The sari saga
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An exhibition of classic handloom saris of South India at on the DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum close to Chennai will deliver into focus some intriguing histories and modern challenges of weavers
At the DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum, handloom saris of South India will probably be taking centrestage for a month. A curated assortment of fifty silk saris, every distinct and representing totally different weaving types of the 5 southern states, will probably be showcased in an exhibition titled A weaving journey: The story of the South Indian Sari.
Gita Hudson, the exhibition’s curator, says that a large assortment of classic saris have are available in from varied donors. “The oldest sari is from the year 1930,” she says. Silk saris maintain a major place in any ritual or occasion within the lifetime of a South Indian girl, which is why silk saris have a particular reminiscence related to them.
“While we will be showcasing some classic heirloom saris at the event, we will also be focussing on the plight of the weavers and how the powerloom has thrown handloom weavers out of a job. We have made a film to highlight the life of weavers,” says Gita.
The movie, made by Gita, focusses on 78-year-old textile researcher and scholar Sabita Radhakrishna and her Weaver Initiative. Sabita talks about how she strategised and got down to systematically assist the weavers promote their merchandise throughout lockdown within the movie.
The Kodali Karuppur sari, revived and recreated by Sabita in collaboration with the Kalakshetra Foundation, may also be exhibited on the occasion. “A catalogue with the weavers’ names and contact numbers will also be put up at the event, so that visitors can directly get in touch with the weavers and place their orders, and this will go a long way in enhancing the livelihood of the community,” says Sabita.
Kumbakonam’s Maratha join
- Kodali Karuppur saris developed below the patronage of the Maratha ruler Serfoji Raja Bhonsle Chhatrapati II in 1787-1832, and have been made completely for the ranis of Tanjore until the nineteenth Century.
- The saris have been produced within the village of Kodali Karuppur, close to Kumbakonam, in Thanjavur district. The weavers’ ancestry comprise about 400-500 households who migrated from Saurashtra to Madurai, Salem and Kancheepuram.
- Karuppur material was worn solely by the Tanjore the Aristocracy, who gifted some as khillat or garments of honour. In some Maratha states like Baroda, Kolhapur and Satara, the Karuppur sari was a necessary a part of the bride’s trousseau, as was the Karuppur turban for the groom.
Visitors can observe how material is woven in a loom, and work together with the museum’s in-house weaver Kesavan, who will arrange his loom and clarify the nuances at the same time as he weaves yards of textiles. Many occasions are deliberate across the exhibition equivalent to block printing actions, talks, ramp walks, a sari picture sales space and a e book exhibition on saris.
A Weaving Journey is on until January 4, 2021 at Varija Gallery, DakshinaChitra, from 10 am to five pm. The centre is closed on Tuesdays. For particulars, name 9841436149.
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