How Kanchi sarees remains the favoured attire for women in India?

by Aarushi Reddy studant

A staple clothing item in the wardrobe of Indian women ever since the Indus valley civilisation, saree is something which has never got out of fashion. Sari is considered as a symbol of grace in the Indian subcontinent.

Be it any occasion from a festival to a wedding; women have traditionally worn sarees made up of handloom. The sarees are mostly manufactured with cotton, silk, ikkat, block-print, embroidery and tie-dye textiles. In south India silk is familiar with the name of pattu, thus giving the name of Kanchi pattu sarees to Kanchipuram silk sarees.

These sarees are manufactured in Kanchipuram region of Tamil Nadu. The area has 5000 families involved in the production of sari with 25 silk and cotton yarn industries. In popular culture, the life and struggles of Kanchi silk weavers are depicted in the film Kanchivaram released in 2008.

The Kanchi pattu sarees are woven from pure mulberry silk thread. This thread comes from south India, and the zari comes from Gujarat. It is seen in these sarees that body colour and design is entirely different from the rest of the saree. If the saree is woven with a contrasting colour pallu, then it is separately created and then joined with the rest of the saree. A distinctive feature of every genuine Kanchi Pattu saree is body and border are fabricated individually and then joined together later.

The soft silk sarees of Kanchipuram have a design which is contrasted by their wide contrast borders. Temple borders, checks, stripes and floral are traditional designs of these sarees. Nature and historical artwork inspire the unique design of these sarees. Pictures of Raja Ravi Varma painting and Mahabharata are present in Kanchipuram silk sarees.

Jyothisareemandir is an online platform for purchasing pattu sarees. They specialise in Indian wedding wear and craftsmanship with contemporary themes. To buy new silk sarees, visit Jyothisareemandir.com.