BENGALURU: For centuries, India was a textile powerhouse, its vibrant fabrics reaching distant corners of the earth. But unlike its well-documented textile trade with Europe and Southeast Asia, India’s trade with Sri Lanka is rarely explored. Starting next month, a new exhibition from the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) does just that. ‘Chay Reds, Ferrous Black: The Untold Stories of Indian Trade Textiles in Sri Lanka,’ curated by textile designer and researcher Yash Sanhotra, takes us back to a time when textiles didn’t just clothe people or decorate homes – they carried stories, symbols, and connections across borders.
“When we talk about trade between India and Southeast Asia or India and the West, it’s usually well-documented and researched. But trade with India’s closest southern neighbour, Sri Lanka, isn’t as frequently discussed,” Sanhotra explains. “The time period we’re exploring is broad, but the textiles in the collection date mainly from the late 18th to the 19th century. Textiles are highly perishable, so it’s difficult to find earlier pieces because they often don’t survive changes in environment, and general decomposition.”
The exhibition delves into Sri Lanka’s deep-rooted connections with India, tracing the evolution of trade relations over centuries. The earliest trade associations, according to historical records, include the arrival of Indian settlers in the fifth century BCE. Further Dravidian influence continued with Chola reigns in Anuradhapura around the second century BCE, and the arrival of Buddhist emissary Mahinda from the Mauryan Empire further strengthened these ties. Sri Lanka’s position along the ancient Maritime Route – a vast network linking China, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe – allowed it to become a nexus for exchanging goods, including textiles, and facilitated the Sri Lankan market’s broader appreciation of Indian textiles.
“The Sri Lankan taste in Indian textiles was much wider compared to the Southeast Asian and Western markets that had very specific tastes in textiles,” Sanhotra notes. One of the exhibition’s highlights, the somana tuppotiya – a traditional lower wrap-around garment – captures these overlapping influences, with design elements reflecting both South Asian and other international tastes.
When it opens, the exhibition will feature three sections. The first section explores costumes, such as the somana tuppotiya, showcasing how Indian textiles became woven into Sri Lankan clothing traditions. The second section highlights palampores - elaborate fabrics that served as bed covers, wall hangings, and sometimes even sacred objects in religious rituals. Used in homes and temples alike, these textiles reflect the artistic influence of Indian textiles in Sri Lanka’s everyday and spiritual spaces. The final section turns to textiles with spiritual significance, such as temple flags and cloths used in ritual contexts. These pieces incorporate symbolic motifs, including the peacock, an icon of kingship and power; the pomegranate, linked with fertility; and the elephant, an emblem of royalty and faith. Additional motifs specific to Sri Lanka include mythical creatures such as Garuda-vahana, makara, kindura, and Gandaberunda, rendered in the distinctive red and black tones favoured locally.
The exhibition’s title, ‘Chay Reds, Ferrous Black,’ refers to the striking dyes used in these textiles. Chay, a root that produces a deep red dye, was abundant in Sri Lanka, and its use became a hallmark of locally produced fabrics. While large, intact textiles are commonly displayed in museums, this exhibition gives equal attention to fragments, some no bigger than a few centimetres. “These fragments hold so much information,” Sanhotra explains. “It’s quite rare for people to actually display these tiny pieces - some are only four or five centimetres. They carry so much detail, yet it’s a challenge to bridge gaps and find references for such small pieces.” To provide additional context, the exhibition also features visuals from international collections. “Just displaying fragments might not give visitors a full sense of what the original textiles looked like, so we include visuals of textiles from other museums to give that context,” he explains.
For Sanhotra, the exhibition is a chance to expand the understanding of South Asia’s cultural landscape. “When we talk about South Asia, it’s often seen as a single cultural archipelago,” he reflects, “but each culture in South Asia is working hard to establish distinct cultural identities. Our goal is to unearth and reveal thought-provoking narratives that resonate close to home.”
(Chay Reds, Ferrous Black: The Untold Stories of Indian Trade Textiles in Sri Lanka will open on Nov 9 at the Museum of Art & Photography on Kasturba Road and will be on display until March 1, 2025. Tickets are priced at Rs 30 and available at map.everyticket.in)