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TALES 》 Kanchipuram Silk Sarees

My Trousseau, Kanchipuram Silk Saree

Kanchipuram is also known as Kanchi/Kachiped/Kancheepuram. Kanchipuram is a district in the northeast of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Kanchipuram nickname is called as 'The City of Thousand Temples' and served as the capital city of the Pallava Kingdom.

The south Indian women are not complete without a lustrous Kanchipuram saree. With bright contrasting borders. During occasions such as Diwali (or Deepavali), Pongal, weddings and festivals, only Upper-caste families used to purchase of many silk saris. Current trends on Kanchipuram sarees, silver is being used in addition to gold. The famous 'Kamakshi Amman Temple' is a must if you are visiting Kanchipuram place the deity here is Parvati.

The ferocious Yali motif on a Kanchipuram Silk Saree

Origin and history:
The story of the Kanjeevaram silk saree begins in Hindu mythology. Legend has it that the Kanchi silk weavers are descendants of Sage Markanda, who was considered to be the master weaver for the Gods themselves. It was during the reign of Krishna Devaraya (from the Vijayanagara Empire) that the art really took off, images of scriptures and figurines found on the temples around the village.

Aesthetically divine beauties can be found in two different varieties from this place namely

The Tints:
Kanchipuram silk saree are handwoven from pure mulberry silk threads and are marvelous collection of hues, such as dark chocolate brown, bourbon orange, stunning mango yellow, exquisite mustard yellow , chartreuse green, sea green, exquisite black, bottle green, crimson red, pista green, wine red, tangerine orange, cardamom green, royal blue garnet maroon, rani pink, emerald green, navy blue, iridescent blue, fuchsia pink, pale sandalwood beige, mulberry purple, khakhi grey, rich violet, deep brown, onion pink, scarlet red, pale orange, off white, golden beige, turquoise, raspberry red and many more to timeless shades.

The Motifs:
Gopuram representing temple tower also known as temple motifs, mayilkann known as peacock eye, rudraksham representing Rudraksha beads, yaanai motifs also known as elephant , paisley motif, mayil chakram motifs, kammal motifs, lion motifs, neelambari motifs, malli muthu motifs, kili is also known as parrot motif, Iruthalaipakshi motifs is known as two-headed eagle, yazhi motifs, kuthirai means horse motif, maanga motif known as mango, Annapakshi or hamsa motif, tamarai motifs, kuyilkann known as nightingale eye, thuthripoo motif are few known motifs, depiction of stories from mythology are very common in Kanchipuram sarees and one can also see traditional motifs featured in the Kanchipuram sarees.

The beauty of borders
Borders are usually handcrafted with epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and inspired by local temples and temple art, these sarees are traditionally woven with wide contrasting borders, depending on the designers artistic skills, innovation and taste and latest trends, varies types of borders in Kanchipuram silk sarees are seen such as Thuthiripoo border, Rudrakash border, Double border, Piping border, Broad border, Checks border, Digonal border, Korvai temple border, Ganga Jamuna border, Kadi border, Bavanchi border, Rising border, Sakari border, Thandavalam border, Tissue border, Meena work border, Vanashringaram border, Shikargarh border, Pogidi border, Retta petta border, kuthuvilaku border, Kottadi border, Kodivisiri border and beautifully crafted thread-work border saree are one of my favorites.

Kanchipuram silk saree has been recognized as a 'Geographical indication' by the government of India. These centuries old classic beauties, is done on a slow process via 'throw shuttle pit loom' or raised 'pit loom', to weave these sarees 'three shuttle' are been used. Kanchipuram silk saree uniqueness lies, were the main body of the saree and border are woven separately and then interlocked together, while joint is woven so strongly that even if the sarees tears, the border will not get detached, this differentiates from 'Kanchipuram silk' sarees from the others.

Patterns are formed by lines and squares and when the jasmine motif is found either inside a square or scattered all over, it is called mallinaggu. The Thandavalam motif has parallel-line motifs running all over the body of the sari. In the pattu motif, the pallu and the border alone have floral motifs independently woven on them.

Techniques used in weaving Kanchipuram silk sarees are

Celebration of draping
Silk is always considered the ceremonial wear in India, these silk fabrics are an extremely strong and durable. The vanity of India by showcasing and producing varieties of silk, the most popular of which is made from cocoons, whose worms feed on mulberry leaves. While happiness and content of every women draping these exquisite luxury sarees is an ultimate crown. Richness and luxury is a statement, whether it's "Cannels film festival" or "The Oscars", you name them red carpets in Hollywood or Bollywood, one who loves to stand out in the crowd than this is the best traditional attire. These traditional sarees are a delight, gifting to someone on there wedding anniversary, or wearing it on 'Big fat Indian weddings', cultural parties, temple festivals, during "Arangetram", Indian colorful festivals like "Varamahalakshmi", "Makar sankranti", Thai pongal(the harvest festival), the hindu festival of lights "Diwali", "Vinayaka Chaturthi"(reveres god Ganesha), dasara, "Ugadi" the beginning of a new age, navratri festival, house-warming, last but not least lovely Christmas.

Seeing the vibrant shades in kanchipuram, I turned crazy the never ending desire to buy more, my collection of Kanchipuram silk sarees started, I also seen many shopping for traditional silk salwar Kameez, Pattu pavadai, Kanchi cotton sarees and silk dhoti. People here are friendly and they guide us. One steps to any shop out here for just window shopping also they will get best customer service. "Customer is King" that's there motto, they keep showing products till one get quenched the thirst of buying kanchipuram sarees and other variants of silks. These days they use a substitute metal in the place of gold/silver such as copper zari that manages to hold on to the sheen of the texture while reducing the overall Kanchipuram silk cost.

The natives in this region speak Tamil(regional language), the major weaving communities of Andhra Pradesh migrated to kanchipuram, 'the Devanga' and 'Saligars' weavers, well known for their weaving skills. Depending upon the colors, intricacy of work, patterns, materials used like zari, gold threads used, the price is tagged. Depending on the Intricate design, handwoven masterpiece make take one week to fifteen days or even more to weave Kanchipuram silk saree.

Fabric care:
Kanchipuram sarees are the most expensive and require high maintenance. So do check out for specific care instructions on the garment tag once you purchase and follow the instructions carefully, it addition to it, here are certain guidelines.

  • Recommended only for dry clean.
  • Always iron on low-medium heat and do not spray water while ironing as it might leave a stain.
  • Never dry these saree under direct sun.
  • To prevent gold and silver zari to not tarnish, these sarees should be folded and wrapped in a pure cotton fabric, this would allow the saree to breathe as well.
  • Refold these saree from time to time to avoid ripping on creases.
  • If you have a handcrafted artistic tassels(kuchu) for saree, than never wash tassels area, it may become clumsy.


Know your Kanchipuram silk saree Zari Real or Fake?
Tamil Nadu Government have taken an initiative and TIFAC(Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council) both have collaborated and have set up a unit at Kanchipuram, to check authenticity of Kanchipuram silk saree zari, testing unit in which one can check the gold and silver content in zari, or if its a 'tested zari', 'pure zari' and 'imitation zari'. When I had been to Kanchipuram, I had been to the zari testing unit but unfortunately it was closed, locals says you have to pay a nominal fee to check, but when I go for next road trip definitely will show the glimpse of it.

How to identify an authentic Kanchipuram silk saree:

  • Silk Board of India has come up with a concept called Silk Mark, which is provided only for pure Kanchipuram silk sarees.
  • Carefully pick few loose threads from the saree, burn them, if it releases fumes like burnt hair or burnt leather smell it's an authentic one, fabricated or imitation ones will have no ash after burning.
  • To create exquisite designs, Kanchipuram silk saree is woven separately and then interlocked together
  • Genuine Kanchipuram sarees are woven with three ply, while low quality Kanchipuram saree will have just two ply silk, used in weaving.
  • The Pallu(falling edge of the saree), near the tassels area, pick few threads of the zari, pure zari is made of red silk thread which is twisted with a silver thread and then dipped in 22 carat pure gold, If upon pulling the zari, you notice that the silk thread is not red but white or any other color, than it's a genuine one.



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Kanchipuram Double Border Saree - VLOG ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
One of my vintage collection from Tamil Nadu is Kanchipuram Double Border Saree, it is a Beige color as you can see in the portrait and do check out for an overall look of the saree in my video of as well. It has that charm of subtle look yet gives that opulence. In a nutshell, I can say it's the best match for your temple wedding( muhurtham silk saree) gives that complete finish of that traditional look and feel with antique temple jewelry. This is my one of my wedding saree as well which I had shopped for which has a 'Double Border' the first border is bottle green in color with thread work and the second border is a blend of Zari( Gold, deep maroon and bottle green) as well. This saree credit goes to my dad since he selected this wonderful piece of art. When I go deep about this saree, the base of the saree has the emboss stamp a design(beige color) with leaf and other elements as well and when it comes to the pallu area it has Swan's bird motifs.

Chettinad Cotton Sarees (Kandaangi Sarees) ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Land of vibrant colors, handcrafted tiles, majestic architectural mansions, being a food and saree lover nothing is less while I walk you through the journey of ultimate heaven of sarees and foods!
Karaikudi is known as the capital of Chettinad, Chettinad in southern Tamil Nadu is a region of the Sivaganga district that is known for weaving the Chettinad sarees. The people here are very friendly and invite people with a warm smile, the language of communication here is Tamil. Chettinad is the home of the Nattukottai Chettiars(Nagarathar), this community faithfully follow traditions. The major communities involved in weaving Chettinad cotton sarees are Devanga Chettiyars, who are the skilled weavers from ancient days.

Kanchipuram Silk Sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
My Trousseau, Kanchipuram silk Saree
Kanchipuram is also known as Kanchi/Kachiped/Kancheepuram. Kanchipuram is a district in the northeast of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Kanchipuram nickname is called as The City of Thousand Temples and served as the capital city of the Pallava Kingdom.
The south Indian women are not complete without a lustrous Kanchipuram saree. With bright contrasting borders. During occasions such as Diwali (or Deepavali), Pongal, weddings and festivals, only Upper-caste families used to purchase of many silk saris. Current trends on Kanchipuram sarees, silver is being used in addition to gold. The famous 'Kamakshi Amman Temple' is a must if you are visiting Kanchipuram place the deity here is Parvati.

Madurai Sungudi sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Blessed Sungadi cotton sarees by Madurai Meenakshi
On the banks of charming 'Vaigai river' the beautiful Madurai city is localled, the district, in Tamil Nadu state, India, this place is referred and called by various names 'Madurai', 'Koodal', 'Malligai Maanagar', 'Naanmadakoodal' and 'Thirualavai'. During 16th century due to economic crisis weavers from 'Saurashtra' and 'Gujarat' migrated to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states and some of them settled down in inviting 'Madurai'. These 'Saurashtrians' are highly skilled manufacturers of beautifully crafted fine silk garments and were patronized by Kings and their families, they were called by 'Patnulkarans' the Tamil name by which these people is well known in southern India.

My Saree Tassels ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Tassels are the finishing feature on fabric or any other clothing decoration! My wedding bells was around the corner, I was all alone to decide things, I made a checklist and I started one by one, ticking which was done and making a note which has to get complete, finally it was the turn of Tassels, so I decided based on the saree and blouse(Upper garment) to add a mix and match of silk threads and some additional ornamentation with some beads as well, but my designer was well talented and she knew what I wanted exactly and finished the work on time!

Dupion Silk Sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Dupion silk the irregular crispness weave by Sarees are my passion
High tea or any festive occasion, not always one prefer's a saree which are too bright and jazzy, many times I appreciate simple plain weaves, one such elegant weave is Dupion! It has its own corporate rustic look what more one just want to express? Dupion is also called by Douppioni or Dupioni. One of the oldest city in India is Varanasi(Banaras), this city is located on the banks of the Ganges in the Uttar Pradesh state and it is one of the Major centers of manufacturing these Dupion silks.

Kasaragod sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Land of shrines, beaches, rivers, hills and forts
Kasaragod district is a small town situated in Malabar Region of Kerala–God's Own Country, India. The traditional Hand-loom Kasargode sarees are manufactured in this region, these Handwoven sarees is inexpensive and can be wearable daily. These traditional ethnic sarees are specially treasured and worn by every keralite during any traditional occasions and are known for 'quality', 'colour pattern on borders', 'durability' and 'traditional designs'. Kasaragod sarees are best known for cotton sarees of fine count like 60s, 80s, and 100s , recent versions have made available for a blend of artificial silk saree. Kasaragod sarees is registered and recognized under Geographical indication tag (GI tag), under the geographical indication Act- 1999. The weaving community who are involved in weaving these traditional sarees are 'Shaliya community' is also known by various names such as 'Saliya' or 'Chaliyan'.

What sarees to wear to rock on festive look in 2019 ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Sarees are one of the most respected outfits and could be worn at many appearances. Best part about saree is that they never go out of style and look decent all times. When we talk about different fabrics of saris available in India then the list could be just countless. Best part of sari is that will make you look cultural also at contemporary at same times. Here are few things to remember if you are shopping saree and wearing it for the first time. Some of varied tips and types in fabrics of saris are as follows ...

Ilkal Cotton and Silk Sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Contemporary Ilkal sarees goes on a delightful weaves!
The most down to earth yet vibrant colors are seen in traditional attire of Ilkal, Ilkal is a small town, this town is located in the South-East part of Bagalkote district, Karnataka state, India. This place is very hot during the summers but has a pleasant weather during the winters. The language of communication here is Kannada. Ilkal was an ancient weaving centre and known for renowned handloom sarees. The main source of income comes from the 'Red granite' which is exported all around the world, while Ilkal sarees are secondary source of income for the people residing over there since generations. The availability of local raw materials helped in the growth of this saree.

Join classes - Sarees are my passion ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
You want to be your own boss without restrictions (unlike a job you work for others), time frame and you want to lead a business being an entrepreneur. So, if you are passionate about starting your own Saree business venture, here are few aspects you may stumble upon.


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Sambalpuri cotton sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
The oldest and largest city in Odisha is Sambalpur, it lies on the bank of Mahanadi river. Sambalpuri sarees are woven on a handloom, these sarees have awarded Geographical Indications(GI) tag as 'Sambalpuri Bandha Saree & Fabrics'. The official language of this place is sambalpuri, the localites of this place is called as Sambalpuriya. Sambalpuri sarees are produced in the Sonepur, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir district, Boudh District of Odisha. The hands behind these traditional masterpieces sarees are Bhulia weaving community and to weave one Sambalpuri saree it may take around three days to a fortnight.

Madurai Sungudi sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Blessed Sungadi cotton sarees by Madurai Meenakshi
On the banks of charming 'Vaigai river' the beautiful Madurai city is localled, the district, in Tamil Nadu state, India, this place is referred and called by various names 'Madurai', 'Koodal', 'Malligai Maanagar', 'Naanmadakoodal' and 'Thirualavai'. During 16th century due to economic crisis weavers from 'Saurashtra' and 'Gujarat' migrated to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states and some of them settled down in inviting 'Madurai'. These 'Saurashtrians' are highly skilled manufacturers of beautifully crafted fine silk garments and were patronized by Kings and their families, they were called by 'Patnulkarans' the Tamil name by which these people is well known in southern India.

Kantha Art Work from India ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Kantha Embroidery or Kantha art work
Kantha is one of the oldest forms of embroidery that originated in India. Earlier the Kantha sarees were usually draped by the women of West Bengal as to protect themselves against the cold weather. Kantha work is done by simple running stitches. Motifs such as fish, birds, ducks, trees, mountain, boat, footprint, animals, mosque, ratha, kantha motifs are very few examples.

Ilkal Handloom Chikki Paras Saree from Karnataka - VLOG ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Handloom sarees are one of the most classic ones and will never go out of fashion no matter what new sarees comes in trend. In Karnataka there are so many such sarees which are yet to come to the light, I'm trying to reach via my blog post and my youtube channel Sarees are my passion to educate, discover and learn about sarees. Here is one such Vintage Ilkal Saree from Bagalkot district of Karnataka state.

Bangalore Handloom Silk Saree by Sarees are my passion ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Forgotten bespoke weaves from Bangalore city
In Indian textiles, the heirloom weaves were much given influential value, the deep understanding was to appreciate inherent skill which was passed several generations.
Here is a sample of a traditional Handloom Bangalore silk saree which adds the loop for its artistically woven checks, fine mulberry silk which is a featherweight. Royal purple with a blend of Manjal shot adds the traditional lookbook, the aged designs and motifs are been inspired from nature and from ancient temples Hindu architecture. Experience this magnificent saree.

Dhakai Jamdani, Dhakai from West Bengal India ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Delicate devotion and passion, lies sophisticated threads
Jamdani is one of the finest muslin textiles of Bengal, produced in Dhaka District, Bangladesh for centuries. Jamdani originally known as 'Dhakai' named after the city of Dhaka, is called by varies names such as popularly known as Dhakai Jamdani or simply Dhakai. The word ‘jamdani’ is believed to be of Persian origin, 'Jam', meaning flower and 'Dani' meaning vase or a container, named after decorative floral patterns which discovered from Dhakai textile. This unique hand technique of weaving was called jamdani in the old days, while the weave was called Dhakai, these sarees are traditionally woven around on the brocade loom. These beautiful intricate weaves are available in mediums such as cotton and silk. One of the most expensive product of Dhaka looms, Jamdani requires the most dedicated and passionate weaver and during olden days only royal families were able to afford such luxuries.

Massive fan following for KSIC Mysore Silk Saree ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
A gamechanger I can say, this traditional attire which is still one of the most expensive sarees which is ruling the state. Century plus old and still rules the parties and auspicious festivities beyond it, a crazy fan base, are you curious to know what's the secret behind this Massive fan following, unlock the hidden truth by watching this video.

Warli Art (Warli painting) from India ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Exploring Warli Art, the folk tales!
Warli or Varli are the indigenous tribe or adivasis, Warli tribe hailing from mountains, coastal regions in and around the borders of rural Thane district and Dhule district of Maharashtra and Gujarat states of India. The term Warli is derived from ‘warla’ or ‘varla’ meaning a piece of land. Originally hunters, the Warli tribe later settled down as tenders of agricultural lands. The Varlis are non-aryan tribes, who are firm believers of sun and moon. Practically, the Warlis never worshipped man-made idols. Warli people are a simple folk with simple beliefs that govern their lives. The language of communication with them is mostly in Marathi, Konkani, Sanskrit, Gujarati or Khandeshi Bhil.

Kalamkari Sarees and Fabric ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
Kalamkari or qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed on a Cotton Textile or Silk Textile. Produced in India, Iran. The Name Originates in Persian, from the words qalam (pen) and kari (craftsmanship), meaning drawing with a pen.

Coimbatore Cotton Sarees ↗
Saturday' 13-Mar-2021
This summer, pleasant morning with earthy cottons
Aroma of freshly brewed coffee at home is an inspiration for me in the morning, twenty nine years back, I recalled, my dad saying I bought this 'Wet grinder' from business trip on a way, to my mother and now I'm gone grey, recollecting the past hailing from business backdrop, traveling passionates me and my dad! Generally considered as traditional city, very fine cotton mills are here, well a typical saree made in Coimbatore region is called as 'Kovai Cora cotton' or 'Kovai Kora cotton' sarees. Due to extreme summers and humid climatic here, always one cannot think of wearing heavy silk or just cottons, this led to innovation of 'Coimbatore sico sarees' here. Seamless saree are a best choice of fashion garment, no matter what occasion you are in.