Dear Maushi,
This letter has long been
pending and I thought today being the first National Handloom Day is an
appropriate day to write. Thank you to GOI for marking such a day!
Firstly, I must tell you
that you really boast my ego when you send pictures of your recently developed
art and craft products or newly bought saree for my review! I feel that my
little enthusiasm for textiles has seeped into the family as well. It is a nice
feeling!
About a month back you
shared some images of a Paithani saree you were gifted. Thank God it was a gift
and you did not spend your earnings into that fake Paithani! But I feel depressed
about the whole scenario that the person who bought it had no knowledge that
she is buying a fake one and moreover the person who sold it is also unknown or
has misguided purposely. I know it is
very difficult for a lay man to know the difference between the authentic and
fake especially in the market today where there is a duplicate of almost
everything. Polyester is sold as silk, print is sold as ikat and a jacquard is
sold as paithani!
This is not Paithani!
Photographs sent on whats app by Mihir.
I remember ajji’s paithani that you have. What a
beauty she is! The fine interlacing of silk and pure gold… indeed a rate treasure!
As you know the most
promising part in a paithani is its pallu decorated with motifs of peacocks, parrots,
lotus’ amongst others and peacock being the most favourite. It will also be
nice to know and acknowledge the tedious labour involved in the making of it, the
skilled craftsmanship and the tradition which has seen centuries turn by.
Here are some pictures of
making of the paithani, though these make no justice until the process is
described in detail. But I do not intend to convert this letter into a thesis
on Paithani!
Photographs by Haris Pathirikodan at Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Unlike the rosogulla that is going through a debate
on whether the GI rights are to be claimed by West Bengal or Orissa, the
Maharashtrian Paithani has received its GI rights long back in 2010. These
rights not only confirm the geographical area but also the historical origin,
appropriate process of making and uniqueness of the craft.
The weaving of a paithani
is such that it can be woven only on a handloom and not on a power loom. It is difficult to give a brief explanation. So here are some basic specifics by which you can identify an authentic paithani:
1.
The motifs on the
pallu have same color on the front and back side
2.
The pallu is a
flat and even surface. No variation in thickness.
3.
No threads at the
back side of the pallu are cut.
Traditionally, a paithani sari has motifs woven on the border and pallu both.
Keeping in mind affordability, revisions have been made where the motifs
appear only on the pallu.
When you buy a traditional
handloom saree, you not just buy a piece of cloth; you invest in the age old heritage
of India and you sustain the second largest employment sector of our country. Isn’t
that a wonderful feeling already?
Hope this letter inspires
you enough to share the idea of identifying, buying and using authentic traditional handwoven
textiles.
Ending this letter with a
poem by the weaver-poet Kabir
Weaving Your Name
I weave your name on the
loom of my mind,
To make my garment when
you come to me.
My loom has ten thousand
threads
To make my garment when
you come to me.
The sun and moon watch
while I weave your name;
The sun and moon hear
while I count your name.
These are the wages I get
by day and night
To deposit in the lotus
bank of my heart.
I weave your name on the
loom of my mind
To clean and soften ten
thousand threads
And to comb the twists and
knots of my thoughts.
No more shall I weave a
garment of pain.
For you have come to me,
drawn by my weaving,
Ceaselessly weaving your
name on the loom of my mind.
Love,
Aarti
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