King's coronation - A pink and purple pure silk Banarasi brocade sari was converted into a king's costume.
This medieval queen's costume is created from red and cream brocade sarees. Jim created many more of these...
Jim himself in one of his creations.
]]>
Silk is an indispensable part of Indian Culture. For centuries it has been considered auspicious to wear and gift Silk Sarees on weddings and religious celebrations. No matter which part of the country you live in, silk has its roots spread everywhere. You would surely find a treasured trace of this culture in your Grand mother’s vintage trunk or perhaps somewhere placed in your mother’s wardrobe. Such was a craze for silk sarees in those times and before.
Silk, also known as Resham in North India is a natural fiber produced from the cocoons of mulberry silkworms through a process called sericulture. The yarn produced in the process is used to weave a variety of textiles. The fabric is well known for its shimmering texture and richness. India today is the largest producer of silk in the world after China. Celebrations playing a vital role, India also is known for its largest consumption of silk.
One gets to see a variety of silk sarees produced across different states of the country. Women across all these regions have got a high sentimental value attached to silk sarees. They consider handing it down to their daughters as a prosperous mark to new beginnings. Also, silk sarees are offered to goddesses during celebrations, which shows the religious significance it holds in the hearts of people.
But Gradually as fast fashion came up, manufacturers began producing cheaper silk alternatives. These alternatives though came with a huge environmental cost.
Someone who has little knowledge of fabrics will find it hard to differentiate between silk and silk likes. Usually, these artificial silk fabrics are either produced from wood pulp or are a product of petroleum-based manufacturing. At first glance, they appear to be similar to silk concerning shine and texture, however, one can differentiate pure silk by taking a few tests based on touch, sight, and smell.
Over the past few decades, the trend of artificial silk took a toll on the Indian population. However, with increased awareness of the hazardous implication of textile production on the environment, a different perspective came into the picture. People started looking for solutions to address the problem of resource scarcity and waste disposal. That’s where the concept of Upcycled fashion came to rescue.
Upcycled fashion is about reusing and reviving the existing fabrics instead of producing fresh pieces of cloth. This is one effective idea that hits several marks with a single shot. One, being the re-channeling of used vintage garments from being dumped into landfills to usable apparel and decor. Second, it substitutes fresh production which could consume a lot of water resources and add to the issue of waste disposal, yet again.
After having draped a Saree for good long years, women either have them piled in a forgotten corner or get rid of them by way of donation to fetch some space for a new collection. These pieces of vintage fineness then find their home in creative souls who upcycle it into dresses, scarves, home decor, and whatnot.
Many designers and organizations, over the past few years, took a stand to stop mindless consumerism. They surely did have to face their set of challenges to explain their idea of Upcycled fashion. It wasn’t easy to convince people, especially Indians who hesitate to buy used clothes. But when the same clothes are upcycled and turned into wearable garments, there is a sudden value addition that people find easier to accept.
Upcycled fashion surely does its significant bit for the environment, but there are other factors too that add up to the strength of the whole concept. Let us have a look below to comprehend the whole idea better.
Upcycled fashion stands on the ground of reusing what already is there, instead of producing more. In India, Sarees are passed on from generation to generation by mothers to their daughters. These Sarees are therefore not just a symbol of heritage but also have a high emotional quotient attached to it. Upcycling them into wearable garments helps in preserving both - the history and the sentimental value.
When talking about sustainability, we need to understand that Sustainability is not just about consuming good, it also is about conserving the good. When we recycle an old piece of cloth, we are diverting it from the landfills to wearable garments and accessories. These upcycled garments, on the other hand, substitute a fresh production, which saves us a significant quantity of water resources and waste disposal.
Getting your apparel customized with a great vintage aesthetic ensures that you set your very own style statement. Having that said, you will never have to worry about bumping into a person wearing the same outfit as yours. You can just play around with your snazzy aura along with the pride of playing it right!
Upcycled fashion is a much broader concept than financial gain. Besides taking care of the profits, has made an inclusive space for social and environmental obligations. Creation out of discarded fabrics calls out for skilled workers, and thus generates employment for local artisans. Moreover, it helps in controlling carbon emissions by substituting fresh production.
Vintage fabrics are often procured from the home collection of women who no longer need them. As they are used clothes, they are purchased at a price much lower than fresh raw material. This allows the production of garments at a lower financial cost, thus making it affordable for the ultimate consumers.
We, at Sanskriti India, strongly uphold the concept of upcycled fashion. With an experience of 10 years in the field, we have created a good network of suppliers of vintage sarees. All the fabrics that we procure are ethically sourced from registered dealers and household collections. Women, who have old sarees piled up in some corner of their home, find their way out through this channel and make their bit of contribution to the well being of the environment.
Then we have thoughtful customers, full of energy and sense of responsibility who add a glam of versatility to these forgotten pieces of fabrics. Most of our customers are designers who have a keen interest in studying about Indian tradition and heritage. They use these fabrics to bring out a better version of it and thus save the history from getting lost in already stuffed landfills.
To ensure that we are on the track of our social and environmental obligations, we undertake several tests, including burn tests to differentiate pure silk sarees from artificial ones. This helps us in staying true to our commitment to quality.
Many times, we are asked questions about, why we do what we do. Though it was hard to explain our idea initially, we find answering worth it now. Dealing in used fabrics was a challenging task in our country. We were often questioned on our choice of doing what we did until it took the shape of a well-accepted concept of sustainability. And we are on our mission to explain the masses that we can not preserve the future unless we preserve the past.
When we have so much produced to live on already, why not save the surplus, so that there is enough for generations to come as well. Upcycled fashion is the most creative way of doing just that.
]]>
We hear enough of sustainable development now and then, and often talk about minimizing the carbon emissions and water waste. But did you know about one of the biggest contributors to environmental depletion?
Fashion is one of the fastest sectors of the economy which has ignored its environmental implication for a good long period. But not anymore! With the rise in awareness about the environment, the concept of Sustainable Fashion has come up.
Sustainable fashion is about a mindful shift in one’s fashion preferences. It is about meeting the demands of the present without compromising the needs of the future. People in the 21st Century thankfully have started to accept the responsibility they have towards the environment.
In this article, we are going to talk about an important environmental concern that bears the mask of Fashion.
With the growth of industrial activities, there also is seen an increased level of pollution and resource scarcity. Fashion, the fast fashion to be precise is being one of the largest contributors in the degrading environment. Textile production consumes a lot of natural and man-made resources. The production of one kilogram of cotton, for instance, uses approximately 10000 liters of water. On the other hand, petroleum-based products like polyester ingest a lot of non-renewable resources. The consumption of these resources is not the only problem, the concern is also about the waste that arises out of this production. And that’s huge!
If we look back to the first half of the 20th Century, we would find how simple attire choices were back then. However, the production of these fabrics involved more of hand labor which made it a time-consuming process. The quality of apparels was fine during those days because every piece was being handspun by small farmers and laborers. But as the demand for textiles increased, technology started to come into the picture. The introduction of technology into textiles eventually led to mass production by industries. Production at a large scale though did help economically, but it wasn’t going green at all. To prevent the clothes from wrinkling and shrinking, the manufacturing companies started adding chemicals into the production.
With improvements in technology, the petroleum-based clothing came into existence. This further led to the production of hazardous synthetic fibers which is now degrading the environment at an alarming rate.
We need to understand the kind of impact these synthetic fabrics are leaving on our environment. Though these fabrics do come with prima facie easy handling and cheap prices, there lies a huge cost beneath that comfort. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon are by-products of petroleum and are non- biodegradable by nature. This means that these fabrics not only consume a lot of resources but also do not decompose easily and accumulate landfills.
On the other hand, fabrics like viscose and Rayon are made up of wood pulp and are processed with chemicals. Though the disposal of these fabrics is not as harmful as other synthetic fabrics, it causes enough destruction in the form of deforestation.
Billions of garments are produced every year and are being stocked up inside homes and warehouses but for how long. What about its disposal? How do you dispose of the clothes that are no more going to be used? The generation today is going gaga over being trendy and the trends in the fashion industry are short-lived. What happens when apparels go out of trend? They lead to landfills, environmental deterioration, and health hazards which is why they are to be controlled immediately.
One way of contributing to Sustainable Fashion is by accommodating Upcycled Fashion into one’s lifestyle. Upcycled fashion is a process to make an item better than its earlier version. We, at Sanskriti India, are adopting upcycled fashion by recycling vintage fabric into fashionable dresses, scarves, etc. Vintage fabrics are in great demand by craftsmen. They use vintage sarees for their projects. Also, with an increase in awareness about the environment, people are getting more thoughtful about their fashion choices. Working women these days are making a shift from synthetic fabrics to quality handwoven fabrics like cotton and silk.
Adopting Vintage in your lifestyle not only does good to the environment but also helps in keeping the culture alive. Vintage is a symbol of history, quality, and tradition. By giving it a modern twist through upcycling we are not only being fashionable but standing out with the goodness of the forgone age. Nevertheless, reviving life into an old piece of cloth is super cool and creative.
We have been dealing in vintage pure silk sarees for 10 years now, and throughout our journey, we have come across several like-minded designers and craftsmen who share our vision of playing responsibly with business. Not only did this keep us going but also inspired creativity at every milestone that we passed and the feedback that we received in the process.
We value quality before anything and to ensure that we do it right, we undertake the required tests to keep it in check. We have a set up for Burn Tests to check the purity of the fabrics before it is offered to our customers. For those of you who are unknown to burn tests, here follows a little piece of acquaintance.
A burn test is done by putting a piece of fabric on the flame. It is usually undertaken to identify the fiber composition of unknown fabrics by designers and manufacturers. The identification is done by observing the flames, examining the fumes and ashes that remain.
By conducting such tests, we make sure that we offer only the best quality to our customers. Also, it gets easier for them to trust that they are going sustainable with their purchases.
If we go down a little deeper, we realize that sustainable fashion is more than just the choice of fabrics. It indeed is about coming together and benefiting people involved throughout the supply chain, from farmers to the end-users and also the people who are involved in the recycling processes.
Simple ways by which one can contribute to sustainable fashion are as follows
1. Education and awareness
Going sustainable does not mean you have to quit fashion. It rather calls out for informed steps towards fashion. It is about educating oneself about fabrics and their production processes to choose thoughtfully. It is always a best practice to examine a brand’s production process before making a purchase. Awareness is the light we all need to reach out to a healthier environment.
2. Adopting Vintage Fashion
Bringing vintage to your wardrobe has several benefits to offer. It saves you a lot of money and yet promises the best quality. The production process in the old times was much simpler and eco-friendly. By making a space for the vintage, You not only revive a forgone culture but also earn a chance to stand out and establish a fashion statement.
3. Shed off Fast Fashion
With the fashion industry evolving swiftly, it is tempting to buy cheap fast fashion. However, this is where the change should begin. Rather than filling up your cupboard with a number of cheap quality clothes, it is better to invest in a few quality products. This is one way of discouraging the hazardous production of short-living fashion. Mother earth will thank you for this win over.
4. Spreading Awareness
The first step towards solving a problem begins with the identification of the problem. Not everyone is aware of the impact their fashion choices are making. But if they are educated about it, they are less likely to be ignorant. So, now that you know how fashion choices are affecting the environment, it is time for you to spread the word.
The true power of making this movement successful lies in the hands of the ultimate consumers. And we are all ultimate consumers. Fashion is for everyone but Sustainable Fashion is a choice .and we can reach closer with every committed step. We often forget the power of a drop in the ocean until we have none left. Do not let that happen to your Earth. Commit to begin Now, and secure the generations to come.
]]>I am Jyoti, founder of Sanskriti Vintage😊🙏
I started this store over 10 years back as I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. I have always been fascinated with the stunning fabric art spread around the streets and homes of India.
I have tried to create a small museum of antique vintage collection of pure silk fabrics in crepe, Georgette, chiffon, woolen. These handcrafted embroideries are so unique that it’s hard not to fall in love with them.
All the collection you find here is the effort of decades. These unique fabric are not available in modern stores and should be treated as specimens of a forgone age. Having said that I keep only the top quality in my store.
Lot of my customers use these fabrics for various crafting activities, apparel making, costume designing, in home decor etc. You also you can wear it as a Saree or a headscarf.
I have been awarded the highest export award by president of India for this store. I also have been featured on various Indian and International publications by bodies such as international chamber of commerce and world economic forum.
Welcome to my store. Drop me a message and I will be happy to assist you 😊❤️
]]>‘Bandhani’ sarees are also termed as ‘Tie & Dye’ and ‘Bandhej’ and these are the customary sarees of the Indian states, Gujarat and Rajasthan. ‘Bandhani’ sarees were popular among the ‘Khatri’ people, who were the inhabitants of ‘Kutch (Gujarat, India)’ even centuries before! The main reason for this popularity was the inspiration from the varied socio-religious ways of life that were prevalent in the region.
It is generally believed that ‘Tie & Dye’ method began almost 5000 years before! Again, it is another assumption that it was during the reign of King Harshacharita, ‘Bandhani’ saree was donned initially and the occasion was a regal wedding. It is also presumed that the method of ‘Tie & Dye’ was customary at the time of Tang Dynasty rule in China and at the time of Nara in Japan.
Here the material used (the fabric) is firmly knotted using a cord at various places and then the process of dyeing is done. Generally the tying is done by women and the dyeing process is taken care of by men. As the initial step, the material is cleaned thoroughly and then it is bleached; bleaching is done with the intention that the dyes will get into the cloth easily. Once this process is over women start to tie up the cloth. A very small portion of the material (as small as the head of a small pin!) is raised and tied using a thread. Cotton thread (generally gathered as industrial waste) is used for this process. The knotted material is handed over to the men for lighter dyeing. Here what happens is that, the knotted parts maintain the original color, and the dye will get spread on the other parts. Then these lighter dyed portions are knotted, and the material is doused again in the dye; this method ensures that the lightly dyed portions remain lighter, even after the second dyeing process. These procedures are repeated for different colors.
The structural consistency is a notable trait. There will be detailed designs comprising of strips, dots, squares, etc. The usage of vivid colors is another specialty of ‘Bandhani’.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the weaving pattern and the close range images of ‘Bandhani’. Besides, we also store printed ‘Bandhani’ designed sarees. However, these sarees are machine-made, and so don’t take them as authentic hand-made ‘Bandhani’!
Understanding ‘Bandhani’ Shapes
Ekdali - There will be only one dot.
Dungar Shahi - Designs of mountain.
Trikunthi - The shapes will be in sets of three.
Boond - Dark midpoint with little spots
Satbandi - Dots are arranged as sets of seven.
Kodi - The design will be similar to drops.
Chaubasi - Design have dots fixed in sets of four.
Gharchola:
Zari and silk cords are used to weave this brand, and subsequently, the material is decorated applying ‘Bandhani’ work. ‘Gharchola’ will have lattice design and the colors used are yellow, red, or green. The ‘Bandhani’ work will be done in white color. The ‘Zari’ work is carried out in two methods; 'Bavan Bhag' (52 segments) or 'Bar Bagh'(12 segments)
Leheriya:
The name ‘Leheriya’ is derived from the Rajasthani slang which means wave’. This is because of the wavy appearance of designs.
Rasamandali:
This name stems from ‘Raas’, which is the name of the conventional dance form of Gujarat. The red backdrop and the distinct borders are the specialty of this brand. The stuff will be beautified with designs of ‘Amba Dal (branches of mango tree)’, dancing ladies, elephants, peacocks, etc.
Chandrokhani:
‘Chandrokhani’ means the figure of moon. Here the designs will be spherical and the backdrop will be ‘blue-black’. Generally, brides are dressed up using this brand saree, because, the divine beauty of moon is correlated to the loveliness of the bride.
Khombi:
This looks attractive because of the sprinkled white spots and the basic red background.
Interesting Facts:
There will be more or less 75,000 dots on an elaborately done ‘Bandhani’ pattern.
There is a common belief in Gujarat that ‘Bandhani’ saree is auspicious for brides, and hence mothers make sure to include this brand saree in the apparel set of their daughters. The bride’s mother will be also dressed in a red colored ‘Bandhani’ saree on the wedding day.
In Rajasthan, men wear turbans that have diverse designs of ‘Bandhani’; this is a customary practice, though in the earlier period this system was meant to classify the community of the wearer.
The design, the quality of the fabric (‘cotton’, ‘wool’, ‘silk’, ‘muslin’, etc), and the occasion when it is used (marriage, festivals, other ceremonies etc) decides the socio-cultural and financial significance of ‘Bandhani’.
Even the word ‘Madhubani’ has an inducive effect and sounds highly appealing to ears! It is a combination of two words, which have different connotations. The word ‘madhu’ represents ‘honey’ or such kind of sweets and ‘ban’ stands for forest or pack of woods. Thus, when we translate the word ‘Madhubani’ it becomes ‘Honey Forest’.
History
There is a popular belief that ‘Madhubani’ has a realistic connection with the primeval Hindu myths. This art form has another common name, ‘Mithila Art’. Generally, ‘Madhubani’ is designed by the women folk. In the initial days, the purpose of this art work was just to decorate walls or similar partitions, and the materials used for this were cow pies and mud. This decoration technique was applied, in the initial period, for augmenting the beauty of the floors and walls of residences (huts). In particular, these kinds of embellishment works were done during celebrations such as marriage or various other religious festivals. The created designs were purely emblematic in structure and these included pictures of bamboo groves, various species of fishes, snakes, birds, lotus, etc. That being said, things have changed considerably along with the rolling of time; these days, this designing method is widely applied for creating alluring designs on paper and dresses. However, nowadays, instead of cow dung and mud, a specially prepared paste using pulverized rice is used. These specially prepared dress materials are extremely eye-catching, and one can wear them during special occasions. The ‘fish’ design is widely used, because of the high significance; this design stands for richness and respect.
The Technique behind the Creation of ‘Madhubani’
Generally, the media used for creating the alluring ‘Madhubani’ designs include manually created paper, canvas, and cloth materials. The brush used for the designing purpose has also a special feature; it is just a bamboo stick with one end wrapped up with a rough cotton cloth. The effectiveness of double lines is made use of to do the sketching, and the spaces that lie within these lines are packed with crisscross or straight lines.
Frequently Used Colors
Vegetable colors (created using natural items) are used for creating ‘Madhubani’. Some of the popular colors that are used for this purpose are:
Red: Created using ‘Kusam’ flower. Red sandalwood is also used for making red.
Yellow: Pollen, the cream of banyan leaves, turmeric, and lime are used for creating this color.
White: Rice power is used for making white color.
Black: Soot powder is the base of this color.
Green: This color is prepared using the leaves of apple tree.
Blue: Created using Indigo.
Orange: Palasha flowers are used for creating this shade.
Distinguishing ‘Madhubani’
As this painting style has uniqueness, it has wide acceptance. You will be able to recognize ‘Madhubani’ just by looking at the designs. The generally seen motifs include the imaginary images of Hindu deities (these will have large eyes and noses), various types of flowers, moon, sun, fish, etc.
‘Tant Sarees’ are designed for every day use and the stuff is easy on the pocket. ‘Tant’ is an integral part of the conventional dressing style of West Bengal and Bangladesh women.
History:
There was great demand for ‘Tant Sarees’ throughout Dhaka (the present capital of Bangladesh) during the Mughal period. In the later years, it is said that, in order to safeguard the interests of Manchester textile industry, there were attempts to wipe out this craft. However, when the Bengal Province got divided and soon after the exit of British Government, a lot of skilled craftsmen who were experts in ‘Tant’ creation started to colonize in ‘Burdwan’, ‘Nadia’, and ‘Hoogly’ regions of West Bengal. The new governmental machineries began to give all the needed assistance to these people and as a result, this typical weaving method became popular.
Tant technique:
Though, conventionally, two shuttle handlooms are used for manufacturing ‘Tant Sarees’, power looms are being used for the same in our time. The process goes like this: the crude cotton cords are initially cleaned, then bleached and parched, and afterwards colored. The colored cords are then given starch treatment using puffed rice; this will bring in potency and firmness to the cords. After making the threads firm, they are rolled into the spindles and inserted into the bobbins. The bobbins are then fixed on a framework in which each cord goes through thin barrel-shaped cones (Shanna) that are attached to the loom. The base material is partitioned into visual quarterns and geometric perforations and then interlaced in conformity with the pattern. Usually, the borders of the sari will be decorated with lotus and lamp motifs.
Recognizing Tant:
Generally ‘Tant Sarees’ are taken as a comfy dress material that is appropriate for the typical climatic conditions that prevail in India (hot/humid). You can distinguish ‘Tant Sarees’ by the broad borders and the ornamental ‘pallav’. The ‘pallav’ will have attractive designs like ‘geometrical patterns’, ‘paisley’, ‘flowers’, or other creative designs. In general, cotton cords are used for weaving and the material will be light and translucent. The length of a ‘Tant Sari’ will be 6 meters (a normal sari is just 5.5 meter long). The delicate smoothness is another peculiarity of ‘Tant Sarees’. As this brand sarees are starched, they look firm and will be durable.
Tant Saree Types:
‘Tant’ can be basically grouped into three categories: ‘Daccai Jamdani’, ‘Korial Lal Paar’, and ‘Garad’.
Daccai Jamdani Saree:
In fact this brand stems from Bangladesh and the name of the sari indicates Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This is a conventional sari and is manually woven. Because of the lengthy production procedure, sometimes the weaving process may take one full year to complete. It is smooth and graceful to wear.
The Korial Lal Paar Saree:
This is a white sari having deep red border and the applied color will be dense. Customarily, ladies dress in this brand saree on days of religious importance and during festival days.
The Garad Saree:
‘Garad Saree’ is somewhat analogous to ‘Korial Lal Paar’, and the lone dissimilarity is that there will be tiny flower designs in the white section of this brand.
]]>
‘Phul’ in Hindi is ‘flower’ and the word ‘Kari’ denotes ‘work’; thus ‘Phulkari’ becomes ‘Flower Work’. Basically ‘Phulkari’ indicates ‘flower-work embroidery’, because, embroidery work was mostly done using flower designs during the initial days.
History:
‘Phulkari’ is a typical embroidering style that was conventionally followed by the village female folks of the Eastern and Western Punjab (Eastern Punjab remained in India, while Western Punjab is in Pakistan now). In the earlier period, ‘Phulkari’ had a significant part to play in the lives of all women who lived in this part of the world. It was a customary practice for grandmothers to start organizing the prospective bride’s cloth collection as soon as a girl was born in the family!
It is assumed that the advent of ‘Phulkari’ was in the 15th century, and the period was during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Another prevalent postulation is that ‘Phulkari’ came to India through the ‘Jat’ people who came from Central Asia. It is also said that possibly ‘Phulkari’ came from Iran, where this special art was known as ‘Gulkari’. That being said, the word ‘Phulkari’ is mentioned even in the holy books of Punjab and also in the conventional country songs.
Phulkari Technique:
The weaving, dyeing, and embroidery works of ‘Phulkari’ are done randomly within house premises.
The base cloth generally used will be rough cotton cloth like Khaddar. This is because of the involved low expenses.
‘Georgette’ and ‘silk’ cloths are also used to create ‘Phulkari’ in recent times, just because of the popularity of these types of cloths.
The applied stitch for the embroidery work will be generally darning (both long and short) and the length will be approximately ½ cm.
For bringing in varied results, stitches are made in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal ways. Though the color of the used fabric will be brown, white, black, and blue, the standard color will be red.
The generally created designs are ‘birds’, ‘animals’, ‘flowers’, and ‘leaves’, and these are created by imprinting, using a wooden block wherein the desired motifs are carved.
In general, plain silk or cotton is used as the base cloth for creating ‘Phulkari Sarees’; ‘Pat’, which is an ornamental silk thread is used for the embroidery work.
Though the generally employed stitching style is ‘Darning’, varied styles such as ‘Button-hole’, ‘Satin’, ‘Herringbone’, ‘Chain’, ‘Holbein’, ‘Stem’, and ‘Running’ are also used now and then.
An important point to note is that normally the ‘class’ of ‘Phulkari’ is ascertained by inspecting the way of stitching; if close stitches are used, then it is assumed that the ‘Phulkari’ is superior.
You must check the embroidery work with care, for ensuring the quality of ‘Phulkari’ sarees.
These days you can also see machine-made ‘Phulkari’ sarees; they are just artificial sarees that resemble the real ‘Phulkari’.
Visit Sanskriti website;http://www.sanskritivintage.com/ you can very clearly see the close range images and the embroidery patterns of ‘Phulkari’ items
There are diverse categories of ‘Phulkari Sarees’.
Bagh Phulkari: ‘Bagh’ in Hindi is ‘Garden’; in ‘Bagh Phulkari’ sarees, the embroidery work is done right through the whole cloth and hence the actual cloth is imperceptible. This type saree is meant for occasional events.
Chope Phulkari: After the ceremonial wedding day bath, the bride is dressed in this sari; the perceptible peculiarity is that, this saree is made by her mother’s mother. The base color will be maroon and the two sides will have identical designs. The embroidery work will be done using yellow or golden yarn.
Vari-da-Bagh Phulkari: When the bride enters the house of the bridegroom, the bridegroom’s father and mother gift this saree to her. The base cloth will be Khaddar and the color will be orange-red. The embroidery work will be done using either gold, or orange colored threads.
Thirma Phulkari: The base cloth is Khaddar and the color will be white. Generally, widows or old women wear this brand saree. The thread used for the embroidery work will be usually pink or red.
Darshan Dwar Phulkari: This is a specially prepared ‘Phulkari’ and is meant for donating to ‘Gurudwaras’ (the holy place of Sikhs). Different types of designs can be seen in this ‘Phulkari’ such as ‘animals’, ‘flowers’, and ‘humans’.
Sainchi Phulkari: The usage of this one is limited to certain regions of Punjab, and usually the embroidery designs will be that of ‘boxers’, ‘agriculturalists’, ‘rural life’, ‘animals’, etc. However, ‘Sainchi Phulkari’ is hardly seen these days!
Bawan Bagh Phulkari: ‘Bawan’ is a Hindi word, and the meaning is ’52 (fifty two)’. This is a seldom seen ‘Phulkari’, and in this design, there will be 52 diverse kinds of patterns.
A grand banquet is hosted by the female folks of the house where a woman has delivered a girl, and this function initiates the process of making plans for the upcoming bride’s cloth collection.
It is customary for the bride to dress in ‘Phulkari Sari’ while going round the holy fire that is set on the wedding location and also while attending the spiritual functions.
If a boy is born ‘Phulkari’ is given as a present to the mother; similarly, ‘Phulkari’ is also used to cover the dead body of women.
]]>
The term ‘Paithani’ is derived from the name of the Aurangabad town, ‘Paithan’ (Maharashtra, India). This brand sari is deemed as a rich ornate sari.
History:
The origin of ‘Paithani’ sarees can be traced back to approximately 200 BC! It is commonly believed that there were expert craftsmen in the city of ‘Paithan (which was then known as ‘Supratishthapuram’) during that period and they were skilled in the creation of ‘Paithani’ sarees. Again it is a popular belief that during the primeval period (roughly 200 to 400 BC), superbly created ‘Paithani’ sarees which were woven with fine threads of silver and gold were traded as a barter item for gold in Greece. In our time, ‘Paithani’ work is done using ‘zari’, instead of pure gold cords. ‘Paithani’ work draws inspiration from the majestic Buddhist paintings, as ‘Paithan’ city is situated close to the ‘Ajanta Caves’. As a matter of fact, ‘Paithani’ craft prospered during the reign of Aurangzeb; the ‘Flower Designs’ and the ‘AmarVell’ are the evocative images of the Mughal period. It should be specially noted that the ‘Pune Peshwas’ and the ‘Hyderabad Nizam’ supported Paithani’ very much. The ‘Asawali’ design (blooming vines) stems from the ‘Peshwa’ period.
Paithani technique
Both ‘zari’ and ‘silk’ are used for the creation of ‘Paithani’ sari. The warp consists of superior silk and weft contains delicately twisted silk. For the creation of designs, dyed silk is used in general. The process starts with the cleaning of the basic silk using ‘caustic soda’ and then it is colored with the selected dye, and after that, the cords are sorted out meticulously. Afterwards the dyeing and drying processes are carried out. Again this is cleansed using cold water; this is done to bring in smoothness and glossiness to the product. The next process is coiling the silk cords on the ‘Asari (reel)’; this should be done in a meticulous manner and usually carried out by women. Then it is moved to the ‘Kadi’ and from there shifted and fixed in the looms. It is a long-drawn-out process and will take almost one full day! The primordial weaving method of ‘Tapestry’ is employed here and handloom is used for this. The ‘weft’ and ‘warp’ cords are jointly woven. Other cords of various colors (including golden and silver colored threads) are also weaved in concert with this. The final product will be an attractive ‘Paithani’ sari!
Recognizing Paithani:
The key noticeable traits of ‘Paithani’ sarees are the manually created ‘borders’ and the ‘pallu’ that is decorated with golden ‘zari’. Besides, the backside will also have identical images.
There will be lattice on the backside and this is another point to note for identifying ‘Paithani’. If the material is too glossy and a single design is excessively colored, then it may not be an authentic ‘Paithani’ stuff.
Paithani motif types:
There are nine different varieties of ‘Paithani’ designs and all of them are exceptionally alluring.
Kamal (Lotus flower)
Hans Motif (Swan)
Ashraffi Motif (Coin)
Asawalli (Blooming Vines)
Bangadi Mor (Peacock inside Bangles)
Tota-Maina (Parrot)
Humarparinda (Peasant Bird)
Amar Vell (Vine)
Muniya (Parrot)
The designs will be small as far as the main part of the sari is concerned, and normally the figures for creating such designs will be ‘Kuyri’, ‘Circles’, ‘Rui (small flower)’, ‘Chandrakor (clusters of 3 leaves)’, ‘Stars’, ‘Kalas Pakhhli’, etc.
Paithani types:
The precise grouping of ‘Paithani’ sarees can be done based on two different norms: ‘designs’ and ‘dyes’
Designs:
1. ‘Bangadi Mor’: In this design there will be an image of a peacock inside a bangle outline; generally there will be only one peacock (in dancing mode). The design will be interlaced with the ‘Pallu’. The ‘Paithani sari’ with this design will be pricey.
2. ‘Munia Brocade’: The term ‘Munia’ denotes ‘Parrot’. Here the designs will have green color and these are interlaced with the ‘border’ and ‘pallu’.
3. ‘Lotus Brocade Paithani’: The ‘Pallu’ of this brand will have the designs of ‘lotus flower’ that are created using seven or eight different colors; in some cases, the same can be seen in the border also.
4. ‘Koyari/Kairy’ or ‘Mango Paithani’: In this model sarees there will be the designs of ‘Koyari Vine’ or ‘Parrot’.
5. ‘Geometric Design’ or ‘Akruti Paithani’: Here either the ‘pallu’ has the design of a peacock inside a geometrical shape, or the border bears a geometrical vine pattern.
6. ‘Asawali Paithani’: This is a flower vase with attractive flowers. In ‘Asawali Paithani’ sarees the borders will be bedecked with the designs of such flower vases or vine patterns.
Dyes
‘Kalichandrakala’: The sheer black color and the red border is the special feature of this sari.
‘Raghu’:Green colored Paithani sari
‘Shirodak’:This is a plain white Paithani sari.
Interesting Facts:
The weight of a ‘Paithani’ Sari will be usually somewhere in the region of 1.45 kg (precisely in accordance with the usage of ‘zari’ and ‘silk’).
The process of manufacturing a ‘Paithani’ Sari is a lengthy one and consumes almost 18 to 24 months. The period can vary in concordance with the intricacy of the created design.
In the bygone period (during the reign of Peshwas, the Maratha Kings), a rich blend of real gold and copper was used for creating ‘pallu’ and ‘borders’. The purpose of adding copper was to give firmness to the material.
‘Leheria’ is a conventional dyeing style by which enticing designs like diagonal bands and wave motifs are created. 'Leher' in Hindi stands for 'wave' and ‘Leheria’ is a derivative of this expression.
The Indian State of ‘Rajasthan’ is the center of this dyeing (tie & dye) method. The ‘Marvari’ business class and the native retailers of the 19th and the initial period of the 20th centuries supported ‘Leheria’, because, they had the habit of wearing gaudy ‘turbans’ which were made using this special work.
During the initial days, ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ color dyes were used for ‘Leheria’ creation, since they were considered as propitious colors. Even today such ‘Leheria’ material is well accepted in some places of Rajasthan such as ‘Nathdwara’, ‘Jodhpur’, and ‘Udaipur’. In addition to this stuff, there was also a special ‘Leheria’ (termed as ‘Panchranga’), and this was created using five different colors. Wearing leheria was regarded as most favorable during religious and also while attending special functions.
‘Resist Dyeing’, the unique method of dyeing is applied for creating ‘Leheria’. The material is reeled in a crosswise manner first; after that, knots are made at fixed distances and dyed. Soon after this process, the dyed material (before drying and with the dampness of the dye) is fastened to a rod made of wood. The process is continued with lighter pigments and again with the darker ones. The reeled material is unlocked at certain parts, while the other portions are kept intact for making motley ‘Leheria’. New knots are made and the entire piece is dyed using the desired dyes.
The attractive strip designs that are created in a crosswise manner using dark shades are the key distinguishing marks of ‘Leheria’. Generally, the fine texture varieties of ‘chiffon’, ‘cotton’, ‘silks’, and ‘voil’ are used as the base cloth, because, they will facilitate the diffusion of dyes. ‘Leheria’ is customarily used to make ‘dupattas’, ‘sarees’, and men’s ‘turbans’.
‘Salaidar’ is the special type ‘Leheria’, and there will be banded designs in this.
Salaidar Leheria
Crisscross design is a difficult one to create; here the four pleats are made into the form of a wave, which is generally termed as ‘Gandadar’.
You can identify ‘Leheria’ by taking note of the banded designs. In printed ‘Leheria’ the bands (stripes) will look proportioned; however, when ‘tie & dye’ method is applied, the stripes will be somewhat unsymmetrical, which of course is prevalent in manual work.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the leheria pattern and the close range images of ‘Leheria’.
Basically, ‘Leheria’ is classified into four distinctive groups.
In this brand, the designs will be of waves and on inverse tracks, thus creating the image of a broken ‘Leheria’. The base cloth is reeled and knotted at certain parts and dyed. The primary dyeing will be done using pastel colors; the process is repeated using dark dyes and by applying the same ‘tie & dye’ method, but from the inverse tracks.
Mothra Leheria:
In this model, ‘tie & dye’ method is applied to create a typical plaid pattern that looks alluring.
‘Samunder Laher’ is a Hindi phrase and the meaning is 'Waves of Ocean'. The typical trait of this brand ‘Leheria’ is that, light dyes which are similar to ocean water such as ‘Sea Green’, ‘Pale Yellow’, ‘Blue’, ‘Pastel Green’, etc are used for dyeing. There will be crosswise bands of identical width.
Here the design will be in a crisscross manner. Numerous pleats are created first and are reeled crosswise; this will create a crisscross design.
‘Leheria’ is named in accordance with the use of dyes; in 'Dho Ranga Laheriya', two different dyes are used, there will be three different dyes in ‘Teen Ranga Leheria’, and for creating ‘Panch Ranga Leheria’, five different dyes are used.
‘Patta’ is the ‘wide’ strip in ‘Leheria’ and ‘Shike’ is the ‘thin’ strip.
‘Panyla’ is motley ‘Leheria’ and in ‘Rajasahi Leheria’ there will be only one color.
]]>
The meaning of 'Chikankari' is 'embroidery' and the word is derived from the Persian expression, 'Chakeen' or 'Chakin' which relates to the formation of fine 'needle work' designs on cloths.
History:
It is believed that initially 'Chikankari' was introduced in Lucknow (the present capital city of UP, India) and that was when the Mughals ruled the country; the major motivation factor behind the creation of 'Chikankari' was the Persian designs. According to a popular belief, it was Noor Jehan, the wife of Jahangir (the Mughal Emperor) who initiated 'Chikankari'. However, it must be also added that Megasthenes, the Greek explorer had mentioned about the 'Chikan' work of Indians way back in the 3rd century BC! It is generally assumed that the main inspiration for the 'Jaali work (mesh design)' of 'Chikankari' is the Turkish architectural splendor.
Chikankari technique:
The basic cloth used for 'Chikankari' creation are 'chiffon', 'muslin', 'georgette', 'silk', etc, and for embroidery work, white yarn is used. That being said, yarns of different colors are also made use of for the same these days; besides, extra decoration works are also done using 'Badla', 'Mukaish', 'Beads', 'Kamdani', 'Mirrors', and 'Sequins'.
Design printing is done as the first step, and for this, precisely created wooden blocks (moulds) are used. These are doused in the previously prepared color blend (mix of indigo, glue, and water) and using this, the desired designs are created. Subsequently the embroidery work is carried out (either using one color cord or multicolored cords). The generally made designs are 'creepers', 'paisley', 'fruits', different 'flowers', 'parrots', 'peacocks' or similar birds. The final work begins after these initial procedures, and this includes various processes such as 'rinsing', 'blanching (bleaching)', 'acid treatment', 'starching', and 'pressing (ironing)'.
Recognizing 'Chikankari'
The main distinguishing factor is the shady impression that is introduced in the base cloth. The stitching work is carried out on the rear side of the cloth so that the images appear somewhat dense, when looked through the front side. Because of the 'diagonal crisscross' stitching style, the images look slight and delicate, and this is again underscored by using slight stitches.
Commonly the right side is decorated using 'darning' or 'running' stitches. It is also seen that, in some cases, 'jali' stitch is also made use of and here, the 'weft' and 'warp' cords are precisely segregated and tiny stitches (buttonhole style) are put in.
Chikankari types:
Generally 'Chikankari' can be classified by taking into account the given patterns; there are mainly three patterns: 'Jali', 'Flat', and 'Raised' stitches.
Flat Stitches and Their Conventional Terms
The conventional 'Flat' stitches are 'Taipchi, 'Bakhia', 'Jangira', and 'Gitti'.
'Taipchi': 'Taipchi' is utilized to fill up the sketched leaves and petals of the design and 'running' stitching style is used here.
'Bakhia' stitches are effective in bringing in a shady look, and the style is more or less comparable to 'herringbone' stitching.
Jangira: Here, 'chain' stitching style is used for sketching.
Gitti: This is a mix of 'satin' and 'buttonhole' stitches, and is mainly used to create designs like wheels which have small center holes.
Raised and Imprinted Stitches and Their Conventional Terms
Murri:
Here 'satin stitches (diagonally created)' are used along with the knot and this creates the form of a grain.
Phanda:
This is another version of 'Murri', an abridged form. In this style, small round knots are created which produces a lifted appearance.
Dhum Patti:
Here, 'cross-stitches' are made use of for creating 'leaf designs'.
Ghas Patti:
In this pattern, stitches are done in 'V-shape' to form grass leaves.
Jaali (Mesh) Work:
This is done by separating out the 'wefts' and 'wraps' by using needle and this gives open mesh appearance.
Interesting Facts:
In the beginning, 'Mulmul' (superior quality cloth) was used for 'Chikankari' work.
West Bengal is another place where 'Chikankari' is popular.
As white cords and white cloths are widely used in the creation of 'Chikankari', the product is also termed as 'White Embroidery'.
]]>
‘Bomkai’ is a customary sari which is created by making use of the 'Ikat' dyeing technique. It is traditionally manufactured in the Odisha village of ‘Bomkai’ (the eastern Indian state) and that is why the brand is popularly known as ‘Bomkai’ sarees. By tradition, ‘Bomkai’ sarees are produced by the ‘Bhulia’ caste.
It is believed that the term ‘Ikat’ is derived from ‘Mangikat’, which is an Indonesian expression that stands for ‘knotting a cluster of cords for the purpose of dyeing, prior to the process of weaving’.
According to a popular belief, residues of fabrics that were weaved using 'Ikat' dyeing method were discovered from the tombs of Pharaohs, who were the ancient Egyptian rulers. Another interesting matter to note is that during the initial period, ‘Bomkai Sarees’ (which is also termed as ‘Sonepur Sarees’) were produced only for the provincial royalty of Odisha and for the esteemed upper class and ‘Brahmins’ of the region. The art of ‘Bomkai’ creation was launched in ‘Sonepur’ also while Ramai Dev controlled the region. You can also see the sketches of the complex weaving patterns of ‘Bomkai’ in the ‘Khandagiri caves’ (Odisha).
The presence and charisma of this brand was ascertained only in the beginning period of 1980s and from thereon the brand was known as ‘Bomkai’. Though ‘silk’ & ‘cotton’ threads were used for the design creation in the initial days, of late, ‘zari’ too is made use of.
‘BANDHA’ is the general term used in Odisha to describe the method of ‘Ikat’. The hand-weaving (‘warp & weft’) method is applied for the creation of ‘Bomkai’ sarees.
The weaving process starts only after coloring the threads, as far as the ‘Ikat’ system is concerned. The threads that are perpendicularly inserted into the ‘Handloom’ are the ‘Tana (Warp)’ and which are inserted parallel is the ‘Bana (Weft).’ During the process of weaving, the ‘Bana’ passes through the ‘Tana’. In other words, the firmly elongated threads (lengthways) form the ‘warp’ and the cords that are inserted through the ‘warp’ to create the desired designs are the ‘weft’. The ‘weft’ cords are commonly ‘resist-dyed’. These cords are rolled into a special device called the ‘shuttle’ that moves across the ‘warp’. However, the task is a bit intricate in the ‘double – ikat’ system; here, ‘weft and warp’ both are ‘resist-dyed’ and similar patterns are brought in on either side of the base cloth.
’Jalaa’ (a very handy alternate method for the ‘Jacquard machine’) is made use for the creation of ‘Ikat’ design.
Recognizing ‘Bomkai’
The pastel-colored body, the bead form border, the ‘Ikat’ design, and the uneven temple designs that flow by the side of the border are the striking features of ‘Bomkai’ sarees.
The lively and contrasting color combination that is applied on the border is another attractive trait of this brand. Besides, the ‘pallu’ will have deep designs. The four primary colors that are used to decorate Lord Jagannath (Lord Jagannath Temple, Jagannath Puri - Odisha) are greatly used in this brand. Yet another significant attraction of ‘Bomkai’ sarees is that there will be ‘double colored’ borders, and dense colored (solo colored) middle part.
The uneven temple design with which the sari borders are decorated is another notable trait of this brand sari. Besides this pattern, common images such as ‘earthen pots’, ‘flower designs’, ‘diamond shapes’, ‘beads’ are also added into the sari border.
The weaving technique used to form ‘Bomkai’ designs is hand-weaving and ‘silver’ or ‘gold’ cords are used. The conventional tribal designs like ‘flowers’, ‘geometric designs’, ‘fish’, ‘lotus’, ‘tortoise’, and the ‘hourglass-shaped drum’ are made use of for creating the sari ‘pallu’.
Visit Sanskriti website:http://www.sanskritivintage.com/ to gain detailed knowledge about ‘Bomkai’. You can very clearly see the weaving pattern and the close range images of the item.
‘Ikat’ is the key weaving method used in the creation of both ‘Patola’ and ‘Bomkai’ sarees, and hence the process of discerning the two may be a bit perplexing at times! ‘Patolas’, in general will have animal designs such as ‘elephants’, ‘lions’, ‘peacocks’, ‘parrots’, etc.
Basically ‘Bomkai’ can be grouped into 5 different categories; ‘Sambalpuri’, ‘Sonepuri’, ‘Pasapali’, ‘Barapali’, and ‘Bapta’
This brand is produced in the ‘Sambalpur’ District (Odisha); the method of creation is conventional hand-weaving. In these sarees, customary designs such as Phool (flower), ‘‘Chakra (wheel) and Shankh (shell) will be integrated. Moreover, the efficacy of the time-honored weaving method of ‘tie and dye’ can be clearly seen in the complex designs of this brand.
Sonepuri:
This brand (purely conventional) ‘Bomkai’ saree is manufactured in the ‘Sonepur District (Odisha).
The name of this brand is derived from the game of ‘Pasa-palli’ (which is similar to the popular ‘Ludo’ game). In this sari, there will be small check designs all through the sari.
This brand sari is manufactured in the Barapali (Odisha) village region and is created using the conventional ‘Ikat’ dyeing technique. The meaning of 'Pali' is ‘rural community’. There will be the depiction of ‘Palli-chitra (pastoral life)’ on the saree.
Bapta:
This brand ‘Bomkai’ sari is manufactured by using a blend of ‘silk’ and ‘cotton’ threads and is made more attractive by using golden color cords (Zari).
The creation process of ‘Bomkai’ sari is a lengthy one; it may consume roughly 7 months to create one ‘Bomkai’ sari!
Kathak dancers usually wear ‘Bomkai’ sarees.
‘Sonepuri Bomkai Saree’ was used during the marriage function of the famous Bollywood pair Abhishek Bachhan and Aishwarya Rai.
The manual effort of the whole family members will be there in the creation of ‘Ikat’ sarees, and the creation period of one sari can extend to four or five weeks; basically the time required depends on the complex nature of the created design.
]]>
Mulberry / Pat silk Fabric
This is a special silk that is manufactured by using the cords obtained from the silkworms that are nourished by providing mulberry leaves. In general, this brand bears vivid white color or can be somewhat off-white.
Muga Silk Fabric
This is another popular variety silk and is created using the threads gathered from the silk worms that are seen in the District of Golpara in Assam. A specialty of these worms is that they consume the leaves of plants Saula & Som instead of Mulberry leaves. This brand silk is specially noted for the superior shiny texture and lastingness. Another key feature of this variety is that, washing augments the luster of the texture.
Tussar / Kosa Silk Fabric
A typical genus of silk worms (broad-winged) that are grown on ‘Oak’, ‘Jamun’, and ‘Arjun’ trees are used to form the special threads for ‘Tussar / Kosa Silk’. These species can be copiously seen in Jharkhand region. The special quality of Tussar is the genuine golden color, and this cord can be effectively tinted in various colors.
Eri Silk
For manufacturing this brand silk, the required thread is prepared from a unique class of silkworms that are common in the northeastern segments of India. ‘Eri’ is an Assamese expression that denotes the castor plants. As these silkworms are grown on such plants, they are called ‘Eri’.
Silk Saris and India
Silk was a much favored cloth material throughout India from time immemorial, and it is a fact that it is rated as a superior cloth item even these days. The main silk manufacturing places in India are ‘West Bengal’, ‘Jharkhand’, ‘Karnataka’, ‘Chattisgarh’, ‘Orissa’, ‘Tamil Nadu’, and ‘Andhra Pradesh’. There are some conventional silk sarees that are highly popular in India. The list includes ‘Patola (Ikat) Silk’, ‘Banarasi Silk Saree’, ‘Baluchari Silk Saree’, ‘Pochampally Silk Sari’, ‘Bomkai Silk Sari’, ‘Kanjivaram Silk sari’, and ‘Mysore Silk Sari’.
Traditional Silk saris in India
Central India
Madhya Pradesh
This brand saree is a conventional sari and is manufactured in Madhya Pradesh (Chanderi – Ashoknagar District). This stuff is famous for its fine texture, weightlessness, and elaborate designs. The generally used designs include ‘flowers’, ‘coin designs’, and ‘geometrical patterns’. The end portions of the sari will be usually decoratively bordered using golden cords.
Tussar / Kosa silk Fabric
The name is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kosa Silk’. The key feature of Tussar is the genuine golden color. Because of the porous quality, this brand will give more coolness to the wearer than the various other silk sarees. Hence, it is a good buy to wear during the warm days.
Eastern India
West Bengal
Korail/Garad Silk Sari Fabric
This comes under the tag of ‘all the rage’ sarees and is generally worn on festive days and during religious rituals like the famous ‘Durga Puja’ of West Bengal. The base cloth will be white and there will be a deep red colored border.
‘Garad Silk Sari’ is very much akin to ‘Korial Lal Paar Saree’; however, here there will be flower designs even though the base cloth will be white.
This is manufactured from Murshidabad District (West Bengal). One notable factor of Baluchari Silk Sarees is that the ‘pallu’ will be imprinted with diverse designs of mythological characters (taken from Hindu epics ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’).
Odisha (Orissa)
Sambalpuri Ikat Silk Sari Fabric
‘Sambalpuri Ikat Silk Sari’ is a superb saree item and is manufactured in the District of Boudh, Odisha. This is a conventional saree and is woven manually and the dyeing technique of Ikat is applied here. A notable feature is that conventional symbols such as ‘Phool (flower)’, ‘Shankha (shell)’ and ‘Chakra (wheel)’ used for creating the designs. The used cords are ‘tie dyed’ before the weaving process, and because of this, the creation of ‘Sambalpuri’ is a long process and will get stretched into weeks.
Bomkai Silk Sari Fabric
This brand sari is manufactured in Odisha (Bomkai village) and ‘Bhulia’ community creates it. These are ‘Patola’ sarees and the ‘Ikat’ method of dyeing is employed. The key feature of this brand sari is the light and graceful shade. The ‘bead form’ of the border, the uneven ‘temple’ design beside the border, the heavily decorated ‘Pallu’, and the bright color difference in the border are some of the other notable traits.
Assam
Mugga Silk Fabric
‘Mugga Silk’ is manufactured in Assam. The key feature of this sari is the attractive dazzling gold shade. ‘Mugga’ is an Assamese word and the meaning is ‘yellow’. ‘Mugga Silk’ is a pricey silk product; it has excellent texture and is also a long-lasting sari. Users say that washing increases the luster of this brand sari.
Western India
Maharashtra
Paithani Silk Sari Fabric
This is considered as one of the luxuriant sarees in the State of Maharashtra; the term ‘Paithani’ is derived from ‘Paithan’, which is an Aurangabad city. The salient attributes of ‘Paithani Silk Sari’ are the manually created ‘border’ and the golden zari ‘pallu’. The generally used designs are ‘flowers’ and ‘peacocks’.
Rajasthan
Bandhani Silk Sarees are tagged as ‘all the rage’ in Rajasthan, and ‘tie & dye’ method is applied in the creation of this brand. The name of the sari is taken from the Hindi word ‘Bandhan’ which in English is ‘Joined’ or ‘United’. The designs are formed by dyeing the base cloth after knotting small parts of the cloth. The generally created designs are ‘strips’, ‘squares’, ‘dots’, ‘waves’, etc.
‘Patola Silk Sari’ is well accepted in Gujarat; as a matter of fact, ‘Patola’ is regarded as the embodiment of quality and lastingness. The distinctive attributes of ‘Patola’ are the artful designs. Usually, the applied patterns include ‘geometrical shapes’, ‘flowers’, ‘dancers’, ‘parrots’, ‘elephants’, etc. The special trait of ‘double Patola’ is that ‘weft’ and ‘wrap’ will be uniformly dyed before the process of weaving and so, the wearer can use both sides.
Southern India
Tamil Nadu
This one is a conventional brocade sari and is produced in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Genuine ‘Mulberry Silk’ is used for weaving ‘Kanjivaram Silk Sari’. The special feature of this brand is that, the ‘Pallu’ is independently created and then is nicely coupled to the main sari piece. Moreover, the pattern and the color of the ‘Pallu’ and ‘Body’ will be different. In addition to this, this brand sari will be weightier than the rest of the silk sarees, and hence will be more expensive.
Konrad Silk Sari Fabric
This brand sarees are manufactured in Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu). It is believed that the earliest ‘Konrad Silk Sarees’ were created for the purpose of decorating deities. The key attribute of this sari is that, there will be a border of roughly 10 cm to 40 cm and the color will be plain; besides, there will be two thinly designed belts extra, next to the border (just about 3 cm from the edge of the border), which are termed as ‘pettu’ or ‘kampi’. The sari body will generally have ‘checks’ or ‘stripes’, and the ‘zari’ work will be intense.
Telangana
Pochampally Ikat Silk Sari Fabric
This is a conventional type sari and is manufactured from Pochampally (Bhoodan - Nalgonda District, Telangana). The special feature of this brand is the geometrical designs that are created by applying the dyeing technique of Ikat. Sico, which is a good mix of cotton and silk, is also used as the base cloth, apart from actual Silk.
Northern India
Uttar Pradesh
This brand brocades and sarees are specially noted for the elaborate ‘zari works’. The given motifs will be comparatively complex and generally the inspiration behind such designs will be the bygone ‘Mughal’ period. However, in our time, electroplated cords are substituted for gold and silver cords (zari).
Frequently Asked Questions
Points to Reckon When You Buy Silk Sarees
You must be conscious about your own body shape; this awareness will help you to pick the most suitable one.
It is better to avoid stuffs like ‘Tissue Silk’, ‘Organza Silk’, and ‘Tussar Silk’ if you are hefty, because, these sarees will make you look fattier.
If you are tall, you can go for ‘broad border’ silk sarees; they will make you look stylish.
Dark colored silk sarees such as ‘green’, ‘maroon’, ‘pink’, etc will be good for ladies who have dark complexion.
Points to Reckon While Wearing Silk Sarees
Iron the saree properly and remove the wrinkles before wearing it.
Avoid flared underskirts.
Ensure that the ‘Pallu’ falls on the shoulder (the fold must look graceful); for this, you can use a pin.
Arrange the pleats in an elegant manner; they should look tidy.
Always take care to wear matching jewelry; this will automatically augment the allure of the sari.
Taking Care of Silk Sarees
Silk will withstand wear and tear if properly taken care of.
Dry cleaning is the best bet for washing silk sarees, because, the solvents that are utilized for dry cleaning will not smash up silk.
In case you plan to wash silk sarees manually, you must use cold water and the process must be done mildly.
You must not squeeze, twirl, or brush a silk sari, as that may damage the stuff.
While ironing, you must pick low/ average heat selection.
Discolored silk sari must be given for dry cleaning without delay. In any case, you must not try to remove the stains by washing it.
Cover silk sarees using a muslin fabric and store.
Making Sure the Quality of Silk
There is an easy way to detect the quality of silk materials. Take a small piece and burn it. Good quality silk will not burn continuously, and there will not be any liquefying or oozing. Moreover, the residue will be black in color, and the smell will be similar to that of burning hair.
Please visit our Pure Silk Saree collection for exotic range of silk sarees.
]]>
‘Gota work’ is an alluring Indian embroidery craft and is basically done in the Indian State of Rajasthan; for this special embroidery, golden zari ribbon is used.
History:
The Mughal era was the initiation period of ‘Gota work’, and at that time almost all varieties of dress materials were decorated by using this attractive art. The Rajput and Mughal royalty had the predilection for dressing in satin and silk attires, and these cloths were embellished using ‘Gota work’. In such cases, actual silver and gold threads were made use of for creating captivating motifs. Another significant matter to note here is that, customarily, natural looking images like ‘human beings’, ‘birds’, ‘flowers’, etc were used to form the designs for this embroidery work. These were stitched to the base attire by using silver or gold cords. Many places in Rajasthan, for example ‘Jaipur’, ‘Bikaner’, ‘Udaipur’, and ‘Ajmer’ were particularly famed for artisans who were skilled in ‘Gota work’.
‘Gota work’ is mainly done on weightless base cloths, for instance ‘georgette’, ‘chiffon’, and ‘satin’; base material can be either the heavily dyed ones or printed materials. The work entails joining the ‘Gota’ band on the base cloth using ‘zari’, the metallic cord.
Recognizing Gota work:
The ‘ribbon work (band - created using gold or silver threads)’ that is used for forming the various patterns and figures prior to the attachment on the base cloth is a distinguishing factor of ‘Gota work’. The thickness of this band may differ in accordance with the requirement. In some cases, tiny parts of zari band are attached to the cloth with the ends stitched downwards, so as to form detailed designs.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the close range images of ‘Gota
work’.
Gota Work -Different Categories
Seekhiya Gota – This is a plain ‘Gota’ type.
Siru Gota- In this ‘Gota work’, the lines will be analogous.
Lappa Gota- Here, there will be woven twills.
Gokhru- This one is made attractive by manual scrunch up.
Gota Tukdi Work- Designs of flower petals and leaves are created by applying appliqué work’.
]]>
‘Kantha’ originates from Sanskrit, and the base term is ‘Kontha’, which when translated becomes ‘worn cloth’. The initial ‘Kanthas’ were the thrown away worn pieces of woven materials that were mended and stitched smartly. Now items like Quilts, Sarees, Blankets, Shawls, Throws are created with this technique.
History:
‘Kantha’ is traditionally created in Santiniketan and Bolpur areas of West Bengal, and the typical running-stitch sewing method is applied for the same. Wearing sarees in which ‘Kantha’ is made use of is a time-honored habit of the rustic female folk of West Bengal. The first ‘Kanthas’ emerged in the opening period of the 19th century and for cross-stitching, black, blue and red threads were used. As a matter of fact, the early ‘Kanthas’ were the ones that were created using old saree cords; they had white backdrop and were highlighted by black, red, and blue running stitch.
Kantha technique:
The creation of ‘Kanthas’ entails well-defined procedures. Initially, the process of joining the sarees is done, and afterwards, it is evenly placed on the floor. Subsequently, the created piece is straightened by placing weights on the borders. Then the stitching work of the four borders is carried out, and just to maintain the merger intact, a few running stitches are created. Initially, images or patterns were not sketched; instead, outlines were created by hand using cords and needle. Then the mid designs were made and after that, the corner patterns.
Recognizing Kantha:
‘Kantha’ sarees have an alluring appearance, and this is due to the somewhat crimped and crumpled nature that is brought in by the application of running stitches that wraps up the full cloth. To add up the allure, diverse styles of stitches like ‘Satin’, ‘Darning’, ‘Loop’, and ‘Stem’ are also utilized. The sketching of designs relating to daily topics, birds, animals, geometrical forms, flowers, etc is done using ‘Stem stitch’. In general, the designs that are used to adorn the center part are images of flowers, fishes, birds, etc. Varied color cords are used including red, blue, black, and green.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can see the close range images of ‘Kanthas’, wherein the weaving pattern can be overtly observed. We also handle ‘Printed Sarees’, in which ‘Kantha Stitches’ are used for outlining the figures.
Kantha Types:
Normally, there are eight styles of ‘Kanthas’.
Lep Kantha - Here, the wraps are rectangular and the item is thickly cushioned. This is generally used to make Kantha bedspread, Kantha Quilts, Kantha blankets with plain running stitches.
Sujani Kantha – These have rectangular shape and will serve the purpose of comfy Kantha blankets (can be also used as spreads for special functions).
Baiton Kantha – In this one, the outlining work is done ornately, using numerous colorful motifs. This Kantha will be handy for varied requirements like ‘book wrapping’, ‘designing cute pouches’, etc.
Oar Kantha – These are rectangular pillow cases. The pattern is plain, but with ornamental bordering works.
Archilata Kantha – Very good for jacketing little items such as small boxes, mirrors, etc.
Durjani Kantha - This can be utilized for designing attractive wallets or bags; the pieces come in rectangle shapes and generally have central designs of flowers or lotus.
Nakshi Kantha – This phrase is a derivative of Bengali word ‘Naksha’, which means ‘geometric designs’. These carry attractive designs that are created using varied color combinations and different geometric shapes.
Rumal Kantha - Richly decorated borders and the design of lotus in the middle are the special features of this Kantha. This is used as an imbibent, or for covering the plates.
]]>
‘Batik’ can be precisely translated as ‘wax writing’, and it is a combination of a few Indonesian letters such as ‘titik’, ‘tik’, and ‘bitik’; ‘titik’ means dot, ‘tik’ is small, and the meaning of ‘bitik’ is ‘to sketch’. Thus ‘Batik’ becomes something like ‘picturizing anything in a minute, but, comprehensive manner ‘.
History:
The correct commencing point of ‘Batik’ art form is not identified. However, ‘Batik’ is popular in countries such as ‘Java Island’, ‘Indonesia’, ‘China’, ‘Philippines’, ‘Nigeria’, ‘Sri Lanka’, and ‘Malaysia’
In the past, the use of ‘Batik’ was limited to royal and affluent women who enjoyed social recognition; ‘Batik’ collection was a pastime for such ladies. That being said, as per a general belief, the charisma of ‘Batik’ had also lured the 4th century BC Egyptians; ‘mummies’ were covered using wax coated linen that were straightened using styluses. As far as India is concerned, the use of ‘Batik’ got started during the period of 645 – 794 AD.
Batik technique:
‘Batik’ is a typical method of making attractive patterns by making use of ‘waxing method’. Wax is spread over various parts of the material used (generally cloth) for applying a single color; then with the help of boiled water, this wax is taken out, and the procedure is repeated using other attractive colors.
Initially the designs are sketched on the material and filled with liquefied wax. Then the desired dye is applied, and after sometime, the filled wax is carted off; this can be done by abrading or using boiled water. The un-waxed areas will get dyed and the waxed areas will have the base color; thus the material gets a distinctive alluring design.
A rich blend of paraffin and resins taken from plants, and bees is made use of for Batik creation. Diverse types of tools including ‘canting’ are used to apply this wax mix on the material. A firm brush or something like that is utilized for creating bigger designs. Another technique that is generally done to bring in unique designs is to crumple the surface where the wax blend is applied; this will create small cracks in the wax mould through which the smeared dye will enter, thus creating wonderful designs.
Attributes of Batik:
The key revealing factor of ‘Batik’ is the attractive splinters that you can see through the design, which make the design more appealing.
Remember, the ‘Batik’ on either side of the saree will be palpable; if the design on one side is more intense than the other, probably that piece may be a duplicate one!
Fabrics that are tagged as ‘natural fibers’ such as linen, cotton, and silk are commonly used to print ‘Batik’ designs; this is due to the entailed boiling process.
Duplicate ‘Batik’ may look elaborate and fine; authentic ones are those that are handwoven and so there will be little bit of daubs in the design.
Visit Sanskriti website, you can very clearly see the Batik pattern and the close range images of ‘Batik’. Moreover, we give rear image as the final picture, through which you can clearly identify the stuff.
Batik Varieties
‘Batik’ comes in two categories; ‘Hand-painted’ and ‘Printed’. The classification is based on the way it is produced.
Hand-painted:
The entire work is done manually here, as the name suggests. A special tool, ‘canting’ is made use of to draw the design. ‘Canting’ is a little copper can in which some pipes of diverse sizes are fixed.
Printed:
While creating printed ‘Batiks’, instead of ‘canting’, a specially created metal mold is utilized to draw the design. This tool is doused in the melted wax and then applied on the material.
]]>
‘Kutch Work’ is one of the trendy embroidering methods that prevail in the Indian State of Gujarat. As the starting points of this interlacing method are ‘Kutch’ and ‘Saurashtra’, the technique is generally termed as ‘Kutch Work’.
It is generally believed that this wonderful technique had originally started in Armenia, and it was brought to Gujarat by the migrants who picked this place to settle down. It is also said that ‘Kutch Work’ was initiated by ‘Mochis (a group of people who were engaged in shoemaking business)’. These people pioneered the craft of embroidery by applying the stitching style of ‘Chain Stitch’ which was carried out using ‘Aari’. ‘Kutch Work’ is rich in diversity; it has several ‘brands’, ‘designs’, and ‘shades’; in fact the work takes different styles, precisely depending on the region and community.
The initial task in ‘Kutch Work’ is to create the outline design using ‘Cretan stitch’ or ‘Herringbone stitch’. When this primary job is completed, the gap is packed with interweaving. ‘Aari Bharat’ is considered as a finest form of ‘Kutch’ embroidering method; the term ‘Aari Bharat’ is derived from “Aari”, which is the name of the ‘curved needle’ that is used for the chain stitch. In ‘Aari Bharat’ method, the needle is pressed through the bottom side of the base material (embroidery cloth) and from the other side it is pulled up through the cord loop; the needle is again pressed down (this time through this specific cord loop) and taken out, and this action is continued till an unbroken ‘chain stitch line’ is created.
The ‘Abhala’ embroidery work is the task of fixing little mirror bits on the material, and for this, ‘buttonhole’ stitching method is used generally.
Recognizing Kutch work:
The application of bright colored threads, tiny mirrors, beads, complex embroidering technique that decorates the whole base cloth and the chain stitching style are the key distinguishing traits of ‘Kutch Work’. Usually the base cloth will be either ‘silk’ or ‘cotton’, and the cords used will be ‘woolen’ or ‘silk’. The basic colors that are utilized for ‘Kutch Work’ are ‘black’, ‘green’, ‘ivory’, ‘indigo’, ‘yellow’, and ‘deep red’. There will be ‘beads’ and tiny mirrors (abhala) within the embroidery in a scattered form; these are the intrinsic elements of ‘Kutch Work’.
‘Ghagra Choli (the conventional Gujarati ‘skirt and blouse’ set) is a trendy model of ‘Kutch Work’.
You must examine the embroidery pattern in a methodical manner to pick the accurate ‘Kutch Work’.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the embroidery pattern and the close range images of ‘Kutch Work’.
Kutch Work types:
Basically ‘Kutch Work’ can be classified into seven groups; ‘Suf’, ‘Khaarek’, ‘Paako’, ‘Rabari’, ‘Jat’, ‘Mutwa’, and ‘Ahir’.
The ‘Suf’ triangle (calculated on both ‘warp’ and ‘weft’) is the basis of this designing method and the task is indeed painstaking. This embroidery work requires meticulous manual labor. The stitching work is done on the reverse side using the ‘surface satin stitch’. Here the designs are not sketched; the craftsman will have to visualize the desired design and count it on the warp and weft, and then embroider it! Experience, geometrical analyzing capacity, and sharp vision are the prerequisites to become an expert ‘Suf’ designer.
‘Khaarek Embroidery’ is a geometric designing method and here, the pattern is sketched first with squares in black color. Afterwards the gaps are packed with strips that are created using ‘satin stitching’. A notable feature of this style is that the entire cloth will have embroidery.
The meaning of ‘Paako’ is ‘hard’. This embroidery will have series of solid squares and the stitching style is ‘double buttonhole’. Generally the designs will be ‘flowers’ which are set in proportional patterns.
This embroidery work got the name from the ‘Rabari’ community whose main profession was camel grazing. They were the wandering immigrants from the Thar Desert region (Rajasthan). The special feature of ‘Rabari embroidery’ is the inclusion of various types of tiny mirrors in the stitching (chain stitching style is followed here). The base material will be always black. Series of stitches are made, using bright colored threads to bring in more attractiveness.
The name of this brand got originated from the ‘Garasia Jat Community who came and settled from the external areas of Kutch; they were basically Islamic herdsmen. Garasia Jat ladies were experts in creating geometrical designs using the ‘cross stitch’ method and tiny mirrors.
The Muslim population (popularly known as ‘Mutwas’) who reside in the diverse areas of Banni (Kutch) carries out this embroidery work. This is a complex embroidery model in which there will be ‘geometrical patterns’, as well as intricate stitches. The base cloth will be ‘satin’ or ‘silk’, and ‘metallic cords’ will be also used to phase in attractiveness.
The typical wandering tribes who look after cattle (they assert themselves as the successors of the Hindu God ‘Lord Krishna’) are termed as the ‘Ahirs’. These people are believed to have relocated from ‘Mathura (Uttar Pradesh, India)’ to ‘Gujarat’. They have a peculiar embroidering system in which ‘chain stitch’ is used to draw the design sketch and ‘herringbone’ stitch is made use of for packing the pattern. Generally the patterns will be of ‘peacocks’, ‘elephants’, ‘parrots’, and ‘flowers’. However, the use of mirrors is an essential part of this pattern motif.
]]>
‘Doria’ is a Hindi word and it will become ‘cord’ when translated into English. Kota Doria sarees (one of the all the rage sarees) are created in the Kaithoon Municipality of Kota District (Rajasthan, India) and in Mohammadabad Gohna, Mau (Uttar Pradesh, India)
History:
This brand was named as ‘Masuria’ in the beginning days, because the product was manufactured in the Mysore region (Southern India). It was Rao Kishore Singh, a chief in the Mughal army, who took the initiative to bring the expert weavers of this brand to Kaithoon, which is a small city in Kota (Rajasthan). This happened in the closing periods of the 17th century and in the beginning years of the 18th century. Slowly after this, the brand got a new name, ‘Kota-Masuria’.
‘Silk’, ‘cotton’, and ‘zari’ are made use of for manufacturing ‘Kota Doria’. A customary type of ‘pit loom’ that creates square checkered designs on the cloth is used for the process. These fine checkered designs are termed as ‘Khats’. Before the process of weaving, the threads are coated with rice glue and onion liquid to make them firm. Hence no extra finishing works will be essential! ‘Khats’ are weaved both in ‘cotton’ and ‘silk’ and they come in various gauge structures and width.
The main identifying elements of ‘Kota Doria’ are the distinct checked surface and the transparent nature.
‘Kota Doria’ is delicate and transparent and is created using both silk and cotton; this is a perfect dress for hot/humid climatic conditions.
You must cautiously examine the weaving style and must look for the checkered pattern.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the checkered design and the close range images of ‘Kota Doria’.
Khats or checks in Kota Doria.
]]>
This dress material can be utilized for varied purposes, apart from the body covering function. We mention below some of the diverse uses of sarees, of course with the related images, so that it can be easily grasped by you. As a matter of fact, this will be helpful to you.
Make use of the old stuff (including the base material, as well as the border strips) to create eye-catching pillow and bolster cases. You can also design beautiful bedsheets from old soft sari materials! Just apply your own imagination, by taking into account the pattern work of the sari and then cut and join; try to give attractive borders to make the stuff shine. Creating bed skirts is yet another feasible option for utilizing old sari material.
Different types of multipurpose bags can be created by using old sarees. You can also stitch up small wallets from such stuffs. For making this possible, you just need a bit of creative thinking that is required to design the product and the patience to work it out.
Pick stylish looking old sari material to create neat and elegant chair seat covers.
Almost all sari items (except for certain hard or shaded ones) can be used to fashion out excellent curtains for windows and doors. Such creatively created stuffs can be used to give your balcony a real face-lift! Even if you hang it just like that on the curtain rods, doors will get a classic style! But remember, you must use the correct stuff and here also, your insight and vision has a good role to play!
You can also create attractive multi-colored throws and quilts by using old sari materials; this will not only brighten up the appearance of your living room furniture, but also will give you added comfiness! However, try to use different colored sarees for this and for sure, this will bring in more charm within the room!
Bed Canopy
Bed Canopies add extra cuteness to the bed. Weightless and soft sarees, especially, mesh and cotton stuffs are the best ones to create such stuffs. This will produce an authentic classic effect!
Good old sarees can be used as sarongs; for this, cotton or chiffon materials are the best.
Old sarees can be used to design Salwar-Kameez (which is an ethnic Indian dress form); certainly the product will look attractive.
Different types of dress materials including kid’s skirts, miniskirts, dresses or just wraparound dresses can be produced from old sari materials. Similarly, it will be easy to make matching Kurtis for Jeans. However, you must apply good imagination, excellent judgment power to pick proper sarees and you must also have strong penchant and determination to create new designs.
Jackets
Quality old sarees are also good to produce appliqué work jackets that will fill the bill for wearing during special functions such as outdoor parties.
]]>
Some of the creative ways of using ‘dupatta’ are described here (with relevant images), which will show you the handy nature of a ‘dupatta’.
You can fashion out fashionable ‘neckerchief’, ‘bandanas’ and ‘hijabs’ by making use of attractive dupattas. This will certainly add more charm to your dressing pattern!
You can spice up the overall style of your costume by wearing scarfs that are made using dupattas! There is another innovative way to use dupattas; you can wear good quality dupattas (printed, or attractively colored) as sarongs.
Generally almost all dupattas will have flamboyant appearance, because, they are created using vivid and gaudy colors, and the materials will be soft or downy. You can use such stuffs to decorate the interior areas such as the patio, balcony, garden space, etc. Dupattas can be used even to make flashy window blinds!
Dupattas are useful for creating impressive table cloths and table mats. You can also use the border decorations of the dupatta for embellishing the borders of these table sheets
Dupattas that have vivid and alluring colors or pleasing patterns are perfect materials to make wall decorative pieces. Such stuffs will add more cuteness even to old and faded walls.
]]>
Warli art has wide approval just because of its eye-catching nature. These days, dress materials that bear this art form has wide acceptance. Tribal people who live in the hilly and seaside regions of the southwestern part of India, as well as in the contiguous areas (basically, this region comes in the Gujarat-Maharashtra border) are the originators of this special variety of art. They create wonderfully designed wall paintings, by making use of the simple geometrical shapes such as square, circle, and triangle.
History:
By tradition, the women folk of Malkhar and Warli tribes (these ethnic groups belong to the Maharashtra region of western India) are the ones who create this wonderful art form. Though, as per the present estimation, this spectacular art form existed even during the period of 2500-3000 BC, it was only in the early seventies the form started to gain wide acceptance and was began to be termed as the ‘Warli Art’. Because these tribal people were ignorant about various specific language forms or about writing words, they used this media for communicating with each other. Moreover, they made it a point to impart this communication style to the coming generations. In the early days, Warli art portrayed the essence of pastoral life and the walls of mud homes were the places where they created such designs.
Technique:
In general, the color used for the Warli art is white. They create this specific shade by mixing cooked rice, gum, and water appropriately. The color paste gets a firm blend because of the usage of quality gum. They used a rudimentary form of brush for painting, created by crushing one end of a small bamboo stick to make it pliable. The depiction of animals and humans was done by drawing two triangles that was linked at the top portion. Normally, the themes of these paintings were fishing, hunting, festivals, farming, animals, trees, etc.
Distinguishing Warli Art
It is easy to recognize this art form as it will have certain fundamental graphical designs such as triangles, circles, squares, etc. It must be specially noted that these symbols were hauled out from the natural world; the circle got originated from the sun and moon. Similarly, it was from the triangle shaped tree tops and mountains, the invention of triangles took place. It must be understood that each sign in Warli art has definite significance and sense. In this painting style, the human life circle is characterized by drawing males and females in coiled or concentric designs. The physical shapes of animals or humans are created using two triangles that are connected at the top. Generally, the main designs will be having fishing, hunting, festivals, farming, dancing scenes. Designs of animals and trees are also seen.
Warli Art on Cloth
In our time, Warli art is done on dress materials also and these have great recognition. However, you must be very much prudent while purchasing such items; you can recognize Warli art by studying the motifs.
At Sanskriti, you will get beautiful fabrics(sarees and dupattas) depicting Warli art. Visit our website for more details. We take special attention to give close-range pictures of these materials; you can clearly select the desired pieces.
Notable Facts:
]]>
‘Pashmina’ in Persian language means something that is ‘created using wool’, and in ‘Kashmiri’ language, the word means ‘smooth gold’. Pashmina shawls are created using extra smooth wool and the same has wide acceptance across the globe, just because of the delicate and durable nature. The special quality wool that is required for making pashmina shawls is garnered from goats found in places like Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, and Nepal.
Real Pashmina and Semi Pashmina
Real pashmina shawls are indeed pricey because of the rareness of the wool. The four breeds of goats from which the required wool is taken out have become very rare. However, in our time, semi pashmina varieties are available for lesser prices. Though super quality angora wool is added, this item is equally durable, and there will not be much of a difference as far as the softness and warmness of the created shawls are concerned.
Because of the intrinsic smooth texture, slotting in various types of complex embroidery works into the material is somewhat a tricky task. Only experienced craftsmen who possess extreme designing capacity will be able to do this.
In General, it’s a Women’s Work
Traditionally, pashmina shawls are woven manually by usually the women folk; but, in the contemporary period there is no such division. There are mainly two varieties of pashmina shawls; the Kani shawls (created using looms) and the sozni and aari shawls (here, the embroidery work will be done using a specially prepared needle).
Sozni Pashmina Shawls:
The word sozni means needlework. This type of pashmina shawls, usually done in Kashmir region is famous for the graceful looking embroidery. This type of shawl is also known as dorukha. The peculiarity of this model pashmina shawls is that they will have embroidery works on both sides and these will be usually done by using bright colored threads. Closely done single thread stitching method is applied here, and the designs will be mostly paisley and floral.
Aari Pashmina Shawls
For making aari pashmina, a typical type of long needle (aari) is used. This embroidery work is done by hand. The stitching style is chain stitching and the floral designs are created by sewing circles in a properly aligned and continuous manner. Aari pashmina shawls enjoy good market appreciation, because of the overall elegant nature.
Kaani Pashmina Shawl
‘Kaani’ is a Kashmiri word and denotes wooden stick pieces or spools. For creating this embroidery on a loom, such small sticks are used as tools and so the embroidery work bears this name. The preconceived designs are created by using different colored threads. The item is very much attractive and has great demand.
]]>
'Baluchari' is the root word from which the tag ‘Baluchari Saree’ cropped up; 'Baluchari' means the sandy border side of rivers.
History
The place from where the conventional ‘Baluchari Sarees’ are created nowadays is ‘Murshidabad’ (a District in West Bengal – India). In fact, the origination point of ‘Baluchari Sarees’ was ‘Baluchar’, the cute little village that lies on the ‘Bagirathi Riverside’ and the period was approximately 200 years ago! That is why the brand even now bears the name ‘Baluchari Sarees’. This classic weaving style got the espousal of the Bengal Nawab, Murshidkuli Khan during the 18th century. Subsequently, during the initial phase of the 20th century, the typical weaving practice of ‘Baluchari’ was perked up by Subho Thakur, who himself was a well-known artist.
Baluchari Method
‘Murshidabad Silk’, which is famous for its fine texture is used for the creation of ‘Baluchari Saree’. After the initial process of dyeing (which is done thread by thread), the silk threads are inserted into the looms. The desired designs are interlaced using the ‘punch cards’ which are suspended from the loom’s top portion. Punch cards are cardboard pieces that have rectangular shape and with numerous holes that are created in accordance with the desired design. The dyed threads go through these openings and thus exact designs are created.
Attributes of Baluchari
The superb looking ‘Pallus’ and the decorative ‘Borders’ are the unique features of ‘Baluchari Sarees’. The images are created in lines and patterns, and the diagonal weaving method is applied here. Generally ‘Red’, ‘Blue’, ‘Green’, ‘Yellow’, and ‘White’ colors are used for this. The usual topics discussed in the ‘Baluchari’ designs are the legendary ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Ramayana’ stories. The designs are made more attractive by mixing diverse topics including ‘Flowers’, ‘Human Images’, ‘Animals’, ‘Architectural Splendors’, ‘Palanquin Brides’, ‘Marriage Functions’, etc.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the weaving pattern and the close range images of ‘Baluchari Sarees’.
Attractive Facts of ‘Baluchari Sarees’
‘Baluchari Sarees’ were an essential part of the valued possessions of the elite Bengali women, because of the superb ‘Pallus’, fascinating ‘Corner Designs’, and the distinctively created ‘Decorative Borders’.
A single ‘Baluchari Saree’ may contain the full story of ‘Mahabharata’, woven in the ‘Pallu’ and ‘Border’!
The Bengali Zamindar women take pleasure in wearing this brand saree during various celebrations including marriages and festivals.
It will take 20 to 25 days to create an elaborately designed ‘Baluchari Saree’.
]]>
The word ‘Kalamkari’, which comes from the Persian language, consists of two distinct words, ‘kalam’, and ‘kari’. ‘Kalam’ is ‘pen’ and ‘kari’ denotes ‘work’; in essence, the word meaning comes as ‘a drawing that is done using a pen’. The pen that is used for doing this art work is a shaped bamboo stick.
History
This is a South Indian art form; it was in Machilipatnam (which is in the district of Krishna, Andhra Pradesh). It is generally considered that the Mughals greatly supported this particular art, which got originated in the 17th century. This was particularly true in Coromandel and Golconda areas. However, it must be also pointed out that, even the British rulers who came later into India supported this magnificent art form, simply because of its highly decorative nature.
Kalamkari – The Technique
The creation of this art form involves several processes. Initially, the material used is dipped in a mixture of milk taken from either buffalo or cow, and myrobalan (a typical resin). This will hold the deepness of the used colors as such and will give the cloth an exclusive smoothness. After this process, the material is washed thoroughly in running water so that the smell of milk is removed. Subsequently, the designing work is done using blocks, or the motifs are drawn with the help of a specially prepared bamboo stick, which is dipped in the fermented jaggery solution. Afterwards, vegetable dyes are applied. After the completion of coloring works, the material is washed carefully. The use of ‘alum’ makes sure of the quality and strength of the colors used. Until now, only naturally available elements are used to create this decorating art method; this is in fact, a traditional approach. Generally, the colors used are green, yellow, black, blue, and red. The dyeing process of the cloth is done by using the myrobalan nut powder. For creating a typical blue color, indigo plant extract is used, and for phasing in an alluring yellowish color, the root of Madder plant is used; dried Myrobalan flowers are also used for creating yellow. For creating red shades, alum (potassium) is used.
Kalamkari – Distinguishing Traits
In general, cotton materials are used to perform Kalamkari. Because of the application of deep colors, the overall appearance will be very much smooth and alluring. Usually, the designs used will be the characters or scenes taken from the popular Hindu epics. You can also see Kalamkari work having the motifs of numerous types of flora and fauna.
Kalamkari Types
Machilipatnam style: Here, the designing work is carried out by using conventional types of printing blocks that are carved by hand.
Karrupur Style: It was while the Marathas ruled the Thanjavur area, this particular method originated. The peculiarity of this work is that, there will be golden brocade work in the border. In the bygone days, Karrupur style was largely used by the royal people to bring in more beauty to sarees as well as dhotis.
Srikalahasti style: This style is specially noted for the created designs; usually, the motifs include Hindu deities, and the other mythological characters or incidences.
]]>
‘Patola’ is an offshoot form of the Sanskrit word ‘PATAKULLA’ and stands for quality and long-lasting nature.
History
‘Patola’ handwoven sarees are produced from Patan District (Gujarat) and are created precisely in accordance with the customary standards and by applying the ‘Ikat’ dyeing technique.
It was Salvis (a caste within Jains) who started the production of ‘Patola’ sarees in India and this was in the 12th century. Today, only one family manufactures conventional ‘Patola’ creation. That being said, ‘Patola’ sarees have already become the epitome of sophistication and societal rank. An interesting matter to note here is that, ‘Patola’ sarees are part for the course of the present dowry system of Gujarati ladies.
Moreover, as the richness and charisma of Patola sarees have greatly satiated the penchant of Indonesian and Burmese (the present Myanmar) females; hence, this brand sarees are also exported to these countries currently.
Patola Technique
In the creation of ‘Patola’ brand, the ‘warp & weft’ weaving method is applied for the process of hand-weaving from silk. Threads are perfectly swathed so that the dye patterns are not disfigured, and this process is redone while adding different colors. However, in ‘double Ikat’ Patolas, both ‘wrap and weft’ are dyed before the weaving process.
Recognizing Patola
You can easily pick out ‘Patola’ sarees due to their distinctive designs and the applied color patterns. Normally, fascinating designs like ‘flowers’, various ‘dance forms’, ‘elephants’, ‘parrots’, ‘geometrical designs’, etc are given. Both sides of ‘Patola’ sarees will seem similar, because, perfectly identical works are done on each side. Consequently, both sides of ‘Patola’ sarees can be used.
While buying a ‘Patola’ saree you should discern the distinctive feature of the crisscross ‘Ikat’ pattern; the white thread portion will be clearly perceptible. In some cases you will see that the ‘Ikat’ pattern is dyed rather than woven. Bear in mind, such dyed ‘Patolas’ are not genuine and hence, you must not buy them.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can very clearly see the weaving pattern and the close range images of ‘Ikat’ design.
Patola types
There are two kinds of ‘Patola Saris’; ‘Patan Patola’ and ‘Rajkot Patola’
‘Patan Patola’ - This is more conventional and it is ‘double Ikat’; but the item is pricier.
The distinctive feature of ‘Double Ikat’ is that it bears identical designs on both sides, and this enables the user to wear it using both sides.
Double ikat (vertical & horizontal weaving)
‘Rajkot Patola’ - This one is a modern version ‘Patola’ and it is only single ‘Ikat’. This one is economical when compared with ‘Patan Patola’ and will go well with the strength of an average wallet.
Single Ikat (vertical- one way weaving)
Please review our collection of patola sarees http://www.sanskritivintage.com/ to buy patola saress online.
]]>
This is a standard sari weaving method that is popular in the Banaras and Varanasi regions of Uttar Pradesh, India. The term ‘Brocade’ is a derivative of ‘Broccato’, which is an Italian expression that can be translated as ‘imprinted fabric’. ‘Brocade’ is a highly valued cloth material and is luxuriously ornamented by using mostly gold & silver cords.
History:
‘Brocade’ was a popular dress material of women even in the middle ages, and the aristocratic ladies of countries such as ‘India’, ‘China’, ‘Korea’, ‘Greece’, and ‘Japan’ wore this brand sarees. It is assumed that the practice of wearing ‘Brocade’ commenced in the Vedic era and thrived during the reign of Mughals. It is also presumed that during the ‘Rig Veda’ period there was a trendy and impressive fabric that was named ‘Hiranya’ and this was almost the same as the present-day ‘Brocade’. ‘Brocade’ got a face-lift during King Akbar’s time, and it was in this period the weaving of complicated designs using gold and silver cords became popular. That being said, the time of ‘Italian Renaissance’ was also a significant era, as far as ‘Brocades’ are concerned. The patterns of ‘Brocades’ were mainly Persian.
Brocade technique:
‘Brocades’ are specially created fabrics in which the weaving designs are formed by inserting the cords (that are meant for the pattern creation) in the middle of the wrap. While weaving, in normal case, the ‘weft cord’ repeatedly runs above and below the wrap cord continually. In ‘Brocade’ creation, designs are designed by inserting the ‘zari’ cords through the wrap at premeditated periods. It should be also mentioned here that the real ‘zari’ is created from genuine gold. Another point to note is that, for creating ‘Brocades’ a special loom (Jalla/Draw Loom) is utilized. While creating ‘Brocades’, the cords are lifted and pushed down unevenly, and thus bringing in an imprinted image on the cloth.
Recognizing Brocade:
You can identify ‘Brocades’ by the ‘zari’ work that is done using silver and gold metallic cords, and the base cloth will be silk. There will be close weaving and the designs will be very much comprehensive. This stuff will be a bit rigid and coarse due to the metallic cords. For picking the correct and ideal ‘Brocades’, you have to check the embroidery with care. Actual ‘Brocades’ will be highly pricey, because, real silver and gold cords will be used for creating them. However, electroplated cords are also utilized these days and so, you can get economical ‘Brocade’ sarees.
Visit Sanskriti website; you can see the close range images of Brocade sarees, and it will be easy to perceive the zari work.
Popular Brocade Designs:
The Tasvir: The designs will be illustrative and picturesque.
Phulwar: Here there will be flower designs.
Geometrical Design: This will have geometrical patterns.
Shikargah: The designs will be of varied hunting pictures.
Brocade Types:
The conventional Banaras Brocades can be generally categorized as four typical brands.
Zari Brocades:
‘Zari Brocades’ are widely held as bridal sarees. In this brand, ‘golden’ cords are used for creating deep designs and that is the main attraction. The peculiarity of this brand is that the base cloth will not be clearly perceptible, because of the thickly created design. This material is also termed as 'Kimkhab'.
Amru Brocades:
‘Silk Brocade’ is another term for this brand, and here, instead of gold and silver zari, silk cords are used for the embroidery work. The generally seen designs are ‘vines’ and ‘flowers’.
Abrawans Brocades:
The base cloths used to design this brand are ‘Tissue’ and ‘Organza’, and ‘zari’ weaving method is employed. Here the created designs and the cloth will be lustrous.
Ganga -Jamuna Brocades:
The name is derived from the Indian holy rivers, ‘Ganga’, and ‘Jamuna’. ‘Ganga -Jamuna Brocades’ is the local term used to denote the ‘Brocade Designs’ that are produced by making use of ‘silver backdrop’ and ‘gold cords’.
Please visit our brocade collection
]]>