Uppada Sarees - Beauty and Comfort in Unison

Soft and delicately woven, Uppada sarees are a manifestation of a woman’s emotions. An epitome of beauty, liveliness, resilience, strength and vigour, a woman has been the source of inspiration in putting life into these uppada silk sarees that are known for their soft texture, spirited colors, distinct decorative patterns, artistic zari work and exquisite designs.

Considered one of the most labour intensive and pain staking forms of handloom weaving, Uppada sarees are made of fine muslin that is best known for its softness and resilience. Glorious looking and light weight, these almost translucent sarees hold great esteem the world over and are seen as one of the foremost contributors to India’s textile chronicles.

The Padmashalis who in the 19^th century settled in Uppada village in East Godavari district close to the port city of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh is the sole weaver community that specializes in weaving Uppada sarees. Weaving these incredible weaves using the ancient jamdani techniques but with uniquely local adaptation, they have been weaving Uppada sarees for over 2 centuries now.

There is an interesting history associated with the Padmasaalis. It is said that the Padmashali community has its roots from Lord Sriman Narayana who is considered to be the one from whose navel Lord Brahma emerged. They are considered to be the descendants of Maharishi Brighu who was said to be born from the heart of Lord Brahma. Down the lineage of Brighu Maharishi, Bhavana Rishi who taught the technique of weaving, and his wife Bhadravathi had 101 Padmashali children and Padmashalis are the descendants of these 100 sons who are spread all over India and other parts of the World!

Weaving Uppada sarees is an intensely manual process where two weavers work together on one loom to create the delicate designs & fine fabric with zari and silk threads. Length & breadth count of threads used in weaving is 100 and it takes 2 months to make these softest & finest silk sarees that are a nice blend of tradition & trend.

Uppada patterns are mostly of geometric, plant, and floral designs and are said to originate in Persian and Mughal fusion thousands of years ago. Somewhat like tapestry work where small shuttles of colored, gold or silver threads are passed through the weft, the Jamdani designs range from the ‘butidar’, where the entire sari is scattered with floral sprays, to diagonally-striped floral sprays or the ‘tercha’ and a network of floral motifs called ‘jhalar’.

Keeping up the modern demand, present day Uppada jamdani saris have on their ground designs of rose, jasmine, lotus, bunches of bananas, bunches of ginger and sago. The Victoria and Albert Museum of London exhibit a fine collection of these sarees and these weavers have also received a GI registration in 2009. Due to the comfort factor attached to these rich looking sarees, they are a preferred choice of today’s women during occasions like weddings, festivals and religious ceremonies.

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Introduction to Narayanpet Sarees:

A small town in the Mehboob Nagar district, Narayanpet lies in the border between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Among the quaint setup of small jeweler shops and grocery stores by the streets, huddled houses and small lanes and by lanes is a peculiar clacking of looms echoing on the busy streets that are draped with sarees. Take a closer look and one will know that most doors on these streets open into the homes of weavers of Narayanpet sarees who interestingly come from every community and religion and co- exist harmoniously. Highly skilled artisans, there are Telugus, Marathis and Kannadigas and both Hindus and Muslims who work together to create magic with their fingers. And interestingly, this harmony reflects in their weave too that bare resemblance to handloom sarees from Karnataka and Maharastra.

History and Origin:

History has it that weaving of Narayanpet sarees began in the year 1630 AD by the great Maratha King, Chathrapati Shivaji  Maharaj. So impressed was he with the vibrant drape of the women of this region that the town got its royal Maratha patronage. The other version of the story is that when he camped here in 1630AD, some of his weavers stayed back and developed the weave in this region the reason why one can see a lot of Maharashtrian influence in its weave.

Characteristics & Features:

The most beautiful quality of Narayanpet sarees is that these sarees in both silk and cotton can be worn all-round the season by women of all age groups for all kinds of occasions. The special feature of these sarees is their wide spectrum of vibrant festive colors along with their contrast borders and pallus. Some of the silk sarees are adorned with zari designs and they are best suited for festivals and get together. Considered auspicious and pious, they make an apt wear for religious ceremonies too.

In 2012, Narayanpet sarees got its Geographical Indicator (GI) registration with the government of India.

Weaving Process:

One of the most exquisite and distinct qualities of Narayanpet sarees is their adoption of the most unique and exclusive process of weaving where the loom has the capacity of producing 8 sarees in one go! Thus instead of the standard 7 yards of fabric being mounted on the loom, 56 yards of Silk are mounted on the loom at a single time. Woven in a variety of fabrics like silk, silk cotton and cotton, only natural or vegetable dyes are used in producing different hues. The actual weaving starts after the degumming, dyeing and drying process.While production of Narayanpetsilk sarees take about 4 to 5 days, the Narayanpetcotton sarees take lesser time.

Patterns, Colors & Motifs:

Narayanpet sarees generally sport plain vibrant colors with contrast pallus and borders. The ones weaved for occasion wear feature small zari stripes on pallus & borders. While cotton sarees are mostly plain with coloured checks on the body sometimes to lend them that ethnic look, the Narayanpet silk sarees have a distinctive style of their own and are influenced by the styles evolved in Maharashtra with the patti (stripes) border and a broad pallu known as the top-Tenni pallu. The borders and pallus of these sarees are very traditional that are characterized by a rich pallu with a unique pattern of alternating red and white bands. The border is usually a flat expanse of deep maroon red or chocolate red, thinly separated by white or colored lines.

Price Range:

One of the most important reasons for the popularity of Narayanpet sarees is their affordability since no other silk or cotton saree this pure is in this price bracket. A typical Narayanpet silk saree can be in the range of Rs. 4000/- to Rs. 6000/- while a cotton saree is lesser and may range anywhere between 2000/- to 3000/-

How to Identify a Narayanpet Saree:

Narayanpet sarees can be easily distinguished from the rest of the weaves with a checkered pattern it sports along with the unique patti border and top- tenni pallu. The borders and pallus of these sarees are very traditional that are characterized by a rich pallu with a unique pattern of alternating red and white bands. The border is usually a flat expanse of deep maroon red or chocolate red, thinly separated by white or colored lines.

Wash and Care Guidelines:

• The most comforting aspect of Narayanpet sarees is that they need less maintenance compared to other silk sarees.

• Use a mild detergent after two or three plain washes. Do not keep the sari soaked in detergent for long.
• Do not brush or lash a silk saree as it would lead to tearing of the silk or zari.
• Wash pallu and border separately in the beginning.
• Do not bundle it or keep it wet for a long time.
• In case of stains, wash with cold water immediately.
• For hard stains, get the sari dry cleaned.
• Do not bundle the wet sari along with other garments liable to cause staining.
• Chlorine bleach should never be used on silk as it damages the silk and causes it to yellow.

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Peshwai Paithani Sarees

18^th century was witness to a cultural euphoria in Deccan region as it was a time when the Brahmin Peshwas ruled the Maratha kingdom. As the book by history professor Dr. Varsha Shirgaonkar ‘Eighteenth Century Deccan: Cultural History of the Peshwas’ describes, it was a period when the Peshwas grew in wealth and power and they nourished old forms of culture, gave rise to new, and aided in the synthesis of the old and the new Mughal and Rajput cultural elements as well as the European entered the region and got assimilated into the Maratha culture during their reign and trickled into various spheres of culture such as the performing art forms, festivals, textiles and ornaments.

Ornaments:                                                   

The Peshwas were very fond of jewelry and other ornaments. Some of the note worthy ornaments that gained popularity were the Mohanmal, the Chandrahar and the Mughal Laffa for the neck the Bugadi, Kap, and Velfor the ears and the not to miss pearl-studded Nath for the nose.

Festivals:

There were various festivals celebrated with grandeur in the Maratha court during the Peshwai reign Ganeshotsav, Dasara, and Vasantpanchami were some of the festivals that were celebrated with fanfare. The practice of sprinkling colored water during Holi was a Rajput influence.

Folk Arts:

Among the folk performing arts, the famous Tamasha and the Lavani were born in this era for entertainment.

Textiles:

Among the textiles, the grand tradition of the weaving of the Peshwai Paithani sarees, the wonder in silk and gold, thrives even today. History has it that when the Peshwas took over the growing Maratha empire, there were several battles between the Nizam and the Marathas for possession of Paithan town from where these sarees hail. Peshwa Bajirao I (1720-40) AD defeated the Nizam in the battle of Palkhed in 1728 AD. A treaty signed on the out skirts of Paithan at Mungi Shevgaon freed Paithan for a while from the Nizam’s rule. Bajirao’s son, Balaji married the daughter of Paithan’s well-known money lender Wakhore, in 1761 AD. Thus Paithan remained important to him. His successors, Peshwa Madhavrao and Narayanrao too had close links with Paithan due to its religious importance. They all visited Paithan, but Madhavrao was particularly enamored by the silk dresses from the city. By then, the Maratha dress had begun to determine the nature of products from Paithan during the Peshwa rule. The Paithani came into its own at this time and continues to rule the cultural ethos of Maharashtra.

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8 Silk Sarees for this Monsoon Wedding

The most romantic season of the year, monsoon brings with it a lot of passion, fun, romance and nuptials too! Agreed monsoon weddings can get slushy and slippery but not to forget, it also brings with it, closeness and togetherness. With rain god playing cupid to the newlywed couples and the others too, it’s only a matter of choosing the right drape to enjoy dressing for monsoon weddings and be able to put the best foot forward.

Silk is an integral part of Indian weddings, no matter which season the wedding falls in. While India’s winters can take heavy silks comfortably, carrying them in monsoon is a big challenge. To address this concern, we bring you a list of handloom silk sarees that are not just easy to carry in monsoons but they also look very dressy.

• Pattu silk sarees: Potent with best of festive colors and zari work, Pattu soft silk sarees are extremely light weight and have a great fall. Comfortable to drape and breathable, they go quite easy on the pocket too.

           

• Uppada silk sarees: Considered to be the lightest and yet the strongest silk sarees, Uppada silk sarees are made from fine silk yarns using the age old Jamdani weaving technique. One of the most labour intensive and pain staking forms of handloom weaving, these sarees are known for their soft texture, spirited colors, distinct decorative patterns, artistic zari work and exquisite designs and make a perfect monsoon wedding wear.

• Bhagalpuri silk sarees: Monsoon weddings are a smooth affair with rough textured Bhagalpuri silk sarees that are crafted in dazzling colors and blazing patterns. Light weight and easy to carry, the charm of these textured beauties lies in their unconventional looks and the fact that the saree remains intact once draped properly, avoiding constant fidgeting with the saree.

• Gadwalsico sarees: A good mix of grandeur of silk and comfort of cotton, Gadwalsico sarees are known for their admirable zari patterns and well-crafted Kuttu borders.Lightweight and effortless to drape on, they come in a variety of attractive color combinations and are a perfect drape to nail the monsoon.

            

• Salem silk sarees: Less known gems from the crown of textile heritage of Tamil Nadu, bountiful Salem silk sarees are personality filled. Full of vibrancy and dazzle, they make a bright yet convenient drape for monsoon wedding.

• Maheshwari silk sarees: Celebratory Maheshwari silk sarees from the heartland of India are soaked in tradition exhibiting fancy patterns in attractive color combinations. Extremely comfortable and light weight, they bring in a lot of freshness and novelty and the expected spunk in a monsoon wedding.

• Chanderi silk sarees: A weave from the heart of India, Chanderi silk sarees are known for their sheer texture, light weight, and transparency. Adorned in gold motifs, these sheer beauties that were once patronized by Royalty make for a sophisticated wedding wear.

                  

• Patola silk sarees: Patola Silk sarees that are considered the queen bee of handloom sarees are soaked in tradition. The special ikat tie and dye of these sarees is celebratory. While they look stunning in a plethora of colors, these zari less sarees are rather comfortable to carry.
While dressing up for weddings is one, shopping for weddings in murky monsoons is another. Stepping out in slushy, slippery roads of the city with vehicles splashing muddy water as you dash into a saree shop and face cold looks from the salesman can be quite a nightmare. You can instead choose to peep out of your window, gazing at the pour and feeling the breeze with piping hot mug of coffee or the garam adrakchai(the garam pakodas on the side go without saying) in one hand and in the other, looking at gorgeously lovely sarees at Shatika that are offered at crazy discounts for Monsoon Bonanza 2017, at a click of a button.
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Kantha Cotton Sarees – An Ideal Office Wear

Crisp and elegant, Kantha cotton sarees worn at work place and carried the right way can, not just make a style statement but also notch up your oomph quotient by many degrees. Here is a list of reasons that will make you want to choose a cool Kantha cotton saree over a formal shirt and pant or even a churidar to work

Cotton is considered formal
Crisp and daunting, a cotton saree is a perfect professional outfit. Be it an onshore meeting with a client or a presentation to make a kantha cotton saree gives that suave look in its pastel shades and the cotton fabric ensures the saree remains intact while you do all the running around.

It lends grace

Work environment demands certain graceful and professional dressing. A crisp Kantha cotton sari in subtle colors and fine drawn kantha embroidery lends a ladylike grace and presence to any occasion.

It's airy and comfortable
Kantha cotton sarees in soft cotton and pastel shades are a perfect choice at work especially in summers as they render undying comfort.

Invest in a legacy

Kantha cotton saree is an investment because when you are buying a Kantha saree, you are not just buying a comfortable and a professional attire but centuries old legacy of the famous Kantha art.

It’s versatile
After wearing a Kantha sari for multiple occasions, you can promptly transform it into a comfortable cotton salwar kameez or a smart dupatta or even a cushion cover or drapes. It is a complete value for money.

It is hassle free

Considering your time is precious, with a Kantha saree you are sure to save few rounds to the tailor as you can team them up with some smart contrast blouses and you are sorted!

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Kota doria sarees are one of the many types of sari garments made in Kota, Rajasthan that are made of pure cotton and silk and have square like patterns known as khats on them. The khats or the airy pockets of Kota sarees are a result of traditional pit loom and they give these sarees a translucent look and make them airy.  These sarees come in pleasing pastel shades depicting flower, leaf and sometimes geometric mofits, in contrasting thread weave and they look resplendent. Super transparent, light textured and weightless, they are an ideal choice for hot and humid climate of India.

Interesting facts about Kota Doria Sarees:

While these distinct looking sarees with brilliant square patterns from Rajasthan are popular the world over for their looks and the comfort they render, there are many interesting facts that many of us are still allude to about this magnificent weave:

• This discrete weave from Rajasthan was actually originated in Mysore. Also known as Masuriya, it was in the late 17th century that Maharao Kishore Singh, a general of the Mughal army, brought the weavers from Mysore to Rajasthan who got into the art of making Kota Doria Sarees.
• The sarees are manufactured mainly by the Ansari community of the erstwhile Kota state and the ‘Hadauti’ region.
• As of today, the weavers of Kota Doria sarees are concentrated in the villages in outskirts of the Kota city. The major location of the weavers is the Kaithun (or Kaithoon) village, which is about 15 km from Kota. There are nearly 1500 weavers in this cluster. Apart from Kaithun, a few craftsmen pursue the art in nearby districts of Bundi and Baran.
• Kota sarees have a very distinct look, very unique from all other kinds of weaves because of their distinctive square like patterns called ‘khats’.

          

• Pure whites, creams, and beiges dominated Kota sarees once upon a time but with the advent of modern technologies, and changing tastes and times, Kota sarees now come in almost all colors.
• Kota sarees initially came only in pure cotton as cotton rendered the much required strength to the delicate hats but today they come in a variety of silk, cotton or a mix of silk and cotton where cotton renders the strength and comfort while silk gives the much desired shine and transparency.
• An interesting feature of the Kota Doria is the application of onion juice and rice paste on the yarns which strengthens them. The technique is so efficient that there is no need of any additional finishing.
• Kota sarees are embellished in more than one ways–They are either adorned by block prints or embellished through zari work, making them more decorative and stylish.
• Kota Dorias are produced 100% manually on traditional and age-old pit looms with throw shuttle technique. There weaving is done quite skillfully ensuring uniform sized ‘khats’ or are produced.

          

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