#SariSistas

Amrita shares this picture of hers, with the painting of three sisters at the back, from Lagos, Nigeria...

"Love thy Sister as thyself

The sky was overcast with ominous dark clouds. Once in a while torn asunder by a blinding streak of light, followed by  deafening thunder. Bela had to reach Mumbai , some three hundred kms away. It was her first job and she was excited to join. Now this terrible impending storm. Was it alright to set out? With all these thoughts rushing through her mind,  she looked at older sister, Sreya, wondering what would she advise. Sreya doted on her li'l sis. She looked tenderly at her and knew that despite the storm, this journey had to be made.  

Sending a quick prayer to heaven, both sisters set out. Sreya took the wheels of the car, leaving Bela engrossed with her ponderings about her new job. They had gone only for a little while, when the skies opened up and it poured like never before. The visibility dropped to near zero. It was nearly impossible to drive on. So Sreya pulled the car on what she thought was the shoulder off the road. Hoping to resume whence the storm abated. 

She was stoical, conscious that her sis should not be frightened by the storm , her spirits not dampened before the new dawn that awaited her young life. She decided to bide her time in the car by humming songs. So it was , " humko mann ka shakti dena, mann vijay karo.." And with merry abruptness, it was also, " hum tum ek kamre mein band ho, aur chaabi kho jaye...". Though the mood was more like, " hum tum ek car mein trapped ho jaye..aur afat ho jaye......".

Suddenly there was a deafening sound. ...

Bela woke up in a hospital room. A nurse was peering over her with concerned eyes. She enquired about her health. Bela said she felt only a little limp but wasn't feeling so bad, despite a fractured arm. Then she begged to know how Sreya was. The nurse held her gently & said, " the other girl had hugged you in a tight embrace when the truck crashed into your car and  her body had taken the entire impact. "

So, how's she now"? screamed Bela crumbling into a heap. She sobbed that she didn't want her life if anything had happened to Sreya. The nurse again held her gently, " your sister had a dying wish which she whispered only to me". "She wants you to be very successful and happy in your new job".  Bela was about to scream a vehement "No", when she heard the  nurse's calm & commanding voice once more,  " Do it for your sister, if not for yourself". Your greatest tribute to her sisterly love""

I requested Amrita to write me something small, for my segment starting this February. #SariSistas an ode to every sister out there. She came up with this beautiful piece. 

#iluvsaris

O #Saris_A2Z

#Saris_A2Z let's explore the 'O' word today for saris. 'Odisa' saris~

Orissa handloom silks are traditional handloom fabrics made from mulberry silk and Tussar silk through the fine use of ikat and supplementary thread work. 

The exclusive Bomkai Saris employ the ikat style of tie-dye, where the threads are dyed with contrasting colours before they are woven with a special ‘extra weft’ technique. This traditional art uses vegetable dyes to a large extent, with a leaning toward artificial colours in present day creations. Black, yellow, orange, maroon, are the preferred hues. Motif patterns commonly adorning the fabric are bitter gourd, the atasi flower, the kanti-phul or small flower, peacocks and birds, Konark temple, conches. The use of bright coloured panels with extra motifs on a contrasting colour background is a unique and attractive feature.

The Sambalpuri Silk Saris are akin to the Bomkai saris though they make more use of geometrical patterns. Shanka, chakra, or floral pattern motifs may also be seen on the base fabric, with designer colours and patterns chosen to provide the traditionally woven sari, the modern look. 

Berhampuri saris are made in coastal Orissa; they are most often woven in silk, and silk Behrampuri saris are referred to as Berhampuri patta. Silk weaving is said to have begun at Berhampur in the 14th century although the history of Berhampuri saris is confused: these saris are also associated with the Mohuri kingdom which lay between the Rushikulya and Bahuda rivers: the Gajapati King Purushottama Deva who ruled Kalinga from 1466–97 is said to have ‘founded’ the Mohuri kingdom with a grant of land to Sana Raja. Much later, the Mohuri King Harihar Narayan Deb who ruled between 1772 and 1782 is believed to have convinced weavers from Rajmundhry in nearby Andhra Pradesh to migrate to his kingdom; these weavers of the Deras community, also known as Debangas, are credited with not only bringing the Behrampuri sari to its current form but also for introducing to the area worship of the goddess Budhi Santani Thakurani who is believed by some to be the goddess Kali’s sister.

Although Berhampuri saris woven in silk are most well known, these Berhampuri weavers also work in cotton, and tussar. The saris often feature a temple design (which could be anything between less than an inch high to more than a foot wide) along the border: either phoda kumbha or badhi kumbha. Phoda kumbha refers to temple spires, and weaving the design into the saris takes two weavers; badhi kumbha, on the other hand, is created using Ikat which rarely features serrated lines. The saris tend to be in extremely bright colours with contrasting borders, and, when they’re woven in silk, 2 ply malda is most often used. All of them are reversible.

Orissa Handloom Silks make use of tribal art hand painting which significantly enhances the appeal of the already splendid-looking sari.

An ode to Demure Drapes

An Ode to Demure Drapes

Nationhood is ..........., screams Charkha  Dutt
No, that's your nation not mine, .......thunders Gaurav Goswami
We shiver, we crumple, we are fleetingly numb
Yet  your noise can't make us deaf or dumb.
U define our nation, .........and what counts as  nationhood?
Where lies your nation making?
In building blocks of TRP?

Flip the pages of history, look how all of us lived.
The muga blossomed near the jamdani,
The kantha bonded with tasser.
The kanjeevarams beckoned the Benarasis
The bandhni danced with Maheshwaris 
The ikat etched friendship with paithani 
The garod glorified the Parsi Gara 

Demureness is our legacy
India's glorious tradition
No matter where we lived.
No matter what we draped.
Demureness was in valour
Of great queens of Malwa,Jhansi, Chittor
Demureness was in grandeur
Demureness was in splendour
Of great queens of Jaipur, Trichy, Mysore...

Come, Demure Drapes, rise  and shine ever brighter
Tell our sisters , brothers
The weft and warp of our culture
The threads that wove us together.
beautiful Kashmir, Kutch with Tripura
Patiala, Punj and Chapra.
Drown  noises that tear us, break our hearts asunder 
Do we need their homilies, ugly preachment for candor...

Amrita Chakraborty 

T #Saris_A2Z

#Saris_A2Z I know like me many of you have been awaiting the Sunday special. Well the maestro had woven her 🕸 web and created her magic! It was me who could not come up with a suitable picture for her story😢 

Just created some Tant magic graphically on a bed of saris to go witAmrita Chakrabortyty beautiful Sunday special sari story. So grab ur ☕️ and  delve deeper into the tant's tryst...

"Tant's Tryst with Destiny

The year was 1945, the British had relentlessly hurt the tant weavers of Bengal for over a century now  by opening the flood gates of cheaper textiles from Manchester and other parts of United Kingdom. The brilliant  craftsmanship of Tant was losing perilously to imported textile. These famed handloom weavers, whose muslin and other vibrant drapes were the pride of the greatest empires of medieval Europe and Western Asia were not only losing out their export markets, even Indian households were substituting them ever increasingly.The Tant weavers of  Bengal  known for their fineness and finesse,were not being able to compete and the weavers had turned into an impoverished lot.  Prompting even Karl Marx to exclaim, " the  British intruder broke up the Indian handloom and destroyed the spinning wheel” 

It was 9 at night, in the once glorious weavers' village of Shantipur, late enough for everybody in the village to have retired to bed. Sixteen year old Mira was still helping her father while hearing stories from the past . Gajananda worked late on the handloom trying to weave a bit more before sleep  overtook him. He doted on his only daughter, often feeling deeply guilty that despite being brighter than his four sons, he had not been able to send her to school. As  a Tant weaver, he could barely make ends meet for his family of seven. Mira would always be helping him with his loom. She had no other interests  like the other girls her age. Villagers would joke with Gajanand. " Arre, Gaja, guess you have given Mira in marriage to  your handloom. She's always sitting beside it; keeping it in shape, working on it day in and day out, admiring every aspect of it.............Haha..............your daughter is in love with it, eh?............like the Rani Mirabai was in love with her Gopal!" Gaja would rarely get into an argument with them. The villagers had helped him when he was in dire straits; only if they understood his Mira, he would think wistfully. 

"Baba, you weave these Tant saris so painstakingly. Many of them are on special order from that mahajan Jadunath from Howrah. After days of nurturing lifeless grey yarn, they bloom to life as vibrant saris, look so enchanting that I cry every time you have to pack them off. 

Yet you don't have the money for your persistent cough. Ma has a backache that tears her, we can't treat her too. Moreover"......, Mira continued,somehow restraining her choked emotions "Ma has never got to wear the best pieces you weave. Yet when mahajan mahasaya comes, he gets those glossy brochures of beautiful designs that are to be made on order for  rich women. You toil so hard to make each piece. Jadunath babu laps it up. Orders more, brighter and better designs, more sensuous colors. But we never make enough to have the essentials, forget a good life. Is it fair?" Gaja looked at Mira with moist eyes. What could he explain  to this young girl!

" You know, I'm Mira. And like the Rani Mirabai despite being married to the prince of the great kingdom of Chittor,carrying out many wifely duties , stayed devoted to her Gopal; I too declare my lifelong devotion  for the Tant. Please, baba, you understand me nah. Ma doesn't...."..Mira's voice trailed off wistfully.  

Gaja heard himself telling her, "  even poison from Rana Sanga's palace couldn't kill Mirabai or her devotion. Rather the fragrance of her devotion spread far and wide. So much so, even the great emperor Akbar came to see her in the guise of a beggar. He was so moved by her that while leaving , he lay a necklace at her feet made of pure gold and diamonds..." 

It wasn't long before  Gaja got Harish's proposal for Mira's hand. Harish, despite being a poor weaver's son had studied diligently,coming out with top honors   in the matriculation exams. He was the only one from Shantipur ever to receive a government scholarship to study law in Kolkata. And had just finished graduation and received an internship of a handsome amount of fifty rupees when his marriage was fixed with Mira. Gaja was over the moon that Harish had chosen his daughter to be his bride. When he broke the news to Mira, she was a bit sad that she had to leave her Baba , their beloved loom and its lively creations. But when Gaja quickly promised that he would create the best pieces yet to be made by him to gift her, she was overcome by childlike glee.

Father, daughter toiled everyday to create the prettiest pieces ever made on muslin and tant. The yarns were dyed bright reds, yellows. Each thread was woven with utmost love, to create thick , rich pallus with large floral motifs and the body into finest muslin ever woven by Gaja. The sheer translucence of muslin gave the saris an ethereal radiance. Days merged into weeks; weeks into months. However, the day his priceless gifts were completed, Gaja fell ill with high fever. The family searched for every forgotten penny at home, digging deep inside the barrel of rice as near the Tulsi in the backyard. But they still couldn't afford his treatment. The day mahajan Jadunath came, Mira, with her eyes brimming with tears , quietly gave away  her gifts to get the maximum possible for her beloved baba's treatment. When Gaja heard of it, he was heartbroken and passed away in great shock. An year passed by in sombre , lifeless days. Then Mira was married off in a simple ceremony, frugally arranged by her widowed mother. 

Harish and she set their heart to set up the Gajanand Cooperative Society, GCS, a first in Shantipur and amongst Indian  weavers. The weavers could now access better quality yarn, brighter and a variety of better quality colors. The reeds were never again rickety, falling apart; they were always replaced promptly. The looms were now made of teak wood, with a cemented seat where the these unheralded masters could sit comfortably as they wove their magic. They were  no longer  dependent on middlemen like Jadunath to sell their master pieces. The cooperative sold it for them at best prices. They were once again beginning to hold their head high in the world stage. Mira had ensured that there never would be another father in Shantipur who would die brokenhearted if he wanted to share his fabulous craft with his daughters instead of customers.

Mira had just finished her day's work at GCS ,which she always did with exemplary conviction and devotion. It was a breezy winter evening in 1965, she was walking back home, hearing  baba's gentle voice within her sing Mirabai's bhajan:

'This infamy, O my Prince is delicious!

Some revile me,others applaud,

O Mira’s Lord is noble and dark

I simply follow my incomprehensible road.............' "

M #Saris_A2Z

#Saris_A2Z a prized possession of every girl who is born and brought up in the most beautiful state of India, Assam, her muga sari. Needless to say I luv my mugas❤️❤️ 

For letter 'M' today we feature today the pride of Assam, the muga sari.

 'Mugs' silk is indigenous to Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, is simply magnificent.

Muga silk is not only a nature's gift to Assam, but also a symbol of rich Assamese culture. It represents the brilliance of traditional attire of the region. The most significant characteristic of 'Muga silk' is its golden bright hue.

Its name is derived from Assamese word 'Muga', which means yellow. The fabric is superior in every respect in comparison to the normal silk available all over the world. It is also much more durable. 

With time it only becomes more beautiful. Muga silk's brightness improves with every wash. It's no wonder that Muga silk is one of the costliest silks available. Muga is produced from cocoons of 'Antheraea Assamensis' which is available only in Assam. Muga worm also has the same lifecycle as that of a silkworm. Antheraea Assamensis moth's eggs are laid out on the Som tree leaves to hatch out into caterpillars of about 2mm long. They grow rapidly, eat voraciously and grow as along as 30 mm in length after four to five weeks.

During this time, they change their skin four times. After the final skin change straw frames are provided, the silkworms make its cocoon in it.

The making of cocoon then takes eight more days. The worker interferes this life cycle at the cocoon stage to obtain the dream golden silk thread, which is used by the artisans to weave the enchanting Muga fabric.

Calling every muga lover, share your muga stories and pictures. If you don't possess a muga in your collection, it's the next must have💕

L #Saris_A2Z

#Saris_A2Z the next letter in our alphabetical journey happens to be 'L'. Together let's look at 'L'eheria saris.

What's a lehariya?

Leheria comes from the word Leher meaning wave, since the tie and dye process applied to white fabrics, results in brightly coloured complex wave or Leher designs. Leheria work is done on silk or cotton fabric. A Leheriya has wavy pattern with distinctive bright colors. The leheriya saris are primarily manufactured in Jaipur and other places in Rajasthan. An additional dyeing using the leheriya technique produces mothara. In the making of mothara, the original resists are removed and the fabric is re-rolled and tied along the opposite diagonal. This results in a checkered pattern with small undyed areas occurring at regular intervals. 

K #Saris_A2Z

#Saris_A2Z Kkkkkk.....

not Kiran but Kadhua..

a type of Banarasi sari, an exclusive product of Kashi region that is facing extinction, is our topic of discussion today..

I read about a kadhua, same as most of you, when Michelle Obama was gifted with one. N my Dil Jo ki manta nahi always maange more, wanted a kadhua. Nisha dear thanks for my beautiful kadhua, which you parted from your personal collection😘😘

So what's special about this much talked Kadhua saris? Let's learn together.

A signature handloom product of Varanasi region, one piece of 'Kadhua' sari takes 3-4 months engaging at least three persons to complete. 

Kadhua is an exclusive technique of handloom weaving  and it cannot be imitated on power loom, The cost and time in making a piece of kadhua sari depends on its design and colour.  It is different from embroidery, as all the decorative works are done on the loom only while weaving. 

There are two techniques of weaving -'kadhua' and 'fekua', the kadhua weaving requires 2-3 or more persons while only one person can weave a plain sari with 'fekua' technique. 

The other fame handloom product of Banaras is 'Kimkhab' that costs Rs 4000 to 5000 per meter, and it takes a day in weaving 4-6 inches only. Would be awesome if any of you could share your kimkhab pictures...

Kasavu which was originally known as ‘Mundum Neryathum’, traces itself way back to the Buddhist era. Slowly and gradually this ethnic fabric spread out to the southern parts of India and became richly prominent in Kerala. However, the style of the fabric also finds some resemblance to the Graeco Roman attire, known as ‘Palmyrene’. This was considered as a long piece of fabric which possessed a colored gold border pinned onto to the left side of the shoulder. 

Kasavu is a handwoven cream colored sari with gold border. From the land of ‘God’s own country’, Kasavu emerges as one of the finest traditional saris. It is a handloom designed material which enhances its glamour through the intrinsic borders soaked in the color of pure gold. 

The golden and cream threadwork are intrinsically set giving the attire a traditional appeal. 

The original essence of this fabric felt a noticeable presence depicted through the remarkable sketches of Painter Raja Ravi Verma. The design of this fabric also found its popularity in the mythological epics like Mahabharata which portrayed Shakuntala in many Kerala Kasavu attires.

#Saris_A2Z this #flashbackfriday let's throw some light on this 'king' of saris the 'k'anjeevaram..

Share your Kanjeevaram pictures. A sari each one of us must be having in our collection. 

Kanjeevaram saris woven with heavy silk and gold cloth are considered to be special and are worn on occasions and festivities. 

The pure mulberry silk used in the making of Kanchipuram saris comes from South India and the zari comes from Gujarat. To weave a Kanchipuram sari three shuttles are used. While the weaver works on the right side, his aide works on the left side shuttle. The border color and design are usually quite different from the body. If the pallu has to be woven in a different shade, it is first separately woven and then delicately joined to the Sari. The part where the body meets the pallu is often denoted by a zig zag line. In a genuine Kanchipuram Silk Sari, body and border are woven separately and then interlocked together. The joint is woven so strongly that even if the sarees tears, the border will not detach.