I have this absolute love about beautifully hand-woven sarees . Actually it extends to brilliantly intricate Indian hand-made jewelry traditions too , now sadly more in gold, earlier silver work was mind-boggling too . I see them as the fine mesh of yarn or sutra carrying down stories from forever . They are flamboyance and grace , slowly touched with human fingers to reveal form and persistence , great skill and love of the tradition . Paithani, popular for it’s unique art and tradition is the carrier of a legacy for over 2000 years. Born in Paithan, the splendid capital of Satvahana Dynasty in 200 BC on the banks of divine Godavari River, Paithani grew under the patronage of the Satvahana dynasty of kings. Later it progressed throughout the Deccan region. Paithani uses the ancient technique of tapestry where multiple threads of different colours along with gold and silver threads are weaved together to form a fascinating piece of silk. In the distant past, Romans imported this Golden Woven Fabric in exchange for gold of equal weight. The art of Paithani survived under changing rulers. In fact it flourished under Aurangzeb, who not only brought it back to its glory but also incorporated many novelties in appearance. The well known floral motifs and AmarVell are contributions from Mughal era. The Nizam of Hyderabad was also an ardent admirer of Paithanis. After decline of Mughal influence, the Peshwas of Pune once again took Paithani under their wings by settling weavers in Yeola, a small town near Shirdi. Here Paithani acquired new dimensions in both design and popularity. Asawali, a motif of flowering vine is credited to the Peshwa period. Later, in absence of royal patronage, Paithani remained an ignored textile form of Maharashtra until the Government of India together with the Government of Maharashtra and private enterprises took special interest in its revival. There are now about 40-50 Paithani weavers in Aurangabad , almost 70% women ! And most weave at home . And just being in presence of a shimmering Paithani is a delight . Then I discovered Himroo for the first time ! Himroo is a fabric made of silk and cotton in Aurangabad. Himroo was brought to Aurangabad in the reign of Mohammad Tughlaq, when he had shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, Aurangabad. The word himroo originated from Persian word Hum-ruh which means ‘similar’. Himroo is a replication of Kum-khwab, which was woven with pure golden and silver threads in olden days, and was meant for the royal families. Himroo uses Persian designs, and is very characteristic and distinctive in appearance. Himroo from Aurangabad is in demand for its unique style and design. Like Mashru from Kutch and Sind , it uses cotton at warp and silk as weft . There are just so many weaving traditions to be explored in India . Most of our fashion designers have little idea of what possibility exists in textiles and where all they can be taken. touchofclass.co.in/Art.html himroofabrics/
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 13:45:14 +0000
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