Just as France is famous for its wine and Darjeeling for tea, this little town of Kanchipuram is infamous for its traditional 'Kanchi
pattu'. Viewing the other side of the coin how is the life, and what is the
future of these 'dream weavers'?
Kanchipuram silk sari is an integral part of every South
Indian girl's wardrobe. This would be the most valuable costume for a girl on
the 'D' day, her wedding. The sari holds a special and elegant position among
various other traditional fabrics of India. Though silk saris are manufactured
everywhere, the small town of Kanchi, located in South India is renowned for
this fabric.
Woven from pure mulberry silk, this fabric is available in
myriad and attractive hues. The saris are woven with three ply, high denier
threads using thick zari to supplement the warp and weft patterns forming
unique and intricate designs in the sari. Depending on the color combinations,
and the intricate designs used a sari normally takes 20 to 30 days for
completion. Woven from pure silk, this fabric enjoys an evergreen reputation
for its texture, luster, finishing, and durability.
International Market:
Traditional saris were woven in designs with simple gold
lines, peacocks, temples, and dots. Fashion has breathed a new life into the 500
year old traditional fabric, giving them new and alluring patterns. To match
with the changing trends, this silk has undergone rapid transformation.
Fabulous designer silk saris are available blending the traditional art with
embroidery and crystal work. Latest trend is using the images of gods and
goddesses on the pallu.
With the advent of globalization, the entire world has
shrunk, and these silk fabrics are available all over the world. Alluring
combinations of matching hues in bright, earthy tones are used in the sari to
go with the consumers tastes and preferences. Todays consumers are more
concerned about the cost, weight, and simple designs with pastel shades. Also
to cater to the modern day women, churidhar sets are also woven.
Silk Industry in Kanchipuram:
Around 60,000 silk looms work, filling with town with the
musical 'tak tak'. This silk sari is not duplicated by power looms owing to
its uniqueness. The town has an annual turnover of more than Rs.200 crores
with exports comprising around Rs.3 crores. Export figures are limited due to
the limitation of weaving mostly saris, which has its own demand, but is
comparatively lesser over other outfits.
75% of the population in Kanchipuram makes their livelihood
by weaving this fabric. Despite of its global popularity, the town does not
manufacture silk or other material used in the production of the sari. The zari
used in the sari is made in Tamil Nadu, but the silver wire needed for its
weaving is brought from Surat as the technique behind its making is held
secretly by some families over there. This makes the process time consuming and
costly.
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