It is not by chance that the people of ancient India
expressed their philosophical ideas and summarized their worldview
using textile terminology. The word for "attribute" is the same as that
for a single thread and the term for "speculation" and that for spindle
are from a common root.

– Dr. Jyotindra Jain

India's varied geography and climate have stimulated an extraordinary diversity in clothing and furnishings. Clothing is also a key to identification of community, marital status and hierarchy in a complex society. For centuries, the finest work of India's weavers and dyers has been part of the ceremonial life of peoples in India, and other parts of Asia and Africa. Today, the work of the country's weavers, embroiderers and quilt makers has become an art form used to communicate with the rest of the world. Small cooperatives have been formed, giving many of the traditional workers a steady income and a certain amount of autonomy.