Mashru Craft Process

Mashru Craft Process

Mashru. Mashru is distinct from other fabrics because it has two faces, cotton on the reverse side of the fabric, and silk on the outer. The fabric was developed because of religious laws pertaining to Shar’ia Muslim men, who were not allowed to have pure silk touch their body so this fabric composed of silk warp and cotton weft was developed. Mushru is an Arabic word meaning ‘permitted’ and may have been brought to India from the Middle East. The double sided fabric enabled men to wear clothing that had on the exterior the rich, decorative qualities of woven silk. When worn, the cotton weft is inside and the silk faces outwards, Thus when used in garments the cotton layer comes in contact with the body forms an absorbent protective layer to the rich and decorative exterior. Weaving is characterized by its bold colourful patterns and stripes of various colours and sizes, including small floral or geometric patterns in alternate stripes. There are many types of Mashur including sangi, galta, gulbadan and susi, the differences are based on pattern, colour, weave and location of production. Whilst once widespread, the production of Mashru is now limited to Patan, Mandvi, and Surat in Gujurat.The fabric which is still hand woven on pit looms uses cotton and silk threads which are now locally available through traders. In the contemporary scenario, the fabric is now used for decorative cushions and table accessories apart from garments.