In dept research on the importance and cultural relevance of Maheshwari saris

Research on Maheshwari sari

1. Tana Bana
Manya Garg Devanshi Jain Heetal Kotwani Aahna Jain
Maheshwari

2. Origin
On the banks of sacred Narmada river, lies the regal town of Maheshwar. Endowed with a historical fort where Holkar clan ruled, pilgrimage
which is crowded all year round and lastly, the settlement of traditional weavers of Maheshwari fabric are some of the eclectic fusions which
make Maheshwar more multi dimensional and admired place to visit in Madhya Pradesh. Maheshwar is best known for being the hub of
handloom weaving since the 5th century, but it gained fame during the rule of the powerful Maratha queen Rani Ahilyabai Holkar. The
delicate Maheshwari fabric is woven with silk and cotton yarns, which gives it a soft texture and makes it a perfect summer textile. It is
believed that the age old weaving setup has a mention in Kautilya's Arthshastra.
Maheshwar, after becoming the capital of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar state, saw many developments. This included construction of temples, ghats
and other prominent structures. She supported the local enterprises by purchasing their products for herself as well as for gifting to visiting
dignitaries, a move made to spread Maheshwari handloom pan India. It is assumed that the very first Maheshwari sari was designed by
Ahilya Bai. Being a designer herself, in 1760, the queen outsourced talented handloom weavers from Surat and Mandu to work for her
empire. They were appointed in order to prepare turban fabric and exclusive nine yard nauvari saris which would be worn by the females of
Malwa court and used for the gifting purpose to the royal guests. Well known for being subtle and rich in quality, Maheshwari saris have
always exuded dignity and elegance.
Weavers were instructed to follow the designs inscribed on the walls of the fort. These designs can be found on the borders of Maheshwari
sarees even today. Thus, the handloom operations adopted at that time are still adhered to, including the use of only the natural fibres. Due to
the advent of factories, new and inexpensive clothes in the market, gradually the weaving tradition dropped. The revival of Maheshwari saris
is credited to the members of royal including Richard Holkar and Sally Holkar, son and daughter in law of Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar.

3. Introduction
Maheshwari handlooms is one of India's most well known handcrafted textiles
loved by the world over for its fineness, delicacy and sophistication. Maheshwari
fabric is a fine cotton silk blended handloom fabric which originated from
Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is perfect wear for summer and is
available in very light shades of maroon, green, purple, and other earthy colours.
However, with modernisation and experimentation in Indian fashion, lighter
colours have been introduced, along with the use of gold and silver threads.
The fabric is also characterised by its geometrical motifs and narrow coloured
gold, also known as zari embellished border with small checks, narrow stripes or
solid colour in the body. Traditionally, Maheshwari textiles were made purely in
cotton. In the 1970s, silk was introduced in the warp. The light and airy feel of
this fabric is attributed to the cotton yarn in the weft or baana and silk in the warp
or taana. Zari is used in the borders.
Look upon any painted or sculpted representation of Ahilya Ma Saab, and you
will discover a serene resilient woman. As a widow in an ancient India, her style
was extremely simple, poised and elegant. Maheshwari handlooms derived their
fine simplicity from this icon. It is said that under her artistic guidance, the
craftspeople made light fabrics, detailed with motifs derived from carvings on the
Maheshwar fort.

4. Significance
Maheshwari weaving was traditionally done to make saris, fabric by yardage, turbans, Dhoti, a drape worn by
men around their waist, Chunri and practically to meet any fabric needs of the town. Maheshwar being a mix of
weavers from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat also became a cultural hotspot of diversities from these states.
The woven fabric found varied usage in the way saris were worn differently by the women of each of these
states. Keeping the weaving style similar with striped cotton silk borders and motifs by extra weft in the border
alone, the usage has expanded to a much diverse variety of garments.
The onset of this sari boosted the economy of Maheshwar. Initially known for its temples and ghats dedicated to
Lord Shiva, this little town transformed itself into the only place where this unique design was conjured. The
expertise of craftsmen from various places, blended in the flavours of their natives. It became a beautiful
concoction of cotton and silk threads and grew to be much appreciated because it was elegant and went very
well with the weather. De gummed silk is used in this craft, where the silk fibre is processed to remove the gum to
make it soft and increase the tensile strength, it also prevents the sari or the yarn from cracking along the folds.
The handloom industry in Maheshwar employs Kshatriyas, Bharuds, Muslims, Kumhars and Kahars. All these
people belong to nearby areas or have migrated to Maheshwar and are now permanent residents there.

5. Materials Used
Row materials used in Maheshwari sarees are mainly cotton, silk
and zari which is procured from Bangalore, Coimbatore and
Surat. Silk and cotton are the two major fibres that have been
used by the weavers of Maheshwar. Other than this, the mixture
of silk and cotton and mixture of silk, cotton and another variety
of silk that is kosa has been used by the weavers.
Taana or Warp Machine is made of two essential parts. One vital
part is a big octagonal cylinder that rotates on its axis, and the
other is a vertical rack with thread rolls placed.
Two types of handlooms used in Maheshwar are, the traditional
pit looms, and the newer frame looms. Frame Looms are superior
to the older pit looms as they are lightweight, require less effort
by the weaver.
Charkha is used for making the rolls of thread.
Dyeing Apparatus includes various types of dyes and the tubs in
which the dyeing is carried out.

6. Process
Maheshwari handlooms use a lot of traditional sari designs, many of which have
been prevalent in the areas since historical times. Many such designs are being
used in their original form and many others with minor modifications in them.
Interestingly, for the borders of the saris, the designs engraved on the walls of
the Maheshwar fort are used. Based on the design of the border, there are the
following types of Maheshwari saris namely, Maheshwar bugdi kinar, zari patti,
rui phool kinar, phool kinar, chatai kinar, kahar kinar, bajuband kinar, etc.
Sometimes the designs are inspired from saris from other parts of the country.
The design may depend on the order placed, which comes with the demand for
a specific design.

7. Dyeing is an important part of the whole process. Both cotton and silk require
dyeing before they can be used on the loom. The process is normally carried
out by the weavers themselves or specialised dyeing technicians who charge
for their services depending on the material and the kind of dyeing required.
There are different kinds of dyes for colouring silk and cotton. For colouring
cotton thread, three types of dyes are used, napthol, wet dye and procion
dye. In case of cotton, dyeing is done not with a single dye but with a
combination. For colouring silk, special dyes called Sando Silk are used,
which are readymade dyes and do not need to be mixed with others.
The process of dyeing starts by dipping the raw threads in TR Solution which
is a combination of Turkish oil and bleaching powder for at least four hours
for bleaching. This is then followed by the actual process of dyeing. First,
dyes are mixed in warm water in big metal tubs to obtain the desired colours.
The threads are dipped in the tubs for a while and then dipped in the tank
containing napthol to provide stability to the colour. They are then washed in
other tanks containing plain water and then put in tubs containing solutions of
detergent and soda in warm water. Thereafter, the threads are washed again
and are hung on bamboo poles for drying. Once the threads are dry, they
are sent back to the weavers for further processing.
Dyeing

8. The master weaver carries out the process of making the warp. Since the silk fiber used is very
delicate, the warp machine for the process is radically different from the one used in case of
cotton thread. The silk warp machine comprises an octagonal metal cylindrical frame that
revolves vertically on the machine axis and a metallic rack on which the thread rolls are kept.
The fibres from these rolls pass through hooks fixed on the rack on to a double metallic frame
that moves up and down with the motion of the machine, and are wound on the cylinder in a
criss cross manner that facilitates the detection of breach in the fibre, if one exists any where.
This process starts from one end of the cylinder and goes on till the whole of the cylinder is
covered with the thread. Using this machine, the master weaver converts the raw silk into
single or double fibre warp, depending on the requirement of the loom. Once this has been
achieved, the taana threads in the shape of bundles are taken to the loom where they are
used as warp.
Warping

9. For weaving, one end of the warp is bound on main beam of the loom. The
other end, in the form of a bundle is taken under another horizontal beam
parallel to the main beam and then across the overhead beam. Weights are
hung on it on the other end of the beam to keep it tight, giving the warp a Z
shape. There are up to 4,000 strings in a single warp. The length of warp is
50 meters and the width of weft is 48 inches. As the warp proceeds, the
bundle needs to be opened up. The movement of the string that controls the
shuttle, in which the roll of weft thread is kept, takes the yarn of the weft
across the threads of the warp. With the motion of the pedal, the heavy
frame sets the yarn of the weft along the thread of the warp. The weaver uses
the zari threads and other coloured threads across the warp depending on
the desired design. The motion of the loom provides movement to the
overhead jaquard like punch card mechanism called dobby, although smaller
than the jaquard looms, these have a similar function of putting forward
particular hooks that are required for a particular border design and helps in
designing of the border of the sari.
The process of weaving is very difficult and tedious in case of saris that have
more design work. Therefore, the resulting products are also proportionately
expensive.
Weaving

10. Once a sari is completed, it is taken off from the loom and sent for cutting. The normal length of such a
sari is about 11 feet. It is then folded properly and packed. No ironing or further printing is required.
Once packed, they are ready to be marketed.
Finishing

11. Product Range
Maheshwari handloom products are used in a variety of
forms, including as saris, dupattas, salwar suits and
shirts. They are also used for home furnishing, like
curtains and cushion covers.
Recently, Amazon Fashion Week saw a rather
wonderful use of Maheshwari silk in one of their
runaways. Models wore colourful trousers, asymmetric
jackets, sarees with peplum blouses, and narrow
skirts. The outfits were so colourful and eye catching.
The kooky styling, printed patterns, and sequence ruled
the ramp. His collection boasted a vibrant colour palette
of beige, lavender, and fuchsia with floral motifs having
traditional Indian draping with a little bit of
contemporary touch. 

12. Traditional Style
Maheshwari predominantly was worn in the form of beautiful sarees, and still is. A unique feature of the
Maheshwari saree is that each has a specific name of its own, which indicates its distinctness. The sarees
may be plain at the centre and have neatly designed borders, or they may have different variations of
stripes and checks. The sarees fall under 5 broad categories namely Chandratara, Chandrakala, Beli,
Baingani Chandrakala and Parbi. The Baingani Chandrakala and Chandrakala are plain ones, while the
Beli, Chandratara, and Parbi come with stripes or checks.
In spite of their understated grace, these pieces are cherished by women for their polished finish and light
weight. Although initially they were only done in silk, Maheshwari sarees are currently available in silk
cotton, cotton, and even wool. This light fabric is considered the best choice for women all through the year.
The craft and style of these sarees faced a huge decline in terms of popularity and productivity after
independence. However, with the help of several NGOs, they have been able to revive their reputation to a
great extent. It also underwent great renewal. In the beginning, these sarees were made in earthy colours
like red, maroon, purple, green, and black. Only natural dyes were used by weavers for the yarn.

13. Contemporary Style
Initially, there was a limited range of colours used to design the Maheshwari saree,
which were predominantly shades of Red, Maroon, Black, Green and Purple.
However, with modernisation and experimentation in Indian fashion, lighter colours
have been introduced, along with the use of Gold and Silver threads.After the
current revival in these sarees, they have taken the fashion industry by a storm, not
only in India but in countries like France, U.K, Germany and U.S where the demand
for these sarees seems to be gaining momentum with each passing year.
Formerly, Maheshwari silk was for sarees, but now it is used to design other clothes
such as Kurtas and dupattas.
Ace designer, Krishna Mehta showcased unconventional and exaggerated
silhouettes made of Maheshwari silk fabric. The theme of the collection was 'Curious
Alice'. Models were clad in tunics, large lapel jackets, colourful trousers, narrow
dhoti pants, asymmetric dresses, sarees with full sleeve blouses, peplum blouse with
deep necklines, narrow skirts, khada pyjamas, reagan sleeved dresses and cape
style blouses.While some blouses had detailed embroideries, some were sewn from
the same bold checkered Maheshwari fabric like that of the skirts or the bottom
wear.
Maheshwari silk has a very encapsulating look, with a light yet the rich effect which
Pratima has conquered. Her collection was inspired by the Dadaist movement which
models wore looking nothing less than an art. 

14. Latest Development
The production of Maheshwari saris slowed after the Second World War and the consequent impact on the trade of
Chinese and German yarn dye supplies. Maheswari saris ceased, which resulted in the practice coming to a near standstill,
with weavers being paid low prices for their work. The industry was revived through the efforts of Sally Holkar and the
Rehwa Society in the 1960s, which trained artisans to weave high quality saris with designs adapted from traditional
Maheshwari saris. The master weaver Ganesh R Bichawe also worked with Sally Holkar to design and revitalise saris for a
wider and contemporary market. Other organisations and cooperatives, such as WomenWeave and The Handloom School
in Maheshwar, also taught the weavers skills such as design and technology to enable sustainable business models and
generate steady incomes for the families in the region.
Not long ago, the coronavirus pandemic upended the world in the past two years, and among those worse affected were
small businesses, and in India the handloom industries faced a very severe brunt when the Covid 19 pandemic forced
lockdowns across India, putting a stop to the means of livelihoods of many households. Among these were the weavers of
the famed Maheshwari sarees of Madhya Pradesh. n a creative attempt to bring more awareness about their plight as well
as to promote their craft, Maheshwari weavers along with Ahilya Community Service Club are encouraging vaccination in
hopes of bringing an end to the deadly pandemic. The weavers got together at Ahilya Ghat, near Maheshwar fort, and
used their stunning and colourful Maheshwari handloom sarees and wrote, ‘Covid 19 Vaccinate Yourself’.

15. Challenges
Copper coated nylon has replaced the pure gold wires of zari and synthetic
dyes have replaced the limited palette of natural colours. With high demands
and extreme pressures on time, dyers have to get one warp of silk ready within
an hour, leaving little room for revival of slow natural dyeing.
There are only a handful of craftsmen who weave the original striped designs
of the sari, which had a typical Marathi look, and these are popular in
Maharashtra. Though recently the craft has been revolutionised by the youth of
the society, almost 60% of the craftsmen are still lagging behind due to lack of
marketing. Planning the weave of a sari is an art in itself and sometimes the
craftsmen are not equipped with that. They are skilled but not everyone has
the vision to study the present scenario, plan and create accordingly. One of
the major problem faced by the weavers of Maheshwari textiles is related to
finance, 75% face problem related to time and 70% of them revealed that
there is less demand for Maheshwari textiles in the market.
The silk yarn is dyed by the weavers in their homes. Although only acid dyes
should be used for colouring silk but it has been observed that the weavers

16. Reflective Note
Being from born and brought up in Madhya Pradesh, I’d always find myself awestruck whenever my
mother wore any one of her Maheshwari sarees. I’ve always loved the intricacy and delicacy of the
fabric. Studying about the history and the mechanics behind the manufacture of this beautiful fabric
was really an insightful journey for me. The intensive process of making this fabric was incredibly
informative. I had never known about the challenges and atrocities that our weavers and craftsmen
have to go through on a daily basis. The beauty of India is imprinted within the hearts of these talented
and hardworking individuals, it is them who unite us, and it is them who ground us. I am extremely
inspired and motivated to explore more about my local handloom.
In conclusion, the textile industry in India is evolving, adapting to global trends, and striving for
sustainable growth. With a rich heritage, a vast pool of skilled labor, and a focus on technological
advancement and sustainability, the industry is poised for further expansion and competitiveness on the
global stage. However, addressing challenges like infrastructure, sustainability, and skill development
will be crucial for sustained progress and success in the future.