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. '

Handwoven Carpets : Carpet weaving on handlooms came into vogue during the last decade and is gaining popularity since the product is attractive and comparatively cheap. Unlike hand knotted and tufted carpets, the productivity of carpets on handlooms is high and free from allegations of child labour. Hathras in Uttar Pradesh is famous for the manufacture of these Chennile pile rugs. Among the handloom centers in North India producing floor coverings, Panipat is famous for durries and other heavy varieties where hand-spun yarns are increasingly used.