThOrThuKasaVu saree

TAMIL NADUSikinaickanpet cotton painted in Nagapattinam district is famous. Sungadi cotton of Madurai is resist dyed with

warp patterned borders. The Korvai sarees are woven independently with two separate shuttles.

India’s Traditional Textile Spread

Chikankari

Sanganer Block printing

Kasavu

Pune cotton

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Madhya Pradesh ChaNDeri

Chhattisgarh TeeN DhaDia

uttar Pradesh

ChiKaNKariJaMDaNi

Orissa

saMbhalPuri KOTPaDbOMKai

bihar

MOTia saree

Jharkhand MuNgia

assam MeKhela ChaDDar

NagalandNaga shawl

MizoramMizO PuaNwest bengal

TaNT, TaNgailbheeTi

JaMDaNi

himachal PradeshChaMba ruMal

Tamil Nadu

MaDurai suNguNDiKOra sari

POOrNaKuMbhaM

andhra Pradesh

KalaMKariPOChaMPalli

gaDwalVeNKaTagiri

BIHARThe plain-coloured and hand-woven

fabrics, usually in coarse count, are known as Motia. while the plain bordered

Motia are worn as everyday apparel, the Baavanbuti sarees are for occasions.

NORTH EASTbodos of assam are the finest weavers in the

entire northeast. sherdukpens textiles of arunachal Pradesh also depict popular myths

and stories of the region.

WEST BENGALbengal is famous for its muslin especially Jamdani. Tangail

sarees are also famous for their extra-weft butis. Kantha involves running stitches, using beautiful motifs.

Urjashi Laha, VIII, Delhi Public School, Sec-45, Gurgaon

ODISHAikat is a popular cotton weave from Odisha. it is also a type of resist dyeing and the patterning is done on the yarn. sarees from Cuttack,

berhampur, sambhalpur, Koraput and ganjam are famous.

Akanksha Panigrahy, VI, Delhi Public School, Sec 45, Gurgaon; Navika Rajput, XII, Pine Hall School, Dehradun

UTTAR PRADESHOne of the most famous cotton

weaving centres of all times, lucknow is famous for its Chikankari work. This

is a style of patterning where white thread is embroidered on pastel shades

of cotton.

JHARKHANDTribal sarees of Jharkhand from hazaribag, ranchi and Palamau are the most famous.

They are mainly made of coarse cotton.

CHHATTISGARHbilaspur and raipur districts of

Chattisgarh are also famous for coarse-count sarees. These are usually wedding

sarees sprinkled with auspicious turmeric.

arunachal PradeshKONYaK, JePO

Manipur MOiraiNgPhee

lasiNgPhee

TAMIL NADUSikinaickanpet cotton painted in Nagapattinam district is famous. Sungadi cotton of Madurai is resist dyed with

warp patterned borders. The Korvai sarees are woven independently with two separate shuttles.

VOl. 12 No. 3

Pochampalli

Kalamkari

Ikat

ANDHRA PRADESH Kalamkari is essentially an art of printing fabrics.

Pochampalli is an expertise of weaving dyed yarn in natural zig-zag or geometric patterns. Venkatagiri cotton and silk sarees are adorned with gold threads with borders of silver. Ponduru in srikakulam district is known for its finest khadi. Mangalagiri cotton fabric is woven only on pit looms, on

which the weaver exerts more force without leaving any gaps.Khushi, IX, Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan’s Public School, Jubilee Hills , Hyderabad

DID YOU KNOW ?

Jamdani of Bengal, because of its intricate patterns, has always been

highly prized. The most coveted design is the

Panna Hazaar (a thousand jewels) in which the floral pattern is

highlighted with gold and silver thread.

Jamdani

VOl. 12 No. 3

MODERN MILLS

HISTORY OF COTTON MILLS IN INDIA

in modern textile industry, the ways of producing the same cloth has changed with time. earlier the weaver would work at home and sell his own produce. Then weavers began to live in settlements and towns. aanchal Bhargava, IX, delhi Public School, Maruti Kunj, gurgaon

The first modern cotton textile mill was set up in 1818 at Fort gloster near Calcutta. The first indian mill was established in bombay in 1854 by a local Parsi entrepreneur, C.N. Dewar. Other such examples were shahpur Mill in 1861 and Calico Mill in 1863 in ahmedabad.Satyapriya Kanungo, daV Public School, unit 8, Bhubaneshwar

James landon established the broach cotton mill in bombay. The first steam driven cotton mill also went in production in 1856. Japjot Singh Bhatia, V, Jankidevi Public School, Jaipur; Mitali Syal, IX, Bhavan’s Sl Public School, amritsar

COTTON PICKINGafter plucking, cotton is removed from the

vegetable matter through a picker.

GINNING AND BALINGginning is the process which is used to separate

cottonseed from fiber which separates seeds and removes the impurities.

CARDING after the cotton comes off of the picking machine in laps, it is then taken to carding machines. in this

process, the fibres are separated and then assembled into a loose strand.

DRAWING, COMBING, ROVINGin Drawing the fibres are straightened with

the help of a Drawing frame. Combing is optional, but is used to remove the shorter fibres to create a stronger yarn. in roving

frames, the yarn is made into a finer thread, giving it more twist and is more regular.

SPINNINGspinning involves process of prepared

cotton roving into workable yarn or thread.     

WEAVING AND FINISHING

The weaving process uses a loom. in the loom, it contains impurities and therefore requires further

treatment to develop it into full textile.

DYEING AND PRINTINGat this stage, cotton is ready for colouration

process and now printing is possible on dyed fabric which is the application of colour to the

surface of a fabric. 

A spinning jenny, originally invented by James Hargreaves

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Illustration by: Oshi Agarwal, X, Suditi Global

Academy, Etawah

The history of cotton mills in India has a rich past. The modern mills in India changed the way we see textiles today. Let’s explore the world of modern cotton mills in India.

Cotton mills added to the diversity of

Indian textiles.

DID YOU KNOW?

Even though the looms belonged to the weavers, yet the cheaper mass produced mill cloth affected demand

for hand-woven cloth.

ACTIVITY: VINTAGE ADS!!Can you describe from these vintage advertisements, the story of textiles from pure cotton to various mixed fibres to synthetic and also mention how consumers have changed.

DID YOU KNOW ?From one cotton bale

(227 kg) we can produce 215 pairs of trousers, 250 single bed sheets,

1200 t-shirts, 4300 pairs of socks or 680,000 cotton

balls.Drishti Narula and Khushi Arora,

VIII, Hansraj Model School, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi

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MADRAS CHECKS!!From spencer’s in Madras to Oxford street in london, there is one fabric that looks like it will never go out of style – i.e. Madras Checks. During the 1960s in the u.s.a, Madras Checks from Chennai were a rage especially

the ‘bleeding Madras’.

VOl. 12 No. 3

Illustration by: Riya Sharma, X B, Dundlod Vidyapeeth, Dundlod Rajasthan

Abandoned Shakti Mills, Mumbai

Illustration by: Yashika Lakra, VIII G, Hans Raj Model School, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi

MILLS THEN AND NOW...Obsolete machinery, competition from man-made fibres, competition from other countries and labour issues led to decline of mills. Today these mills stand out as abandoned structures in Mumbai and many a mill land has become a mall land!!

VOl. 12 No. 3

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DESIGNER MOTIF!Make one traditional and one of your own motifs and remember to make it interesting and unique from the rest of your class.

Traditional My Designer

Motif

describe them _____________

___________________________

___________________________

Activity 4 uCREATIVE WITH COTTON

I LOVE COTTON!!

C - Comfortable O - Organic T - Tasteful T - Traditional O - Old N - NaturalR. Yuvashree, X, Sri Vidya Mandir Sr. Sec. School, Salem

Material required:

• 2bowls• Plasticwrap• Glue• Water• Thickcottonyarn• Scissors• Newspaper

 Instructions:

1. Take a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap and place it upside down.

2. Pour some glue in another bowl and add a little water to dilute it.

3. Dip your cotton yarn ball in this mixture.

4. wind the yarn over and around the base of the bowl mold.

5. Continue until the bowl is covered the way you want it and then cut the yarn. Press the yarn so that it sticks together.

6. allow the yarn to dry.

Torans are the decorative door hangings of gujarat used in almost all hindu houses. They are mostly decorated with embroidery and mirror work.

with the help of waste pieces of different fabrics at home make a colorful toran for your house.

DID YOU KNOW ?Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari

refers to Sonargaon as the place which produced the

finest cotton in India.

BOWL YOU OVER FLUFFY COTTON!Oh soft fluffy cotton;

That grows in a ball

Your fiber is spun into thread

And my beautiful dresses are made from you.

We love you oh cotton!

And pray you continue to grow,

In the hands of many farmers

You bring us all hope and love.

Shanti tamang, IX, Paljor Namgyal Girls’

School, Gangtok

TASTEFUL TORANS

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Hi! i am “gossypium Arboreum”, Fluff- a ball of Indian cotton!

1. Muslin and lucknow’s artistic stitches combine, to create Mughal fashion, clothes cool and fine!!

2. Tie some and tie some not, Dye some and dye some not, unravel the mystery of the dots!

3. The softness of old saris put together a bengali beauty forever !

4. wooden flowers and wooden shapes, Colourful and bright our clothes are made.

5. The blue deities and demons red, by the kalam of Chitoor an interesting story is said.

6. spun by the charkha, woven by the hand, The symbol of swadeshi, india the motherland.

One word topic

Two adjectives

Three verbs

Four ‘feeling’ words

One word summary

WEAVE YOUR WORD A Cinquain is a five line poem consisting of 10 words. the

first word is a noun, second line is two words/adjectives, the third line is

three words/verbs, the fourth is feeling words and the fifth is one word synonym. Write a Cinquain on Charkha or the Sari.

Cotton

Soft Cool

Spinning Weaving Dyeing

Comfortable beautiful Proud Free

Fabric

MY ExPERIENCE WITH COTTONMy experience with cotton is amazing…

I felt the love of God in its softness. I felt my childhood in its soft ball. When I fall down anywhere or anytime I immediately remember cotton.

Once I fell down and it hurt me a lot. I cried and my mother suddenly came there and she picked up a soft cotton ball, and she wiped my tears with love.

Today the soft cotton balls reminded me of the love of my mother.

And thanks for making me remember my experience !

Phebe tamang, Vii, Paljor namgyal Girls’ School, Gangtok

TEXTILE TWISTERSVOl. 12 No. 3

Background Illustration by: V. Y. Bharani, X, Sri Seshaas International Public School, Salem

Illustration by: Anupama Chaudhary, X A, Suditi Global Academy, Etawah

VOl. 12 No. 3

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COTTON CHARACTERISTICSThere are three broad types of cotton recognised on the basis of length, strength, and structure of its fibre. long staple cotton (fibre length – 24 to 27mm), Medium staple cotton (fibre length – 20 to 24mm), short staple cotton (length less than 20mm).

its physical properties are: solid state, light in weight, highly compressible and white colour.

Akshat Dev, IX F, Sunbeam Suncity School, Varanasi; Sakshi Saini , VI C, Ryan

International Public School, Sec-40, Gurgaon; Sagar Mowdgal, VII, Global

Indian International School, Noida

care for cotton

DELHI METRO GOES CRAFTSY!The Ministry Of Textiles, Government of India, recently took this initiative to familiarise people with Indian textile crafts. In collaboration with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), an exhibition of some traditional textiles has been opened at the INA metro station on the yellow line. This is the station for Delhi Haat.

CONSERVE YOUR GRAND-MOTHER’S SAREE!!

The major cause of decay in cotton textile is the environment it is stored in. Cotton textiles can be preserved from further damages by regulation of environmental factors including light, temperature, humidity, chemical reactions and air pollutants.

Storage: Proper storing environment for textiles should be clean, dark, cool, and moderately dry, with a constant temperature and relative humidity. Flat storage is the best option for fragile pieces because it gives the fibers support.

Handling: Fragile old cotton cloth should be handled with care. when handling them, gloves must be worn because our hands contain oils which can further corrode them.

Cleaning: The best method for extending the life of cotton is proper cleaning. For old textiles vacuuming is the safest method.

Name of the Textile.........................................................................................

Your Name ............................................................ Class ..................................

School .................................................................... Date ...................................

SKetCH oF tHe textiLe

STUDY OF TExTILE CRAFT

What is the local name of the textile ?........................................................................What is the local name of the craftsperson?.............................................................What are the raw materials used for this textile?...................................................What are the tools used?.................................................................................................Where does the craftsperson get the material from?.............................................How many craftspersons are involved in making this textile?.................................Is the textile made by hand only or is it partly machine made?.............................Where is this textile sold?...............................................................................................How is it transported to the market?...........................................................................What are the uses of the textile?...............................................................................

Send your entries to us and the best entries would be suitably awarded. Do send them by 15th August 2015.

Ma,You take so much care of granny’s

saree !!

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Heritage News

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School Address / Individual Address __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________ State _________________________________

Subscription Amount - rs 100 (4 issues) English Hindi

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Signature _________________ Date __________________ Place _________________

subscribe to : INTACH

Lakshmipat Singhania School, Rajsamandstudents of lakshmipat singhania school, rajsamand made handmade posters highlighting the hygienic and unhygienic environment respectively with the pledge ‘i will not litter; i will not allow others to litter’.

V.C.W Arya Vidya Mandir, MumbaiThe V.C.w arya Vidya Mandir heritage Club students participated in the history Quiz and also bought bookmarks with their names inscribed in brahmi, Kharoshti, etc.

Global Indian International School, Bangaloreglobal indian international school, bangalore visited Visvesvaraya industrial and Technological Museum and watched the show “The solar system” with great excitement.

Sri Sankara Vidyashramam Mat. Hr. Sec. School, Thiruvanmiyur, ChennaiDuring the Madras day celebrations, students of sri sankara Vidyashramam Mat. hr. sec. school, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, exhibited the models of the fishing villages and some made craft items from   eco –friendly palm leaves.

Delhi Public School, Sec -45, GurgaonDelhi Public school, sec -45, gurgaon celebrated earth Day, students depicted earth as a sad face and mentioned five reasons for its unhappiness using speech bubbles.

VOl. 12 No. 3

LOG ON TO www.youngintach.org, register and download our free worksheets.

We have many new exciting activities, worksheets and information for schools.

We welcome the new heritage clubs to our intACH family from Solapur, Samba, Allahabad, Kodaikanal, Mizoram,Wai, Panchgani, Delhi and Shimla.

VOl. 12 No. 3

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references1. rosemary Crill (ed.) Textiles From india:

The global Trade, 20062. rta Kapur Chishti, rahul Jain and

Martand singh (ed.) Tradition and beyond: handcrafted indian Textiles, 2011

3. sanskriti: Museum Of indian Textiles, 2011

4. Martand singh, Khadi - The Fabric of Freedom

5. rta Kapur Chishti, saris: Tradition and beyond

6. D.N. saraf, in the Journey of Craft Development (1941-1991)

7. aditi ranjan, Textiles of india 8. The indian Crafts Journal,

Dastakari haat samiti9. www.houseofkhadi.com/

What-Is-Khadi/

WHAT'S NExT?PRIzE WINNERS

Do you have any ideas, comments or suggestions to make Young iNTaCh more interesting? we welcome any thoughts on what themes you would like us to select for the upcoming issues of Young iNTaCh.

Please write to:

Purnima dattheritage education and Communication service (heCs)indian National Trust for art and Cultural heritage (iNTaCh)71, lodi estate, New Delhi 110003Tel: (011) 24641304, 24645482, Fax: (011) 24611290email: hecsintach@gmail.com, website: www.youngintach.org

FEEDBACK

October-December 2015Celebrating Nature’s ColoursNature in its various colours is a celebration in india. Festivals are associated with change of seasons. in about 100 words write on any one:• Uniquefestivalinyourstateassociated

with nature, seasons, sowing, harvesting etc.

• Legendsanddeitiesassociatedwiththefestival.

• Thefestival’suniquecustomsincludingfood,dressesanddecorations.• Special songs associated with the festival (write in your own local

language with the translation).

You could also send us a sketch, painting or self-clicked photograph of you celebrating the festival.

last date for entries: august 15, 2015

January-March 2016Cave CreationsCaves were considered to be the earliest homes for Man. Many such caves can be found in abundance all over the country. in about 100 words you could write on any one of the following:• Formation of caves, kinds of caves and

their natural history.• Cave architecture in india -buddhist caves, Jain caves, cave temples,

cave monasteries etc.• Cave art from prehistoric times till date.• a unique cave or cave art from your state and local legends associated

with it.You may accompany your write-up with a sketch, painting or a personally clicked photograph.last date for entries: November 15, 2015

To know more about iNTaCh, visit: www.intach.orgTo know more about heCs projects and publications, visit: www.youngintach.org We are grateful to the Ministry of Culture for supporting Young INTaCH, a quarterly heritage newsletter for and by children that has about 1.5 lakh readers and the number keeps on going higher with each issue.

CreditsPurnima Datt

research & Content development arushi Mathur, sakshi ghosh, aakriti suresh, alphonsa Tom

Illustrations Yatindra Kumar

Editing bashobi banerjee

acknowledgement Material heritage Division, iNTaCh

design and Printing Colorcom advertising

Circulation and Subscription Moby sara zachariah

Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

arpna Jain, Xi-b, hans raj Model school, Punjabu bagh, New DelhiSwechchha Tripathi, Xa, Oshi agarwal, X, anupama Chaudhary, X a, suditi global academy, etawahankita Banerjee, X, Khyati Shekhar, X, Madhusmita Saha, Swapnil Sengupta, Viii a, D.a.V Model school, iiT, KharagpurSwati Verma, Viii F, Sakshi Bassi, Xth, P.K.r. Jain sr. sec. Public school, ambala divyanshi arora, Viii e, st. Mark’s sr. sec. school, Meera bagh, DelhiKavya Singhal, Viii-b, Maharani gayatri Devi girls’ Public school, JaipurPriya Matia, iX- C, indian Public senior secondary school, Yamunanagarronak Pattnaik, Vii b, ronak Pattnaik, green Fields school, safdarjung enclave, New Delhigurmehar Seth, Xb, Convent of Jesus and Mary, ambala Cantt, haryanaSunidhi Bhalla, iX – e, Mitali Syal, iX, bhavan’s s.l. Public school, amritsarSinjini Bhattacharya, unison world school, Dehradunanshika gupta, Vii-g, gwalior glory high school, gwaliorarshmeet, amit, Viii b, ajanta Public school, sec-31, gurgaonSakshi Saini, Vi-C, ryan intl. school, sector 40, gurgaonHimanshi, Xii’ lord Mahavir Jain Public school, ambalaSrinivasan, Viii-F, Delhi Public school, sec- 45, gurgaonChakrika, iX, Khushi, iX, Sristi, Xe, bharatiya Vidya bhavan’s Public school, Jubilee hills, hyderabadKanika Jakhar, Vii, D.C. Model sr. sec. school, sec-9, Faridabad Eden lemos, Vii, Navy Children school, goaSita Mandakini, Vi, l’ecole Chempakan society for educare, Trivandrum urjashi laha, Viii, akanksha Panigrahy, Vi, Delhi Public school, sec-45, gurgaonNavika rajput, Xii, Pine hall school, Dehradunaanchal Bhargava, iX, Delhi Public school, Maruti Kunj, gurgaonSatyapriya Kanungo, D.a.V. Public school, unit 8, bhubaneshwarJapjot Singh Bhatia, V, Jankidevi Public school, Jaipur r. Yuvashree, X, sri Vidya Mandir, sr. sec. school, salem V.Y. Bharani, X, sri seshaas international Public school, salemPhebe Tamang, Vii, Paljor Namgyal girls’ school gangtok, sikkimakshat dev, iX F,sunbeam suncity school, Varanasi Sagar Mowdgal, Vii, global indian international school, Noidariya Sharma, X b, Dundlod Vidyapeeth, Dundlod rajasthanYashika lakra, Viii g, hans raj Model school, Punjabi bagh, Delhidrishti Narula and Khushi arora, Viii, hansraj Model school, PunjabiShanti Tamang, IX, Phebe Tamang, Paljor Namgyal girls’ school, gangtokKirti Kashyap, X-b, V.V.D.a.V. Public school, DelhiSaumili Jana,Viii-C, amity international school, sec-43, gurgaonCh. lavanya, akshara school, KakinadaMahi Verma, Ve, bridgeford school, ranchi

Textile Twisters Answers: 1. Chikankari, 2. Tie and Dye, 3. Kantha, 4. Block Printing, 5. Kalamkari, 6. Khadi