Kanjeevaram sarees

Kanjeevaram sarees

1. History of design and fashion

2. Kanjeevaram sarees Kanjeevaram Sarees  are popular as conventional sarees of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Their scintillating beauty and absolute comfort, propels a woman to enjoy wearing it. The affluent silk fabric, the elaborate weaving design patterns and uniquely designed borders are admired around the globe.

3. history The  Kanjeevaram sarees   receives its name from a little temple town Kanchipuram , where it originated. Kanjeevaram silk saree is a magnificent creation of the craftsmen living in the small town, situated near the Bangalore city of South India. The saree has been named after the town in which it is produced.

4. It is not only draped on weddings in South India and elsewhere, but worn at other auspicious and religious occasions, as well. Similar to passing jewelry or diamonds from one generation to next in many cultures,  Kanjeevaram sarees  is a tradition often passed from mother to daughter as an heirloom, it is made to last a lifetime.

5. Fabric used The saree is a whole nine yards, as it is between four and nine metres long. However, the material, design and style of the  Kanjeevaram sarees differ across regions. Silk and cotton are the common fabrics used in the weaving of this saree .

6. The Kanjeevaram sari is made of a heavy silk called Kanjivaram silk, so durable that it can be washed in water at home. It is one of the most finest and most popular forms of silk in Tamilnadu . Kanjee silk is thicker than almost all other silks, and is therefore more expensive. The heavier the silk, the better the quality. While there are light weight Kanjee sarees made from Korean and Chinese silk, only mulberry silk produced in Karnataka and few parts of Tamil Nadu, is right silk for the classic Kanjeevaram sari. 

7. Making of a Kanjeevaram Silk Saree .. The procedure of making an Indian  Kanchipuram  sari commences of, first, twisting the thread and then, dying and drying it in the sun. The creation of a Kanjeevaram sari is no easy task. A weaver takes about 10-12 days to weave a simple Kanjeevaram sari while decorative ones could take up to 20 days. Kanjeevarams are favoured for their durability.

8. Weaving process of a Kanjeevaram saree ..

9. The skilled artisans of Kanchipuram town, who are engaged in sericulture, rear the silkworms in cane baskets, filled with plenty of mulberry leaves as the food-provision. Here the worms start ejecting thread-like secretion, which construct around themselves a semi-transparent cocoon. And from this cocoon, silk-thread is derived. It is this numerous strands of silk tread, which consist of the silk fabric of Kanchipuram . The smooth, glazy and supple quality of the fabric, contribute to the dazzling aura, associated with the saree . 

10. The design.. Kanjeevaram sarees  woven in silk are always bold and brightly contrasted colour. Some common design patterns woven on the saree include peacock and parrot motifs, tribal designs, traditional patterns imitated from the Pallava temples, palaces and paintings, the scenes from great Indian epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita are incorporated into this textile masterpieces. Today, the focus is on contemporary patterns.

11. The designs of Kanjeeveram sarees displays the predominance of animal characters basically peacock and parrot. Apart from these, the Kanjeeveram sarees are intricately designed with beautiful tribal designs, traditional patterns derived from the Pallava temples, palaces and paintings. Even scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita are incorporated into the intricate designing technique. Sometimes, little gold motifs are seen scattered in all over the body of the saree including contemporary patterns.

12. The exclusive designs of the Kanjeeveram sarees are sought after because of the intricate designs and the materials of the sarees . The traditional and ethnic look of the sarees has upgraded them to one of the most elegant sarees of India. The wedding sarees are decked with Zari adornments and meena work. The bridal saris, give the bride, the glory that she is supposed to be invested with on her wedding day.  The majestic outlook of Kanchipuram sarees can best highlight the innate beauty of the Indian women. 

13. The wedding saree ..

14. Motifs used.. Kanjeevaram sarees  woven in silk are always bold and brightly contrasted colour. Some common motifs woven on the saree include- Peacock and parrot motifs, Tribal designs, Traditional patterns imitated from the Pallava temples, palaces and paintings, The scenes from great Indian epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita are incorporated into this textile masterpieces. Today, the focus is on contemporary patterns.

15. Alternatively,  Kanjeevaram sarees  can be plain, or with small gold motifs scattered all over its body. Other designs include gold squares or stripes spread across the body of the saree .

16. The gold in the motifs in Kancheepuram silk sarees is incorporated by dipping the silk threads into liquid gold and silver. This enhances the ethnic beauty and value of silk. Some of the traditional motifs featured in the Kancheepuram silk sarees are rudraksham , malli mogu and gopuram , mayilkan (peacock’s eye), kuyilkan (nightingale eye) borders.

17. Colors used.. Bright blues, purples and greens, or vibrant reds, oranges or yellows have formed the traditional color palette. Recently, colors have been combined to create a blue-green that varies according to light, or a saree that is beige in daylight and golden under artificial light. Combinations have also changed traditional paisley motifs or tales of mythology in the embroidery.

18. The Ilkal sari of Karnataka Ilkal  is a medium sized town in  Bagalkot district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is located in a valley that lies in South – East corner of Bagalkote district . Ilkal is famous for handloom sarees , popularly known as  Ilkal sarees . These sarees are worn by women of North Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra state. The sarees made here have a distinctive pattern and are usually made from cotton. They are best suited for weather conditions prevailing in the region. Recently sarees made in Ilkal are worn by high society ladies as a fashion statement. There are many wide variety of sarees are made here with variable cotton and silk ratios. Ilkal is also famous for its red granite stone, which is exported all over the world.

19. Ilkal sarees are woven using cotton warp on the body and art silk warp for border and art silk warp for pallav portion of the saree . In some cases instead of art silk, pure silk is also used.

20. Design.. The distinctive feature of Ilkal sarees is the use of a form of embroidery called as  Kasuti . The designs used in Kasuti reflect traditional patters like palanquins, elephants and lotuses which are embroidered onto Ilkal sarees . These sarees are usually 9 yards in length and the  pallu  of the Ilkal saree (the part worn over the shoulder) carries designs of temple towers. This pallu is usually made of red silk with white patterns. The end region of the pallu is made up of patterns of different shapes like  hanige  (comb),  koti kammli  (fort ramparts),  toputenne  ( jowar ) and  rampa  (mountain range).

21. The border of the sari is very broad (4 to 6 inches) and red or maroon in colour and is made of different designs with ochre patterns. The saree is either made of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and silk or in pure silk. The colors traditionally used are pomegranate red, brilliant peacock green and parrot green. The sarees that are made for bridal wear are made of a particular colour called  Giri Kumukum  which is associated with the  sindhoor worn by the wives of the priests in this region.

22. Kasuti designs..

23. The stitching has different names, such as negi for running stitch, gavanti for a double running stitch creating an unbroken line and murgi for a zig-zag line.

24. Fabric used.. Fabric used was basically cotton but shifted to silk..

25. Motifs.. The typical embroidery patterns used in Ilkal sarees are chariots, lotuses, elephants, lamps, conch shells, palanquins, etc.. Temple architecture, the gopurams of South India, lotus flower, raths , sculptures carvings of their temples. They worked on the motif in very detailed and elaborate way. Gopuras (entrance of temples) chariots, Shivalingas , Nandi, crown of Shiva, sun, Suryamukhi , Shell, Snakes ( asNagadevta ) Elephant, Horses, Tulsi , Vrindavan , Hanuman etc.

26. Birds such as parrot, peacock, swan etc animals like sared bull, elephant, deer, squirrels, from mythological epics, Rudrakshas . Other designs for Kasuti embroidery are rattle, cradle, flower pot and tulsi katte .

27. Colors The colors that are traditionally used in these sarees are pomegranate red, parrot green and peacock blue. Bridal wear Ilkal sarees are made in a special color which is called ‘ Giri Kumkum ’ in that region. The red- colored pallu is a distinguishing feature of Ilkal sarees .

28. The sarees have silk pallus and cotton/rayon grounds and borders. In olden times only cotton and silk was used, but now they are using rayon as it is much cheaper to use and the market favors the shiny aesthetic. The ground color warp threads are most usually black cotton, the weft is rayon.

29. The classic Ilkals sarees of this co-op are made on older, very traditional looms equipped with flying shuttles.

30. Power looms in ilkal ..

31. Warping for big production! 50 sarees woven on one continuous warp!

32. Types of Borders The design woven in the length wise borders are mainly three types :- Gomi (more popularly known as Ilkal dadi ) Paraspet (Sub-divided into chikki paras and dodd paras ) Gaadi

33. Main Body design Stripes Rectangles Squares

34. Inspired by Kanjeevaram sarees .. The breathtaking beauty of the Kanjeeveram has entitled the sarees to act as the bride’s trousseau, not only in Karnataka, or South India, but in other parts of the country also. The dazzling design, bright hues and fine quality fabric-texture, have escalated the position of this saree , as one of the topmost feminine choices in India..

35. Therefore this is what inspired my design for a bridal wear.. The silhouette is basically contemporary indian wear with a “ choli ” and a “dhoti “ style trouser and a “ odhni ” that compliments the entire bridal look. Colors used are commonly used colors in the kanjeeevaram sarees that are red, green, orange and yellow..The choli also depicts a very traditional motif used in these sarees .. EmbroideriesThe Kanjivarams used at weddings have real gold woven into it throughout the entire saree .. Therefore I’ve shown the zari works on the choli and the odhni .. Since the garment is for a bride.. Heavy makeup and jewellery with a modern touch is also shown ..

36. Thank you..