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Ikat

Ikat, the technique by which the warp or weft or both can be tie-dyed in such a way that when woven the 'programmed' pattern appears in the finished fabric.

Up to the beginning of this century, Chirala in Andhra Pradesh was renowned for an exquisite type of cotton sari, lungi, rumal and yardage in a range of Ikat techniques.

Due to the heavy use of tel (oil), in the process of preparing the yarn for weaving, this variety of textile has deserved the name telia, meaning 'oily'.