50 iconic Indian heritage textiles by UNESCO

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

UNESCO has released a list of 50 exclusive and iconic heritage textile crafts of India under the title “Handmade for the 21st Century: Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textile”.

What are the textiles listed in the UNESCO document?

• The UNESCO document lists the histories and legends behind the textiles, describes the complicated and secret processes behind their making, mentions the causes for their dwindling popularity, and provides strategies for their preservation.

Some of the textiles mentioned are: 

• Khes from Panipat, Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh, Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh and Awadh Jamdani from Varanasi.
• Ilkal and Lambadi or Banjara embroidery from Karnataka, Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari from Thanjavur, Toda embroidery and Sungadi from Tamil Nadu and Himroo weaves from Hyderabad.
• Kunbi weaves from Goa, Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat, Himroo from Maharashtra and Garad-Koirial from West Bengal and Bandha tie and dye weaving from Sambalpur in Odisha.

Significance of this document: 

• This list by UNESCO is significant as one of the major challenges to the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South Asia is the lack of proper inventory and documentation. 

Lists by UNESCO

• The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – Includes cultural practices and expressions that assist to highlight the variety of this heritage and raise awareness of its significance.
• The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding – Is made up of cultural aspects that concerned groups and countries consider vulnerable and in need of immediate protection.

UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Aim: Ensuring the better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and creating awareness of their significance.

This list has been classified into five broad domains in which intangible cultural heritage is manifested:

• Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage
• Performing arts
• Social practices, rituals and festive events
• Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
• Traditional craftsmanship