India is known to have many colourful cultures and customs. Traditional paithani silk sarees hold around 2000 years of unspoken tales. The craft has been performed by various artisans through out generations.
The Special Paithani Sarees along with traditional jewellery are passed down from mothers to daughters through generations as heirlooms. Every Maharashtrian bride donns a Marathi paithani silk saree as part of the tradition and moreover love towards the heritage.
What is a Paithani Silk Saree?
Paithani silk sarees are hand-loomed with finest silk thread. The Paithani handloom sarees originate from Paithan – a small town in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The sarees have a unique weaving style which sets them apart from all other kind. The whole process of the craft is done by hand.
The Paithani saree's body is weaved using 'hand' in looms and the weaving process of the border and the pallu is very similar to the tapestry weaving technique where the front and revese sides would be identical.
The motifs and the designs of the Marathi paithani silk sarees are inspired from Buddhism due to their proximity of origin towards Ajanta Caves.
The motifs of the sarees are created by interlocking and tying the colored threads to the warp of the loom. In fact, even if you look at the reverse side of the saree, it will look as gorgeous as the front side.
Types of Paithani Silk Sarees
There are different types of Paithanis based on criteria like Motifs, Colours and Weaving.
Motifs
Motifs include Peacock, Parrots, lotus represented individually into the sarees, creating
Morbangadi Brocade - (Mostly single peacock is woven into the pallu and in the shape of a bangle. Hence the name, Morbangadi),
Munia Brocade - (Parrot motifs are woven into pallu and borders. The motifs are also called tota- maina),
Lotus Brocade - ( Lotus flowers are designed into the saree as motifs.)
Colours
Now a days, Paithani sarees can be found in a large spectrum of colours where as traditionally, there were only three colours recorded.
They are:
1. Kalichandrakala (Black Saree with red border.)
2. Raghu (Parrot Green coloured saree.)
3. Shirodak (White coloured saree.)
Weaves
Based on weaves, Paithanis are categorized into two:
Kadial border saree (The word 'Kadiyal' represents interlocking. In this type of weaves, The warp and the weft of the border are of the same colour while the body has different colours.)
Kad/Ekdhoti : (Different colours are used in warp & weft. Simple motifs like paisa is used in this kind of weave. Kad is also known as the lungi of Marathi males.)
Take care of your Paithani Sarees
To extend the life of your Paithani weaves, spread out the saree in a dry place after every use. Let the Paithani saree breathe for a day. You can also decide to do so even when you have not used the saree for a while.
Ensure to avoid any direct contact with the sunlight for an extended period. But do not keep it in a dark place either.
Once you are done airing out the Paithani silk, change the folds of your saree and keep it inside a muslin bag.
While ironing the saree, make sure you iron it from the reverse side.
Specialty of Paithani Silk Sarees
The 2000-year-old heritage of the saree makes it the Queen of sarees in India. The rich saree is the dream of every Marathi bride due to it's obvious allure and closed weaving technique making it convenient to use with accesories without entanglement.
If you love India and her vivid cultures, paithani silk saree is a must in your wardrobe.
Paithani Saree Collection at Kolour
If you are wondering where to find a designer Paithani silk saree online, then at Kolour you can get access to a wide range of collections. The Paithani silk saree price at Kolour is one of the most affordable ones in the market.
Kolour Paithani Sarees are indeed an asset to your wardrobe. Visit the online store now to browse through a wide range of colours and types of Paithani silk sarees.
Trending sarees and beautiful lehengas have been always a part of Indian woman's trousseau. Enjoy the wide collection of ethnic clothing on Kolour.
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