Nestled by the Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri Hills, in the town of Shravanabelagola, located km in Hassan District in Karnataka, stands a colossal rock-cut statue of Lord Gommateshwara Shri Bahubali.

Built in circa 982, the 57 feet tall Bahubali statue standing upright in the posture of meditation known as kayotsarga accessible through a flight of 500 steps, is described as the most magnificent among all Jain works of art.

The verdant natural beauty of Shravanabelagola, with its swaying coconut trees and natural bodies of water, bears testimony to the qualities of renunciation and non-violence that embodies the Jain Way of Life.

BhagwanBahubali, the son of the first of the twenty four Jain Tirthankaras, is worshipped for living with exceptional qualities that he displayed during all stages of his life from conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment and salvation.

Once in 12 years, the small town of Shravanabelagola turns into a conglomeration of hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world who throng the place for Mahamastakabhishekaceremony celebrated in honor of lord Bahubali.

During the ceremony, the statue of the Lord is worshipped by smearing his idol from the contents of 1008 pots carried by the devotees. The pots contain various things like milk, turmeric paste, rice flour, coconut water, sandalwood, sugarcane juice, vermilion, and 52 varieties of flowers.

The 88^th celebration of the ceremony falls this year. The celebration will take place from 17th to 25th February 2018. The event is to be conducted under the guidance of His Holiness Swasti Sri CharukeerthiBhattarakhaSwamiji of Shravanabelagola. More than 1 million devotees are expected to attend this event!

In India, women adorn traditional sarees for all religious ceremonies, spiritual gatherings and for visiting temples. Mahamastak abhisheka ceremony is one such occasion when all jain women and women of Hindu faith can wear their sober and elegant traditional sarees. Shatika has a wide range of pure and pristine handloom sarees for such occasions. Log on to our website at www.shatika.co.in to check out the complete range.

Image Courtesy:

http://bit.ly/2nVajrf

Sarees from Rajasthan – Gota Patti Work and Zardosi Work

If one has to describe Rajasthan in one word then it would be ‘colorful’. The vivid palette and the bright hues from the arid land has for ages enticed fashion enthusiasts from all over the world.

Abundant in talent, there are many acclaimed textile arts that are spread throughout Rajasthan. World renowned Dabuand Bagruand Saanganervegetable-dye block prints in traditional motifs are used to adorn sarees and salwar kameezes; the colorfully knotted tie-and-dye bandhni marvels are seen adorning sarees, duppatas, phetas and lehengas. The kota doria from Kota Rajasthan woven on traditional pit looms in a fashion that it produces square checks pattern on the fabric locally called khats make them popular for their light weight and airy texture.

The womenfolk in the Shekhawati belt, which is located at about 120 km from Jaipur, keep alive this traditional handwork. Springtime in this part of the world is heralded by the colourful leheriya and mothra designs.

Among celebrated arts, there is a wide array of gota-patti work and maal ka kaam-the Rajasthani form of zardosi with a lot of cut-dana and pattietched in silver. The colourful lehengas sets in bright bandhnis embellished with gotta patti work is a popular bridal wear not just in Rajasthan but it is popular with brides from south too!

Festooning sarees to duppatas, salwar kameezes to lehengas and even bedspreads and quilts, Jaipuri bandhini and block prints come in an extensive range of fabrics including kota-doria, cottons, georgettes, silks, crepes and chiffons. The fine leheriyas in georgettes have been in vogue for generations.

Today’s fashion is about combining two or more forms of rajasthani textile art that is more palatable to the fashionistas, like the block print saris in kota-doria with bandhni patchwork or the bandhni-block print fusion are innovative with fresh designs.

The bandhni duppatas in crepes and cotton in myriad colours popularly combined with a white chikankari salwar kameez is a trend long-trailed, seen also in the blockbuster movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai a decade ago.

The beauty of Rajasthani textile arts is that it is not only a treat to your eyes but also to the pocket. While the Bagru print sarees , the acclaimed gotta patti sarees, kota doria sarees and leheriya sarees all range between 2000/- and 10,000/-  The festivity line in silk like rajasthani lehegas and kota silk sarees with real zari also donot cross 20000/-.

Image Courtesy:
http://bit.ly/2nQdPTJ

The unique Technique of Ikat

Ties that bind, Ikat is an art form that is global and stretches across continents. A technique that is practiced in at least 28 to 30 countries across all the continents, Ikat is a craft that tests the skills of two sets of craftsmen — tie-dye experts and weavers that are combined together to create stunning masterpieces.

Practiced in Asia-Pacific (China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan ), Latin America (Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina ), the Middle East (Egypt, Iran, Syria, Turkey and Yemen), West Africa and Europe (Italy and Spain), Ikat is one fabric that brings the whole world together with its common process of tying and dyeing and weaving. Variations in yarn (cotton, silk, wool, banana fibre, grass) together with the colour combination and the formation of motifs based on regional differences, historical and cultural significance is what gives it a unique identity in each country, differentiating one from another.

Some of the world renowned ikat arts are African ikat textiles (Ivory Coast), ikat ponchos in Argentina, double ikkats in Guatemala and the beautiful ‘rebozos’ in Mexico. There were variants of the ikat in the Victorian era as well which were woven in France known as chine a la branch and famously used as silk ribbons. Meissen ikat kimonos existed in the Edo period which was stenciled patterns on the warp threads before they were woven on the loom.In China, Li people of Hainan Island are experts in the ikat technique, which is woven on back strap looms.

Within India too there are many variations of ikat. Despite similar technique, the Patola silk sarees of Gujarat are very different from TeliaRumalor Pochampally of Telengana or even Sambalpuri Bomkai of Odisha. Ikat weaving, especially double ikat Patola (where both the warp and weft threads are tie/dyed), is amongst the most complicated weaves in the world. Here both the warp and weft are tie-and-dyed in colours which with progression of weaving, fit in beautifully to create exquisite patterns. In single ikat Patola silk sarees, only the warp or weft is tie-dyed. Conceptualization and execution of single ikat may not be as complicated and difficult as double ikat but it still needs skill and deft.

A stunning range of the exquisite tie-and-dye craft that is practiced all over the world, the art of ikat binds the world with its unity in diversity!

Image Courtesy:
http://bit.ly/2EjK73w

Double Ikat Patola Sarees from Gujarat

Neatly tucked in the interiors of Gujarat is the unassuming town of Patan. Standing amid the ruins of the once-powerful Solanki dynasty that reigned between the 10th and 13th centuries, the town is popular for‘Rani-ki-vav’, a well-preserved stepwell that is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most exquisite silken weave of the patola textile. A heritage of the Salvi family that has kept the centuries’ old art of double ikat patola sarees thriving till today, the GI registered Patan patola is rather unique.

The popularity and desirability of Patan Patola by any Gujarati woman can be gauged in the melodious Gujarati folk song “Chhelaji re mare hatu Patanthi patola, mongha lavjo ema ruda re moraliya chitravjo Patanthi patola” (a woman urges her husband who is off to Patan to bring her the coveted patola saree from there), penned by the noted Gujarati poet Avinash Vyas decades ago.

Worn by royals and aristocrats on auspicious occasions, and prized as a holy cloth even in South-east Asia, the patola finds mention in the 14th century travel accounts of Ibn Batuta, who gifted patolas to kings. Indonesia was the largest importer of Patan patola before World War II. It was a matter of great pride for Gujarati brides to have it as part of their wedding trousseau. Communities such as Nagar Brahmins and Kutchi Bhatia used patola as a ceremonial cloth. 

The Salvi family of Patola has carried forward this heritage art since the 11th century over roughly 35 generations. They trace their origin to the patola weavers of Jalna (Maharashtra). It is said that the king Kumarpal of the Solanki dynasty highly valued the patola and bought it from Jalna. But when he learnt that the king of Jalna used them first as bed-sheets before allowing the weavers to sell them, Kumarpal invited 700 families of Jain Salvi weavers to settle down in Patan in the 12th century.

Patan Patola sarees till date are woven on primitive hand-operated harness loom made of sturdy teakwood. The painstaking traditional process of spinning, tying-dyeing and weaving takes four or more weavers four to eight months to weave a piece.The mulberry silk used in making of these sarees is still imported from China.

The specialty of double ikat weaving is that each warp and weft thread is tied separately with a cotton string to colour by a tie-dye technique (bandhani process). The pattern becomes apparent as warp threads start setting on the loom.The resultant patola silk has no reverse side as both the sides have equal intensities of colour and design.

Loud red, yellow, green and blue dominate the saree. These striking colours remain intact for centuries as the Salvi family ensures that all colours are sourced organically. Turmeric, marigold flowers, onion skin, pomegranate bark, madder root, lac, catechu and indigo along with different mordant (use of chemicals to bind natural dyes to the textile fibres) are used as dye.

Floral motifs, animals, birds and human figures are basic designs, but geometrical patterns are most popular. Traditional motifs are called bhat and include narikunjar, paan, choktha (square), chhabadi (10 elephants), laheriya (diagonal lines) and navratna (nine gems) among others.

Narikunjar is the most traditional bhat and remains the most popular. shrikarbhat depicts elaborate hunting scene with animal motifs like ornate elephants.

While single ikat weaving spans many countries, the double ikat textiles are made only in four places in the world Bali (Indonesia), Okinawa island (Japan), Pochampalli (Telangana) and Patan in Gujarat. Rarest of the rare, Double ikat Patolas from Patan are the most colorful and most intricate of all.

Ghicha Silk Sarees from Shatika

Ghicha Silk is a high quality fabric, which is popular for its natural luster. This high quality natural fabric makes Ghicha silk sarees the most durable and long lasting besides their numerous other features like lightweight, shrinkage free and smooth texture that make them the most demanding sarees today. Actually a by product of tussar silk, Ghicha silk is produced in eastern states of India like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The yarns of Ghicha silk are obtained from cocoons of tussar silk that cannot have the silk yarns reeled naturally and hence these cocoons are ruptured and the silk is reeled manually.

Ghicha silk is obtained mostly from pierced, cut, flimsy, insect damaged and double cocoons. The cooking process for the production of gicha yarn is the same as for the reeled yarn produced from good cocoons. Cooked tassar cocoons which are unreelable owing to opening of the peduncle end or a hard shell are also used to produce the hand-drawn coarse yarn called ‘ghicha’. Here a bunch of thread is pulled out by hand from one or two cocoons at a time and reeled on an earthen pot. This gives a coarse variety of untwisted thread of 4s to 6s. Finer ghicha as high as 30s can also be spun. Ghicha yarn is used as weft for the production of various union fabrics in combination with reeled silk or Katia or even with cotton. Ghicha or Khewa are the names given to yarns that are not dyed when Tussar silk is reeled.

GichaSaree is a versatile saree that suits every occasion. Popular for its texture and weaving patterns, the way it is weaved and combined with other textures decides the mood of the occasion. For example, Ghicha sarees in pleasing colors with golden booties and double printed borders with an elegant pallu make for gracious and presentable wear for traditional occasions. Designer ghicha silk sarees with embroidery booties and designer patola or gota borders look spectacular and can be worn on festivals, family get-togethers and parties. Simple Ghicha sarees with simple stripes and booties look sober and make for great work wear. Fancy prints of block, batik and gold prints on gicha saris look beautiful.  While Gicha silk saree embellished with zari patchwork and zari border has been around for long and makes for a stylish wear for special occasions, the latest fashion in ghicha sarees is multi-thread embroidery, kundans and sequins work.

Along with its use in making lustrous sarees, Ghicha silk is also used in home decor like cushion covers, pillow covers, bed sheets, curtains, throws, duvet covers, bedspreads and blanket covers.Ghicha silk fabrics are greatly made use of in apparel sector too. Well known for its purity and linear weaving texture, Ghicha silk fabrics are accessible in quite a few colors and patterns as per demand. They are pre- dyed with specially chosen colors to achieve long-lasting beauty.