About Indian Rug Making and Artisans

Indian rug making has been influenced by the designs and traditions of the Mugal empire ruled from the mid-16th to the mid-17th century. Akbar, the Mughal king in the 16th century, set up workshops to exclusively weave carpets for the royal palaces.

In North India, primary rug-making centres are in the states of Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. This weaving activity is prevalent in rural communities. Each handmade carpet can represent weeks and months of production time involving the amalgamation of several unique processes including sheep raising, shearing, spinning and wool dying, designing, weaving, finishing, and finally washing the rug.  

This item has been made using the traditional method of Chindi weaving. Chindi literally means 'torn cloth' in Hindi, the national language of India.

Chindi Rugs are made from old clothing – recycled and repurposed clothing is first sorted into colour piles and then torn into long strips of useable material.  Next, these strips are woven into colourful “plaits”. These plaits are then crafted into beautiful sustainable and eco-friendly rugs. These handmade rugs are usually made in a round or rectangular shape.