A quaint little town of Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram is home to one of the most splendid weaves that radiate the richness of the Indian textile industry. Pure silk yarns in vibrant colours are woven with golden and silver zari threads to make luxurious sarees detailed with vivid forms. An all-time favourite of South Indians, the beauty of these silk drapes has won the hearts of women all over the country as well as global Indians. Veteran actress Rekha is a well known patron of Kanjeevaram silk sarees. The list of other celebrities who are often spotted wearing these majestic drapes is endless and includes iconic stars like Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Tamannaah Bhatia and Deepika Padukone as well.
What is so special about Kanjivaram silk sarees?
In a land that is abundant with variants of silk sarees, Kanchipuram sarees stand out as popular heirlooms, wedding sarees as well as priceless gifts. There's definitely more to these drapes than the use of mulberry silk and fine weaving that makes them superior to other types of silk sarees like dupion, crepe silk and tussar silk sarees.
An authentic Kanchipuram saree is woven in three parts- the body, border and the pallu. Each part is woven using three shuttles on a handloom where two or more weavers may be required. Pure mulberry silk and zari threads are combined to form vivid patterns inspired from Hindu mythology and temple architecture. The body, pallu and border are usually of different shades and are interlocked carefully so as to make the saree extremely durable. The level of skill required to get the combination of yarns right and the amount of time and labour involved makes Kanchipuram silk sarees an indulgent drape and a priceless possession for a sari connoisseur.
A style statement for weddings
The shimmery finish and unmatched luster of a Kanchipuram silk drape makes it a flamboyant wedding saree and is highly preferred by the affluent ones. For South Indians it's the traditional bridal saree while overall these garments go well with the dazzle of weddings and festive occasions. This carefully hand-woven drape carries an aura of ethnic glamour and is an ever-trending style statement in itself!
Commercially available Kanjivaram saris
A weave which is so breathtakingly beautiful is bound to have a huge demand. However, authentic Kanchipuram sarees involve a lot of time and are quite high priced. To cater to the mass market, there are commercial and economical versions of these majestic drapes which are woven on powerlooms using artificial silk yarns. The finish and luster of these garments resembles their authentic counterparts, however, handloom silk sarees woven in Kanchipuram still hold their position as a sought-after asset for every Indian woman's ethnic wardrobe.
Author Bio:
Ritu is a creative and marketing communications specialist, a devout reader and a passionate writer, who successfully manages an operations role with the popular eCommerce business Saree.com. Ritu is a trained textiles and weaves' connoisseur and an expert in Kanchipuram Sarees. Currently, Ritu is closely observing and studying the Indian ethnic wear fashion and design segment, as she goes about creating stimulating written and graphic content.
