Weaving the thread of tradition

Colourful yards

The room is splattered with myriad colours, hues and textures, and a faint smell of freshly-woven silk lingers in the air. A scene of decadence, saris of all patterns and weaves are stacked neatly at the annual ‘Vastrabharana’, a platform that encourages artisans and spotlights Indian textiles. Presented by the Crafts Council of Karnataka in collaboration with Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, the event is on till October 6.

In an effort to keep alive the tradition of hand weaving textiles, this social initiative will introduce the artisans and their work to a large audience.

Karnataka itself has a lot to showcase with chic and comfortable khadi wear and colourful cottons from Ilkal and other parts of North Karnataka. But Dakshayani CL, of ‘Sakhi Saree Creations’, can’t help but note the drastic fall in sales of course cotton saris. “Now, it’s only the old generation that is interested in weaving. The younger generations have no interest in the art as the demand falls,” she says.

Pradeep Pillai, a NIFT graduate and owner of ‘Pillai Design Studio’ who has taken a keen interest in tussar silks from Nalanda, Venkatgiri and Chanderi, agrees with this statement. He elaborates, “There aren’t many takers for cotton these days; people prefer silk. To make it worse, 99 per cent of the tussar sari weavers use Chinese yarn for the warp (threads that run lengthwise) because they are cheaper, but I encourage them to use ‘desi’ silks for both, the warp and weft.” In order to make the saris more appetising, he is trying out something different. “I’m making the weaves coarser in the Chanderi saris so that they look more earthy and appealing. I’m using 100 count cotton threads for all of them,” he adds.

There are also the beautiful paithani saris from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Arshi Qureshi, of ‘Bashir Silk Factory’, says that it takes approximately six months to two years to make one paithani sari. “It takes a day to weave half an inch of cloth,” he adds. With five threads hand woven to make a single thread, these silk saris have silver zaris with gold plating. Sujani saris from West Bengal also take the same amount of time. Debjani Das, of Srishti Fashion and Textiles’ says that Sujani saris are the result of “undivided Bengal”, with contributions from both sides.

The Assamese weaves are unique too; the pleasant coloured mekhla chadars, the traditional attire of Assam, made from silk and cotton, won’t fail to catch your attention.

   In addition to these, there are also ikat, bandhani, Mangalgiri, bagru, tree khadi, shibori, pochampally, kalamkari, Kacheevaram, natural dyed and block-printed saris and designs. The silk wraps from Odisha are something to behold with their potent combinations of red, black and white.

And for those who are looking to accessorise their newly-purchased saris, there is handcrafted jewellery available. Chinanshu, owner of ‘Paarisha’, makes unique and colourful handwoven, braided, crocheted and sewn accessories from silks, cottons and a dash of metal. 

‘Vastrabharana’ is taking place at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath till October 6, from 10 am to 7.30 pm.