SILK - Nature's exquisite gift to feed
and soothe human vanity! It is impossible not to fall in love
with silk. It appeals to three of the five senses.A sheen
which pleases the eyes, a smoothness which touches the skin.
And The softest of rustles which could be heard by discerning
ears. And so silk is truly and undoubtedly sensuous.
Poets have penned paeans about silk. Popular are the phrases
like 'silken touch', 'smooth as silk', 'silken grace' etc.
Love for silk is universal !
Silk is the processed, finished product of
a natural secretion of a certain worm - the silk worm. Rearing
these silk worm for producing silk is called SERICULTURE.
Hundreds of thousands of worms are reared in round, flat baskets
made of cane. The worms are fed only leaves of the Mulberry
plant as food. For this reason, a large Mulberry plantation
is needed near these sericulture centers.
Everyday fresh leaves are plucked from the Mulberry plants,
cut into tiny bits and spread evenly in the basket. The worms
are fed in this manner for several weeks making them grow
in size and mature physiologically. At this stage the worms
are separated and placed slightly apart from each other in
another circular, flat basket, this one with internal partitions.
These baskets are called CHANDRIKE (chun-dree-kay) in Tamil,
the local language.
The worms are now fully grown and start secreting a slightly
viscous thread-like secretion. With this secretion, they weave
around themselves a delicate, almost translucent cocoon. The
cocoon is normally oval in shape, about an inch and a half
in length and is green-yellow in color. From this cocoon is
extracted silk thread . This is wound around little wooden
spools. The silk thread is then spun into yarn, dyed and is
ready to be woven into fabric.
The entire process described above is manual and there are
no machines employed.The reason being that the process is
so delicate that it has to be tended to and supervised individually.
Of the various silks produced in India, Kanjeevaram silk has
acquired a legendary reputation all over India, thanks to
the skill and artistry of the silk weavers.
The Kanjeevaram sari is made of a heavy silk, so
durable that it may be hand washed in water at home.
A hallmark of the Kanjeevaram is the bold and
bright color, favored by almost every Indian woman. A
Kanjeevaram saree will always find a place in every South
Indian bride's trousseau.
And now this great tradition of Kanjeevaram silk is ready
to capture the hearts of the Western World. Indian silks and
Kanjeevaram silk in particular have been creating waves in
the fashion capitals of the world and in haute couture since
early last year.
The fine quality of the silk, the vibrant, rich and luscious
hues and the artistic design of the borders and the 'pallu'
set this silk from the south of India apart from the rest.
The 'zari' work in the border and the Pallu are generally
woven in gold-dipped silver threads. The designers that design
the intricate borders and the exquisite pallus along with
the weavers form a team which weaves magical dreams from a
few strands of silk. Every saree is an artistic creation,
a unique masterpiece and no two sarees are alike. Whether
the saree is a plain silk or is one with little gold motifs
scattered all over its body, or has little gold squares or
stripes, these master weavers integrate everything into a
homogenous composition of magical craftsmanship.
The Kanjeevaram saree is a tradition often passed on from
mother to daughter over several generations as an heirloom.
Each saree is normally six yards in length and some come in
nine yard lengths too, varying in width. They are a popular
attire for a myriad of social occasions like weddings, religious
ceremonies and even parties.
A Kanjeevaram saree is for all ages too. Older women enhance
their natural dignity, the middle-aged women wear it with
self-assurance and poise. The younger, nubile beauties wear
it with a feminine grace that is most alluring.
Kanjeevaram sarees are available in a large price range to
suit different wallets from the easily affordable to the extravagantly
expensive. The price is determined by the quality of silk
yarn (the count per square inch), the intricacy and ornateness
of the borders, the pallu, the little scattered motifs and
the amount of gold-thread (zari) work in the saree.
Apart from each Kanjeevaram creation being a work of exquisite
art, it is a fabric steeped in Indian tradition and is a part
of the cultural heritage of India. Western fashions and their
influences on Indian attire, come and go, but this tradition
lives on……
And now it is time for the women of the western world to discover
the richness and allure of this magnificent silk from the
south of India. The Kanjeevaram could be easily adapted to
their western wardrobe of dresses and gowns.
A dress made from this silk would add a touch of the exotic
and plenty of eastern charm and make heads turn…
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