The Kanchipuram silk saree a shining fabric with continued lustre

1. The Kanchipuram silk sareea shining fabric with continued lustre

2. The special appeal of this seemingly royal venture are the very intricate designs that are woven into the body in gold threads of human and animal figures of geometric designs with temple towers along the border. The borders have wide contrast. Temple borders, checks, stripes and floral (buttas) are traditional designs found on a Kanchipuramsarees. The base material, silk, is also known for its quality and craftsmanship. Good fine count weaves with suitable enhancement, suitable linings and smooth texture, with the special shimmer quality have kept its reputation as a valuable product to be carefully stored and displayed on those special occasions like weddings, grand parties, big festivals, social functions. No wonder its market value has not diminished over time. If the Kanchipuramsarees vary widely in cost it is only depending upon the intricacy of work, colors, pattern, material used like zari (gold thread) etc. Priced from a modest Rs. 2000/-, the Kanchipuram Silk Saree could be upto a lakh and above, based on the design, motif and materials used. • In order to get the protection and continued sustenance for a valuable product that is the outcome of devotion and dedication, the KanchipuramSaree has acquired the Geographical Indication label in 2005 for its origin.

3. Popular trivia about the saree • Legend has it that the weavers of Kanchi Silks are supposed to be the descendants of Sage Markandeya, the celestial weaver, known for his feat of weaving tissue from the Aishwarya Ray in Kanchipuram silk sareefibre of the lotus plant. Further while Lord Shiva is supposed to like cotton as his fabric, Lord Vishnu has a preference for silk. So the weavers could be considered as favourites of Lord Vishnu. It was in the reign of the famed king in the South of India, Krishnadevaraya, that Kanchipuram was given importance and earned its traditional name. Two weaving communities of Devangas and Saligars were the mainstay of the Kanjeevaramsarees and even today they abound Kanchi and take to weaving of sarees as their traditional profession.

4. The making of a Kanjeevaramsaree • But let us take a peek at what is involved in the making of this celebrated fabric. The Kanjeevaramsaree has two important fabric materials that it invariably incorporates. One, the pure mulberry silk, that is procured from Karnataka, and the other, the shining golden and silver zari threads from Gujarat. • Weaving aKanchipuram silk sarees involves using three shuttles. As one worker works on the right side, his aide works on the left side shuttle. The border is mostly different from the body by way of color and design. If the Pallu is to be woven in a different shade, it is first separately woven and then attached to the body. It is a delicate joint called pelni which is quite complicated. This portion is generally a sort of zigzag line that gets merged as a part of the design.

5. Motifs that are popular include sun, moon, peacock, parrot, swan, lion, mango, leaf, chariot etc. Jasmine bud within a round frame known as Mallinaggu, Thandavalam (parallel lines that run across the body) are also well-sought after as motifs or patterns. • The costly varieties could have richly woven pallus with paintings of the famed Raja Ravi Varma, where scenes are taken from the epics – Mahabharata and Ramayana. There are also the special varieties using heavy silk and gold cloth that are meant for special occasions and sparingly used.

6. Click to know more about Kanchipuram Silk Sarees • http://www.mirraw.com/store/kanchipuram-silk-sarees