western Indian: It is the widely used style in which Sari is draped around a waist once and then pleats are tucked in the waistband. The remaining portion of Sari, known as Pallu is put across the left shoulder and is allowed to fall behind.
Paithani – Maharashtra |
A Blend of silk with a gold weave is the beauty of Paithani saris. Women weave the saris on a wooden loom skillfully mixing colours of blues, magentas and purples interspersed with gold threads. Asavali (vine and flowers), Narli (coconut design) and petal design are the few traditional motifs. Due to the closeness of Paithan to the famous Ajanta caves, there are motifs of Buddha weaved standing or in the sitting posture and motifs of gold coin are also recorded in paithani weaves. In the earlier days zari work, mixing intricately designed gold with copper threads was done to provide strength but these days zari work is done in beautiful designs on the pallu and border and highlight the sari. The more intricate and heavy the zari work is; more is the price of the sari. Sometimes to make the sari affordable, cotton and other blends of fabric are used as a substituteA study of the origin of chikan reveals that this form of embroidery had come to India from Persia with Noor Jehan, the queen of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir. The word chikan is a derivative from the Persian word 'chikaan' meaning drapery. Some, however, insist that the craft migrated from Bengal. What we know is that chikankari came to Oudh when Mughal power declined in Bengal and the artisans moved to the Oudh durbars, seeking employment and patronage.
The price of a paithani sari starts from Rs. 4,000/- and can move up to Rs. 1,50,000/-. “The paithani sari is an entirely handwoven item. Depending on the intricacy of the design, it takes anything from one month to a year to weave,” explains Naina. The traditional paithani used to be a plain sari with a heavy zari border and ornamental pallav. “But today paithanis with motifs are in vogue: stars, circles, peacocks, flowers and paisleys.
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Bandhani
The art of Bandhani or Tie 'n' Dye is done all over Rajasthan, with Barmer, Jaipur, Sikar, Jodhpur and Bikaner being the main centers. The finest bandhani work in Rajasthan comes from Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Pali, Udaipur, Nathdwara and Sikar, with a little difference according to the region. Bandhani comes in different designs, colors and motifs and this variation is region specific. Each district has its own speciality which makes it recognizable and gives it a different name.
The term "bandhani" derives its name from the Hindi word Bandhan which means tying up. Bandhani is an ancient art practised by people mainly of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer and Jamnagar are among the important centres producing odhnis, saris and turbans in bandhani. The wide variety was evolved over the centuries because of its close links with the religious and social customs of different people. Bandhani work involves tying and dyeing of pieces of cotton or silk cloth. The main colours used in Bandhani are yellow, red, green and black. Bandhani work, after the processing is over, results into a variety of symbols including, dots, squares, waves and strips. The main colours used in Bandhani are natural. In fact all colours in bandhani are dark, no Rajasthan is one of the most important centre of tie and dye textile. Each area, each caste and each tribe has its special designs.
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