Cloth for woman's veil (Telia dupatta) or man's waist wrap (Telia lungi)

This cotton ikat fabric is from an unused stockpile of similar telia cloth - so-called because the traditional dyeing process involved treating the threads with sesame oil (tel). Produced in the southeast Indian coastal town of Chirala, telia cloth found a ready market in Hyderabad, the area's main trade center. The fabric, often decorated with white embroidery, made an attractive head covering for women. Men wore it plain as a waist wrap.