Myriad fabrics in a single space

An amalgamation of different styles, colours and fabrics have come together at ‘Weaves India’, a silk and cotton exhibition at the Sindhoor Convention Hall, J P Nagar.

Bangaloreans are busy shopping and looking at the various types of handloom materials from different parts of the country.Actress Harshika Poonacha inaugurated the exhibition and said that it was great that a single space offered so many options.

“Since winter is here, I prefer wearing salwars and things which keep me warm. I love the mirror-work dress material which is available at the Kutch stall. It looks extremely trendy and fashionable. I am definitely going to splurge,” she says.

Stalls from many states have been put up and the variety at the exhibition is dazzling.
Handloom material from states like Kashmir, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, as well as jewellery from Hyderabad, are up for sale. The hall have been packed with shoppers, who are splurging on the latest drapes and beautiful designs.

The exhibition has a host of silk and cotton dress material, along with saris and running material.  Hand-block prints, kalamkari and kantha stitch from Shantiniketan; patchwork and mirror work from Kutch; batik prints from West Bengal; ikkat print from Sambhalpur; chikkan work from Lucknow and traditional chanderi silks from Madhya Pradesh are all available. The latest Banarasi saris, as well as jamdani and jamawar silk saris, moonga silk and Bhagalpuri silk from Bihar are up for grabs too.

Many people were seen placing orders and buying dress material, as well as saris, for the upcoming Ganesha Habba. “The collection here is so vast. This is the right time for the exhibition to open, as Ganesha Habba is around the corner and we all are completing our last-minute shopping.

I am buying a chanderi sari for my daughter and also plan to buy some kantha-stitch dress material for the other children in my family,” says Kavitha, a homemaker who had come to the exhibition.

“We are selling the latest variety of Banarasi silk, which has a lot of demand in the market. This silk is called upada silk and it is a single-weave product. We have brought it from Varanasi and we are still waiting for the response,” says Ashiq, a shopkeeper. The exhibition will continue till September 18.