Dr Sangeeta Dutta – Kalabodh

The elegance of…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:43:17 +0000

The Elegance of a Paithani Saree

Introduction

Maharashtra is known for its variety of looms. The range of weaving varies from finest of cottons to the Saloos of Paithan, which are rich in brocade work. “The speciality lies in the design being woven without the assistance of a mechanical contrivance like a Jacquard or Jala. It uses multiple “Tillis” or spindles to produce the design. The design framework is linear and exquisite enamelled floral forms are woven on the background gold of the “Pallav or Border” (Marg, 1962, p. 8).

Location and History

Paithan is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the Deccan. This region has a reference in the Mahabharata, where it is said to be the capital of the Assakas, who had fought on the side of the Pandavas. In one of Ashoka’s inscription this region is mentioned by its ancient name, Pratisthan. An inscription at Pitalkhora, from the 2nd century B.C.E., makes a reference to the king and the wealthy merchants of Pratisthan. According to Ptolemy, this was the kingdom of Pabumayi II, and according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, this region was a significant trade centre (Dhamija, 1995 p. 61).

Paithani weaving was patronised by the Peshwas. It was seen in many of the letters written by them, where they had placed an order of dhotis, dupattas, turbans etc. made of Paithani in different colours and varieties. There are documents which state their fondness for plain dhoti which is worked upon with a silver or golden thread, green turbans and dupattas with asavali or narali work in red, pink, orange and green. Paithani’s popularity was not only restricted to the Marathas, but spread to other royal patrons, such as the Nizams of Hyderabad, who’s family paid several visits to the Paithani weaving centres. New motifs on the border and pallu were introduced by the Nizam’s daughter in law Begum Nilofar (Desai, 2002, p. 313).
“Some of the oldest fragments of Paithani weave show a rather narrow elongated stylised buta, revealing Persian influence…. Later larger and complex butas were made, based on Persian prototypes commonly used in Mughal patkas and Kashmiri shawls” (Agrawal, 2003, p. 72).

Styles and Designs

“Quality silk and zari fabrics suitable for ceremonial occasions were produced at Paithan. The Ajanta floral motifs inspired the weavers.” However, they were not devoid of religious themes, such as the worship of Lord Krishna, because it is believed that numerous devotees of Krishna were associated with the weaving industry for a long a period of time. Dongerkery writes, “apparently, weaving was practised amongst a large section of people, irrespective of religion, but diminishing resources compelled the artisans to take to other forms of labour. Two to three scores of workers, however, stuck to their last and with the initiation of a programme for the revival of Paithani fabrics by the All-India Handicrafts Board, the languished craft shows signs of recoupment” (Dongerkery, 1955, p. 58).
These days the Ajanta style of the Paithani fabrics is evolved, where the floral and animal motif bears direct resemblance to the Ajanta Fresco motifs. “The Paithani style, especially in the borders, has been borrowed freely in the fabrics of the Deccan group. What is known as the pharaspeti and indori borders are but further developments of the paithani style” (Dongerkery, 1955, p. 59).

Paithani weaving

“A variety of techniques are used for weaving silk. The plain background is woven with tabby, twill or satin weave. Various methods for creating patterns on plain textiles are used such as brocade, tapestry etc.” (Agrawal, 2003, p. 58). Paithani weaves from India and the Sassanian textiles employ tapestry weaving in their fabrics. “In this weave, warp is stretched on the loom and weft threads of different colours are woven into it, not across the whole width of the warp, but each one only in the areas where its colour is required to form the pattern. Pattern formation depends on the capability of the weaver (as in embroidery); the most skilled weavers can produce patterns of any size and type, even with intricate details” (Agrawal, 2003, p. 58).

Paithani weaving bears an absolute similarity with the weaving of a Banarasi sari. “Both keep the design underneath the silken warp strands and weave into it with the help of shuttles with great skill and precision” (Dongerkery, 1955, p. 59). Paithani saris are mostly made of silk and golden threads and are woven “on a rudimentary two treadle loom; the design is hand-woven by interlacing threads next to each other at the same level of the weft each time the colour changes. The weaver follows a paper pattern that has been placed under the threads of the warp.” When a golden thread is used for making a design on the silk cloth it is called a Zari brocade. When more gold is employed in the silk design and it gives the impression of being “set in gold,” the resulting fabric is known as a Minakari. It’s a family bases craft and the mastery of which is passed from generation to generation. “Minute minakari designs in the pallu using various colours is woven with the help of multiple spindles (tillies), which makes it a very laborious and complicated task.” (Ellena, 2007, p. 109).
“The borders are created with the interlocked-weft technique, either with coloured silk or zari. A wide band of supplement-warp zari (in a mat pattern) is woven upon the coloured silk border. In borders woven with zari ground, coloured silk patterns are added as a supplementary-weft ‘inlay’ against the zari, usually in the form of flowers or creeping vines. The endpiece has fine silk warp threads that are cut and retied to a different colour, as in the petni technique of Kanchipuram. The weft threads are only of zari, forming a ‘golden’ ground upon which angular, brightly coloured silk designs are woven in the interlocked-weft technique, producing a tapestry effect. These patterns usually consist of intertwining vines, branches, leaves and flowers, as well as parrots, peacocks and even horses and riders” (Lynton, 1995, p. 149).

Burhanpur Brocades

The Paithani tradition was carried forward in the Burhanpur brocades. Burhanpur province, was founded by Nasir Khan in 1400 C.E. during the Farukhi dynasty of Khandesh. It got its name from Sheikh Burhan-ud-din of Daulatabad. The Ain-i-iAkbari, refers to Burhanpur as “a large city with many gardens, inhabited by people of all nations and abounding with handicraftsmen.” The Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri states that Burhanpur was well known for its weaved muslins, silks and gold brocades. “The turbans, feta (sashes), saris and dupattas, with a pattern format somewhat similar to those of Paithan, were made here, i.e. the plain fine fabric background had narrow gold borders and pallu decorated with floral motifs, with a Persian influence” (Agrawal, 2003, p. 72).
The Paithani pallus “were woven with a weft of gold threads with patterns worked in silk with the interlocked tapestry techniques. This was exactly a technique of the Deccan and extended up to Chanderi. The older examples of the pattern carry; besides the pallu, borders are also woven with paithani technique. The saris were made in cotton and were nine yards long, worn in the sakacha or Maharashtrian style” (Dhamija & Jain, 1989, p. 154).

Draping a Paithani

A typical Maharashtrian bridal sari is a green Paithani, which employs zari weaving on a pure cotton or silk. Geeta Khanna writes, “The colour green stands for fertility and is considered auspicious for a bride.” The wedding sari is usually worn in a Kaashta or Lavani style, which in turn find their origins in the draping style of a male dhoti. “This drape affords the wearer comfort of movement and was fashioned to allow women easy manoeuvring for their daily chores. Today it is also the drape for the Lavani dance” (Khanna, 2016, p. 77).

Post Independence

“When India became independent in 1947 and the programme for the revival of the traditional crafts was initiated by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay in 1958, the only centre weaving this technique was Paithan and the technique became identified with this place. The weaver was commissioned to weave some traditional silk saris with a gold patti matt border and Paithani pallu. More intricate patterns were, however, revived by the All-India Handicrafts Board at their centre in Kothokotta, Andhra Pradesh. The Government of Maharashtra then revived the technique at Yeola. Centres such as Yeola, Wanaparti, Gadwal and Hyderabad did not weave borders with the tapestry technique but wove rich gold patti matt borders with the saris. It is possible, though, that in the past Paithan could have woven borders with elaborate patterns as was the case with the old Chanderi saris. The Technique and patterns imitated in the brocaded Asavali saris of Ahmedabad and Surat, as well as in Armoor in Andhra Pradesh, indicate the high value placed on Paithani weaves. The master weavers of Paithan, who at present work in Hyderabad with Suriya Hasan reviving some of the old patterns, claim that the gold thread produced in Paithan was the finest and richest. The weavers prided themselves on producing woven gold which was so translucent that it reflected the face of the weaver. However, by the end of the first quarter of the century they had begun to prepare such elaborate patterns, taken from Ajanta Caves, that the cost became prohibitive and the market died out. In the last thirty years, however, the demand for intricately designed, elaborately worked saris based on old patterns has grown. Many women in India now want to possess a Paithani sari in their collection. Once again old centres, except for Chanderi, are producing pallus and borders with intricate patterns now known as Paithani weaves” (Dhamija, 1995, p. 67).
“Wanaparti and Hyderabad also had a few weavers knowledgeable in the Paithani technique. Molkalmuru in Karnataka used the Paithani technique till the fifties but with a different style of motifs.” According to Jasleen Dhamija, this technique was “highly prised since a number of centres like Armoor, Gadwal and even Surat and Ahmedabad imitated the pallus during the beginning of the century” (Dhamija & Jain, p. 154).
Legacy Preserved
Jasleen Dhamija writes, “The older saris of Yeola and Gadwal have not survived, but imitations of the saris woven by other popular centres indicate that there must have been a great deal of stylistic variation. The Asavali saris imitated the curving border of parrots, flowers and leaves. Armoori saris had a rich gold pallu with a four-sided border in silk and kalgas in silver thread in the centre of the pallu, to create a Ganga-Jamuna effect. It also had a repeat of the kalga pattern above the gold pallu. This shows that a number of variations did exist, which have been preserved in the imitations” (Dhamija, 1995, p. 77).
Conclusion
“The Paithani weave is subtle yet rich. It is known for its closely woven golden fabric, which shines like a mirror. This is its distinguishing mark. In the shimmering gold background, various patterns (of butas, the tree of life, stylised birds, curving floral borders, and so forth, worked in red, green, purple and pink) glow like jewels” (Agrawal, 2003, p. 72).

About the Author:

Mrinalini Pandey is a Consulting Editor at Manjul Publishing House. Mrinalini, a Postgraduate in History, has given one of her Research Papers at the famous Cambridge University. She attended Oxford University and took a brief course in Anglo-Saxon History. She has translated Erich Segal’s Love Story into Hindi, and her most recent translation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda is now in print. One of her papers was just featured in the Oxford Middle East Review.

References

Agrawal, Y. (2003). Silk Brocades. New Delhi: Roli & Janssen BV.
Desai, K. (2002). Jewels on the Crescent: Masterpieces of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Mumbai: Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
Dhamija, J. (1995). Introduction: Woven Silks of India. Woven Splendours: Indian Silks. 46(3). Mumbai: Marg Publications.
Dhamija, J. & Jain, J. (1989). Woven Hand fabric of India. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing Pvt Ltd.
Dongerkery, Kamala S. (1955). The Indian Sari. New Delhi: All India Handicrafts Board.
Ellena, B. (2007). भारत सूत्र: India Sutra on the Magic Trail of Textiles. Haryana: Shubhi Publications.
Khanna, G. (2016). Style of India. New Delhi: Hachette India.
Lynton, L. (1995). The Sari: Styles, Patters, History, Techniques. London: Thames and Hudson.
Homage to Handlooms 15(4). Mumbai: Marg Publications. 1962.

The Richness of…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:28:12 +0000

The Richness of the Kantha Embroidery

Introduction

“Kantha means a patched cloth made of rags the embroideries called ‘kantha’ are stitched on rags” (Kramrisch, 1939, p.169). Katha, also pronounced as kheta, kaentha, is in reality an amalgamation of the factors that represent the identity of Bengal; “Apart from being a functional article, the kantha is also an example of folk art, particularly women’s art…. Folk art has always been composed of material most readily available. The area encompassing Bangladesh was, from earliest times, a cotton growing and weaving area. Thus, the material used was cotton textile…” (Zaman, 2012, p. 39). “Kanthas are an expression of the unique Anglo-Bengali culture that developed during the British occupation of Bengal that had begun in 1757” (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 189). “The kantha made by the women of Bengal, “is a work of thrift, it is also an offering of love.” Kanthas were designed to be worn as wraps in winters or for protecting books, mirrors, combs and other valuables. They were used as pillow covers or folded as wallets. If very large, they were used as bed-spreads for honoured guests (Ward, 1954, p. 24).”

With its base made up of “waste material” where old or discarded saris are “arranged, one on top of the other to the required thickness, with edges folded in and sewn together with common running stiches in which white thread covering the entire field to lend strength and durability. This is then filled in with fine quilling work by means of a white thread, while coloured threads drawn from the borders of the old saris are stitched along the border line and the surface is filled with different designs” Before the quilling process the process of tracing the design is accomplished, and the linen of the design remains unquilted and held together by the embroidery (Chattopdhyaya, 1964, p. 8). William E. Ward elaborates the symbolism that is attached with the kantha embroidery, where the lotus flower symbolises the universe and its creation. The other sacred symbols include leaf of Bodhi tree, peacock, tortoise, fish, elephant etc (Ward, 1954, p. 11).

Historical Perspective

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya suggests, “Kantha is an example of a strange contradiction, for here is an object created at an endeavour at thrift by, transforming worn out textiles that would normally be thrown away, into objects of rare beauty and which have in course of time become legendary” (Zaman, 2012, p. 44).

Kantha quilling evolved as a leisure activity among the women of West Bengal and Bangladesh, in which they embroidered animal figures, villages scenery, mythological characters etc. on old and tattered cotton saris. “The layers would be prepared and held in position with weights placed at the corners. The four sides were basted/ tacked and the layers would be stitched through at regular intervals to hold them together. Close running stiches darned the pieces together so that the join between pieces was almost invisible.”

In the tradition style the thread used for doing the embroidery was taken out from the woven border and then was recycled. “The maker started in the middle of the piece, working outwards.” Initially the motifs created were drawn from memory, however, this practice is changed now, when almost all the motifs to be embroidered are firstly traced on the cloth (Srivastava, 2001, p. 40).

The finesse and exquisiteness of the Indian embroidery tempted the Portuguese to commission quilts from India, mostly depicting both Indian and European motifs, which became known as the Indo-Portuguese quilts (Zaman, 2012, p. 44). There is a strong likelihood of kanthas being inspired by the sixteenth century Indo-Portuguese embroidered quilts of Satgaon by some, where different districts of Bengal evolved a distinct style of kantha embroidery. Rajshahi leharia quilts from Jessore, thick winter quilts and embroidered rumals from Faridpur (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 188).

Tragically, around the end of first quarter of twentieth century, the tradition of making kathas made for “home consumption” died out. This was largely due to the rapid growth of industrialization and rapid changes in the rural lifestyle. East Bengal (now Bangladesh), was the main centre of katha weaving. “Here embroidered, quilted hangings are made with new cloth to some of the old designs,” and the purpose of these new kathas is export and tourist market (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 173).

However, during the latter half of the twentieth century, the kantha embroidery gained prominence in Bengal, “a folk-art quilt made from old saris and dhotis, created in Bangladesh, West Bengal and parts of Bihar (where they were called sujani)” (Lynton, 1995, p. 49). The credit for reviving the kantha tradition goes to the Canadian aid workers, who took up this task to provide the rural women with a substantial source of income after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Jamalpur district emerged out as a budding centre where “standardised light quilts and hangings are sewn to be sold by charity outlets within Bangladesh and abroad (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 191).”

From 1980s, the “kantha style running stich” was done by the rural women from the local parts of the State, where these designs are created by professional designers who provide the rural women with the “stencilled designs.” These embroideries are done on tasar and mulberry silk and often replicate the kantha designs from the ninetieth century (Lynton, 1995, p. 49).

Kantha Quilting

It is often seen that kantha quilts adorned with figurative motifs. “The quilter changes the colours of the quilting stiches to form images of people and animals and domestic and agricultural implements. Up to seven layers of old sari or dhoti (in Bengal woven using thin, light-permeable muslin) are quilted together to make up cold-weather quilts, eating cloths, purses or wraps for mirror or precious objects and cloths for religious rituals” (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 187).

Most common images made using the embroidery are that of a circus “strong men and acrobats,” depiction of famous figures from Bengali mythology, the most preferred one being that of witches or churails as “snuggle-toothed old crones.”

Images from politics and literature also find their place, while some later examples include images of famous actress like Marilyn Monroe, World War II sailors. Yet another interesting addition happened while embroidering the Faridpur kanthas in the latter half of the twentieth century, when women who created these designs were also depicted in the cloth, “dressed in hybrid Anglo-Bengali costume with touched Edwardian English blouses combined with Bengali saris. Most preferred colours used in a kantha were black, red or green (Gillow & Barnard, 1991, p. 189).

Over the passage of time, the style of making a kantha evolved drastically. Nowadays instead of using an old worn-out cloth, new piece of cloth is used for the embroidery, on which extremely fine embroidery is done, when at times can be confused with a woven pattern. While working on a silk sari embroidery is used whereas when it comes to quilts, white cotton is worked upon.
The Bihar quilts also known as sujani are used for making bed covers. “They use much the same stiches as the kantha pieces, but they have remained more naïve and closer to their human folk-art origins” (Srivastava, 2001, p. 40).
Kantha embroidered sari usually takes up to three months to get completed (Ellensa, 2007, p. 180).

Kantha and Bengal Embroideries in Literature and Folklore

The earliest reference of the Bengal embroideries goes back to 1516, by Duarte Barbarosa, who wrote, “They have beautiful quilts testers of beds finely worked and painted and quilted articles of dress.” In 1629, a Portuguese missionary, Sebastian Manrique, travelled to Bengal, his observations were, “Among the more important commodities dealt in by the Portuguese in Bengal are very rich back-stitched quilts, bed hangings, pavilions and other curious articles worked with hunting scenes which are made in these kingdoms.”

However, the kantha lost its glory and significance in the eyes of the people during the British Raj, despite of the fact that women never stopped making it. Kantha is mentioned in various folklores and fairytales which are native to Bengal. However, there the kantha embroidery is associated with poverty. For instance, Mohammad Sayeedur talks about how Raja Gopichandra, in the 12th century, took up a kantha when he renounced worldly privileges and became an ascetic. The kantha tradition is also mentioned in the Baul songs.
Kazi Nazrul Islam employs kantha as a metaphor for a winter morning. “The land snuggles under a winter mist much as a man snuggles under a kantha” (Zaman, 2012, p. 52). However, the most famous reference of the Kantha embroidery is done by the celebrated Bangladeshi poet Jasimuddin in his poem Nakshi Kanthar Math, which was translated in English by Mary Milford as “The Field of the Embroidered Quilt” (Datta, 1988, p. 1805).

Quintessence of Kantha

The different types of kantha embroideries have different purposes. The thick quilted lep is worn in winters. Large and rectangular, Sarfin is used in ceremonies. Wide bordered rows depicting humans and animal figures with a lotus in the centre and tress adorning the corners along with squares, are the designs of a bayton which is used as wraps around valuables including books. Pillow covers are made with the oars, which consists of designs of trees, birds along with “a number of longitudinal border patterns and sometimes an extra decorative border round the edges.” Wraps like arshilates, which are designed with creepers, flowers and trees and are used to decorate and beautify mirrors and combs. For the purpose of covering a wallet, Durjani or Thalia are used, in which a square piece is adorned with a lotus in the centre and embroidery is done at the borders (Chattopadhyaya, 1964, p. 8).

During various festivals and rituals Kantha used in “the fulfilment of vows and for each occasion has a special ritual design.” A hundred petalled lotus is made in the Mandala, in a Satadala Padma, different threads are used to create several concentric rings, “circumscribed by pots (the kalsas) or by conch shells, the shankhas.”
“Kanthas rarely adopted a narrative mode. They concurred themselves with images, each having its own reality, each equal to the other in terms of pictural value” In these designs each image created, instead of being part of a narrative was complete and independent in itself (Jain, p. 2002, 41).
Later, however, new images started emerging which included that of “Europeans playing cards, women seated on a Victorian chair posing as if playing a sitar, Raja Ravi Varma’s heroines, Jesus and his lambs, a European milkmaid holding freshly cut flowers, ears of wheat, Shiva cast in the image of Madonna, a European boy with his pet dog, holding a whistle” (Jain, p. 2002, 44).

The Ashutosh Museum houses a rare kantha embroidery, in which the name of the woman who embroidered it, along with the name of the person responsible for creating the designs and the name of the person for whom it was made were inscribed (Das, 1992, p 115).
Stella Kramrisch and Kantha
Art Historian Stella Kramrisch, made unparalleled efforts along with Rabindranath Tagore in collecting kanthas from East and West Bengal. This rich collection of kanthas is now housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the USA.

Conclusion

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya beautifully writes, that kantha “presents vivid narratives of legends and heroic tales of the past and always serves to inspire those who use it and live with it” (Chattopadhyaya, 1964, p. 8). “Whether the kantha was a simple, utilitarian wrap, or a highly embroidered asan or sujni, it testified to the warmth and love a Bengali woman was capable of as much as to her perspective vision and artistic skills” (Zaman, 2012, p. 48).

Bibliography

Chattopadhyaya, K. (1964). Embroideries. Mumbai: Marg Publications.

Das, S. (1992). Fabric Art Heritage of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications

Datta, A. (1988). The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, Volume 2. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.

Ellena, B. (2007). भारत सूत्र: India Sutra on the Magic Trail of Textiles. Haryana: Shubhi Publications.

Gillow, J. & Barnard, N. (1991). Indian Textiles. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Jain, J. (2002). Contemporary Indian Art. Mumbai: Marg Publications.

Kramrisch, S. (1939). Kantha. Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art 7.

Lynton, L. (1995). The Sari: Styles, Patters, History, Techniques. London: Thames and Hudson.

Srivastava, M. (2001). Embroidery Techniques from East and West: Texture and colour for quilters and embroiders. United States of America: Trafalgar Square Publishing.

Ward, E.W. (1954). Indian Painting and Folk Art, XVII Century—XX Century. United States of America: Cleveland Museum of Art.

Zaman, N. (2012). The Art of Kantha Embroidery. Bangladesh: The University Press Limited.

The Fineness of a…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:08:28 +0000

The Fineness of a Nine-Yards Chanderi

Introduction

In his Memoirs Babur writes, “Chanderi is an excellent country, abounding on every side with running water” (Babur, Leyden, Erskine, 1921, p. 177). This beautiful town which finds its place in the Baburnama, is situated few miles away from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, is famous for making the eloquent Chanderi Fabrics. The fine and eloquent cotton and gold saris of Chanderi are also known as asavali. Chanderi cotton are considered best for summer wear (Khanna, 2016, p. 182).

History of the town of Chanderi

The earliest reference to Chanderi can be traced back to Al-Biruni (1030 C.E.). Captured in 1251 by Ghyasuddin Balban and in 1438 by Mahmud I of Malwa, (Babur, Leyden& Erskine, 1921, p. 113). In 1351, the town of Chanderi came under the control of Malik Ain-ul-Mulk, who was the governor of Multan. Later, after the demise of Sikander Lodhi of Lodhi Dynasty, Rajputs gained control over the region, however, Ibrahim Lodhi was successful in recapturing it (Shrivastav, 1977, p. 56).
In 1520 Rana Sanga took over the reins of the region which he gave to Medni Rai to govern, who was a minister of Mahmud II of Malwa, who had earlier revolted against him. Babur captured the region from Medni Rai. In 1540 it went to Sher Shah and Shujaat Khan became its governor. When finally, Malwa was taken over by emperor Akbar. Luard mentions that Chanderi was made the headquarters “of a sarkar of the Subah of Malwa” ((Luard, 1908, p. 165).)
It again changed its ruler when the region came under the control of the Bundelas in 1586 and was ruled by Ram Sah, who was the son of Raja Madhukar of Orchha. In 1680, the governorship of the region by given to Devi Singh Bundela. (Luard, 1908, p. 165).
When in 1586 C.E., Chanderi was captured by the Bundelas after which this region became a part of what was commonly known as Bundelkhand. “The Bundelkhandis wore their own style of chogas and turbans. Gold and silver zari-patterned fine cotton and silk turbans, sashes, dupattas and saris woven in Chanderi were supplied to the Bundelas and the neighbouring courts of Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra and the Mughals” (Agarwal, 2003, p. 73). At the time of the Revolt of 1857, Sir Hugh Rose captured Chanderi on Saint Patrick’s Day in 1858, after a fierce battle was fought. Till 1861, it remained under the control of the British, after which the Scindhias gave the region their patronage (Luard, 1908, p. 165)

Design of a typical Chanderi

The cotton used for preparation of the fabrics is a naturally-dyed yellow cotton, which is produced from Gossypium herbaceum, var. Religiosum, the common name of which is Nankin cotton (Mukharji, 1888, p. 324). These saris are as fine as the skin of an onion, were originally made of fine cotton, however, from the 19th century onwards, the fabric of the warp was made using Chinese silk, which is today popularly known as the Korean silk. It would take weeks altogether to weave just one sari (Mehra, 2010, p. 123).
Generally, the Chanderi saris are adorned with a gold border of floral motifs and even two
bands of borders which run along the breadth of the pallav “at a distance of about nine to
twelve inches, between which the floral motifs appearing on the field are reproduced at a
shorter distance. The motifs appear as encrusted gold designs” (Dongerkery, 1955, p. 61).
“Made in pastel shades and white pallavs (top end of the sari)” (Bhavnani, 1969, p. 32). The Chanderi patters were similar to other “Central Indian centres” like Chanda district. Yashodhara Agrawal had written about the possibility of migration of weavers from small centres to Chanderi for seeking patronage from the Royalty. She further writes that possibly the court scenes of Shah Jahan’s Padshah Nama, which depict the courtiers wearing patkas having white background and multicoloured decorations on borders made of gold, could possibly be the fine Chanderi fabric ((Agarwal, 2003, p. 76).

Weaving of a Chanderi Sari

The Chanderi sari uses the Nal pherwa or the three-shuttle technique, a traditional weaving method in India, where two weft shuttles weave borders with a contrast and the third shuttle weaves the ground (Agarwal, 2003, p. 127). They are woven with the use of an extra weft, using which the ingenious weavers and craftsmen are able create the border and surface along with ends of pallavs with ” j e w e l – l i k e ” d e s i g n s . A l o n g w i t h t h e appearance of these jewel-like designs other extremely common motifs are lines, flowers, buds, leaves, dots and various geometric patterns (Bhavnani, 1969, p. 32).
It is usually seen that a typical Chanderi sari has a border made of gold and silk, this silk is “double woven” and the silk surface has two colours on either side of the sari. It is believed that saya muslin is one of the finest Chanderi muslin, which is weaved using a gold wire, its border being 2.5 inches in width on one side “and primarily referred to squares with a sort of tree-of-life pattern flowing by its branches from one square to the other.” The end-piece of the cloth is also woven with a gold wire, “It proceeds from a small minute-like medallion and is thrown off obliquely to left in a long much branched and flowering arm, each spray being about 5 inches long and four of them cross the breadth of the fabric” (Watt, 1903, p. 413).
After 1940s instead of cotton Chanderi muslins are using the silk warp, “the silk is of an undyed, still-gummed, low-denier variety that gives the cloth a crisp sheen while maintaining the off-white colouring of a typical Chanderi fabric.” These saris are constituted by two end
pieces, the inner one having white silk stripes while the outer one, the tarz, makes use of zari and coloured threads. Later part of the nineteenth century saw the introduction of several butis in the field and end piece of a Chanderi muslin cloth, which is prevalent even today. Linda Lyton writes in her book The Sari: Styles-Patters-History-Techniques that the traditionally woven Chanderi saris can be broadly divided into three categories:
1. The lightest muslins, which were absolutely plain, having an extremely narrow border of
“complementary-warp zari and an end piece containing few narrow zari bands, or one single, wider band”
2. Saris which are weaved in supplementary-warp zari and have supplementary-warp silk
embellishments having colours, weaved into repeating floral and geometric designs. “The end piece consisted of the border elements repeated twice (as two parallel bands), often with narrow woven lines and many buti woven between them.” The field also contains buti. The patterns which find their place on the borders have a great influence of the Banaras style of “creeping vines, jhaalar and minakari.”
3. do-chashmee, which means two streams. This pattern is no longer created. In this category
a broad border is created with supplementary-warp silk of bright colours in a satin weave on which white geometric patterns of supplementary bands were made. Some of these saris even had reversible borders. The end piece didn’t have much of significance “with either two narrow or one wider band of zari or coloured silk woven in” (Lynton, 1995, p. 149).

Chanderi Saris in the Royal House of Baroda

Geeta Khanna elaborates the importance of Chanderi saris among the royalty of Baroda. She writes in her book, ‘Style of India’, “Wide assortment of saris at the Baroda court included Baroda tissue, fine Chanderi cotton woven with rich gold zariborders and floral patters….” It was seen that the Royalty especially had a liking for Chanderi saris with a border of gold. Mostly they preferred fabrics of Chanderi cotton and Banarasi Silk. Even the turbans were woven in Chanderi fabrics and had a zari gold border on both the ends. Especially for the purpose of weaving the turban yardages, Chanderi looms having a width of 10 inches were set up (Khanna, 2016, p. 148). Women of the royal families from Baroda extending up to Deccan preferred wearing the Chanderi sari weaved in fine gold threads (Dhamija, 1995, p. 77). This shows the immense and undying popularity of the Chanderi fabric throughout the country which continues even today as the town is basically known for producing the richly woven saris.

Paithani sari in Chanderi

An interesting fact is that even Paithani pallus were weaved in the town of Chanderi.
Dhamija writes that Chanderi was the “centre for the finest quality of Paithani weave.” Some Paithani saris dating back to the Mughal period were weaved in Chanderi (Dhamija, 1995, p. 80). Probably because of this reason only one could see several stylistic similarities between the two forms of saris. Gillow and Barnard write, “Chanderi near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, with silk warps and cotton wefts, have stylistic similarities to those of Paithan” (Gillow & Barnard, p. 101).
In recent years as the demand for intricate and finely designed Paithanis have soared, most of the old centres once again started producing richly designed pallus and borders, which are now called Paithani weaves, however, despite of its popularity Chanderi is not one of those
centres which now produces the famous Paithani weave (Dhamija, 1995, p. 83). GI Tag Chanderi fabric is secured by the Geographical Indicator or (GI), in order to ensure “that only saris made here in the distinctive tradition can carry the name Chanderi” (Mehra, 2010, p. 124). Chanderiyaan
In 2014, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), which is a non-for-profit foundation, initiated the Chanderiyaan Project, for benefitting 3500 families of weavers in Chanderi.
Chanderiyaan.net is an e-commerce website, through which weavers are able to sell their products online bypassing the middlemen. This step was a headway in the use of digital platforms for supporting communities which depended on arts, crafts and handlooms for earning a living. These communities would often find themselves facing the challenges of outdated designs, debt or a large portion of profit being taken by the middlemen. In 2011, this initiative was funded by the Union Ministry of Communications and Information, which also aimed at training the weavers with the use of internet and WIFI, equipping them with the use of computer for making their designs, along with teaching them the basics of English language. Earlier what used to happen was that the designs were sketched on a graph paper, which led to the problem of them not getting an exact idea of how the final product would look like, but with the help of technology they are able to save on enough time which in turn increased their monthly incomes since 2011 (Chowdhry, 2014).

Conclusion

However, one can find many other weaving centres trying to make the same fabric but the
ones produced at Chanderi are by far the finest in texture. Indore, Nagpur and Berar are also known for producing similar saris, however the fabrics are comparatively thicker than the one produced at Chanderi. The saris produced at Indore have similar border and pallav to the Chanderi sari, however,” the floral designs on the field of the sari are nearly always absent.
The field is plain, stripped or finely checked” (Dongerkery, 1955, p. 61). The legacy of the Chanderi sari continues even today and through the Chanderiyaan and giving the sari a GI Tag, the government has tried its best to not only support the weavers but also preserving the legacy of this beautiful and immortal handwoven sari which not only found its place among the royalty in the past, but even today continues to redefine fashion.

References Agrawal, Y. (2003). Silk Brocades. New Delhi: Roli & Janssen BV. Babur, Leyden, J. & Erskine, W. (1921). Memoirs of Zehir-ed-din Muhammed Babur: Emperor of Hindustan. London: Oxford University Press Bhavnani, E. (1969). Decorative Designs and Craftsmanship of India. Bombay: D.B.Taraporvala Sons & Co. Private Ltd. Chowdhry, S. (2014). Lounge Loves: Chanderiyaan. Mint.
Dhamija, J. (1995). Woven Silks of India. Mumbai: Marg Publications.
Dongerkery, Kamala S. (1955). The Indian Sari. New Delhi: All India Handicrafts Board.
Mehra, P. (2010). A New Old Fabric. Business Today 19 (12). New Delhi.
Gillow, J. & Barnard, N. (1991). Indian Textiles. New York: Thames and Hudson.
Khanna, G. (2016). Style of India. New Delhi: Hachette India.
Luard, C.E. (1908). Imperial Gazetteer of India: Central India. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing.
Lynton, L. (1995). The Sari: Styles, Patters, History, Techniques. London: Thames and Hudson.
Mukharji, T.N. (1888). Art Manufacturers of India. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India.
Srivastav, P.N. (1977). Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Datia. Bhopal: District
Gazetteers Department. Watt, G. (1903). Indian Art at Delhi. Calcutta: Superintendent of Government Printing, India.

The Legacy of the…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:03:08 +0000

The Legacy of the Kanchipuram Sari

Introduction

Tamil Nadu’s Kanchipuram lies forty-seven miles away from Chennai. Once upon a time it was the capital town of the Pallava Rulers, but eventually became an integral part of both Chola and the Vijaynagar Empires. Apart from being famous for its temples it carries a long-standing legacy of producing silk brocades of eloquent texture and colours (Gillow & Barnard, 2008, p. 203- 204).

Kanchipuram is renowned for its heavy silk saris which are woven “with tightly twisted three-ply, high-denier threads, using thick zari threads for supplementary wrap and wept patterning” known as murukku pattu. Weft borders that are interlocked and petni technique to make the end piece are some common techniques. This demands each warp thread of the field to be twisted around “new sets of warp threads” having same colour as that of thee border, after which field warps are separated. The join at the back of the sari is identified by “two parallel warp fringes with the fringe facing the field the same colour as the endpiece, and vice versa” (Lynton, 1995, p. 123).

Town of Kanchipuram

A ninth century Pallava inscription mentions the name of Asokavarman among the earliest rulers of Kanchipuram. The Pallavas made Kanchipuram their capital. Kanchipuram also became a secondary capital for the Pandyas. The Tamil poet and philosopher, Sivasprakasar, who had contributed more than thirty books was born in Kanchipuram. It is also said that the in order to built the Virupaksha Temple built, one of the queens of Vikramaditya II, called the workmen of Kanchipuram (Shastri, 1958).

During the rule of Pallava Kings Kanchipuram was the capital of Thondaimandalam. It is often said that silk weaving commenced in this area when weaving communities of Devangas and Saligars migrated here during the Reign of Krishna Deva Raya. Though, contested by other historians who are of the belief that the weaving tradition of the region is much older, and started when in the 2nd Century C.E. the city of Kaveripoompattinam got submersed into the sea, as a result of which the Pattu Saliyars’ migrated to Kanchipuram. However, the Madras Census Report Of 1891 mentioned by Jha in his article The Saris of Kanchipuram. Woven Splendours: Indian Silks, says that the weavers were invited by Raja Raja Chola, while other records say that silk weaving is not more than one fifty years old, “when cotton saris were woven with silk borders and a silk pallav– a tradition that is still continued” (Jha, 1995, p. 75). As believed by some that the silk weaving tradition of Kanchipuram began around 18th century, however, this could be seen as a revival of the tradition as the entire town was set ablaze by the French in 1757, as a result of which the crafts of woven silk were also destroyed. It is believed that the tradition was revived both by the local weavers and also by the ones who migrated from Gujrat (because of a series of natural disasters in their region like famines and droughts) (Agrawal, 2003, p. 68).

An interesting belief about the town of Kanchipuram is that Goddess Kamakshi was originally an ugra swarupini, who was pacified by Adi Shankara by embossing the Shri Chakra, after which she assumed the form of Shanta swarupa or the peaceful form. It is further said that the destructive presence of the ugra swarupini was also felt in the nearby villages, therefore, she was requested by Adi Shankara not to leave the village without his permission, to which she agreed. As a symbol of this pact between the goddess and Adi Shankara, bronze portable festive images of Goddess Kamakshi before going through the city in her procession, stops in the inner prakaram, before the shrine of Adi Shankara (Ghosh, 2009, p. 140).

Mulberry Silk and Silk weaving traditions in India

The Mulberry silk weaving became greatly advanced in India over time. Different regions developed different and unique weaving styles like, silk khes and lungis in Punjab, soft and checkered patterns in Kashmir, zari brocade work in Varanasi, Ashvalis having rich gold patterns in Gujrat, Paithnis and Chanderis, Amoori Gadwal, richly decorated Kanchipuram silk saris etc (Dhamija, 1995, p. 13). The mulberry silk used in making the Kanchipuram sari is grown in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It consists 57% silver and 0.6% gold (Saraswathy & Veeramani, 2018, p. 130).

Steven Cohen elaborated about silk weaving that was done in Gujrat. According to Dhamija, it is possible that this influence in turn spread to Varanasi, as per earlier references it was a cotton weaving centre (Dhamija, 1995, p. 13). Even traders from north brought with them a heavy influence from Varanasi. Such saris being popular among the wealthy “influenced the design terminology of the South Indian silk” (Jha, 1995, p. 82)

Literary References:

The tradition of silk weaving is also recorded in the Sangam Texts like Silappadikaram and Mani Mekalai in which the weaving of silk or pattusutram along with the use of natural dyes is mentioned.
The Jeevak Chintamani, one of the five great Tamil epics written by Jain ascetic Tiruttakkatevar in the 10th Century C.E., has mentioned about women wearing sarees which have folds and drapes the end. The Manasollasa of Someshwer, talks about exquisite textiles of Thondaimandalam. The gold embroidered textiles of Kanchipuram were called Kanchivani or Sachapakachi.
The Brihadeshwar Temple has paintings in which the consort of Raja Raja 1 is “dressed in garments of gossamer translucence.” Even the paintings of the Tanjore School of Art dating back to the Serfoji rulers of Tanjore, have illustrated women in bordered saris and designs in gold thread (Jha, 1995, p. 76).
Two 17th Century Rajasthani compositions which were written in Braj Bhasha, namely, Kapada Chintani and Kapada Kutuhal, talks about fabrics made in southern centres which acted as “coveted gifts” for women of northern India. The saris and dupattas made at Kanchipuram were referred to as Dakhani Cheer or southern fabrics. (Agrawal, 2003, p. 68).

Jha mentions about the District Gazetteer of Salem District which talks about, “The old-time industries of the District, of whom handloom industry is by far the largest, flourished for centuries in the District and elsewhere in India”
Gazetteer of Tanjore 1906, mentions about weaving of pure silk in Tanjore and Kumbakoam. women’s clothes “were enriched with gilt lace imported from France. The patterns at Tanjore are generally of a more complicated character than those at Kumbakonan, the figures of many kinds of animals and flowers being worked into the body of the cloth. At Tanjore and elsewhere, the borders are formed with separate shuttles, the threads of which are linked with the thread of the main warp at every passing ” (Jha, 1995, p. 76).

A Tradition kept alive
By the close of the nineteenth century the industry suffered a severe decline due to the catastrophic Carnatic wars, the devastating famine and plague coupled with tight restrictions on the export of textiles from India. When the entire industry was going down a nosedive, the tradition was kept alive by the tradition of wearing saris.
Until late 1800s, exclusive silk saris were made in Mysore, Kollegalam, Kumbakonam, Tirbhuvanam, Arani, Siruvandadu and Ayyampettai. Kanchipuran then, produced cotton saris.
Jha writes, “By the turn of the century Kanchipuram was firmly regarded as the centre of silk weaving. The older and richer traditions were until then found only in Kumbakonam, Tanjore and Salem.” He further mentions that Kanchipuram housed “the single largest group of weavers and looms in any single town in the Madras Presidency at that point of time” (Jha, 1995, p. 79).

Design and making
Kanchipuram sari is unique as its body and pallu are woven separately and then are joined. The interlinking is done in such a way that this joint is not seen from the front (Gowri & Ramchander, 2018, p. 3).

Zari threads used for the brocade work come all the way from Surat, in Gujrat. The acquired raw silk is then washed in the waters at Kanchipuram. These Kanchipuram saris have a pallav or border with generally tends to contrast the colour of the main field of the sari (Gillow & Barnard, 2008, p. 203- 204).

Due to the patronage given by the rulers, and the lustre that the waters from Palar gave to dried silk which was coupled with a strong maritime trade to the Port of Sadras, weaving in the town of Kanchipuram flourished (Jha, 1995, p. 75). The stiffness in the sari is because of being washed in the waters of the Palar River. For bringing thick consistency in the sari, the silk yarn is dried up in the sun after being dipped in rice water (Gowri & Ramchander, 2018, p. 3). It is widely believed that the waters of Kanchipuram give the silk “its lustrous sheen” (Gillow & Barnard, 2008, p. 203- 204).

Different patterns and designs are done with the help of adai, which means using three shuttles. The techniques which make the Kanchipuram saree stand out are: weaving a border with a solid single colour contrast in a way that the weft threads are not able to enter the border. Petni, a pallav weaving technique with contrasting colours with the background wrap is first cut and then the pallav is replaced by a different wrap (Gillow & Barnard, 2008, p. 203- 204). A unique feature of the cotton as well as the silk textiles produced in South India is that “woven designs are an integrated part of the woven fabric, rather than an addition to the fabric.” In Tamil Nadu an ingenious weaving technique developed where the korvai or the solid borders were weaved using three shuttles. Colours are carried by the two side shuttles located on either side are of the same material and colour which is used in the border wraps, while the centre shuttle contains the material and colour of the body. Firstly, the right shuttle goes in the shed of the border and is pushed by hand, the thread gets intertwined with the weft of the body which is then placed upon the woven part. After this the second shuttle goes to the other end of the border where the third shuttle intertwines the thread with the weft of the body and then goes through the border. The process is repeated after the shed gets closed. This allows the borders to be woven “with a non-continuous weft and interlocked together” through which sari borders of solid colours are made (Dhamija & Jain, p. 148).

Patterns and Motifs
The Kanchipuram sari consists of woven patterns which are heavily influenced by “tradition of using symbols and imagery from nature, flora, fauna and religion.”
Many literary texts have detailed description of textile designs, for instance, there is a mention of geometrical, floral, jalilu (jali or net), gajapapallav (pallav having the motif of an elephant), kalka (mango or paisley) and most importantly “tree of life” motif. These motifs find their place in the borders, pallav and the body of the sari. The body surface of the sari can be either woven plain or “with extra weft and/or warp in the same-coloured yarn or with simple lines or checks in silk yarn or gold threads.” More often or not the designs are a combination vertical and horizontal lines and checks. The body of the sari is often decorated with motifs of veldhari or neli (curved lines having dots within each curve), thuthirpoo (geometrical lines having floral patterns), muthuchir (dots or dashes within horizontal lines which looks like pearls), vazhaipoo (bands of two colours which are alternately woven and have even width), malligai mogu (jasmine buds), oosivanam (horizontally running pin-stripes of gold), pavun (gold coin), kamalam (lotus), panchrangi (horizontal bands of five different colours)
The checks which are woven in the sari are of different types like: muthukondi (checks of mortar lines), kottadi (checks of fine gold threads in various sizes), puliyamkottai (checks of the size of a tamarind seed in two different colours having a fine line surrounding it ) paimadi (alternate horizontal and vertical lines form a square), yanai papli (chessboard checks), palum pazhamum (small checks of two or three different colours), sabhanayakam (large and small checks in variegated colours) and muthukattam (lines of dots or dashes forming checks).
The pallav is highly decorated with lines, rekhus (serrated lines), floral motifs, creepers, animals (simham) lion, (yali) mythical animal, (annam) birds, parrots, peacocks and rudraksham (prayer beads).
Decoration of the borders are done by creating lines, (vanki) geometric motifs, motifs like rudraksham, moplapettu (two horizontal lines in a broad border of coloured yarn or threads of gold running parallel to each other ), paneer shombu (rose water sprinklers in geometric motifs), kodivisiri (two lines having floral fan motif in between), pogidi (triangles containing geometric motifs which is on one or two lines ), paisley salangai (chain motif), brick pettu (border with brick motif), half diamond pettu (diamond border), mayilkan (peacock’s eye) and kuyilkan (nightingale’s eye).
Sari weaves have four to five different colour palettes. The process begins with degumming the raw silk with natural dyes. The colours that are used are- arakku (stick lac), kiriminji (cockineal), kapila (orange), manjal or nimiri (yellow), nilam or karuppu (dark blue). These colours were initially obtained naturally, for instance, red obtained from chips of sappan (vattangi or patang), yellow from powder of saffron roots and nimri by mixing powdered saffron roots with fuller’s earth’s decoction, dark blue came from indigo and green was made by dipping the threads in indigo and later in saffron water, violet was made by mixing cochineal with indigo.

However, due to the decline of the natural dye industry in the mid- 1800s, which happened because cheap dyes were started being imported in large numbers, this led to acquiring of bright colours from foreign dyes. These colours were red, crimson, yellow, orange, black, green and indigo. The use of two colours were used in warp and weft became popular. Some of the most liked combinations were- red and yellow, green and red, blue and yellow. The length of the sari usually varies from five to nine yards. Though, today, a six-yard sari has become more popular.

Scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Geeta are often seen in these saris (Savithri, Sujathamma & Ramanamma, 2013, p. 63). Jha writes, “The influence of traditional motifs, however, has not waned even when other prominent features in the environment such as a cycle, an aeroplane, or a flower vase of European design have sometimes been woven into the fabric of the sari.” (Jha, 1995, p. 82)

Weavers
Traditionally the weaving community used to live outside the village because of the stench created during the preparation of cloth. Under the Cholas and the Pallavas, urban space was made and the weavers were encouraged to migrate. This resulted in the creation of Temple Towns. During the Chola Period the weavers of Kanchipuram and its sub regions paid taxes to the government, one such tax was called tari arai, which was the tax on looms (Bhoopathi, Dhanalakshmi & Balasubramanian, 2020, p. 171).
Most of the weavers in southern India were given land and houses within the temple towns. These weavers also wove flags for the temples, decorations for the chariots, wall hangings which depicted figures from the Puranas and mythology (Agrawal, 2003, p. 68).

These talented weavers claimed to have “mythological origins” The Madras Census Report of 1891 says that, “The Saliyars are a class of weavers found chiefly in the district of Tanjore, the word being derived from the Sanskrit word salika, the weaver. They claim to be the descendants of the Sage Mrikanda-the weaver of the gods”
The Hindu god Vishnu is also called Tantuvardhan, which means weaver, because it is believed that he weaved a garment for himself using the rays of the sun. The Kailkolars believed themselves to be the soldiers in the army of Virbhadra. The Devangas said they were the soldiers of Chowdmbike, their patron deity (Jha, 1995, p.86).

G I TAG
These saris were given the Geographical Indication by the government in the year 2006. The GI tag has helped in building the “brand name Kanchipuram” After receiving the GI, the sales of the Kanchipuram saris have been hiked up globally. (Gowri & Ramchander, 2018, p. 3). The GI tag also ensures that the product is authentic, reduces the appearance of fake products, control of infringement etc (Dinal & Sundaram, 2022, p. 803).

Conclusion
The legacy of the Kanchipuram silk saris continues even today where it is worn with great enthusiasm in religious, auspicious occasions including festivals. The GI Tag gave it not only a national but international recognition. A tradition that goes back to hundreds of years is celebrated even today and that is what makes Indian silk weaving tradition unique in its own ways.

References
Agrawal, Y. (2003). Silk Brocades. New Delhi: Roli & Janssen BV.
Bhoopathi, N., Dhanalakshmi, N. & Balasubramanian, T. (2020). Crafts and Craftsmen in the Chola Empire. JuniKhyat 10(9).
Dhamija, J. & Jain, J. (1989). Woven Hand fabric of India. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing Pvt Ltd.
Dhamija, J. (1995). Introduction: Woven Silks of India. Woven Splendours: Indian Silks. 46(3). Mumbai: Marg Publications
Dinal, J. & Sundaram, S. (2022). A Study on the Rural Development Potential of the GI Tagged Products with Special Reference to Kanchipuram Silk Sarees. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics 15(4).

Ghose, R., Pal, P. (2009). Goddess Durga: The Power and Glory. Mumbai: Marg Publications.
Gillow, J. & Barnard, N. (1991). Indian Textiles. New York: Thames and Hudson.

Gowri, P. & Ramchander, A. (2018). “An Overview on the Growth of Kanchipuram Silk Industry” ISBR Management Journal 3(2).
Jha, R.V. (1995). Kanchivani: The Saris of Kanchipuram. Woven Splendours: Indian Silks. 46(3). Mumbai: Marg Publications.
Lynton, L. (1995). The Sari: Styles, Patters, History, Techniques. London: Thames and Hudson.

Sarasvathy, R. & Veeramani, G. (2018). A Study of Manufacturing and Marketing of Silk Sarees in Kanchipuram District. IMPACT: International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature.

Savithri, G., Sujathamma, P. & Ramanamma, CH. (2013). Glory of Indian Traditional Silk Sarees. International Journal of Textile and Fashion Technology (IJTFT) 3(3)
Shastri, N. (958). A History of South India: From Prehistoric Times to the Fall of the Vijaynagar. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Harappan Culture: Beginnings Of The Indus…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 17:51:35 +0000

Harappan Culture: Beginnings Of The Indus Valley Civilisation

Information of “glorious India’s past” have always been found through myths , epics, vedic texts etc. Archaeology provides many such information too. The first systematic archaeological excavation at Harappa, a Indus Valley site was started by Rai Bahadur in 1920, he also made a discovery on the Indus, it was the site known as Mohenjo Daro, which had been greatest extent about 35,000 inhabitants and same would be true for Harappa.

Following are some characteristics about two cities:

Mohenjo Daro (religious buildings, shops) was built of Kiln-fired bricks and the buildings were massed into “Super blocks”, of 600 by 1200 feet and most prominent is Citadel, so called Great Bath, surrounded by a paved courtyard, 39 by 23 feet and 8 feet deep, fitted bricks by Bitumen.
Most impressive and enigmatic artefacts from the Harappan civilisation is Steatite seals- might be considered as firstly found art objects in India, their physical character is fairly consistent, beauty of execution, the depiction of diversity in animals lie bulls, tiger, elephant, one- horned Indian rhinoceros, crocodile, grotesque multi- headed animal forms is astounding and impressive, their linear symbols such as, multiple circles, crosses, dots, swastikas, leaves of pipal tree(3/4 to 1.5) inches in size( 2300-1750 BC), after the carving seals were covered with an Alkali coating and fired, for producing a fine lustrous white finish.
In Mohenjo Daro, a seal which bears the first Anthropomorphic representation of a deity in India, Pashupati seal, which introduced and continued the concept of Meditation, where figure is seated upon throne in Yogic position, the arms covered with bangles, having a multiple visage (three faces), crowned by a large horned head- dress, whose shape suggests the Trident Symbol of Shiva. More engaging are the small terracotta toys, votive animals and figurines. Terracottas of “Mother Goddess”, organs are exaggerated like, displaying wide hips, ample breasts, bedecked with heavy jewellery, which will be met again and again in early manifestation of Indian idealised feminine beauty. A unique small copper sculpture of Dancing Girl, standing nude expect necklace and an arm completely ringed with bangles, her relaxed body, (one hand rests on her right hip, while other holds a bowl against her left leg), in 14 cm height, with copper.
Most remarkable, known as Harappan creations is a Priest- King or Deity, well developed and polished (2000-1750c), in (6.7 inch in height) where face is carefully barbered beard, upper thick lip is shaved, wide nose, hair is gathered in bun behind the head, wide headband duplicated on the bangle with flat circular ornament worn high on the right arm, robe or toga- like garment decorated with trefoil designs (used as a sacred sign in early Egypt, Crete and Mesopotamia).

The concept of Giving A Bath to a child, Namaste, Vermillion, Meditation (Yoga), Beads, ornaments of copper, Carnelian, Marine shell, Fired / Unfired steatite, Jasper stone drills in Mehergarh, quite of from Harappan culture and Pottery structure in circular portions, Pots, Terracotta figures, Pottery kilns found in Ganweriwala, people are using this, today as well.

This blog is a compilation of information from the writings of Craven Roy C. and from Prof. Vasant Shinde. Compiled by Anjali Grewal, who holds a Diploma in Education and currently pursuing painting at PLC, SUPVA University, Rohtak. She can be reach at anugrewal271@gmail.com. She is an Art Enthusiast, who successfully completed the certificate course on ‘Exploring Indian Art Semiotics – Interpretations and Appreciations’ conducted by Kalabodh in collaboration with the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Museum, New Delhi.

Dr Sangeeta Dutta speaks on a historical textile of Assam…

Dr Sangeeta Dutta — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 05:26:37 +0000

Dr Sangeeta Dutta speaks on a historical textile of Assam as part of the Destination Northeast program organised by the Anthropology Department, National Museum, New Delhi

https://kalabodh.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Blog-2.mp4

Vrindavani vastra is a historical textile piece of Assam, with the depiction of the life of youth Krishna. Though the name indicates its association with the Vrindavan, yet it represents the weaved textile traditions of Assam. The discussion here is to understand the socio-cultural-religious aspects associated with this vastra and how it is considered as a significant heritage element of Assam.