Weaving Designs and Motifs of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees

Be it because of the lure of its pure mulberry silk or the dazzle of its real zari motifs, the Kanchipuram silk saree continues to hold the pride of place among the various varieties of silk sarees in the country today. Its rich weave and feel holds everyone in its sway and even today it is the preferred bridal saree because of its durability and grandeur.

The designs showcased on Kanchipuram silk sarees are woven in pure zari threads and their motifs range from figures to temple towers along the border. The motifs of these silk sarees most often comprise of Pallava temples, palaces and paintings. The traditional designs found on the body of a Kanjeevaram saree include pyramidal temple borders, checks, stripes and floral buttas.

Earlier, designs were restricted to conservative stripes or gold dots. However, over time emblematic motifs such as fresh mango, sweet grapes elephant, the sun, moon, chariots, swans, elegant peacocks, parrots, lions, coins, lotus, pot, creeper, flower, parrot, hen, and depiction of stories from mythology are woven into the saree in patterns.

 

Some of the traditional motifs featured in the Kanjeevaram saris are Rudraksham (Rudraksha beads), Gopuram (temple towers), ‘mallimogu’(jasmine flower), ‘mayilkan’ (peacock’s eye), ‘kuyilkan’ (nightingale eye) borders. Patterns are also formed with the help of lines and squares. The jasmine flower motifs either on their own or inside a square or round frame are called mallim0gu. The Thandavalam motif has parallel-line motifs running all over the body of the sari while in the pattu motif, the pallu and the border alone have floral motifs independently woven on them.

Today’s designs are more contemporary but these modern motifs continue to lend a festive touch with their magnificent grandeur. One can even see representation of grand paintings by Raja Ravi Verma or scenes from the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata on the richly woven pallus and sometimes borders of these modern Kanchi pattu sarees, thus encouraging creativity and contempt without compromising on their traditional values and opulence.

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An Ode to Weaves and Weavers – Fashion Show by Shravan Kumar

June 21^st 2016 marked a new beginning in the history of Handlooms as celebrated designer Shravan Kumar in association with Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & HICC, unveiled his latest couture line up called “An Ode to Weaves and Weavers”, an annual event that not only pays tribute to all the weavers of India but also aims for their upliftment in society.

The fashion show held here saw over 30 supermodels flouncing down a temple-themed ramp, displaying an eclectic range of indigenous Indian weaves, from length and breadth of the country. If that was not enough, eminent Tollywood actors, sports persons and business bigwigs also turned up, dressed in designer handloom finery.

The 34-minute show, that had six segments and over 108 garments, saw an eclectic mix of weaves, all end to end handloom sarees like Khadis, Mangalagiris, Narayanpet, Benaras, Kanchipuram, Chanderi, Paithanis, Salem, Venkatgiri, Uppada and Pochampally from the remotest locations.

 

Celebrated South Indian actress Anushka Shetty, the show stopper of the show left everybody gaping in awe as she walked the ramp in a black Kanchipuram silk saree with splendid gold zari work on the pallu and contrast blouse.

 

 

The designer with a penchant for working with handlooms, Shravan on one occasion said, “Weavers in India, who are the inheritors of an age-old handloom legacy, are unable to survive with the pittance they make. We need to act soon before we lose this rich legacy. Our weaves are our national heritage.”

Praising the efforts of the designer and the weavers in general, the General Manager Mr. Neil Paterson signed off saying, “We feel proud to bring forth on one platform, more than 100 different and rare weaves and pay tribute to the underprivileged weavers of the nation through AN ODE TO WEAVES & WEAVERS – hosted at one of the grandest venues in the region. The fusion of these designs and Novotel’s hospitality will be magical,”

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The Kanchipuram Our Pride and Honour

The times have changed, and the kanchipuram sarees have also undergone a transformation of sorts. There is embroidery or even crystal work done on the traditional Kanchipuram silk sarees. By now, aren’t you longing to buy your own kanchipuram, one steeped in gold and silver? Well, we have a few things to tell you about your favourite saree. A typical kanchipuram silk saree is known for its distinguishable characteristics of heavy silk with classic colours and rich zari woven pallu and border using koruvai technique. Woven on heavy lustrous silk, usually with contrasting borders and fabulous pallus of intricate designs. The kanchipuram sarees boast of its rich golden tapestry. They are the perfect family heirloom!

Authentic, unique and handpicked, hand woven silk sarees from across South India that adds elegance and style to a woman. Oh! There’s more, we also help you in creating your own legacy. Yes, we help you get an exclusive and unique saree just for you. Woven with love and ingenuity. Each kanchipuram silk saree is made from one of the world’s most sublime silks. Hand woven from pure mulberry silk, a single saree takes almost a week to finish. The silk yarn, after careful extraction, is dyed in the richest of colours and woven with the Zari. First the yarn is washed and then dipped in the desired colour. These yarns are then starched which gives the yarn a polished look. The silk used in kanchipuram saress is of the finest quality.

LOOMS AND THE TECHNIQUE

The kanchipuram weavers are in this profession to weave these sarees, were chosen for their sheer talent on a loom. And for centuries now, this skill has been handed down from one generation to the next, with great care and diligence. It is an art that was inherited, taught by the elders, and honed by practice, creativity and vision. Kanchipuram sarees are woven making the border and pallu of the same colour they are in bright contrast to the main saree. The motifs are inspired from nature and temple sculptures — religion, architecture. Weaving a kanchipuram is tedious but the saree is one of a kind, and stamps it with splendor and durability.

The shine and shimmer

Pure gold and silver is used to create the zari in a kanchipuram saree. The cost of a saree largely depends on the purity of the zari. The art of creating the perfect zari is relatively unknown – only a handful of families possess the knowledge of zari making. Though this makes a kanchipuram all the more precious. As it has resale value. Essentially, the ‘zari’ is a silk thread, twisted with a thin silver wire and then gilded with gold, to create the designs or motifs on the saree.

The proper girth and length

The width of any regular saree, even a silk saree, is a standard 45 inches; but the kanchipuram saree is typically much broader by three inches. The specialty of kanchipuram sarees is that the silk yarn is “double warp”, i.e., each “thread” is actually made up of three single threads twisted together. Also, because of the pure mulberry silk used for these threads kanchipuram sarees are renowned for their texture, lustre, durability and finish – thus making a kanchipuram saree much stronger (and more expensive) than its counterparts from Banaras or Dharmavaram.

IS IT WALLET FRIENDLY?

Sky-high prices (due to lack of skilled artisans/weavers) and the sky rocketing cost of silver/gold makes the saree more expensive day by day. But no Indian wedding is complete without it. It is also a hot favourite for women during festival seasons – it is common practice to wear them during poojas and while visiting temples. These Silk Sarees are now shipped abroad to cater to the over zealous overseas Indians. The bottom line is, whether in India or abroad – the soaring prices of the kanchipuram are somehow met with an equal amount of purchasing power. Such is our tradition!