Expert: Ralph Salier - 1/19/2005

Question
Can you tell me the steps used by the people of ancient india for making cotton-cloth?

Answer
The methods have not changed very much from the way it is still done in the rural areas of India.  

The cotton is planted and the fields maintained.  Once the cotton boles are ready to be harvested, they rake the fields and take the boles back to a compound where the seeds are removed from the boles.  the cotton is then carded or streatched using a comb like device which elongates the fibers.  These are then twisted and using a wheel spun into a fine thread used for weaving.

These wheels are still in use in India today and they are very proud of the broad cloth they make.  In fact, it is one of the methods used by Gandi to free India from Britian.