Evolution of textiles and traditional costumes in Delhi

Evolution Of Textiles And Traditional Costumes In Delhi, By Ritu Kumar
The earliest evidence of textile production in India comes from literary sources and more concretely from
the remains found in the Indus Valley, where two ancient cities thrived between 2500 and 2000 BC.
Unfortunately, unlike other ancient civilizations like Egypt, where there is material evidence of cloth and
clothing-- no garments have survived from the ancient times in India.We know that the unstitched
garment was worn predominantly in ancient India with the exception of some stitched clothing worn in
the northern parts which includes Delhi during the colder climates. Literary references point to the fact
that varied uses were made of the woven piece of clothing --it was used as the dhoti,, sari ,anga vastra
etc in its multi forms ,the turban for the men and the odhni for the women were also accessories which
made up an integral part of the ensemble of ancient times.In essence when we speak of Indraprastha
the clothing worn was that of a sophisticated population.A minimal use of clothing is often associated
with primitive and underdeveloped cultures. It is important at the very outset to understand fashion in
the Indian context. Nudity or absence of clothing in the warmer months was a matter of choice rather
than an impoverished state of being. The unstitched garment , to put it in modern reference -- the sari or
dhoti of today--so particular to Indian fashion was worn in a sophisticated urban environment and
remained the preferred form of aristocratic dress throughout indias history.The role of clothing was not to
hide but to ornament it, like jewellery and often to accentuate its sensuous attributes.The karpasa or
cotton and the pure unstitched cloth also had sacred connotations. Each of the 16 sanskaras, the rites of
passage from conception, birth,, the Brahmanical naming ceremony, bethrothal, marraige and ultimately
death were, and still ,are marked with a ceremony involving the use of the sacred cotton fabric. The
understanding of textiles and the stylistic repertoires using layered clothing were highly developed .
Jewellry and clothing played a major role in the creation of an aura of kings and the people at the court.
The general population of Delhi also wore what was worn in court, but with simpler fabrics which did
not involve a high degree of complex weaving or dyeing, but were stylistically similar in fashion as that of
the courts.
1-- Marble relief of chakravarty-(Image P19) The men in the mahabharat times may have looked like this
king wearing a long antariya draped around his upper thighs. The pleating is very fine and held in place
by a kayabandan . He wears a lot of jewellry and has a comlexly tied turban . The two figures on either
side depict the image of the typical yakshi, wearing similar antariya and uttariyas , with a long patterned
kayabandhan . The era obviously used a lot of jewellry and the hair was dressed formally in a remarkably
complex and intricately elaborated structural manner.
After the ancient era passed, Delhi came under the sway of a series of ruling powers, most of them from
Central Asia. Around 600 BC Delhi formed a part of the Kuru kingdom, then part of the Magadh empires
and by the 4th century AD, it was part of the Gupta empire. A wide range of clothing seem to have been
used not in chronological order but perhaps simultaneously creating fashions which were both of the
unstitched fashions, as depicted on the various buddhist images that come down to us, Along with a
definitely structured stitched silhouette which perhaps were influenced by the militant lifestyle of Central
Asia . Fashion was not only esoteric as in the case of the buddhist image. Kushan sculpture may reflect
what the citizens of Delhi wore--but it seems that in particuar with the women. There was also a
hybridization . A frieze from Gandhara may give us a clue-- dating from the late 2nd century depicts
Queen maya , the mother of buddha, as a roman matron dressed in an antariya and uttariya giving birth
to the buddha from her left side as she holds the sacred tree. Though her stance and the position of her

hands on the tree bough are in the indian traditon , her facial features and coiffure are distinctly roman.
p--18 Terracotta figure from the Mauryan period.This is perhaps how the style divas of the time dressed--
complete conjecture -- but really possible to have this style and pomp at a court.The emergence of an
urban style of clothing at the mauryan court is expressed in this elaborate costume of this figure . The
figure gives a feeling of style and gaiety not yet seen at the period. The divided paijama, and elaborate
headdress conveys a sartorial vision which reflects a highly developed fashion sense.
P- 22 standing buddha from mathura neighbourind delhi. --The buddha here is depicted wearing a very
fine uttariya made perhaps of a very fine quality of cotton, flax or silk worn and pleated in a formal way.
P- 21 A statue of kanishka from mathura in the kushan period-- ad 78-101 The image is completely
different to the earlier chakravarty or the buddhist fashion of layered draped clothing. Kanishkas is seen
wearing a calf -length, heavily quilted tunic with a choga or coat worn over it. Both are edged with
decorative braiding. His padded boots are strapped and held in place with anornameted clasp and he
wears a pair of trousers tucked into them. The style is often seen in the paintings of central asia. This
rather severe fashion statement must have co-existed with the buddhist robes and the uttariya and
antiriya of ancient india. -- and perhaps was popular during the cold winters of delhi.A very interesting
aspect of clothing seen on sculpted images of gods ,is that the Hindu sun god Surya, is seen not in
unstitched clothes like most gods in the hindu pantheon. He is usually depicted riding aflaming horse
drawn chariot across the heavens dressed in a full sleeved , thigh length coat with rounded sides , over a
tunic and wearing boots.
The classical age of India -- the guptas, depict a fashion which was provocative as well as sophisticated.
P 23 as seen from an ajanta painting the dancing figure is dressed in a tight-- fitting tunic--probably the
cholaka referred to in vedic and post vedic literature . The back is cut high and the breasts are covered .
The front panel narrows at the waist leaving most most of themidriff bare and hands loose over the
antariya. A similar style of tunic is worn in parts of rajasthan todyby the nomadic lohar community of
blcksmiths. The sleeves are made of a dotted fabric which appears sto be tie dyed using the bandhani
technique which we in delhi are so familiar with.The distinctive horizontal pattern on the antariya or skirt
is probably sthat of an ikat fabric . The complexity of weaving and dyeing suggests a great sartorial
repertoire already existed in most of the areas ruled by the gupta kingdom. The profsion fo jewellry and
again the complexity of the hair style adorned with flowers and crowns suggests again that this was a
truly evolved fashion culture existing in the 5th century India.
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With the eventual collapse of the Gupta empire in the 6th century, the classical age of India came to an
end , leaving a better part of northern india fragmented .Delhi came under the sway of various rajput
ruling clans including the Chauhans and the Tomars.An important regional centre under them, Delhi grew
to be the capital of an empire in the time of the Delhi sultanate. Imagery of the clothing of this medieaval
period is scattered . I am showing images which are not precisely from Delhi of the time but do to some
extent, convey the sartorial styles of the era. Women are largely seen in sexy cholis, wearing an
assortment of the sari, lehnga odhni co-ordinates. The special added feature is the profusion of patterned
fabrics used on these images along with the mandatory amount of jewelry favored by the women.

P-- 25 Wall painting of tara .Wearing an antariya intricately patterned . An indigo dyed choli is cut deep
across the bust and opens out beneath to show the midriff.
P--26--detail from a jain kalpsutra of the 15th century All four figures are seated cross legged and are
holding a lotus. They wear antariyas patterned with bold geometric designs which i conjecture are either
printed or painted in a palette of black and burgundy. Most probably vegetable dyed or printed much like
the neighboring villages of bargu and sangener. The jewelry is again consistent to earlier eras as well as
the coiffure with usage of little crowns flowers and so. The image is of women from the indigenous
country with little or no influence on their fashions from the central asian countries.
P-27 both images-- An idea of how the men at the time dressed are from figures worshipping vishnu and
the image of Krishna.The two male figures are dressed in jamas tied on the left hand side as was the
custom in northern india. In one of the images the men are wearing pajamas under the jama while in the
one where krishna is being worshipped the men wear dhotis under the jamas.
Stitched clothing as well as the unstitched clothing formed layers of dress throughout the medieval
period.
The delhi sultanate
The emergence of islam was to have far - reaching socio- cultural influences on India.Initially the early
muslim invaders were marauders but by the 12th century Mohammad, the ruling prince of Gour
embarked on a series of invasions with the intention to build an empire.The slave sultans then controlled
northern india for most of the 13th century.Foreign rulers in a predominantly hindu land they did not
integrate initially, remaining isolated in their courts and retaining their islamic traditions.Their attitude
was matched with equal indifference on the part of the indigenous population who considered their
conquerers barbaric. Around the14th century under the Khiljis and Tughlaks the assimilation of the hindu
and muslim cultures began.The clothing of the sultanate rulers conformed to the central asian style, and
they did not take to the unfamiliar unstitched clothes worn by the locals.The first reference of clothing
worn in delhi during the sultanate period indicate that ensembles were created by wearing an assortment
of stitched garments, one on top of the other. These were generally woven and embellished with gold
embroidery. The karakhanas produced a raised embossed ornamentation worked with zardozi, -- an
embroidery that I have researched, and is said to have been brought to India during the Sultanate
period. The complex embroidery is worked with a wide range of metallic wires and discs.plated with gold
and silver and sometimes embellished with rare stones. There are accounts of karkhanas , royal
workshops patronized by the sultanate courts in delhi which are said to have employed 4000 craftspeople
who produced thousands of robes of honor. Unfortunately none of these robes exist today but some are
found at a later day period which perhaps took their inspiration from the sultanate period.
The oldest indian garment documented is a Talismatic coat . Made in the 15th century for a lodhi sultan
perhaps, it has a long extract of the quern inscribed over it,and is likely to have been used for religious
purposes.
P--29 Talismanic coat
P--196 A heavy velvet khillat probable executed in the workshops of bukhara was presented as a robe of

honor to the patiala family as a gift .
Sweeeping changes during the sultanate times were witnessed in the fashion of the time. A rougher
silhouette with high degree of ornamentation, was introduced in mens clothing while the womens
clothing of the time was influenced , both in the muslim and the hindu courts with the advent of the
purdah system, which confined women to the strict confines of the harem. As a result there are very few
eyewitnesses accounts or pictorial references of women of royal birth, hindu or muslim from medieval
india.The one reference to women is that of Razia Sultan who was the only empress of the sultanate
period who wielded power.She is described as wearing tunics, and a conical hat.
As there are no actual clothing my conjecture comes from the fact that the women would have largely
stayed with their layered central asian clothing, incorporating some unstitched clothing into their fashions
due to the heat of the plains in summer. There is evidence that they wore gowns, tunics, pajamas similar
to those worn by the men, accessorized with scarves and jewelry. A special over garment was introduced
called the hijab or burqa which covered the body completely meant for use by women which still is used
today.
During the subsequent Mughal times Delhi and adjoining Agra witnessed the cultural renaissance where
there was a synthesis of persian and indian sensibilities.The mughal rulers had begun to understand the
uniquely sophisticated culture of textiles in india and encouraged weavers, dyers printers embroiderers
and launderers whose knowledge of crinkling, heat pressing and finishing textiles was invaluable.
Miniature paintings of the time show how fine the clothing of the mughal era had become and how it had
synthesized the aesthetics from the pre sultanate India into the Mughal courts.
In 1911 the British with their colonial powers, decided to move their capital from the lush, humid gentle
environs of Calcutta in Bengal to the dramatically different land of northern India to establish the capital
city of New Delhi, designed for them by Lutyen . The city was a contrast to the Old Delhi , a city which
was once ruled by the mighty mughals , but at the time of 1911 the dynasty had all but disappeared --
along with its sartorial eccentricities. Delhi traditionally has been a city with pomp and ceremony, its
formal courts though at the time of the move had dwindled due to the shrinking patronage and were a
shadow of their original selfs lacking power and energy .Some of the nobility had already left Delhi to set
up courts in true nawabi style in the Lucknow courts. The sartorial pace was indolent and somewhat
worse for wear as quality of craftsman ship had dwindled due to lack of patronage and the systematic
move by the british to replace indian handcrafted textiles with production from Lancashire.
In the same time in the early 20th century British India was changing the fashion perception of the
Indian in several ways. The Indian royalty was rubbing shoulders with the British resident and his
family.The increased social intercourse between royal men and visiting British officials demanded
formality and the rules of conduct and etiquette were strictly adhered to. Festivals, processions , royal
ceremonies, sporting activities and many other extravagant occasions held i New Delhi required the
wearing of appropriate regalia. The very diverse culture of the two created sartorial confusion in many
levels, not least among the fashion conscious . The maharajas sat on the floor and had their meals
wearing traditional dress at home and wore an assortment of indigenous and western clothing when they
sat at a high table in the Regents bungalows. Most of the photographs taken by the royal photographer

Lala Deen Dayal show the Indian maharajas and nobility in a confused array of clothing.Some
maharajahs are pictured in the coronation robes bestowed on them by the British as a mark of honor,
pinned with stars and medals and held together with cropped ropes and jeweled broaches. These are
worn over an assortment of traditional clothes along with a mixture of turbans, topis and juts. The result
of this style synthesis was not altogether successful. The working babu was equally unsuccessful in
confusingly different life styles and cultural diversity. The dhoti, collar shirt,chooridar, kurta, bound and
umbrella was one such fusion in fashion tastes.The women were more successful in tempering their
traditional clothing with the influences of the british ladies --they did not wholly adopt their impractical
gowns but incorporated some of the stylistic details like puff sleeves and lace trims onto their sari
blouses. But by and large the the major change in womens fashions came with the royal women coming
out of purdah and appearing socially in mixed company. The chiffon sari made its appearance. Delhi
durbar and Indira cooch behar---
The memorable Delhi Durbar was held in 1911 in honor of King George and Queen Marys visit to India to
co-inside with the move of the capital from calcutta to delhi. Maharajahs, rajas maharaos, nawabs
nizams, gaekwadsetc set up 233 oral households on a 25 sq. mile camp.Long royal processions were held
with people dressed in opulent courtly costumes ornamented with gold and silver, swathed inropes of
pearls and precious stones , followed by richly caparisoned elephants and horses and elaborate carriages.
This durbar celebrated as never before, the grandeur of the princely courts of India and provided an
unforgettable spectacle -- it also heralded the end of the British raj.
The freedom struggle came , with the advent of Gandhi changing his white flannels and a frock coat to a
dhoti and shawl . He began his journey into the indian headland.and amongst other relevations he began
to gauge the poverty faced by the weavers and the indigo farmers.Also , undserstanding the importance
of cloth and costume as indicators of status , group density and social stratification. Gandhi identified
khaki as a symbol of self sufficiency . Imported cloth was boycotted and as the movement gathered
momentum women came out in the galls of chandni chowk and joined in the burning of imprted clothe. It
was in the 1920s that khaki became the uniform for the first non-co- operative movement and the
sartorial experience.led the next generation of Indians to look at fashion in an entirely different and
indigenous way. A country was led to freedom through the medium of a very visible fashion.
Come 1947-- India heralded its independence with an emotional speech by Jawaharlal Nehru. A new
generation born in the 40s took on the mantle of dictation fashion trends. The individualism and
movement took place with patronage from Indira Gandhis government. Pupul Jayakar and Kamala Devi
Chattopadhya championed the cause of the indian craftsperson, initiated revival schemes of long
forgotten craft areas. The rich legacy of indian textile saw a revival with designers, my contemporaries,
going into the field like bare foot doctors . Handlooms, block prints, bandinis, ajraks, long forgotten
stitches of embroideries in gossamer cottons in lucknow, zardozi- the legacy of the sultanate kingdom of
delhi-- all were researched and revived. Indian fashion became linked to its crafted textiles and Delhi
played host to the Vishwakarma exhibitions celebrating the diversity of our textiles forgotten and buried
for 150 years. The Festivals of India further sent this celebration of Indias crafts all over the world. The
revival had begun.
More has happened in New Delhi in the last 60 years than perhaps has happened in the previous 600
years in terms of fashion, change of attitude and becoming an entity which is truly indian. The young
india has both women and men equally placed to voice the freedom from colonialism. It started in Delhi

university-- fashion was the khadi kurta, kohlapuri chapel and mirror worked jhola. This bohemian attire
gave Delhi its intellectual soul. It underlined the need to dress indigenously. Post independence there was
a ban of imports of any fashion garments . I remember not being able to source a button or a zip. This
further strengthened indian fashion to do the famous Jugaar, where alternatives were found from within
the craft sectors-- further strengthening research. There was pride in wearing a handloom sari, a
wonderful bandini dupatta and a barge printed kurti.
At the turn of the century India joined the international fashion communication mode and the media saw
fashion as not a craft exhibition but an entity which was both glamourous and eminently interesting. The
indian fashion designer had arrived on the ramp. New Delhi slowly from being the centre of textile
exhibitions, began showcasing the same lehngas and cholis on the ramp. This led to a professionalizing
of photographer, choreographers, lighting and sound experts, stage designers, models and make up
artists. The Fashion Design Council of India was formed. The body had established indian designers as
their founder members. The first shows were held with sponsorship by a cosmetic brand. This grew at an
astonishing rate. In 15 years there is a Couture Week, Mens fashion week, and two ready to wear
Fashion weeks held in New Delhi. A number of other fashion events like stand alone shows, heavily
sponsored by the industry, wedding weeks , handloom weeks etc make for a busy calendar for indian
fashion and makes New Delhi the fashion capital of the e.
India has also become a global retail entity. Nowhere is this phenomenon as visible as it is in New Delhi
and its adjoining cousin Gurgaon. Malls have mushroomed all over the capital, they are glitzy state of the
art buildings, offering the best of the international luxury brands. High street brands also find space in
large air conditioned, multi level parking malls. There was a concern at a time when so many options
were available to the indian consumer of the best that the world had to offer, that this would be the
death knell of indian fashion design and we would go the global way and totally take on a euro centric
fashion option.
India is tenacious-- at the time of writing-- indian fashion is definitely alive and kicking -- new delhi
leading the fashion energy and finding its own special niche which most international brands can not
decipher. The retail is healthy with indigenous high street brands-- but the exciting area is the creative
entrepreneur indian designer who is making new silhouettes for a newly affluent indian who does not
want to buy into another culture but wants the glamour and quality of any international brand. New Delhi
has it with a wondrous repertoire of designer boutiques in heritage areas like mehrauli. This is New
Delhis avenue montagne-- but there is a difference . While the multi national driven brands offered in
Paris are the creations of a highly professional , well financed industry which has taken over small highly
talented ex designers. The story of Indias still fledging famous designers comes from a rooted ness in its
textile craft expertise . The numbers and turn overs are modest as compared to a highly established
foreign couture brand, but it makes up for it with is a soul which comes from an indigenous base, created
in the most vibrant of cultures --and situated in historic Delhi amid its old monuments, marrying the old
with the new creating a rare fashion niche which is truly Indian.