statement of case - ipindiaservices.gov.in

STATEMENT OF CASE
KANCHIPURAM SILK "SAREES"
FAME OF THE KANCHIPURAM SAREE:
The silk fabrics of Kanchipuram are as well known as those of Benares
Sarees. The things that makes the saree known to the length and Breadth of this
country are (i) The superb texture (ii) The colour and (iii) The Lustre. The
extreme durability, easy washability and brilliance of colour which never fades
with the passage of time makes it a universal favorite at all time.
crw')
GEOGRAPHTCAL |NDICAT|ON OF TriE KANCHTPURAM (,THE S]LK
Towards the south-west of Chennai City at a distance of 70 kms lies the
town of Kanchipuram which was known to the British as .Conjeevaram." The
popularity of this town was based on the temples and still more famous for the
output of silk fabrics.
In the visions of the Historians, the glorious past is remembered when
Kanchipuram was the capital city of the pallava Kings. Actually it was in the part
of the Thondamandalam. The chola king Karikala will own the credii of
introducing amenities and benefits of civilization to Tondaimandalam.
Kanchipuram's throne was ouccpied by pallavas from 200 A.D. to the end of gtt
century. Later to the cholas who held sway till about the end bf 13h Gentury AD.
Then under the control of the Vijayanagar Rulers. After that Kanchipuram
b€came that domain of the Mughals placed under the immediate control of the
Nawabs of Arcot Mohammed Ari wailajah, the Nawab of Arcot, the Decean
subedhar of the Mughal Govt. conferred this area, then comprising about 16
pergamas on the British East India co. in 1760 as the reward ior their services
rendered to him and to his father.
This Acquisation of Kanchipuram is regarded as the 1d important tenitorial
possession in South India for the East India co. The conferment
was ratified by
the Emperor Sha Alam in 1763.
we have not been abre to trace any authentic record rerating to the origin
of th.e silk Industry in Kanchipuram. But the craftsmanship and s-ilk
oroducino
tradition w-ere. continued by ail the rurers of Kanchipuram riiini rro,n
df
c"nirri
Asol(a the great Mauriyar King. The great Satarahams (230 BC
y:y.
to 2C
AD). Thereafter also, this tradition was lracticei vigorously.
yI
ummer: Max. 36.6u C
Winter : Max. 28.70 C Min.
19.80 C
Languages spoken
Tamil, Telugu and English
STD Code
o4112
ORIGIN OF THE CRAFT & CRAFTMEN
According to the famous epic poem, Silappadhikaram which was probably
written in 2no Cen A.D. speaks of weavers who were excellent fabrics out of
Cotton, Silk and Wool. In an authoritative on this poem written by Sri
Venkatasami Nattar in 1937. in this it has been stated that the weavers
mentioned in Silappadhikaram were really patta Saliyars who were .excellent
fabrics orlt of silk & cotton'.
When ths Maritime city of Kanchipuram submerged by the sea it is quite
probable that some of the Saliyars migrated to places like Kanchipuram for
safety.
This wide explanation though looks imaginatory is purely based on the
facts that out of 6500 looms owned by different communities in kancheepuram,
the Saliyars own 1620 looms. Some of the original pattu salivars of
Kaveripoompattinam which was submerged in the 2M century'A.D. might gave
introduced silk weaving in Kanchipuram. As Kanchipuram, was the capitat ot
many reigme like Pallavas and Cholas, it is likely these weaver took to silk
weaving io cater to the needs of the members of the royal family.
MODE.OF PRODUCTION:
The Chief equipment used in for this Industry are of 2 types.
1
.
2.
Throw shuttle Looms
Fly Shuttle Looms
In Kancheepuram, Cotton Cloths are woven by the fly shutile looms. The
texure of the cotton fabrics is loose. Artisans accustomed to weave loose
textured fabric need no requisite skill.
while the burk of sirk fabrics are woven on Throw shutfie rooms. The
Texture in silk fabrics is tight and close as that of Lungies. This type of tenuie
needs a special requisite skiil and needs patience to produce ti6rics ot
nigh
picks on throw shuttle looms.
As mentioned above, 2 typ?s olFquipments are broadly used Fly shutfle
looks and rhrow shutfle Looms. But rty snutte rooms are noimaily
engaged in
woving plain blouses and shirting pieces in devoid of any design.
Only throw shutile looms are engaged in woving silk sarees.
The parts that are involved
Kanchipuram silk sarees are:
1. The Slay
2. Treadles
3. Reed
4. Healds
in creating the magnificient designs of
5. Warp beams
6. Cloth beam
7. Shuttle with pin
_8. Lease Rods
The Reed through which the warp passes is fixed to the slay. lt is
manually operated by hand. The treadles are attached to the healds and in
conjunction with the lease rods pravide the necessary shedding for the shutfle to
pass through in the process ofweaving. The shutile containslhe pirn on which
the weft yam is wound the warp beam is primarily designed to provide the
necessary tension while weaving and the cloth beam is used to red the cloth
woven. The shuttle tr:ivels to and fro and is thrown by hard from one end to the
other. The warp-wise threads are called ENDS while the weft-wise tnreaas are
known as'picks'. The reeds used by weavers at Kanchiupuram are manufacture
out of bamboo sticks or stalks of cholam.,
The other material tools used for weaving are
1. Country Bobbin and stand (parivattam and Tappal Kattai).
2. Vertical Charka with pirn
3. Twisting Machine commonly known as Dola.
4. Warping Machine.
Raw material used in the manufacturing process depends upon the kind of saree
produced. one kind saree is woven out of pure silk without gold ra"e
anJin"
other kind is heavier and most lustrous called tissue sarees.
Gold Lace & Gotd tnTg"9-!!{ is a'Marc, weighing 245 gms containing
eight skeins, the length of which2200 to 2400 yards. -Foiwet tni weaveri
usE
lace wound on Bobbins. one Marc contains 4 bobbins. Frattened
sirver wire is
coiled round filature reeled raw silk conceal the silk thread. This silver
thread is
coated with gold to produce lace used in the production of silk sarees.
The total constituents of the Lace.
Silver
sitk
Gold
gms (78%)
51.55 gms (217o)
2.45 qms
245 gms. 100%
191 .00
.-..__The.following 3 preparatory processes are common to both JAR| or
wARP and the sAppuRr
we* Firsty, the koia is attachea to in"
stand or TAPPAL KATTAT.orfrom which it- is wound on to the pARrvATrAiil.
""r"trv
secondly, the Kora wound on the parivattam is now rransrerred
to prRNS with
the aid of the verticar charka. The rotary rou"r"nt of
the charka *inJ, in"
-Ji
l(ora on the pirns. The next proc.ss consists in twisting
the yarn into ,r,"inr.
pirns are attached simurtaneousry to the
twisting rr.r,rn" ,i,. tn" ooLnlni te
yarn on 32 pirns is twisted by this machine
inil to skeins. in t[i. pr"*rr'Ji
twisting, 2 strands of Kora or Raw sirk are twi;ted;;to
a singre firament. ln the
ol
or_weft yarn, the twisted t<ora wnicn is in thi f"r,
_"1:9
removed,Sgnnuri
from the Dola and dyed before weaving.
yarn' the two twisred firaments from the dora in
are agarn wound on to the
Parivattam. Thus four twisrej kgrp tramenlsioim
J'ringi'" nr"r""t
y"i".
The Parivattam containino the kora yarn rn tarlnlJ
"r,iir,;
tne warping machine
and
warps of 1_8 yards are preiared.
;i ;lJil;'[
the;;; i;rilru;;
2. DEGUMMING
Each warp or weft yarn to be dyed weights one pound. This weight is
known as 'THADAI'. Three Thadais are immersed in a copper vessel containing
cold waterfor three to five minutes. They are then squeezed and inserted into
two bamboo rods of size 3' x |W. In the meantime, about4 gallons of water are
raised to boiling point in a copper pot of diameter 2' and height 1W. One bar of
USNA SOAP weighing about 600 grams is dissolved in the boiling water. This
soap is made locally with lime and caustic soda, coconut oil and resin. The
Thadais are immersed in this bath and constantly turned at intervals of 2 to 3
minutes. While so turning the Thadais, care is taken to ensure that they do not
come into contact with the sides of the vessel unlerss there is water. After 15
minutes, it is found that the silk has a wavy appearance which indicates that the
process of de-gumming is complete. The yarn is then squeezed and rinsed
thrice in three separate vessels, each vessel containing four to five gallons of
water.
3. DYEING
Two Thadais (2lbs) are tied at a time. Coloured powder as per
requirements is dissolved in two gallons of water. The quantity of powder
depends upont the type of colour required and the exact nuances of shade and
effect needed. The Thadais are immersed in this bath and frequenfly turned for 3
to 5 minutes. They are then removed and squeezed. The coloured water left in
the vessel in then poured out into a copper pot containing three gallons of waler.
The pot is placed on the hearth and the temperature raised to boiling point. As
soon as the colour bath begins to boil, two thadais are once again immersed into
this bath with the aid of bamboo rods and turned over once in two or three
minutes. After 15 minutes, the dyeing process is completed. The Thadais are
removed, squeezed and rinsed thrice in cold water. Each Thadai so dyed is
treated with the juice of lime fruit to improve its luster and to remove the dirt
which is at times retained in spite of the washing in cold water. The juice of 5
lemon fruits is squeezed into a mud or copper pot containing two gallons of
water. This water is then filtered and poured into another vessel and the dyed
warp or weft yarn is immersed in this solution for 3 to Sminutes and subjected to
fre_quent turning. Apart from removing the dirt and improving luster, this imparts
softness to the raw silk. lf lemons are not available, acetic acid is used, half an
ounce of acetic acid being sufficient for 1 lb. of yarn. During the season r.e.,
January to March, when lime fruits are available in plenty, welvers find it more
economical to use lime juice than acetic acid. The yarn is then removed from the
bath, squeezed out and dried in the shade.
Two lbs. of raw silk are degummed and dyed at a time. The yarn is
immersed in a cold bath containing coloured water as explained earlier. After
having turned it three or four times, it is taken out of thb bath, squeezed ind
inserted into 2 bamboo rods. The pots in which there is remnant of coloured
water is then placed on the hearth, 5 gallons of water are poured into it and the
temperature gradually raised. Usna soap weighing 400 to S00 grams is added
to
the solution. As soon as the temperature reichel 1400 F, thiraw slil. wnicr, i.
held on the bamboo rods is immersed in this bath, turned three or four times,
taken out and squeezed. when the water reaches boiring point, the yarn
is;n;;
again immersed and turned once in 2 or 3 minutes. This immeriion is of
15
minutes duration by which time the process of degumming and dyeing
is
completed. The yarn now has a wavy appearance. rt G then tf,ateo *rin
"J"ti"
acid or lemon juice as already indicated. This process is limited only to the
following colours:
1. Brown
2. Nelson Blue
3. Grey
4. M.S. Blue
5. Manure
6.
7.
8.
9.
Chilli Red
Olive
Raw Coffee seed colour
Magenta
For all dyes produced by the firms of "GErGy" and "rcl" which are direct corours,
this process is applicable.
Degumming is to be done prior tq dyeing for the following colours:
1. lCl Procion colour
2. Green
3. Black
4. Kanakambaram
5. Orange
6. Arakku
7. Rathi Blue
8. Ramar Green
9. Anandas
10. Violet
The quantity of po,vderdye.used depends on the quantity of yarn to be dyed.
For dark shades, the percentage.is higher whire for ri'ght shadd, tne peiceniage
is proportionately lower. A few dark and light shadel with the percentages iie
given below:
Dark Shades
Light Shades
M.S. blue 4% of weight of yarn
December 0.5%.
Green
Geva colour 1.5%.
4o/o
of weight of yarn
Chilli red 4% of weight of yarn
.5o/o
4o-
Arakku 5%
-do-
BlackT
Nelson Blue 2.5%
The figures- are approximate.. The quantity of powder used
varies according to
the depth o{.shade required, the maximum ior darker shades
being 5%;;;6id,
black in which case it isJO%.
lh-e_fjrlns supplying cotours are the lmperial
chemical Indusrries, crBA and
GErGy.
ureacr,ing"Jg;ni
manufactured by GErGy is used onry when white sarees
are to be produced
triopir, a
For 2 lbs. of raw silk, 6 gram.s otiinopal
with Usna,o"p,n-,L
degumming. After degummhg, the yarn ir rqu""i"o
"r" "O-a"O
and rinsed in cold water.
This
is again immersed in a ba-th coniaining
gallons of water,
1i
t;s
Tinopat
dissok;
;;l;;
6. DRESSING:
The weaver who receives the coloured warps and
dyed sappuri proceeds
as follows:
The.wgrp
is given a dressing by_stretching
it out in the open. For this
-fixed
-purpose, stout bamboo
rods are taken,
crosi-wise and firmry
secured uv a
rope passing over a treste.to a.peg or pote tirmty
tx"J
to tt" grouil0. ri,J-*"i,] i"
then stretched over these bamuools uv roopinginem-"t"""r,inJ.
br.f""a iii
are removed from the threads and broken ends are carefully
mended'
Alterwards the warp is removed by a person as follows:
He stands at one and removing this end rolls the warp round his two arms
so that it forms a loop until he reaches two thirds the way' Afterwards, he
r€moves the looped warp and proceeds to twist the yarn into a hank till he
reaches the other end. (For an appreciation of this performance please see
photograph on the opposite page.).
6. SIZING:
Sizing is done before sun-rise to ensure that the ends do not stick to one
another. Firstly, 3/4h Madras Measure of boiled rice is taken and rice kanji or
rice gruel is prepared by boiling this rice with water. This is allowed to remain for
2 days, taken out, filtered and diluted in a pot containing about 1% gallons of
water. One-fourth of ounce of coconut oil is added to this solution. The warp is
then dropped into this solution and turned constantly for 5 minutes to enable
6very portlon of the warp to get a uniform 'Sizing". The warp is then taken out of
the vessel, squeezed and stretched once again as in the case of 'Dressing" so
that it may dry in the sun. within an hour, the warp is dried. The "Sized" warp is
then rolled as before and brought to the loom.
7, PIECING:
The reeds in the loom are made out of stalks of cholam and are
manufactured by the Muslim families in Kanchipuram. There are 2 sizes of
reeds, one 50" width for sarees and the other 36' to 42' width for skirt pieces.
The healds which consist of two bamboo rods at the top and two at the bottom
are prepared by the Sathanies. The dimensions of these are similar to the reeds.
The next parts are the 'PUNIES'
shedding rods placed at a distance of 6"
from the healds. Certain portions of the old yarn of the saree already woven on
the loom remains behind after the saree has been cut out and during this stage
each yarn or thread of the newly prepared-warp is attached to the corresponding
thread of the previous saree. The Punies or shedding rods assist in separating
the individual threads of the old warp before it is joined to the new warp. This is
a ctelicate and slow process and requires great skill and patience on the part of
the weaver. This process takes anything between 8 to 12 hours depending on
the individual ability of approximate the weaver. lf there is no member in the
weaver's family to do this operation, he has to incur an expenditure of Rs.1.75 as
wages to complete the work;
or
8. ALUPPIDUTHAL:
The new warp which has been jgined to the remnants of the old warp is
again stretched in the streets for the next process known in local patois as
Aluppiduthal, i.e., to ensure that all ends are even and are not tangled. Brokon
ends, if any, are also mended. lt is at this stage that the weaver pushes forward
the healds and the reed to as to bring the ends of the new war.p within the reed
and healds. Two persons stand on either side of the warp and by operating the
healds weave 12 picks with white cotton thread by manipulating the throw shutile
from end to end of the new warp so that the reed may not slip out of the warp. At
the end of this operation, the warp is once again rolled and brought to the'loom
where the reed is fixed to the slay of the loom. This operation tikes about two
hours. The preparations are now complete and the actual weaving operation
oommencea.
9, FIXING THE WARP TO THE LOOM:
The yarn is divided on the loom into 18 segments. One end of it is fixed to
the cloth beam (PADAMARAM) and the other end to the warp beam
(OODUKATTAI). The distance between the cloth beam and the warp beam is '12
ft. For a normal 6 yards saree, the warp has to be stretch€d to this distance in
ordei to weave 3 yards of the saree. After weaving this length the warp has to be
stretghed once again to make a 6 yards saree. lf the distance is less than 12 ft.
thd weaver cannot weave three yards without stretching it again. Hence he may
have to slretch it more than once, a process which is likely to be rather
oumbersome. The length of the stretched warp should be such as to ensure
tension while weaving and should be adequate enough for the free operation of
the slay.
10. JQ|NTNG OF LACE:
The designs are prepared by appliances named Jungu or Adai made of
bed-room lamp wicks and twine. Apart from the nine expert designers, there are
several other designers also in Kanchipuram who prepare saree border designs
on graph sheets and transfer the designs lo the harness known as Adai. ihe
weaver takes these design Adais to the loom in his house, gives the necessary
cord connections while the gold threads on either side of the warp are drawn
through the eyes of the design healds. The joining of lace or gold thread is a
difficult process and is done as follows:
The healds through which the lace has to be passect are known to the
weaver€s PEfiuvlzHUDU or Design Healds which consist of pear drop pieces
of cotton threads, multi colour glass beads in the middle and tilreaded'throuoh
long iron needles known as lingoes. At first, some old silk threads ar" pas"Ed
through the glass beads in the design healds. Now lace which has been
prepared from the warping machine is connected to these old silk threads in
order to avoid contact of fingers with the lace. The lace is stretched on the outer
sides of the warp yarn to the same length and is fixed to one end or both sides of
the warp beam depending on whether the saree has a one-side or a double side
border. The old silk threads which have been joined to the lace (gold thread)
have to be. passed through the healds. The hole or gap in the desigi healds are
related t_o the corresponding hole or gap in the healds. After passirig through the
healds, 2 pieces of silk thread which are attached to the gold ihreao-are;oiiec to
two pieces of the silk thread.which have already been palsed through the reeds.
Now to pass the threads with the attached gold lace through the re6ds, a
cotton
string is tied.to the segments. on top of the sirk yarn. ihe cotton string
ii",
b€tween the joined pieces of lbce and silk. Aftenrvards, the shutfle
is inierted
be{ee1- the attached pieces of gord race and sirk yarn and the threads
are
pushed
through
the
dents
in
the
r,eed.
Then
the
old
silk
threads to *ni"n
fonrvard
the gold threads are attached are firmry fixed to the croth beam. After
this is
done, the lace which has been tied to bne end of the warp beam is
detached
the separate rod known as the.pATTU OODU lGTTAf" oit_"""
TdJi€9.t9
ueam. I nrs beam ries berow the warp beam. A thick rope is attached
to this lace
this is taken.up over the toom, runs tengtirwise to the
::-1T,T_d
orougnr oown where weights are attached to it. This not
onry horos the race in
the conect position but arso provides the necessary tension
whire weaving.
d;
";Jl;
11. PREPARATI9N oF ApAl
To prepare the Desig.n Adai or Jungu, an oulhne saree border
design is
first drawn to scare on drawing paper and inil ii tn"" traced
on .h;"a;f
"
d;j;
paper. The necessary weaves are given to the designer ahd inked-in
squares
gridded
paper
portions
are marked by him on the
for the
where figures come in.
now the design is ready for the harness or Adai preparation, a country style
jacquard attachment whereby th6 various designs and patterns on the sarees are
achieved. Suppose the design has 50 Ends (Warp yarns) and 40 picks (weft
yams). Then 60 green twine strings are fixed on to a rectangular wooden frame.
'Ihe design is read towards the weft way and as many green threads as there are
blank spaces in the first line in the design starts with 2 blank squares, one black.
4 blank, 8 black squares, 2 blank and so on. Then the first two strings are taken
up, the._third string left out, the 4th, srh, 6th and 7th taken up, Bh to 1Srhleft out, 16th
and 17' taken up and so on. The collected strings are preserved in this order by
attaching them to a bamboo stick through which a reel thread is passed; now a
smooth plank of wood g'x4' and %" lhick is placed over the green threads.
loops are made over this plank and the first and last ends of the reel thread are
joined by means of a knot. The plank of wood is then removed and a tabular
band is connected to the tops of the loop. This completes one pick (weft yarn).
In the same way, the harness for other picks is also prepared. Next the harness
frame is reversed and all loops made with the green thread are collected and
joined to a mounting c.ard 2/z yards in length. Then the loops of the next green
cord are collected and another mounting cord is attached to it. After connecting
all the mounting cords, 60 in number, all the green strings are pulled out of the
loops and the harness is taken to be attached to the loom. The lower portion of
the mounting cords are connected to the design healds with the glass beads in
the middle and the iron needle known as Lingoes at the bottom bf the healds.
The gold threads are now passed through the glass beads and through the reeo
and the loom is ready for weaving.
12. WEAVING:
The right end cord of the Jungu is pulled down and fixed to a nail 6,,
below its original position. The weaver presses down the right treadle of the
loom to obtain lhe necessary shedding of the warp, throws th6 shutfle from the
right hand side to the left and the pick is beaten. The right treadle is released
and the left treadle pressed down to once again obtain the shedding and the
weaver now throws the shuttle from the left to the right. Two pickJ are thus
woven for one Jungu cord. The Jungu cord fixed to the nail is now released
and
tf'q nex! cord is pulled down and attached to the nail. The shutile is pushed from
right to left and again in the reverse direction, the treadles being operated.
rntni.
wey all the cords are utilized to complete the design. Every iime n"*
i.
pulled down and fixed to the nail, the weaver pressels the right
" ano "orJ
treaote
ttirows
the shuttle from right to left.
of the Kanchipuram sarees have contrast borders and borders on
both..sides ranging from 2, to g' on each side. For this
type ot weavid,
shuttles are used. The weaver works the reft side border ind
uoy *"""u", in"
right side w-ith separate shutfles. This operation utilizing
"
three shutiles
covers 5/z
yards in a 6 yards saree and_the MUNDHT or pALLU,
the wide border at the end
of the.saree, is produced conforming to the colour oiiheborder.
F.,. thi,
warp having the colour of
border
is.arranged
over
the
existing
.the.
threads are drawn through the
healds and the rded so that one tnrea? or ifie oiJ
JVlost
ilr;;
;;;il;;
;;t;";
9
warp and one of this new warp are contained in each gap of the heald and four
ends pass through each dent of the reed. The warp above is firmly held and
woven closely for about 11 to 1W After cutting out the warp ends the cloth is
woven upto a length of 4' to 6'. The threads of the earlier warp are cut out and
the threads of the new warp retained and woven upto a length ol yz. loot to
complete the saree. This forms the "pETNl'.
.
UNIQUENESS
THq ASTqNJSHTNG OUALtnES
PETNIl
This name is given to the process of joining the Mundhi of a different
oolour to the body of the saree in such a manner that the
thev arg different pieces of cloth. The width of the Mundhi is 1g,' to 22n .nA 6
yards saree and 27" to 32', in a g yards saree. After weaving 5Tz yards or grz
yards depending on the length of the saree, another warp with thieads of the
colour of the border is arranged over the existing warp and ihe threads are drawn
through the healds and reed in the manner described above. To hold the new
warp tightly 60 ends of the warp are tied together to a rope which is fastened to
an iron rod held in position by two vertical bamboo rods tied with two ropes. The
weaver then weaves over a length of one inch and the body warp or the old wirp
is cut out with a knife. The ends so cut out are pushed ui uy a brush to enable
the weaver to remove all traces of the old ends.a length oi q,,'to o,' is then
woven
and the ends of the two warps are again neafly trimmed so that th6 body of the
saree_ and the Mundhi appear.to blend together as one piece.
extra waies iie
paid for this operation. This is the glory of the Kanchipuram
saree ,nt-it e
other saree produced in the South,
"ny
SELF MUNDHI
Generally, these sarees have the same side border design worked across
Mundhi.
weave this type of saree, a separate harness cariea sgr-p eberls
.To
pr-e!3l_d and the green cores are retained int the frame catteo tne sgli
LADDER' Here, there are no mounting cords and the tuburar cords are
connected to the harness. This frame is fixed at a distance
of 3 feet rrom tn"
weaver- The body design has60 ends gnd 40 picks whire cross border
of the
same design gets a quarter turn i.e., 900. The design now
has 40 ends and 60
picks, and so in the SELF ADA| there. are 40 green
itrings and oo oesign knois.
The harness frame or serf Ladder is herd iver the room at the
back of the
healdsalong with the SELF ADA|. Harf heards are tied for
every rnree enos or ii.ie
body threads. The heard which forms part and parcel
of the ,.i"0 .oniirt. oi t*o
loops which gives the n.cessary shedding for the shutile
to pass hrougn- Buiin
the weavins of sELF MUNDHi ano eoby currns
tvp" oi ii";il i;
uced which consists of onry one roop. rt is a made of "nodn"r
twine. rnri ioop is oiviceo
inj?.
portions by a knoi. Green'cordsai"
ry.o
J"*",f through
yftlle tftg corresponding warp ends rerating to ine body putta or serf Mundhi
arJ
tfigysh_the rower portion. These 6arf hearoi ir6 oisrriout"a
i"
!T^.-"9
,tiiigi.,i
order over-the 40 green skings Tfre weaver emproys
"
usuaty
the back of the rook to operate the serf Adai *niieii,Z,e"uer two assrstanis"ai
himserf works the
Usua'y, the weaver atons w'h his wife takes rhe .""t"t*",
P::9g
9-"-tg":.
oi'I
ooy or-some other person. The two assisiants at
the back puil one narn".ir.not
f9y sreen threads so-.g?yl acco_rdins to the olsisn. Th"y;;;;-il;;t;;i<"
:ldwood
3
of
known as the RAK'*ppntnORt, ine wiAtn ot-wnicfr
i", b;hiE;il;
th;;6;;;;j;;
I
10
green threads one on each side. As the half healds are connected to the green
cords, those green threads that are above the planks of wood lift the body warp
threads. The weaver now passes another plank is 6". He then presses the
troadle and inserts one pick or weft thread of silk and for the next, a gold lace
pick, he removes his feet from the treadle, brings the plank of wood in the warp
threads near the healds so that the warp in front of the reed opens according to
the design, and into this opening he inserts the gold lace. He then takes the
plank again away from the healds and works a silk pick along with border. The
plank of wood is once again brought near the heald to insert the gold thread.
Now the weaver inserts a silk pick. At this stage, the boy assistant pulls away
the plank of wood or Self Palagai from the warp threads and from the green
cords in the frame, he pulls the second knot of the Self Adai and lifts the green
thread by means of RAKI(APPALAGAI. The Weaver then passes the Self
Palagei through the warp threads to get the necessary shedding through which
the 3'' and 4"' gold thread picks are thrown. When all the knots in the Self Adai
are used up, the weaver may, at his discretion, repeat the process for special
lace work effects in the Mundhi.
PUTTA
In a like manner, the spotted extra weft designs are worked in the Mundhi
and in the body of the cloth with a special Butta or putta Adai. These Butta Adais
are prepared in the same way as the self Adai and the harness building frame is
arranged above the loom as for the self Adai designs. one again, hafi hlalds are
preparsd over the warp threads... wherever required, two tfrreadsaretaken from
the first half heald, the 3rq and 4tn from.the second half heald, 5th thread left out
for binding the extra weft and once again the second two are taken and one
thread missed. The boy assistant at the back of the weaver words Adai knots as
in the case of the self Mundhi saree. The weaver now works the Butta. He
sometimes works with 4 to 5 shutfles for each butta if ghe design calls for
different colours.
ZARI
Another major raw materiar that enhances the beauty of Kancheeuram
^
-.. sarees
silk
in Gold Lace popularly known as Zari. surat in Gujarat state in
famour for Zari production, wtich meets major demand of the country'i ,""uing
community. Apart from this.Tamilnadu Zari Ltd., a state owned unit-functionini
at Orirukkai Kancheepuram is also meeting the demand of Zari.
DESIGNS
The silk sarees of Kanchipuram are jusily famed for their technical
excellence and the noverty of their design. Even thbugh the traditional
methods
or weavrng are adopted by the weavers, they have tried to keep pace
with the
changes in preferences and.tastes. rt is precisery because of
ihis
far-sighted
policy that the silk sarees of Kanchipuram have isteady
demand ano are'aote
to cater to all varieties of tastes, youngand old, rich and middle class.
To hero
the weavers keep abreast of chingeJ in consumersj pr"t*"""".
tn"
Handloom Board has opened a Wlavers, Service Centre
"rimiii
at
cate.r to the. speciarized needs of ghe sirk handroom
industry. in"-r""ri"g
section ofthis center has evorved.a nimber of designt,
nou"r and traditionar, and
are regutarty distributing them to the rocar produceE oi sik raurics.
Jti" J".ig;;.
are supplied free of cost to the co_operatives, while the following
collected a from others.
K"nJid;;l;
f; ;;;
ll
The Width of the solid borders of the saree varies from 4" lo 12". ln order to
keep down the cost of production, weavers manufacture sarees with borders on
only one side interlaced with delicate designs. The most popular designs or
"Pates" as they are commonly known are'BRICK', 'leaf:, "mango', "naya paisa.,
"sovereign:, birds such as Swan, Peacock, etc. the colour of the saree must be
pleasing to the eye and plays an important part in evoking consumer demanc.
The most popular colours are black, blue, green and mustard. Of late the co,llour
which is displacing others in general popularity is known as "GEVA COLOU,', a
pastel shade. The following are some of the popular designs worked into the
body of the saree.
1.
'THANDAVALAM" or parallel lines where the stipes run along the length of
the sarees.
2.
'KOTTADI" or "CHECK PATTERN' with suuares or rectangles of varying
dimensions where the stipes run both lengthwise and breadthwise.
3. 'PUTTAS" in which the figures
and flowers are independenfly worked into
the saree and not joined to the pattern found on the saree. These',puttas,,
are worked either with gold lace or silk yarn. lf gold lace is used the saree
becomes proportionately more costly. puttas are also worked on the
"Mundhi' and on the borders.
4. 'TISSUE
SAREES": The entire weft is woven with
normally used for marriages.
lace. This saree
is
Going to a cinema has replaced field games as the most popular pastime of
people during their leisure hours. As such, dresses wori by the hero ano
heroines in films capture the imagination of the young and the impressionable
and th€ tendency now-a-days among youth is to parade themselves wearing a
dre_ss with the same type of colour and design wom by the actors and actresJes
in films. This shift in fashion has been utilised to advintage by the designers of
Kanchipuram and now-adays one finds such sarees wovln in large qriantities
and in great demand in Kanchipuram. The designs are copies by tf,e producers
and the sarees named after the pictures in which the heroine wears that
particular type of saree. Very popular among lhe women folk are designs
called
,
KALYANA PARIS U', THEN N LAVU",' PALUK PMHAMUM' EtC.
I
The following fabrics are produced at Kanchipuram in the sirk sector:
Fabrics
1. Pure Silk Sarees
2. Tissue Sarees
3. Shirting pieces
4. Plain blouse pieces of the same width as sarees
5. Skirts
6. Scarves
As already mentioned the rength of the sarees ranges from 5
to 10 yards
and of width 46Y2" ro 47'. The weavers do not separatery weave
utouse piecei.
silk fabrics 18 to 21 yards in length are woven ani a"coriing to oemano,
larees
5 to 10 yards in rength are cut out. The remaining pieces
are used for brouses.
. The Lustre superb finish extreme durabirity easy washabirity and briiliance
of colour which never fades may appear as the reason for
which th;
-
s;r;;;;;
t2
universal favourite. But the real uniquengss are the four important qualities that
distinguishes these sarees from the others produced. Firstly, the heading (or)
Petni as it is called, described elsewhere is cunningly and skillfully attached to
the body of the saree so as to blend into a continuous whole. This effect is not
generally achieved in the case of sarees produced at other centers.
Secondly the Kanchipuram weaver uses 4 filaments of the Sappuri twisted
on the dola as weft yarn.
Hence the Kanchipuram saree is more durable compared to other
varieties. Thirdly, the lace is skillfully. woven with the silk and gthe resultant
texture is soft enough to cause no discomfort to the weaver.
Finally the myriad rich colours are fast and the dyes are of high quality
shine, finish and matchless beauty so that the fabrics can be vyashed again and
again.
These characters makes the saree uncomparable to any of this kind of
sarees made in various places.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length of Saree
Not less than 5.5 Mtrs.
(without blouse).
Not less than 6.20
(with blouse)
width
Not less than 122 cms.
Border
Not less than 2 cms.
Warp (') Count
Degummed/Dyed/Mulberry silk of
Fi lature/Basin/Charca
*Denier
2/18 to 20122
ply
'Ply:2
TPI: 19 to 22
(') Two threads twisted together with
19-22 TPI while warping, two twisted
threads are joined together (i.e.) 4
ply.
Weft Count
Degummed
I
Dyed
I
Mulberry silk of
f i lature/Basin/Charca.
Denier:2124 to 28
Ply: 3 ply
TPI: 9 to 16
(') Two threads twisted together
with
9-16 TPI while warping, two twisted
threads are joined together (i.e.) 6
plv.
Reed Count
Body
Border
Picks/inch
:
96s to 100s
72 to 80s
:
70-76
IJ
Saree weight
Above 500 gms.
Pure Zari
-Gold content
Silver
Silver PuritY
:
0.56 %
:
0.53o/o
:
O.760/o
INSPECTION
The totally woven sarees by different weavers are brought before the cooperative societies. The society employs weaving experts who can be called as
Ciuality Controllers. These experts determine the quality of each saree. A single
saree is inspected in various mode.
1
.
The Raw material used for weaving the saree is been inspected.
2. Then the Lace (i.e.) gold Lace called as Zati is been ciritically
examined.
3.
In addition the skillful weaving of the saree is also noted.
4.
The designs plays the major role in determining the quality.
5.
The pallu is being examined.
Finally there will be a crucial examination made to check whether any
mistake in weaving is made.
Afteiall this inspection made the cost of the saree is rated.
MARKETING
The silk sarees prbduced at Kanchipuram are mostly sold within India.
They are in demand in all the centers where South lndians reside. But in recent
years many North lndians are particularly impressed by the texture and quality of
the Kanchipuram saree and there is great demand even in far-off places like
Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta. The main markets apart from Madras City are
Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Nagpur, Banares and Hyderabad. One possible
explanation for this wide market may be the large concentration of South Indians
in those areas who might have created a favourable climate of opinion among
North Indians about the Kanchipuram Silk saree. Once an inilial momentum is
given prevailing modes of fashion and the tendency to imitation take over and an
overall large scale demand is created everywhere.
slLK MARKEITN CHENNAT C|TY
In Madras City, Mylapore is the main center where Kanchipuram sarees
are stocked and sold. A few shops are also situated in Mount Road. Such
important shops like Radha Silk Emporium, Sivaram & Co., and Kala Niketan,
stock the latest designs in Kanchipuram silk sarees and a visit to such shops is
always included in the itinerary of a visitor to Madras city. In fact, in many cases
people get the latest vdrieties and designs in these shops at Mylapore and at
Mount Road then they would get in many of the shops at Kanihipuram itself,
because most of the sarees incorporating the latest designs are invaiiably sent to
Madras and the other main consuming centers and the residue stocked at
Kanchipuram. Moreover, themerchants in Madras have their fingers constan y
14
on the pulse of consumer tastes, keep track of changes in fashion and pass on
the information to producers. Orders are also placed direct by these merchants
on the master weavers or Co-operative Societies and therefore the pick of the
production is invariably sent to Madras and other places.
NORTH INDIAN MARKET:
70 to 7 5o/o of the sarees produced in Kanchipuram are sole within Madras
State. Calcutta and Delhi where Kashmir and Banares sarees are popular do not
consume as much as Bombay. While Madras demands all designs including
one-sided border, Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi prefer double borders with Puttas
or dots which run along the saree. Generally, Bombay women-folk prefer lighter
shades like Geva colour, Light Blue or contrast shades where the body differs
from the border, with a minimum of gold lace. The silver lace is also more
popular than gold lace. Modern designs with very little of lace, with bright colours
and designs are very popular in Bombay and Delhi. The traditional type of saree
used for wedding with a large admixture of gold and ornamental colours like Dark
Red, Orange, Dark Blue and Dark Green, Mustard are the colours preferred in
Madras while light colours like manure, beige, Geve colour, light bl;ue, pale pink
are those which are preferred in Bombay,.Calcutta and Delhi.
DETAIL.S OF WORLD MARKET
1.
Ceylon
2. Malaya & Singapore
3. Hongkong
4. British East Africa
5. Aden
6. Persian Gulf
7. U.S.A.
8. U.K.
9. West Germany
10. ltaly
11. U.S.S.R.
The All-lndia Handicrafts Board decided to do something to stabilize this
industry. That led to the establishment of the Design Centre in 1955. a
determined attempt was made to revive the old designs by collecting them from
sarees in old temples and from some of the families. one of the achievements of
this center has been the adoption of the phthon style for the Kanchipuram
designs. The Python sarees once woven in Aurangabad had for some time
gon6 out of fashion. There was only one master-weaver of this craft left and
he
has been taken on the staff of the All-lndia Handicrafts Board. weavers from
Kanchipuram were trained by him and the python technique has been
successfully adopted for the Kanchipuram deiigns. The centre,s work
stimulated in-terest among potential buyers of the Kanchipur€m sarees and the
industry is finding its feet once again. Nevertheless one notable i""tur"
especially -in. Kanchipuram Kamakshiamman co-operative society, are beino
produced with silver lace instead of gold lace and with increased
exports
foreign countries and Delhi, Bombay and calcutta, it is hoped the future of the
craft will be assured.
ii