This Independence Day, Google is honouring the rich textile heritage of India with a special Doodle that showcases textile designs from 21 regions. This year, India is celebrating its 77th Independence Day. Delhi-based guest artist Namrata Kumar illustrated the Google Doodle. However, for centuries, India has been celebrated for its exquisite craftsmanship in fabric weaving and dyeing. From the elegant silk sarees of Varanasi to the intricate designs of Kanchipuram, Indian textiles have become an integral part of our culture and daily lives.
Taking to Instagram, Namrata wrote, “Through this artwork, my objective was to invite the audience to recognise the role of Indian textiles in shaping the county’s identity, past, present, and future."
India’s textile heritage dates back to antiquity. In ancient India, cotton was the most preferred cloth for ordinary people, while silk was reserved for the elite. Weaving and dyeing were highly sophisticated arts which served both utilitarian and aesthetic needs. Over thousands of years, skilled Indian artisans created a vast array of fabrics with intricate patterns and vibrant colours.
Today, India is home to some of the most well-known fabric-producing regions in the world. The hand-woven fabrics of Banaras, Chanderi, and Maheshwari are renowned for their softness and durability. The skilful tie-dyeing techniques used in Gujarat and Rajasthan create stunning patterns on vibrant fabrics. In Bengal, artisans produce traditional Kantha embroidery on fine muslin fabric.
Google’s Doodle is a tribute to this rich tradition of Indian fabric-making. It depicts a traditional spinning wheel with colourful threads wrapped around it. The Doodle is accompanied by an animation which shows the spinning wheel in action, as well as a variety of fabrics being woven or dyed. The Doodle also celebrates the current generation of makers and weavers in India who are keeping these traditions alive with their hard work and dedication.
Not only is this Google Doodle a celebration of India’s textile heritage, but it also serves as an important reminder of the need to preserve these traditions for future generations. In recent years, there has been a decline in demand for handwoven fabrics due to rising prices and competition from mass-produced garments. This has had a negative impact on the livelihoods of many artisan weavers across India. It’s important that we continue to support traditional craftspeople by buying authentic handcrafted garments from them so that their skills can be passed down to the next generation.
