The gorgeous Paithani weaves

This and that...my random thoughts · one year ago · 85 views

Hello everyone, How are you all? The Indian coast was under severe threat from the cyclone Vayu for the past few days. Here in Bangalore too we could feel the change of climate. Fortunately Vayu has moved on - inflicting only minimal damage. On to the craft news...last week I had the opportunity to visit the towns of Aurangabad and Yeola in the state of Maharashtra. A group of 11 ladies with similar interests came together on behalf of Treasured Holidays in the town of Pune and then embarked on a rather adventurous trip.  We were off to see the very famous Paithani fabrics being handwoven and then to shop for some. A Paithani fabric is made of pure silk and zari of gold and silver.This craft dates back to 2nd century BC and there are records of silks and cotton being exchanged for Roman wines and  olive oil. The name originates from the town of Paithan and it means Peacock. True to its name, the peacock is a very important design in Paithani sarees. For a Maharashtrian bride the sari is a must in the bridal trousseau. Unfortunately, Paithan has no weavers left and hence our target was Aurangabad and Yeola. At the master weaver's showroom we could observe the weaving of the most difficult design in Paithani - the bangdi mor or peacocks in bangle shape. Here are some pics.. In the above pics, the weaver is working on the gold zari portion. In 8 hours he can weave only about half an inch. The above design takes about 18 months to complete and the customer has to wait for two to three years after the order. Here is another sari which is totally in gold.Purely hand woven and exorbitantly expensive!!! Can you imagine the amount of time and effort a piece like this takes!!! One meter of this fabric costs more than 20000 Indian rupees!! The fabric is priced based on the work on the body and the borders. Each piece is unique and cannot be replicated unlike the power loom productions. Ofcourse, there are fake Paithanis also being sold in markets for as less as 1000 Rs. Well, we had a gala time oohing and aaahing over each piece of Paithani that came out of the shelf. And later we ooohed and aaahed at our empty pockets too.. I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures... Till next time, Love,luck and sunshine!!! Deepa

Hello everyone,

How are you all?

The Indian coast was under severe threat from the cyclone Vayu for the past few days. Here in Bangalore too we could feel the change of climate. Fortunately Vayu has moved on - inflicting only minimal damage.

On to the craft news...last week I had the opportunity to visit the towns of Aurangabad and Yeola in the state of Maharashtra. A group of 11 ladies with similar interests came together on behalf of Treasured Holidays in the town of Pune and then embarked on a rather adventurous trip. 

We were off to see the very famous Paithani fabrics being handwoven and then to shop for some. A Paithani fabric is made of pure silk and zari of gold and silver.This craft dates back to 2nd century BC and there are records of silks and cotton being exchanged for Roman wines and  olive oil. The name originates from the town of Paithan and it means Peacock. True to its name, the peacock is a very important design in Paithani sarees. For a Maharashtrian bride the sari is a must in the bridal trousseau.

Unfortunately, Paithan has no weavers left and hence our target was Aurangabad and Yeola. At the master weaver's showroom we could observe the weaving of the most difficult design in Paithani - the bangdi mor or peacocks in bangle shape. Here are some pics..

In the above pics, the weaver is working on the gold zari portion. In 8 hours he can weave only about half an inch. The above design takes about 18 months to complete and the customer has to wait for two to three years after the order.

Here is another sari which is totally in gold.Purely hand woven and exorbitantly expensive!!!

Can you imagine the amount of time and effort a piece like this takes!!! One meter of this fabric costs more than 20000 Indian rupees!!

The fabric is priced based on the work on the body and the borders. Each piece is unique and cannot be replicated unlike the power loom productions. Ofcourse, there are fake Paithanis also being sold in markets for as less as 1000 Rs.

Well, we had a gala time oohing and aaahing over each piece of Paithani that came out of the shelf. And later we ooohed and aaahed at our empty pockets too..

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures...
Till next time,
Love,luck and sunshine!!!

Deepa