Floor Coverings

Floor coverings have been made from textile fibers for more than five thousand years. India produces a wide range of handloom cotton floor coverings such as 'galichas', 'durries', druggets, prayer rugs, hooked rugs, 'gabbas' and 'namdas'. Among these hand-woven articles the durrie is the most common and is used not only as an ordinary floor covering but also for ceremonial occasions such as feasts and prayers. The rapid growth and progress of the floor covering industry in recent years has resulted in a large range of complex geometrical, floral, figurative patterns as well as traditional designs combined with ethnic motifs. With the recent American demand, durrie weaving has become a large industry in India. 90% of the durries available in European and American markets are woven in India. The states of Haryana and Punjab are noted for their production of picturesque cotton durries. Durrie weaving is still a sizable cottage Industry in the handloom centers in Haryana, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Pathankot. Other centers for durrie weaving are Bhavani in Tamilnadu, Amroha, Agra, Farrukhabad and Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, Bikaner in Rajasthan, Eluru, Adoni, Warrangal and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Madhya Pradesh. '