Dhurries/ Floor Covering of Madhya Pradesh

The dhurries of Madhya Pradesh are well-known for their sturdiness and bright colours. The weaving is mainly done by hand-operated pit-looms. The yarn is dyed into various colours according to a predetermined combination, and is manipulated by hand during weaving to get the required effects.

The floor coverings or jajams of Madhya Pradesh are renowned. They traditionally have a pinkish-white background and red designs. A large number of motifs are used to compose the design and the designs are grouped together and separated by black or dark red lines. The neempatti design for instance has a 24-petal flower surrounded by leaves and other flowers. Some jajams have geometric motifs but the border designs comprise mainly of leaves and flowers. Another variation is the surajmukh design which is a large sunflower.