India’s ancient tradition of weaving the most exquisite silk put it firmly amongst the ancient world’s most coveted luxury trade goods. Silk weaving has deep roots in Indian weaving traditions with popular centres scattered cross-country from Varanasi to Murshidabad in Uttar Pradesh, to Sualkuchi in Assam, to Kanchipuram and Mysore in the South…

Kanchipuram Silk

As far back as the first century sailing ships traversed the mighty seas along what became the maritime Silk Route, between the South-Eastern coasts of the Indian subcontinent (in particular the Tamil Nadu region on the Coromandel Coast) and the Roman Empire in its glittering heyday.

The heavily laden ships would arrive fattened with their precious cargoes— which included Oriental exotica such as gems, pearls, corals, spices and aromatics, sandalwood, and superb cottons and gorgeous silks. What was also exciting was that the cross-cultural connection between the two lands was further strengthened by the exchange of skills and knowledge, in many areas both in terms of utilitarian needs as well as the creative fields.

Imperial Rome and its private citizens (ladies in particular) could not get enough of India’s pearls and exquisite textiles and other luxuries— so much so that the historian Pliny, complaining about the gold given to India in exchange, in exasperation is known to have exclaimed: “So dearly do we pay for our women and our luxuries.”

Myth and mystery still enshroud Kanchipuram’s ancient silk weaving traditions. Adding to the mystique is the belief that the weavers created these exotic silks for the gods themselves.

An abiding connection of Kanchi’s silk sarees is that the weavers are believed to have descended from no less a personage than the legendary master weaver of the gods, Sage Markandeya, a big devotee of Lord Shiva. He is said to have woven fabric for the gods from the delicate fibres of the lotus.

On the more practical side, when the bustling port city of Kaveripoompattinam was submerged in the 2nd century CE, its Pattu Suliyar weaving community shifted their base to nearby Kanchipuram. And thus began the saga of the legendary Kanchipuram silk.

Kanchipuram is said to have come into its own as the bastion of the Pallava rulers from the 6th century, going forward. Under the patronage of subsequent dynasties, such as the Cholas, its weaving industry was given fresh impetus.

A driving force behind Kanchi’s silk was the Vijayanagar Empire’s ruler Krishna Deva Raya, whose reign in the 16th century saw an influx of the Devanga and Saligar weavers from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. The king’s patronage of these weavers revolutionised Kanchipuram's silk industry with the introduction of new techniques and patterns.

Kanchi’s iconic silks — Devanga pattu and Saligar pattu, are inspired by these two communities that have kept this beautiful tradition alive with their ancestral skills and devotion to their craft. The pure mulberry silk which goes into the making of Kanchipuram sarees is handwoven through the Korvai (interlocking) weaving process, which connects yarns of various hues for the body (murukku pattu), contrasting border (karai) and pallu (thalaippu). The process involves the use of three loom shuttles. The grandeur of the saree is further enhanced by gold and silver zari work. The mulberry silk thread (pattu-nool) is sourced from Karnataka, the zari from Surat in Gujarat.

Local lore has it that it was the waters of the Palar River that gave the dyed silk its special lustre. The silk weavers were largely focused on the countless temples and their deities, scattered through the city— never letting go of that mythical silken thread that has bound them to these celestial beings, since time immemorial.

A Kanchipuram saree is nothing less than a work of art— a time-consuming affair, with an eye to fine detail at every stage. The contrasting border, the pallu and the main body of the 3-ply silk saree are all worked upon separately before being brought together in a seamless union by the expert artisan.

Kanchipuram sarees are beloved for their distinctive wide contrast borders and rich motifs. By tradition, what was most favoured, were temple borders, stripes, checks, and floral “buttas” which would be woven into the sarees. Over time this canvas expanded to yield motifs inspired by the natural world such as peacocks, parrots, swans, mangoes, leaves of different shapes…even the sun and the moon.

There are 14 well-known traditional Kanchipuram motifs inspired by nature. A popular motif is Mallinaggu, the framed jasmine bud. Thandavalam border Kanchipuram silk sarees take inspiration from episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. They also feature distinctive parallel lines where the stripes run across the body of the saree. The Yalli motif configures a divine being with the body of a lion, a head of a horse and elephant tusks— an epic symbol of supreme power.

A popular combination on Kanchipuram sarees is the Annapakshi (swan) motif for the body, borders, and pallu. The swan is the vehicle of the Goddess Saraswati.

Emblematic of the importance of origins deeply rooted in mythology, history and culture, Kanchipuram Sarees have been protected by the GI tag bestowed upon it in 2005.

Varanasi Silk

With the standard hallmarks of its brocade work in silver and gold (kimkhab), opulent embroidery and complicated designs, the Benarasi silk saree truly deserves to have pride of place in your wardrobe.

These heirloom sarees, from what is present-day Varanasi, are coveted for the superb weaving, traditional motifs steeped in the nuances of its history and heritage— and for the rich lustre of their brocades and silk.

Varanasi’s weaving tradition dates back to the Vedic times and reached its zenith in the Mughal period. It all began from the times of Emperor Akbar, whose royal atelier had amongst its artisans, Ghias Naqshaband considered the greatest Persian master of his craft at the time.

Long reputed for its excellent cotton in the ancient world, Varanasi readily embraced the addition of silk weaving and rich brocade work with the patronage of the Mughals.

It can take anything from a fortnight to over six months to produce an iconic six-yard Banarasi silk saree. The processes involved in their production can vary, thus driving the time taken in their making. The Ektara process is conducted via a traditional pit loom with a multi-warp heddle shaft or Gethua loom and a five-treadle or Paanch Kaadhi technique. Korvai, the three-shuttle weaving technique, produces contrasting borders in the saree. The Kadhwa process involves the weaving of each motif individually.

The choice of motifs in Banarasi silk reveals a strong Mughal influence. The foreign hand influence can also be seen in ‘shikargah’ the Persian-inspired motifs, the ‘trellis’ from Turkey, the ‘mehrab’ with its Arabic nuances and English foliage and florals, amongst others. The coveted GI tag has been an important initiative in protecting Varanasi’s brocade weaving tradition.

Traditional Banaras brocades can be broadly categorised as (a) Zari Brocades (b) Amru Brocades and (c) Abrawans. Kimkhab is heavy gilded brocade, featuring lots of zari work (almost 50 per cent) over the underlying silk. Amru Brocades have a supplementary weft patterning in silk and not in zari. Tanchoi silk sarees are traditionally Amru brocade. In Abrawans, the base material is a transparent muslin silk or organza, set with a zari and/or silk thread patterning.

Madanpura and Ahaipur are two of the most important areas for brocade weaving. The weavers of the former were remarkable for their fine and delicate traditional work on kimkhab, whereas the latter had made their reputation for experimenting with the new technique and designs.

To watch artisans at work on these handcrafted heirloom pieces you can also head for Chowk market, Thatheri Bazaar, and Vishwanath Gali. For a more in-depth study of these techniques, you might like to spend time at the Silk Weaving Centre at the legendary Banaras Hindu University. Else drive down to the nearby villages of Sarai Mohana, Kotwa or Ayodhyapur where weavers have traditionally kept alive this ancestral skill.

Amongst the most sought after Benarasi silk sarees are the Benarasi Silk Jamadanis, the Jamavar Tanchois, Janglas, Butidars, etc.

To acquire a Kanchivaram or Benarasi silk saree is like owning a small part of India’s rich repository of ancestral artisanal wealth. Little wonder they are treasured as precious heirlooms from one generation to the next.