Andhra Pradesh offers a rich variety of handmade textiles, each with a distinctive character, tradition, and appeal. Each region of the State has its distinctive style of weaving, dyeing, and printing. As it is said about language every 10 km or so dialects change, in the same way, every village or center has a distinct style for weaving which a connoisseur can distinguish. This adherence to the traditional use of fabrics has been responsible for retaining the distinctive regional styles. Variations were introduced yet the basic factors like the color, design, technique, and the desired effects were retained. Today many of the techniques and design traditions that were extinct, have been retained. Rich variations in textiles continue to be woven in the State. Tradition, however, is too strong to be lost, and there is today a resurgence of traditional and elaborately woven patterns based on old designs, both in silk and cotton in all the centers of Andhra Pradesh. Thus, it is felt that it would be interesting to recount the more important textiles of Andhra Pradesh which are popular not only in India but also in many parts of the world.
The silk sarees of Dharmavaram, Narayanpet, and Pochampally have a distinctive style of their own and have a wide appeal. Gadwal and Kothakota also excel in silk and brocade work and offer distinctive patterns influenced by the motifs drawn from the monuments of the area. Besides, Gadwal offers a combination of cotton and silk with zari checks, a gold border, and the intricately woven pallu.
The finely spun Venkatagiri sarees combined with golden border and gold pallu excel among the cotton varieties. The cotton sarees of Siddipet are also quite popular. Guntur, Chirala, Machilipatnam, Patur, Pondur, etc., are some of the other centers known for weaving a variety of attractive sarees.
Printing on fabrics dates back to the 17th century. The close affinity of printed kalamkaris of Masulipatnam with Persian sources is universally acknowledged. Similarly, the hand painting art of Kalahasti, where the figures of gods were painted, as well as the myths and legends described, has continued to hypnotize the folks.
Pile carpets were probably introduced into India from Iran. There are two centers in Andhra Pradesh noted for the woolen pile carpet industry. One at Warangal and the other at Eluru. Among the mixed fabric varieties, Himroo and Mashru are well-known even outside India.
The artisans of Andhra Pradesh have developed and preserved an awe-inspiring variety of textile art from centuries of eventful history. We are proud to be inheritors of such a glorious tradition.
Thus, it is felt that a comprehensive study of the various varieties of textiles and their manufacturing centers in the State has been studied. While it has not been possible to cover the details of all the centers, this work puts together some interesting writing on the main centers of textiles from Andhra Pradesh. The aspects covered will be of interest to art historians, students of design and textile, and connoisseurs of art.
