In the most beautiful and enchanting land of India, there continues a famous tradition of carpets of the highest quality and beauty unparalleled anywhere

India offers a wide range of floor coverings that have evolved over the centuries to suit a variety of tastes, climates and budgets. The woolen and silk carpets are more renowned compared to the other materials such as cotton and several vegetable fibres, which are used the early stages, the motifs used in the Indian carpets were purely Persian. Later, various other designs were introduced from Afghanistan, Turkey, China, Morocco and France. Gradually, the pile carpet industry was Indianised and assumed a character of its own.

Each region developed a distinct style of carpet weaving. In the mountainous regions of India, from Ladakh through Darjeeling in West Bengal and Sikkim to Manipur, carpets are made of pure wool in glowing colors. The predominant motifs are those of the dragon, snow-lion and lotus. Patterns are also taken from Buddhist iconography with dhawaja (flag), the kalash (water-vessel) and the twin fish being favorites. Carpets from these regions are based on techniques that are as distinct as the motifs. These are essentially Central Asian in tradition. For over 2500 years the patterns reproduced were those of flowers arabesques and rhomboids with an occasional animal design. The patterns have never become outmoded. Some motifs have a profound meaning: the circle signifies eternity, the zigzag water and light, the swastika darkness and the tree happiness and goodness.