Mention the word Saree and you will have all the female attention in the world directed towards you...because no other kind of apparel brings out the quintessential feminity as effectively and sensually as a saree does.
Mention the word
Saree and you will have all the female attention in the world directed towards you...because no other kind of apparel brings out the quintessential feminity as effectively and sensually as a
saree does. And among the genres of saree available and known on the Indian Soil,
Kodali karrupur form and art of
sarees are the most royal and are a sure mark of taste and opulence. No wonder then that they were designed for the queens of the Maratha rulers of Tanjore. And the whole process and technique of designing them is no less lavish. These
South Indian saris basically made from cotton and silk and are a harmonious blend of the two with shimmering effect of golden zari amidst prints of natural dyes.
Moreover, all the steps in designing and creating a
traditional saree such as a kodali
karruvar saree and
blouse are carried out manually with absolutely no intervention of technology. The fabric for this
traditional sari is first woven with zari intercepts. For richer appeal, brocaded cloth was used as in other
South Indian sarees. After the fabric is ready, after weaving, designing process begins. The main highlight is the richly patterned
pallu. Artistic border is there on both the sides of the
saree fabric. The design on the pallu is an enchanting combination of block printing, painting and zari-cotton weaving. In places where block printing is to be done, cotton
fabric is woven. And in rest of the area, gold zari is woven to give a shining appeal.
Special emphasis is given to the use of natural vegetable dyes instead of chemical ones and the entire
fabric for the saree as well as
blouse is woven on the handloom. No power looms at all.
Motifs used in these
traditional sarees are mostly geometrical patterns and other objects of nature such as leaf, tilakam, bel etc.
Sometimes a single delicate motif is spun into the body of this
South Indian saree at calculated distance from one another. Doing them with zari thread only adds to the richness of the
sari and there is no way it can escape the attention of anyone.
The border and excerpts from pallu pattern also find place on the sleeves of the
blouse to give an overall mingling effect. But sadly, this art of
saree weaving has been forgotten over the years due to the emergence of power looms and chemical dyes. These modern techniques have led to availability of cheap and easily manufactured
saris in the market, due to which demand for these
traditional sarees have declined.
It has only been recently that the state government and the Commissioner of handlooms took measures to revive this lost and forgotten art. In modern times, getting this royal
south Indian saree along with
blouse would cost you somewhere around 4500-40,000 but trust me it is worth the money. The
Bridal saree,shimmer of zari, radiance of bright natural colours and the perfect harmony of natural figures are worth every cent you spend.
