TALE OF HANDLOOMS

Every handloom weave has a story, here are some interesting tales you would like to know:

■ Peacock is the most popular motif used in Paithani (right), hence popular belief is that if the peacock is not featured, it’s not a Paithani. The truth being that the oldest and most traditional motifs have been mostly floral and lotus. Also, it’s been widely believed that the Paithanis are made only in pure silk, whereas, originally the Paithanis were woven in the finest muslin cotton,” says fashion designer Arati Baandal.

Mashru means permitted in ■ Arabic and was invented by the Muslim community as it was banned for them to have silk touching their skin. Since Mashru has cotton woven on the inside it did not break any religious laws. It is also believed that due to the dry barren lands of Gujarat, the weavers wove bright hues of Mashru fabric to uplift their spirits.

■ History says that the members of Devanga Chettiar — a community of traditional weavers who have roots in the then Mysore state of the present Karnataka — were brought by the Kochi royal family to weave dress materials exclusively for the palace.

It is also believed that the Devanga Chettiars are from Mysore, but left their state on account of Tipu Sultan’s persecution and settled in this out-of-the-way village about the end of the eighteenth century.

■ The Maheshwari weave is mostly used as a festive sari or dupatta and salwar kameez, many people though fascinated with the weave, are unaware of its versatility to be adapted in contemporary fusion fashion. The truth is that it is ideal for our tropical weather. (Inputs from fashion designers Arati Baandal, Shweta Agarwal, Jebin Johny and Vaibbhavi P.)