Twastree Chakravarty
The archetypal representation of an Indian woman is mostly found draped in a saree. This 5-yard long clothing concept is nothing less than dreams manifested on textile......
The first Kanjeevaram sari is believed to have been woven around 400 years ago. The origin of this saree can be traced back to the ancient temple town of Kanjeevaram (a.k.a Kanchipuram) in modern Tamil Nadu.
The Kanjeevaram saree is characterised by gold - dipped silver/ pure gold threads that are woven onto rich, beautiful, brilliant silk The borders and the pallus carry ornate zari work. The designs involve vertical and horizontal lines as well as checks. The colours range from vibrant orange to mauve to purple, green, maroon, blue and rust.The heavier the silk, the better the quality of the saree. Peacocks and parrots, swans, mangoes and leaves are the commonest motifs. Another important character of these sarees are the vertical sets of caret (triangular) signs/marks lining the borders; they resemble pinnacles of temples and hence probably the name.
The Bomkai threadwork from Orissa features ornate borders and heavily embroidered drapes with touches of Ikat work in some instances and are popular with tourists and locals for their ethnic feel and tribal look. With motifs drawn from the Shakti cult predominant in Orissa's tribal and rural culture for centuries, these sarees are coloured in the subtle hues which are present in nature
The Baluchari saree is native to the town of Baluchar in Bengal. It was way back in 1704 A.D that the first Baluchar weaving took place. At one stage no gold or silver thread was used in the making of the fabric. The important feature is the white outlining of the motifs like animals, vegetation, miniscule images of human beings, vignettes from the Ramayana, marriage processions, brides in palanquins, horse riders ethnic musicians to name a few. Nowadays Baluchari style sarees are woven using highly mercerised cotton thread and silky threadwork ornament in bold colors. The cloth is very fine with a soft drape.
Banarasi saris are saris made in Varanasi, a city which is also called Benares or Banaras. The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The saris are made of finely woven silk and are decorated with intricate design, and, because of these engravings, are relatively heavy.
Tangail is a village in Bangladesh. This saree has an unusually fine and smooth texture. There is invariably a pattern running through every alternate weft thread. The borders of traditional tangail sarees displayed motifs such as padma (lotus) pradeep (earthen lamp) and the famous “aansh paar’ (fish scales look). Starting with a single colour on the border, the weavers have begun to use two to three colours to render it a ‘meenakari’ effect. The emphasis is on rich warm colours, both vibrant and muted. The focus is on the anchal (the part that goes over and beyond the shoulder) and the border, which may have alternate lines of contrasting shades with an interplay of small paisley, rosette and geometric designs. Tangail sarees are often highlighted with gold or silver thread, which heightens their elegance.
