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Andhra Pradesh Coastal south-eastern state; home of Uppada jamdani, Venkatagiri and Mangalagiri weaves. Arunachal Pradesh Eastern Himalayan state of Tani, Adi and Nyishi peoples with distinctive backstrap-loom textiles. Assam Brahmaputra-valley state famed for golden Muga, Eri and Pat silks. Bihar Gangetic state of Bhagalpur tussar (‘silk city’), Madhubani art and Sujani embroidery. Chhattisgarh Central tribal heartland known for Kosa (tussar) silk and Gond artistry. Goa Konkan-coast state with Indo-Portuguese heritage and Kunbi weaves. Gujarat Western state of Patan Patola double-ikat, Bandhani tie-dye and Kutch embroidery. Haryana North-Indian state with Phulkari-adjacent traditions and khadi cotton. Himachal Pradesh Western-Himalayan state known for Kullu and Kinnauri woollen weaves and shawls. Jharkhand Eastern plateau state of Santhal, Ho and Oraon peoples, and Tussar (Kuchai) silk. Karnataka Southern state of Mysore silk, Ilkal saris and Molakalmuru weaving. Kerala South-western coast famed for the off-white and gold Kasavu (Kerala) sari. Madhya Pradesh Central ‘heart of India’ home to Chanderi and Maheshwari saris. Maharashtra Western state of the Paithani sari, Himroo and Karvat-kaath weaves. Manipur North-eastern valley-and-hills state with Moirang Phee and Leirum textiles. Meghalaya ‘Abode of clouds’; Khasi, Garo and Jaintia peoples and Ryndia (eri) silk. Mizoram North-eastern state of the Mizo people and the Puan wrap textiles. Nagaland North-eastern state of the Naga peoples, known for warrior shawls and loin-loom weaves. Odisha Eastern state of Sambalpuri and Bomkai ikat, and Kotpad tribal weaves. Punjab North-western state of Phulkari embroidery and khaddar cotton. Rajasthan Desert state of Bandhani, Leheriya, Kota Doria and block-print traditions. Sikkim Eastern-Himalayan state of the Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepali peoples. Tamil Nadu Southern state of the Kanchipuram (Kanjivaram) silk sari and Chettinad cottons. Telangana Deccan state of Pochampally ikat, Gadwal and Narayanpet saris. Tripura North-eastern state of the Tripuri people and Risa/Rignai woven textiles. Uttar Pradesh Gangetic state of Banarasi brocade and Lucknawi Chikankari. Uttarakhand Himalayan ‘Devbhumi’ with Garhwali and Kumaoni woollen craft. West Bengal Eastern state of Tant, Jamdani, Baluchari and Kantha traditions. Delhi (NCT) National capital and a historic Mughal court and textile-trade hub. Jammu & Kashmir Northern UT famed for Pashmina, Kani shawls and Sozni embroidery. Ladakh High-altitude UT of the Ladakhi people and Pashmina (Changthangi) wool. Puducherry Former French coastal enclave with Tamil textile and Auroville craft. Andaman & Nicobar Islands Bay-of-Bengal islands home to the Great Andamanese and Nicobarese peoples. Chandigarh Planned north-Indian city UT bordering Punjab and Haryana. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Western coastal UT with Warli tribal art and Indo-Portuguese heritage. Lakshadweep Arabian-Sea coral archipelago with Mahl (Dhivehi)-speaking islanders.

Marwar Arid Jodhpur region of western Rajasthan; heartland of Bandhani tie-dye and mothra. Mewar Udaipur-Chittorgarh region of southern Rajasthan, seat of the Sisodia Rajputs. Shekhawati North-eastern Rajasthan famed for painted havelis and Rajput mercantile heritage. Hadoti South-eastern Rajasthan (Kota-Bundi-Jhalawar); home of airy Kota Doria. Dhundhar Jaipur region of east Rajasthan, a centre of Sanganeri block-print and Leheriya. Vagad Tribal Dungarpur-Banswara belt of southern Rajasthan (‘Little Kashmir’). Saurashtra Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat; a stronghold of Bandhani and tangaliya. Kutch Arid north-west Gujarat renowned for mirror embroidery, Ajrakh and Bandhani. Patan (North Gujarat) North-Gujarat town home to the Salvi double-ikat Patan Patola. Surat & South Gujarat Historic textile-trade coast of southern Gujarat, a zari and silk hub. Konkan Sahyadri-to-sea coastal strip of Maharashtra and Goa; Kunbi weaves and rice culture. Desh (Paschim Maharashtra) Deccan plateau of western Maharashtra around Pune-Satara-Kolhapur. Vidarbha Eastern Maharashtra (Nagpur-Amravati) known for Karvati and cotton weaves. Marathwada Central Maharashtra around Aurangabad-Paithan, birthplace of the Paithani. Khandesh North-Maharashtra Tapi-valley region around Jalgaon-Dhule. Malwa West-central plateau of MP and Rajasthan; Indore-Ujjain-Mandsaur belt. Nimar Narmada-valley region of MP; Maheshwar and its riverine Maheshwari sari. Bundelkhand Historic region across MP and UP (Khajuraho, Orchha) of the Bundela Rajputs. Baghelkhand North-eastern MP plateau around Rewa, seat of the Baghela dynasty. Mahakoshal (Gondwana) Jabalpur-Narmada region overlapping historic Gondwana tribal country. Chanderi Ashoknagar town of MP; source of the sheer Chanderi silk-cotton sari. Awadh North-central UP around Lucknow-Faizabad; home of Chikankari and Nawabi refinement. Braj Mathura-Vrindavan region of UP, the land of Krishna lore and Sanjhi art. Purvanchal (Bhojpur) Eastern UP and western Bihar; the Bhojpuri belt and Banaras brocade country. Rohilkhand North-western UP around Bareilly-Moradabad, a historic Rohilla region. Doab Fertile Ganga-Yamuna interfluve of UP, a historic cotton-growing tract. Kashi (Varanasi) Ancient Ganga city of Varanasi; the loom of the gold-and-silk Banarasi. Mithila North-Bihar Maithili region famed for Madhubani (Mithila) painting. Magadh South-Bihar region around Gaya-Patna, core of the ancient Magadha empire. Anga (Bhagalpur) East-Bihar region around Bhagalpur, India’s tussar ‘Silk City’. Rarh Bengal Laterite western Bengal (Bishnupur-Murshidabad); home of Baluchari and Bishnupuri silk. Nadia–Gaud Central Bengal Tant and Dhaniakhali cotton-weaving heartland. North Bengal (Dooars & Terai) Himalayan-foothill tea belt of northern West Bengal. Sundarbans Ganges-delta mangrove region of southern Bengal. Utkala (Coastal Odisha) Coastal Odisha (Cuttack-Puri) of Bomkai and Nuapatna ikat and the Jagannath culture. Kosal (Western Odisha) Western Odisha (Sambalpur-Bargarh); the Bandha (Sambalpuri) ikat heartland. Koraput Southern Odisha tribal highland, home of Kotpad natural-dye weaving. Kongu Nadu Western Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore-Erode-Salem); a cotton and powerloom heartland. Chola Nadu Kaveri-delta central Tamil Nadu around Thanjavur, land of the Cholas. Pandya Nadu Southern Tamil Nadu around Madurai, seat of the Pandya dynasty. Tondai Nadu Northern Tamil Nadu around Kanchipuram and Chennai. Chettinad Sivaganga region of the Nattukottai Chettiars; bold Chettinad cottons and mansions. Nanjil Nadu Kanyakumari region at India’s southern tip, historically linked to Travancore. Tulu Nadu Coastal Karnataka-Kerala Tulu-speaking region around Mangalore-Udupi. Malnad Western-Ghats hill region of Karnataka, a coffee-and-spice country. Kodagu (Coorg) Hill district of the Kodava people, distinct dress and martial heritage. Old Mysore Southern Karnataka around Mysore-Bengaluru; the Mysore silk region. Kalyana Karnataka North-eastern (Hyderabad-)Karnataka around Kalaburagi and Ilkal saris. Kittur Karnataka North-western (Bombay-)Karnataka around Belagavi-Dharwad; Ilkal and Guledgudda. Coastal Andhra (Circars) Deltaic east-coast Andhra (Godavari-Krishna); Uppada jamdani and Venkatagiri. Rayalaseema Semi-arid southern Andhra (Kadapa-Kurnool-Tirupati) of the ‘royal domain’. Uttarandhra Northern coastal Andhra around Visakhapatnam-Srikakulam. Telangana Deccan Deccan plateau of Telangana; Pochampally ikat, Gadwal and Narayanpet. Malabar Northern Kerala coast (Kozhikode-Kannur); Kannur handloom and Mappila heritage. Kochi (Cochin) Central-Kerala port region, a historic spice-trade and weaving hub. Travancore Southern Kerala kingdom region; Balaramapuram, home of the Kasavu sari. Kashmir Valley Vale of Kashmir; the loom of Pashmina, Kani and Sozni shawl craft. Kullu & Kinnaur Himachal high valleys famed for geometric woollen shawls and caps. Majha / Malwa / Doaba (Punjab) The three historic tracts of Indian Punjab, home of Phulkari.

Padmasali (Padmashali) Telugu weaver community; the name means ‘lotus weaver’ and they weave Pochampally, Gadwal and Uppada. Devanga Southern weaver community found across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra, weaving fine cotton and silk saris. Saliya (Sali / Chaliyan) South-Indian weaving caste of coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. Ansari (Momin / Julaha) Muslim weaving community of the Gangetic plain; masters of the Banarasi brocade and zari. Salvi Gujarat-Rajasthan community that guards the double-ikat Patan Patola. Koshti (Koshta) Marathi-and-Telugu cotton-weaving community of Kabirpanthi and Lingayat faith. Khatri Kutch-and-Saurashtra community renowned for Bandhani tie-dye and Ajrakh block-print. Meghwal Kutch-and-Marwar community famed for fine mirror-and-chain-stitch embroidery. Bhulia (Meher) Western-Odisha weaving community that created the Bandha (Sambalpuri) ikat. Tanti (Tantubay) Bengal’s traditional weaving caste behind Tant and Dhakai Jamdani cottons. Kaikolar (Sengunthar) Ancient Tamil weaving community historically tied to temple silk-weaving at Kanchipuram. Saurashtra (Patnulkarar) Gujarati-origin silk-weaving community settled in Madurai, weaving Sungudi and silk saris.

Indo-Aryan (Indo-European) The largest family in India (~75% of people): Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and more. Dravidian Southern family (~20%): Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu, with ancient literary traditions. Tibeto-Burman (Sino-Tibetan) Himalayan and north-eastern family: Meitei, Bodo, Naga, Mizo, Ladakhi and others. Austroasiatic (Munda & Khasi) Ancient family of central-eastern tribes: Santali, Ho, Mundari and Khasi. Tai-Kadai South-East-Asian-origin family of the Ahom (Tai) and allied Assam communities. Language isolates & Andamanese Unclassified tongues such as Nihali and the Great Andamanese languages.

Assamese Easternmost Indo-Aryan language, of Assam and the Muga-silk valley. Bengali (Bangla) Language of Bengal, home of Tant, Jamdani and Baluchari. Bodo Tibeto-Burman language of the Bodo people of Assam; Dokhona weaving. Dogri Indo-Aryan language of the Jammu region. Gujarati Language of Gujarat, land of Patola and Bandhani. Hindi India’s most-spoken language, across the northern Hindi belt. Kannada Classical Dravidian language of Karnataka and Mysore silk. Kashmiri Dardic Indo-Aryan language of the Kashmir Valley and Pashmina craft. Konkani Indo-Aryan language of the Konkan coast and Goa. Maithili Language of Mithila, home of Madhubani art. Malayalam Classical Dravidian language of Kerala and the Kasavu sari. Manipuri (Meitei) Language of Manipur; Moirang Phee and Phanek textiles. Marathi Language of Maharashtra, home of the Paithani. Nepali Language of the Darjeeling hills, Sikkim and the Himalayan belt. Odia Classical Indo-Aryan language of Odisha and its ikat traditions. Punjabi Language of Punjab and Phulkari embroidery. Sanskrit Classical liturgical language, the root of most Indo-Aryan tongues. Santali The largest Munda language, of the Santhal people; written in Ol Chiki. Sindhi Indo-Aryan language of the Sindhi community and Ajrak-adjacent craft. Tamil Classical Dravidian language of Tamil Nadu and the Kanjivaram sari. Telugu Classical Dravidian language of Andhra and Telangana; Pochampally and Uppada. Urdu Indo-Aryan language of the Ganga-Jamuni and Deccani courts. Tulu Dravidian language of coastal Tulu Nadu (Mangalore-Udupi). Gondi Dravidian language of the Gond, India’s largest tribal community. Khasi Austroasiatic language of the Khasi of Meghalaya; Ryndia (eri) silk. Mizo (Lushai) Tibeto-Burman language of Mizoram and the Puan wrap. Ahom (Tai) Historic Tai language of the Ahom kingdom of the Brahmaputra valley.

Gond India’s largest tribal group, of Gondwana; Gond art and Koya weaves. Bhil Major western-Indian tribe of the Aravalli-Vindhya belt; Pithora painting. Santhal Largest Munda-speaking tribe of the eastern plateau; Santali weaving and dance. Munda Austroasiatic tribe of the Chota-Nagpur plateau (Jharkhand). Oraon (Kurukh) Dravidian-speaking tribe of the Chota-Nagpur plateau. Ho Munda-speaking tribe of the eastern Kolhan region. Warli Coastal-Maharashtra tribe world-famous for white-on-ochre Warli painting. Toda Pastoral Nilgiri tribe known for red-and-black Pukhoor (Toda) embroidery. Naga peoples Cluster of north-eastern tribes (Angami, Ao, Sema…) with warrior loin-loom shawls. Bodo Largest plains tribe of Assam; Dokhona and Aronai weaving on the backstrap loom. Mizo Tibeto-Burman people of Mizoram; the Puanchei ceremonial wrap. Khasi Matrilineal Austroasiatic people of Meghalaya; Ryndia (eri) silk and Jainsem dress. Garo Tibeto-Burman matrilineal people of the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Meitei Valley people of Manipur; Moirang Phee, Phanek and Leirum textiles. Apatani Terrace-farming people of the Ziro valley, Arunachal Pradesh. Rabari Nomadic pastoralists of Kutch and Rajasthan famed for mirror embroidery. Banjara (Lambadi) Itinerant community renowned for vivid mirror-and-coin Lambadi embroidery. Bishnoi Environmentalist Marwar community, guardians of desert ecology. Kodava Martial people of Kodagu (Coorg) with a distinctive draped dress and dagger. Bhutia & Lepcha Indigenous Himalayan peoples of Sikkim and Darjeeling. Baiga Forest tribe of central India known for Godna (tattoo) art.

Rajputana (Rajput) Warrior-clan heritage of Rajasthan expressed in Bandhani odhnis and safa turbans. Maratha Deccan martial heritage; the nauvari drape and the royal Paithani. Mughal–Awadhi court Indo-Persian court aesthetic behind Banarasi brocade, zardozi and Chikankari. Chettinad (Nattukottai Chettiar) Mercantile Tamil community famed for palatial mansions and bold Chettinad cottons. Parsi (Zoroastrian) Zoroastrian community renowned for the Chinese-influenced Parsi Gara embroidery. Sikh (Punjabi) Punjab’s faith-and-farming heritage expressed in vibrant Phulkari bagh embroidery. Kutchi Composite craft heritage of Kutch — Ajrakh, Bandhani, Rogan and mirror embroidery. Chikankari (Lucknawi) Lucknow’s delicate white-on-white shadow-work embroidery heritage. Kalamkari Hand-painted and block-printed natural-dye textile heritage of the Deccan. Kantha (Bengal) Bengal-and-Odisha running-stitch quilting-embroidery heritage. Phulkari (Punjab) Punjab’s floral darning-stitch embroidery on hand-spun khaddar. Toda embroidery (Pukhoor) Distinctive red-black-white counted embroidery of the Nilgiri Toda.