Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of

India
India
Date of Submission: 15/04/2014
Criteria: (iii)(v)
Category: Cultural
Submitted by:
Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO
State, Province or Region:
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam
Ref.: 5890

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Description
Craftsmanship means more than technical virtuosity. It is not only a profound understanding
of materials, and of the tools with which materials are fashioned, but most importantly it
involves a genuine pride which drives an individual to craft and weave as well as can be
done, beyond what is required, beyond economic considerations of reward. An excellent
example of such craftsmanship is Saree weaving in India. The Saree is undoubtedly
distinguishable as the Indian woman’s traditional attire and is essentially a valuable Indian
contribution to the world’s cultural heritage and diversity. Rooted in history and maintaining
continuity as a contemporary garment, the saree survives as a living traditional clothing.
Traced to the Vedic civilization, evolving with cross-cultural influences of trade, confluences
of techniques and patterns, the saree still has innovations in its production processes. As an
unstitched garment for women, it has no parallels in terms of versatility, richness of colour,
texture, and variety of weaving techniques using different kinds of yarn, including cotton, silk,
gold and silver thread.
However, the craftsmanship is not only limited to the final product i.e. the saree but also in
the space in which they are produced. The houses of craftsmen are example of vernacular
architecture, where the architecture has evolved over a large span of time. The Plan of a
weaver’s house developed from the livelihood needs of the inhabitants. Built from local
materials and available technology, they aptly cater to the needs of the craftsmen. This pan-
India serial comprises of sites from five Indian states: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. It focuses on the tangible elements of saree
weaving clusters irrespective of the popularity of the saree.
i. Chanderi, Ashok nagar District, Madhya Pradesh (24. 4312° N, 78. 748° E)
Known to have been a major urban centre since the 11th century AD, the town of Chanderi
has a rich history that was shared between Pratihara kings, Delhi sultans, Mandu sultans,
Bundela kings and Scindias of Gwalior. Located on the borders of the cultural regions of
Malwa and Bundelkhand, Chanderi was on an important arterial route to the ancient ports of
Gujarat as well as to Malwa, Mewar, Central India and Deccan. Chanderi’s setting made it
into a natural bastion. The living tradition of weaving has been prevalent since the past six
hundred years and continues to sustain almost half of the population of Chanderi.
The town of Chanderi is divided into mohallas or residential neighborhoods. The mohallas of
the different communities of the weavers are important part of the urban morphology. The
13th century Moroccan visitor Ibn Batuta remarked: “it is a big city with thronged market
places” like sadar bazaar. The sadar bazaar of the city is today stocked with shops of
gossamer sarees. The three storied shops, projecting one over other, originally planned to
be on the level with riders on elephants, on horses and on foot, give a unique profile to the
street.
The spatial design of the weaver house was integral to the production of the cloth and its
quality. The house form of weavers’ houses in Chanderi is determined by the saree weaving
techniques and requirements. Platforms built outside the houses provide additional work
areas and for stretching yarns. Architecture also serves as an inspiration to the craftsmen.
The motifs on sarees are largely inspired by ornamentation on buildings.
ii. Banaras, Uttar Pradesh (25.2820° N, 82.9563° E)
Banaras is home to the iconic brocade saree. Built heritage of Banaras saree weaving
settlement is intact to a large extent, with a large number of weavers still in their original
homes and active looms. Designs and motifs are sourced from architecture. Weavers
comprise almost 25 percent of Banaras city's population (about 110,000), who trace their
presence in the city between three hundred and a thousand years. European and Indian
royalty patronised the craft of Banarasi saree, and it flourished, absorbing influences from
Islamic traditions and Hindu lore.
iii. Feeder town Mubarakpur, Uttar Pradesh (26.0900° N, 83.2900° E)
Cotton weaving started in Mubarakpur during 14th century. During Sultan Muhammad Bin
Tughlak's era there were 4000 silk saree weavers in Mubarakpur. Mubarakpur is known for
making pure silk Banarsi sarees with zari work. Ninety percent of the working population is
stated to be engaged in the task of weaving sarees of pure silk and zari, working on
handlooms. Presently there are about 20,000 families of weavers in Mubarakpur. Thus, this
village is known as weavers’ village.
iv. Paithan, Maharashtra (19.4800° N, 75.3800° E)
Paithanis comprise pure gold threads and yarns of silk spun in the 2000-year old traditional
method. This form of weaving was developed in Paithan (Aurangabad district), historically
called Pratishthana. The city was the capital of the Satavahanas of ancient India that ruled
from 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD. Paithan, at one time, was visited by Greek traders,
between 400 and 200 BC, during the Satavahana era, for the Paithani weaves. In the distant
past, Romans imported this Golden Woven Fabric in exchange for gold of equal weight. The
weaver’s houses have the largest room dedicated for weaving. In this the weavers work side
by side to produce a saree. The open spaces also witness some spill over of the weaving
practices.
v. Yeola, Maharashtra (20.0420° N, 74.4890° E)
This art form soon spread to the other places in Maharashtra namely Yeola, Pune, Malegaon
and Nashik. One can even see motifs from Ajanta cave paintings. The art of Paithani
survived under changing rulers. In fact it flourished under Aurangzeb. After decline of
Mughal influence, the Peshwas' of Pune once again took Paithani under their wings by
settling weavers in Yeola, a small town near Shirdi in Nasik district, now with approximately
1200 weavers.
vi. Koyyalagudem, Andhra Pradesh (17.1167°N 81.3000°E)
The village of Koyyalagudem is near Pochampally and is representative of the architectural
tradition of this region. The Plan of a weaver’s house developed from the livelihood needs of
the inhabitants. Every member of the family is involved in the process of weaving and most
of the time is spent in the weaving room, the largest of all the rooms. During construction,
attention is given to details pertaining to functional needs, such as positioning of pits built
into the floor of the house for placing of the weaving looms, and lighting requirement for the
loom through window/ skylight. Wet areas for handling dyes are open-to-sky for sunlight.
Similarly, details are incorporated for yarn preparation, such as a peg at the end of room for
passing the yarn while weaving, niches at a low level for keeping weaving-related articles,
and storage spaces for threads.
vii. Pochampalli, Andhra Pradesh (17.3861° N, 78.6433° E)
Pochampally Saree or Pochampalli Ikat is a saree made in Bhoodan Pochampally, Nalgonda
district, India. They are popular for their traditional geometric patterns in Ikat style of
dyeing.The intricate geometric design find their way into the hands of skillful weavers and
make it to the market as beautiful sarees and dress material. The city is popularily known as
the silk city of India. Weaver’s house contains both semi-open and enclosed spaces for
saree weaving. The enclosed spaces have large openings in the wall so as to allow sufficient
light and ventilation.
viii. Sualkuchi, Assam (26.1700° N, 91.5700° E)
Sualkuchi has a glorious history in production of muga and mulberry silk since at least fourth
century BC and finds a mention in Kautilya's Arthashastra (referred to as Suvarnakunda of
ancient Kamrupa). Of a naturally rich, golden colour, muga is the finest of India’s wild silks.
The loom is a prized possession in every Assamese home. Weaving has been a way of life
in the state since time immemorial.
Assam tribal weaver clusters: The Karbi, Mishing, Rabha, Singpho and Tai-phake tribes
have a strong textile tradition. The Mech tribe is silk-weavers in profession. The Dimasa
tribes are renowned for their expertise in silk-culture and weaving-prowess and are the
producers of Endi. Weaving among the tribal societies of Assam is a home craft using the
back-strap loom or loin loom, which is simple and portable.
The vernacular houses Assam provide maximum flexibility and adaptability to the local
environmental conditions as well as meet social and cultural requirements. The courtyard
has multiple uses like drying of crops, winnowing, cloth weaving and children’s playing
space.