Google Doodle Celebrates India's Independence Day By Showcasing Its Various Extraordinary Textile Traditions

As India celebrates its 77th Independence Day, Google on Tuesday (15 August) marked the day with a special doodle showcasing textile traditions from the country's various regions.

The textiles used in the doodle and their regions include the pattu weave of Himachal Pradesh, the pashmina kani woven textile of Jammu and Kashmir, the paithani weave of Maharashtra, the Naga woven textile of Nagaland, the ilkal handloom weave of Karnataka, and the jamdani weave of West Bengal. (Check the full list of 21 here.)

"In this artwork, each textile showcased is a testament to the collective craftsmanship of skilled artisans, cultivators, weavers, dyers, printers, and embroiderers. Together, they create these extraordinary textiles that embody the essence of India's creative spirit," guest artist Namrata Kumar, who illustrated the doodle, told Google.

The New Delhi-based artist and graphic designer shares a special connection with Indian textiles. Her mother is a textile designer. She, therefore, grew up surrounded by textiles from diverse regions.

Kumar then graduated from the Srishti School of Art & Design, Bengaluru, in 2010 and has been a practising graphic designer, illustrator, and painter ever since.

For the doodle, Kumar researched and identified the diverse textile craft forms present in India, selected visually engaging textiles, and composed the patchwork from all of the selected textile swatches.

"I sought to cover a broad spectrum of techniques, encompassing embroidery, different weaving styles, printing techniques, resist-dyeing techniques, hand-painted textiles, and more," Kumar said.

"Additionally, I wanted to ensure that I represented different geographical regions of the country in a balanced manner," she added.

The artist shared that her overaching goal throughout the creative process was to "honour and celebrate India's textiles and their profound connection to the nation's identity."

"My hope was that through this artwork, I would be able to shed a light on the rich cultural heritage and artistic brilliance of India's textile traditions...," Kumar said.