Choḍ Textiles in the Jain Diaspora: Portability, Heritage, and Evolving Practices

In diaspora communities, choḍ textiles—traditionally displayed in Indian shrines and religious settings—take on expanded roles as both devotional objects and markers of cultural heritage. Families often use them in home shrines, community celebrations, and creative displays, reflecting new forms of engagement with religious identity. At the same time, many diaspora-commissioned choḍs continue to be produced in India, with artists and patrons coordinating designs and orders through digital platforms like WhatsApp. This continuity of production alongside evolving display practices illustrates how technology, mobility, and tradition intersect, allowing choḍs to remain central to Jain religious and cultural life across generations and geographies.

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  • Syona Puliady against a brick background, wearing glasses and smiling

    Syona

    Puliady

    Curator of Textiles of the Eastern Hemisphere

    Fowler Museum at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles