I found these interesting excerpts online from the Costumes and textiles of Royal India by Ritu Kumar
As a taster…
“Among the many hundred gods in the Hindu pantheon is Vishvakarma the God of Craft. He is worshipped by artisans around the country. Every August, Vishvakarma puja is held when craftsmen lay their tools at the feet of a statue or image of the god and pray for his blessings. While it is not known when exactly threads were first shuttled through the warp or when the earliest looms appeared, it has been established from evidence found in the Indus Valley that the skills of weaving and dyeing in India are as old as civilization. The crafts of India are rooted in a continuing tradition, which revolves around the enhancement of nature’s gifts. The creative processes of dyeing, spinning, weaving, painting and surface ornamentation were integrated into the cycle of life and followed the rhythm of the seasons. Craft workers created forms in accordance with the canons written down in the Shilpa Shastras, which prescribed the discipline for the performing and visual arts. By the 16th century a vast repertoire of techniques and designs had come into being and has continued to expand ever since.”
