Though Indo-Pak and specially Multan was famous even in ancient times as an exporter of textiles to most parts of the civilized world, few actual fabrics of the early dyed or printed cottons have survived. This, it is explained is due to a hot, moist climate and the existence of the monsoons in Indo-Pak. It is not surprising therefore, that Egypt which has an exceptionally dry climate would provide evidence which Indo-Pak lacks. The earliest Indo-Pak fragment of cloth (before the Christian era) with a hansa (swan) design was excavated from a site near Cairo where the hot dry sand of the desert acted as a preservative. Later, fragments of finely woven and madder-dyed cotton fabrics and shuttles were found at some of the excavated sites of Mohenjodaro (Indus valley civilization). Indo-Pak floral prints, dating back to the 18th century A.D were discovered by Sir Aurel Stein in the icy waters of Central Asia. The evidence shows that of all the arts and crafts of Indo-Pak, traditional handloom textiles are probably the oldest.
Handlooms The Largest Cottage Industry
Handlooms are an important craft product and comprise the largest cottage industry of the country in recent times. Millions of looms across the country were engaged in weaving cotton, silk and other natural fibers. There is hardly a village where weavers do not exist, each weaving out the traditional beauty of India's own precious heritage.
In the world of handlooms , there are Multan checks from Southern Punjab, tie and dye from Gujarat and brocades from Kasur, jacquards again form Multan and phulkari embroidery from Southern Punjab. Yet, despite this regional distinction there has been a great deal of technical and stylistic exchange. Woolen weaves are no less subtle. The Kashmiri weaver is known the world over for his Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls. The shawls are unbelievably light and warm. The states of Kashmir and Gilgit are known for their mulberry silk. Pakistan is the only country in the world producing all four commercially known silks - mulberry, tasser (tussore), eri and muga.
Gilgit and Skardu are the home of eri and muga silk. Muga is durable and its natural tones of golden yellow and rare sheen become more lustrous with every wash. The designs used Gilgit & Sakrdu are mostly stylized symbols, cross borders and the galaxy of stars. The yarn died technique in Pakistan is commonly known as Rangoli in Gujarat, Multan in Southern Punjab, Kasur in Central Punjab. In the Rangoli process, the designs in various colors are formed on the fabric either by the warp threads or the weft threads or by both. Some say that Rangoli is an innovative technique, first created in Multan, which later carried to other area of Pakistan.
The process of resist dyeing, tie-dyeing and yarns dyed to a pattern before weaving were the basic techniques of indigenous dyeing of traditional cloth. Shellac was used for reds, iron shavings and vinegar for blacks, turmeric for yellow and pomegranate rinds for green. Before the artificial synthesis of indigo and alizarin as dye stuffs, blues and reds were traditionally extracted from the plants indigofera, anil and rubia tintorum (madder-root). These were the main sources for traditional natural dyes. Even today, the Kalmkari cloth of Multan is printed with local vegetable dyes. The colors being shades of ochre, deep blue and a soft rose derived from local earths, indigo and madder roots.
Faisalabad has made a significant contribution to the history of hand-printed textiles in Pakistan. Printing is native to the land, its pigments being obtained from the flowers, leaves and barks of local trees and it chemicals obtained from clay, dung and river sands. A new technique has been developed in the sector where warp threads are lined, measured and tied to the loom and then printed. The warp-printed material is a specialty of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The ideal seasons for block printing are the dry months. Excellence is achieved only if the block is freshly and perfectly chiseled. The designs are produced by artists and the designing is kept within the discipline imposed, the type of yarn, the dyes used and the weaving techniques, by the nakshabandhas (graph-paper designers). Pakistan also produces a range of home furnishings, household linen, curtain tapestry and yardage of interesting textures and varying thickness, which have been devised by using blended and dyed yar Given the wide and exciting range of handloom it is not surprising that the rich and beautiful products of the weavers of Pakistan have been called "exquisite poetry in colorful fabrics."