Selai Kathaigal: Craft Cluster Document

National Insititute Of Fashion Technology, Chennai
Selai Kathaigal
&N+X L+RL[
Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 1

Research and Documentation of Kanjivaram Silk Sarees
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
Documented by Ashish Kumar, Harshdeep Kaur, Meghana Karkada Suresh, Raju Ranjan, Sakthi
Sree B, Sneha Krishnan, Sudhiksha A, Yashashvi Sinha.
Center: Chennai
Copyright© 2022 By NIFT, Chennai

National Institute Of Fashion Technology, Chennai
Department Of Fashion Communication
All rights reserved. The publication is the intellectual property of the Department of Fashion
Communication, National Institute of Fashion Technology. It is purely for academic purposes
and no part of it may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form through
photocopying, recording, or any other electronic or mechanical methods.
Faculty Mentor: Ms Ashmita Mondal______________________________________________

Department CC: Ms Divya N
2 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Acknowledgement
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Director of The National Institute of
Fashion Technology, Chennai, Dr Anitha Manohar for providing us with the facilities and
education needed to complete this document.
We are also thankful for the opportunities and support provided to us by our Center
Coordinator, Ms Divya N and our faculty mentor, Ms Ashmita Mondal who assisted and
guided us along the way and provided us with extremely valuable feedback and suggestions.
Lastly, we would like to thank Mr V. Krishnamurthy, who took the time out of his schedule
to enlighten us about his craft and the lifestyle that it supports. The research for this
document would not have been completed without him.

Preface
The ancient city of Kanchipuram is home to innumerable temples and a rich culture of
weaving. By travelling to the region and engaging with the artisans, we were able to gather
valuable knowledge about the effort and skills required in the making of a single, stunning
Kanchipuram saree. The city and its people welcomed us with open arms and, being immersed
in the community, introduced us to the lifestyle and culture of the artisans.
Generations of artisans have practised the craft of silk saree weaving here, often beginning
early in their childhood. Walking through the age-old temples, as the creators of the
Kanchipuram sarees have done for centuries, helped us recognise the sources of inspiration
to create saree motifs and patterns.
In a couple of months, the team conducted thorough secondary research and several
interviews with practising dyers, weavers, designers, master craftsmen, store managers, etc.
The details of the processes, raw materials, tools and traditions involved in the production
of handwoven Kanchipuram silk sarees have been compiled in this book.
It also covers the current market scenario, the effects of the long COVID-19 pandemic as well
as game-changing innovations being implemented in the field. In this document, we wanted
to highlight the intricacies, techniques and motifs that make each of these sarees unique
pieces of Indian heritage.

Contents
SILK
Introduction 10
Tales From History 11
Silk in India 12
Type of Silk 13
Silk Sarees 14
Authenticity of Silk 15
KANCHIPURAM
Introduction 19
Geographical Location & Topography 20
History 21
Famous Landmarks 22
Demographics 29
Culture 30
THE CRAFT
Introduction to Kanjivaram SIlk Sarees 35
Cultural Significance & Provenance 36
Techniques 37
Types of Sarees 38
Design Process & Motifs 40
Tools used for Weaving 52
Degumming 54
Dyeing & Colours 55
Warping 67
Spinning 69
Zari Making 71
Weaving 72

MARKET STUDY
Market Research 80
SWOT Analysis 83
Artisan Database 84
Contributors 89
Conclusion 90
Learning 91
ANNEXURE
Question bank 92
Glossar y 97
Bibliography 101
Description 103

The sericulture industry plays an integral role in the production of sarees. Silk sarees are worn at important events, especially wed-
dings and the festivities. They are considered auspicious and are often offered to Goddesses or presented to relatives during special
occasions. The colours and designs of a silk saree also influence its function depending on the culture of the region. Some silk sarees
are also passed down as heirlooms from one generation to the next. Some popular silk sarees in India include Kanchipuram, Banara-
si, Pochampally, Mysore, Assam silk sarees etc.

SILK
Tales From Histor y

Silk
Since time immemorial, silk has been known as the Queen of Fibres. Used
in many luxury products, this natural animal fibre is known for lustre and
softness. The fibre is made of two different proteins, sericin and fibroin.
Fibroin forms the structural centre and constitutes around 75% of the
silk. Sericine is the material surrounding it and varies from 20 to 25% in
composition.
Many animals such as bees, beetles, butterflies, hornets, flies and spiders
produce silk. However, most of the silk produced comes from the silkworm
or the domestic silk moth, Bombyx Mori, which prefers to feed on mulberry
leaves. Sea silk is a particularly rare fabric that is produced by pen shells
(saltwater clams), historically processed in the Mediterranean region.
Properties of Silk
• The lustre and sheen of silk is due to its internal structure of

triangular tubes which act like a prism, reflecting the light in various
directions.
• Silk is the strongest natural fibre. The strength is due to its continuous
length.
• With a specific gravity varying between 1.25 to 1.4 during various
stages of processing, silk is less dense than cotton, flax, rayon or
wool.
• It is a poor conductor of electricity and is known to build up a static
charge.
• Silk is sensitive to sunlight.
• It has high tensile strength.
• Silk is fairly water absorbent but loses strength when it is wet
• SIlk can be stretched around 10% of its original length without
breaking, but it remains elongated.
• Silk has good thermal regulation and it can withstand higher
temperatures than many other natural fibres like wool. However
exposure to prolonged heat could damage the fibres.
• Silk has a high affinity to dyes
• Silk will be damaged when it comes into contact with strong mineral
acids and strong alkalis
Image 1: Silk being woven to make a saree

Tales from History
Silk has a long history of being traded across Chinese princess was set to marry the
cultures. For millennia, silk production and prince of Khotan, in the early 1st century
sale was dominated by China. AD. Unwilling to leave the exquisite
fabric behind, it is said that she smuggled
It is said that the 14 - year old empress, silkworms in her hair and revealed the
Leizu, also known as Xi Ling-shi , wife of secret to her husband’s kingdom.
the Yellow Emperor, himself a heroic legend From there, Emperor Justinian of the
in Chinese culture, discovered sericulture Byzantine Empire was also successful at
around 3000 BCE. When a silk worm's obtaining silk. On the orders of the emperor,
cocoon fell into her cup as she was enjoying two monks smuggled some silkworm
her tea, the empress was perplexed. The eggs out of the kingdom. They hid some
silk began unwrapping in the heat of the in bamboo canes and went to Sogdania
cup and as Leizu tried to unravel it, the in Iran to raise them. After an expedition
silk stretched across her entire garden. She that lasted almost two years, the monks
observed the life cycle of silkworms and successfully brought the silkworms back in
found them feeding on mulberry trees. She 552 AD. The Arabs began producing silk
planted a grove of mulberry trees where around the same period..
the domestication of the worm began. The The spread of silk throughout the world is
invention of the silk loom and the first also attributed to the Silk Road. It was a
methods to weave silk are also credited to network of overland routes between China
Leizu. Thus she came to be regarded as the and the Middle East through which trade
goddess of silk in Chinese mythology. was conducted between the 2nd century
and the 15th century.
Over the years, China maintained a Crusades gave Western Europe access
monopoly over the fabric. Anyone who to silk production methods. France and
was caught revealing the heavily guarded Italy became centres of silk trade and
production process of silk fabrics or innovations such as the Jacquard loom were
smuggling silkworms out of China was developed. After the industrial revolution,
executed. Farming and weaving were silk production in Europe declined and
initially both restricted to women and the Asian countries once became the biggest
use of the opulent textile was limited to the players in the sericulture industry.
royal family. Across history and cultures silk was a
valued commodity that remained restricted
The Chinese did trade the fabric with other to a small number of the elite. Silk was a
kingdoms. However, China could not keep symbol of power, a source of payment and a
its techniques from the world forever. A tool of diplomacy.
Image 2: Warp threads on a loom

Arrival & Growth in India
The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest locations

where silk was produced outside of China. Silk threads
made from wild native species were discovered in
Chanhudaro and Harappa dating back four millennia to
2450–2000 BCE. There are mentions of silk weavers in the
Arthashastra, written over a period of over five hundred
years from the 2nd century BCE. During the reign of the
Gupta dynasty from 4th century CE to late 6th century CE,
a Buddhist monk is said to have brought the Chinese silk
cultivation techniques to India. Ancient centres of silk
include Gujarat, Malwa and South India.
During the reign of Akbar, silk workshops filled with

skilled weavers were established in Lahore, Agra and
Fatehpur Sikri. During Mughal rule, silk produced in
Punjab gained popularity throughout the world. The
East India Company was interested in the research and
development of sericulture in India. They introduced
a different variety of silk worm and better methods of
reeling silk in West Bengal in the 18th Century. Meanwhile,
the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, was gifted a silk cloth by
a Qing Dynasty ambassador from China. Mesmerised by
the fabric, Tipu Sultan brought the techniques from West
Bengal and China to Mysore to fulfil his dream to make it
the leading global silk producer. In modern times, India
has grown to become the second largest producer of silk
in the world.
Image 3: Sarees at Pachaiyappa Silks

Types of Silk
MULBERRY SILK Muga
The silkworm of the moth, Bombyx Mori, which feeds on Muga silk is sought after for its golden yellow in colour.
mulberry leaves, is known for its fine quality white silk. Mentions of Muga silk can be traced all the way back to
The majority of silk produced in the country is of this Valmiki’s Ramayana. The Assam silkworm, Antheraea
type. Leading producers of this silk include Karnataka, assamensis, feeds on Som and Suala leaves. Muga silk has
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Since the a Geographical Indication tag associated with Assam.
silkworms have been domesticated, they are reared in
controlled indoor environments. Ahimsa Silk
NON-MULBERRY SILK The harvesting of silk involves boiling the cocoons while
the larva is inside, thus killing the insect inside. Ahimsa
Non-Mulberry or wild silks are known as Vanya silks silk is the term used for silk which is obtained from
in India. The word is said to have originated from the cocoons where the moths complete their metamorphosis
Sanskrit word Vana, meaning ‘forest’. The silk varies in and break from their cocoons. The leftover cocoon is
colour depending on the diet of the wild silkworms. used to make this cruelty free silk. Eri silk is an ahimsa
silk as it is harvested after the moths leave their cocoons.
Tassar Ahimsa silks should not be confused with vegan silk,
since it is a product obtained from animals.
Tasar silk is produced by the moth of the genus,
Antheraea. They feed on trees such as Arjun, Asan, Jamun Vegan Silk
and Oak. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa are major
producers of this silk. This copper coloured silk is a bit Vegan silks are made out of plant based fibres like banana
more textured and is used in often used furnishings. stalks. They are known as ‘Vazhai Naaru Pattu’ in Tamil,
which translates to 'banana fibre silk'.
Eri
Also known as endi or errandi, Eri silk is obtained from

the silkworm, Samia ricini, which is present in North
East India. The name is derived from the Assamese word,
‘era’ for the castor plant. Eri silkworms are known for
their colour polymorphism, producing silk that is white
or brick red. It is mainly cultivated in Assam and to a
smaller extent in Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal.

Silk Sarees
The sericulture industry plays an integral role in the produc-

tion of sarees. Known for their resilience and vibrancy, silk
sarees are worn at important events, especially weddings and
the festivities. They are considered auspicious and are often
offered to Goddesses or presented to relatives during special
occasions.
The colours and designs of a silk saree also influence its func-
tion depending on the culture of the region. Some silk sarees
are also passed down as heirlooms from one generation to the
next. Some popular silk sarees in India include Kanchipuram,
Banarasi, Pochampally, Mysore, Assam silk sarees etc.
Silk Saree Centers in India
Tamil Nadu Kanchipuram, Arani, Salem,

Kumbhakonam, Thanjavur
Chattisgarh - Chanderi, Champa
Karnataka Mysuru, Ilkal,

Molakalmuru, Bengaluru
Uttar Pradesh Varanasi
Odisha Bomkai
Andhra Pradesh Dharmavaram, Uppada
Bihar Bhagalpur
Maharashtra Paithan
West Bengal Murshidabad
Image 4: Silk on a Spindle

Authenticity of Silk
There are several methods of determining the authenticity

of silk:
• By touch: Silk is a very smooth material. The presence of

rough patches may indicate that the fabric is not made
of pure silk. Warmth can also be felt upon rubbing the
fabric.
• Fire Test: When burnt, pure silk will smell like burning
hair.
• Wedding Ring Test: Pure silk fabric can easily pass
through a wedding ring.
• Lustre Test: When viewed from an angle in the presence
of light, pure silk will give off a soft and uniform lustre.
Image 5: Kanjivaram saree from Venkateswara

society

KANCHIPURAM
The City, The People & The Culture

Image 6: Entrance of
Vardharaja Perumal Temple

Introduction
In the ancient ‘Land of a Thousand Temples’, visitors get to witness the magnificent thousand pillared halls
and breathtaking temple towers. Every street is dotted with temples and shrines dedicated to various Gods
and Goddesses. Every dynasty that ruled here, wanted to leave their mark by adding to the existing infra-
structure or building their own temples. Historically, Kanchipuram also grew into a centre of commerce
and learning. The city is home to finely painted mural art and intricate carvings on the walls of several tem-
ples. Beyond being places of worship, these temples have also been locations where music and dance were
practised. Temple processions are regularly held with umbrellas and chariots to carry the deity. During any
festive season the population of the city swells as innumerable pilgrims make their way there.
Located in South India, the city experiences a tropical climate, with high temperatures persisting through-
out the year. The clothing and food of the people here are suited to such a climate. Kanchipuram is a hub of
silk saree making and a cluster of Golu doll makers is also present here. The people of Kanchipuram are also
engaged in the manufacturing and agriculture industries.
The city finds itself mentioned in the Mahabharata and its name has several origins. It may be derived from
the Tamil word that is a combination of “Kanchi”, further divided into Ka, meaning Brahma and anchi mean-
ing worship, and “-puram” meaning residential place. Alternatively in Sanskrit, Kanci means girdle, so the
city’s name can also be interpreted as a girdle to the earth. Kancheepuram refers to the district and is the
spelling used by the municipal administration, while the city goes by Kanchipuram.

Geography
Nestled in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram By Road & Rail
is enriched by the banks of rivers Vegavathy and Palar. On the
map, the coordinates for the city of Kanchipuram are 12.8387 N There is regular connectivity to Chennai city through Guidy
79.7016 E and the area covered is about 36.14 km2. and Tambaram routes. Local buses are also available and are
controlled by the Tamil Nadu State Transportation Corporation.
By Air
The city can easily be reached through the Chennai Central
To visit Kanchipuram, the closest airport is located in Chennai railway station and Arakkonam railway station. The
(Meenambakkam) which is about 60km away and takes two Kanchipuram railway station is coded as CJ (from the British
hours to reach by road and train. The city is around 75km from Conjeevaram) and belongs to the Southern Railway Zone. It
Chennai city, 96km from Tirupati, 101km from Pondicherry and consists of three platforms. The station is also a part of the
over 232 km away from Bengaluru by road. National Highway-4 Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu–Tirumalpur–Arakkonam route
is close to the outskirts of the city. (South-West line).
Topography
Chennai
Coordinates: 12.79639
79.66533 12.87639 79.74533 • Situated on the banks of the Vegavathi River, a tributary
Minimum elevation: 71 m of the Palar River. Kancheepuram's land is flat and slopes
Maximum elevation: 100 m
towards the south and east.
Average elevation: 82 m
• Kanchipuram is subdivided into two divisions – Big Kanchi,

also called Shiva Kanchi. Shiva temples are in Big Kanchi
while the Vishnu temples are situated Little Kanchi.
• The city is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east,

Villupuram on the south, Tiruvannamalai on the west,
Vellore on the north-west.
• Kancheepuram city is at an elevation of 83.2 m above sea

level.
• The region has fertile land for cultivation of paddy followed

Kanchipuram by sugarcane, groundnuts, cereals and pulses.
Fig 2.1: Chennai to Kanchipuram

History
The ancient city of Kanchipuram has been ruled by the Pallavas,
Cholas, Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Carnatic kingdom,
and the British, who called the city “Conjeeveram”. Tamil Sangam
literature mentions the city as far back as 300BC. There have
been references to Kanchipuram in the 2nd and 3rd centuries,
by Patanjali, a famous Sanskrit scholar and by the Sanksrit poet
Kalidasa in the 4th century.
The Pallavas moved their capital South to Kanchipuram in the 6th

century They built roads, temples and infrastructure to protect
the city, such as moats and fortified walls. During this time the
city grew as a centre of Buddhist and Hindu learning and King
Narasimhavarman II built significant Hindu temples such as
Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple, the Varadharaja Perumal Temple
and the Iravatanesvara Temple.
Aditya I, a medieval Chola king defeated the Pallavas and captured

Kanchipuram c. 890 CE. In the Chola kingdom, Kanchipuram became
the headquarters of the Northern Viceroyalty. Under King Raja
Raja Chola I, the region was called Jayamkonda Cholamandalam.
A Hoysala garrison was present in Kanchipuram till c. 1230.
Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I recaptured the city in 1258 from
the Cholas who had briefly conquered Kanchipuram.
Kanchipuram was ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire from 1361 until

1645. During this rule, Hindu rituals were brought back to temples
that had stopped during previous Muslim attacks. The city faced
conquests by the Velama Nayaks in 1437, the Gajapati dynasty in
1463–1465 and 1474–75, and the Bahmani Sultanate in 1480.
Mughal rule began in the city in 1688. The city was a combat zone
during the Carnatic Wars and the Anglo-Mysore Wars between the
British East India Company and the French East India Company and
Mysore Sultanate. In 1763 the British took control of the Chingleput
District which included the city. During the second Anglo-Mysore
war the area was brought under the full control of the Company.
The Chingleput district was divided into Kancheepuram and

Tiruvallur districts in 1997.
Image 7: Ekambaranathar Temple

Famous Landmarks
Kanchipuram, being one of the holiest cities of India,

welcomes believers of many faiths on a daily basis. The
Kamakshi Amman Temple is an integral part of the city.
The region is home to several of the Divya Desams. These
refer to the 108 Vishnu temples that were praised by the
Azhwar saints in the Divya Prabandha, a compilation of four
thousand verses. The ones ‌in Kanchipuram include:
• Vaikunta Perumal Temple

• Varadharaja Perumal Temple (Hastagiri and Attiyuran)
• Yathothakaari Temple (Sonnavannam Seitha Perumal)
• Aadhikesava Perumal Temple (Ashtabuja Perumal
Temple)
• Ulagalantha Perumal Temple
• Jagadeeshwarar Temple within the Ulagalantha Perumal
Temple
• Karunakara Perumal Temple
• Thirukkaar Vaanar Temple within the Ulagalantha
Perumal Temple
• Pavalavanam Temple
• Pandava Thoothar Temple
• Nilathingal Thundathan Perumal Temple
(Chandrasoodeswarar Perumal temple)
• Aadhi Varaha Perumal Temple
• Azhagiya Singar Perumal Temple
• Deepa Prakasar Perumal Temple
• Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple
• Karunakara Perumal Temple located within the
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple
Famous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva are the Kailasanathar

Temple, Ekambaranathar Temple, Sathyanatheswarar
Temple and many more.
Trilokyanatha Temple is a Digambara Jain temple built

during the rule of the Pallavas.
However it should be noted that the temples of Kanchipuram

are generally closed to the public from noon to four PM.

Image 8: Road to
Ekambaranathar Temple

Image 9: Ekambareswarar Temple
Ekambareswarar Temple
Spread over more than twenty

acres, the Ekambaranathar temple
or Ekambareswarar temple is the
largest temple in Kanchipuram that
is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is
proof of its existence dating back to
600 CE, however the original structure
was taken down by the Pallavas and
built over again by the Cholas. Many
additions were made to the temple
by Adi Shankaracharya and the
Vijayanagara kings. As one enters
through the soaring gopuram, they are
greeted with a relief painting of the
Goddess Parvathi embracing a Shiva
Lingam.
The southern temple tower is one of

the largest gopurams in India, rising
to around 190ft. The temple is known
to house 1008 Lingams. The temple
complex also contains a thousand
pillared hall dating back to the
Vijayanagara period. The imposing
passages are lined with geometric
pillars carved with yaazhis and other
motifs. The monotony of the grey stone
is broken by vibrant parade figures
stored inside and colourful maakolam
(geometrical line art made of rice flour
paste called maavu) on the ground.
Ekambareswarar means “Lord of

Mango Tree”. The temple has a mango
tree that is said to be 3500 years old.
According to legend, the tree has four
branches and each gives a mango of a
different taste. One of the legends says
that Lord Shiva married the Goddess
Kamakshi under the mango tree at this
temple.

Kailasanathar Temple
The ancient Kailasanathar temple was a trailblazer of Dravidian temple architecture.
Early mornings at this temple provide a serene atmosphere. can still be viewed on the temple walls. There is proof that the
Tourists outside the temple are greeted with a few carts full of carvings were also once painted in natural colours.
bronze sculptures of idols, rudraksham beaded prayer necklaces
and other prayer paraphernalia, all lit with the fragrance of The Kailasanathar temple is also a unique example of Pallava
oothubathigal (incense sticks) The ancient Kailasanathar temple architecture which has been unchanged by successive ruling
was a trailblazer of Dravidian temple architecture. Before this, dynasties over the centuries. The gopuram faces east and is located
temples in South India were usually built out of wood or cut into opposite to a Nandi sculpture in between shrines, with two on one
rocks and boulders. The Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, who side and six on the other. The pyramidal vimana is surrounded
was also known as Rajasimha, constructed this temple structurally by elaborately carved shrines. Inside the mandapa of the temple,
out of sandstone in the 8th Century. there are pillars with stone lion mounts, a characteristic of Pallava
architecture. The temple has inscriptions in Pallava Grantha,
Over the centuries, the Kailasanathar temple has inspired many Sanskrit and Tamil. Based on the sculptures and inscriptions,
constructions including the mighty Brihadeshwara temple in historians suggest that the circumambulation was anti-clockwise
Thanjavur, built by Raja Rajaraja Chola in the 11th Century. in nature. The Chalukya king Vikramaditya also left a Kannada
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple has a large number of detailed inscription at the Kailasanathar temple and took inspiration to
carvings as well as early Hindu mural art, the remnants of which build the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal.
Image 10: Kailasanathar Temple

Vardharaja Perumal Temple
The crowds at the Varadharaja Perumal temple increase during

the evening and swell to great numbers during the festive season.
This Vishnu temple is one of the Divya Desams and is also referred
to as Hastagiri or Attiyuran. It forms a trio called Mumurtivasam
(abode of the trio) along with the Ekambaranathar Temple and
the Kamakshi Amman Temple, both in Kanchipuram. Inside the
temple complex, pilgrims also worship the Goddess Perundevi
,an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu.
Pilgrims can witness processions with huge white and red
umbrellas covering the deity during festivals.
The temple has around 350 inscriptions belonging to various

dynasties like the Cholas, Pandya, Kandavarayas, Cheras,
Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara kings. These indicate the political
landscape of the time and also the various donations made by
the rulers. The temple occupies an area of 23 acres and contains
32 shrines and 19 vimanas (towers). The temple has a 7-tier, 130
feet long Rajagopuram at the entrance. The gopuram on the east
is taller than the gopuram on the west. Inside the large temple
complex, there is a hundred pillared hall with stone sculptures
about the Mahabharata and the Ramayana along with a stone
chain sculpted out of a single rock.
This hall is usually closed off to the public with a metal fence
and features riders on horses or yaazhis. There are murals of
late Vijayanagara kings on the walls. Near the entrance there
is a mural of an elephant, being ridden by Lord Krishna. The
elephant is composed of nine women and is called the Nava Nari
Kunjara motif. Golden steps with deep pyramidal grooves lead
up to the sanctum of the temple where worshippers can touch
the sculpted lizard, sun and moon. They made of gold and silver
on the roof of a gilded room filled with intricate motifs. Pilgrims
stand in long queues to touch the lizard, which is said to wash off
the doshas or faults of anyone who touches it.
Atthi Varadaraja Perumal (Atthi Varadar) is the 10 feet deity

sculpture of the temple that is made of fig wood. It is stored
underground, inside the temple tank and is removed from there
for worship only once in 40 years. The rituals go on for 48 days
with the last one taking place in 2019.
Image 11: Vardharaja Temple

Image 12: Entrance of
Kanchi Kudil Museum
Kanchi Kudil Museum

70 ft.
This museum is built in a century-old house, meant to

PLAY preserve the lifestyle of the people hailing from the region.
ROOM
DRESSING
ROOM
The house has traditional red oxide flooring
KITCHEN
with wooden pillars. The hall consisted of a tall
OFFICE sloping roof area with wooden furniture. On the
walls hung Thanjavur paintings and photos of the
GOLU house’s occupants. The puja room contained a golu
HALL 2 ROOM
arrangement which is a practice of placing dolls
30 ft.
during Navratri.
There were lamps, figurines and rudraksha in this

HALL
room. The house also had a ladies dressing room,
office, children’s room and an area at the end of the
home for a well and courtyard.
ENTRY
The walls were decorated with historic photos that

depicted Tamil culture in the past two centuries.
Fig 2.2: Layout of Kanchi Kudil Museum

Demographics
According to the 2011 census, the district, Kanchipuram is Tami. Some of the locals have
consisting of 13 taluks, had a population of equipped themselves with English and a few
3,998,252, out of which 2,012,958 were male and dialects of Telugu.
1,985,294 were female. There were 1,006,245
households with 1,673,814 workers in the In the past, Kanchipuram was a centre of
district. religious education for the Hindu, Jain and
Buddhist beliefs. The Hindu school system
A majority of these workers are engaged in became popular with Sanskrit becoming an
agricultural activities. 63.5% of the people live important language. According to the 2011
in urban areas while 36.5% live in the rural census, Hinduism stood out as the majority
areas. The average literacy of the was 75.37% religion, with 88.47% following the faith. Second,
with the male literacy rate being higher at came Christianity (6.42%) followed by Islam
89.89% compared to the female literacy rate (4.35%). The majority of people in all towns in
at 79.02%. The sex-ratio was 986 females for the Kancheepuram district follow Hinduism.
every 1,000 males. The most spoken language in
Image 13: Procession in front Of Vardharaja Perumal Temple

Image 14: Procession In Vardharaja
Perumal Temple
Culture
Several festivals celebrated in Kanchipuram are tied to

the famous temples of the region. The Brahmotsavam
is a ten day long celebration at the Varadharaja
Perumal temple in which the Lord and his consorts
are given ceremonial baths and decorated . Their
statues are carried out in a parade every evening.
There is also the ten-day long Garudotsavam at
the Vaikunda Perumal temple. During the Naynar
Uryavan, devotees revere the 63 Naynar Saints and
the idol of the Lord Ekambaranath is taken around the
city in a parade. The temples here are also known for
their great temple chariots known as ‘ther’, which are
decorated with fresh flowers and bright paper. These
chariots are brought out of the temple premises for
specific festivals and are moved forward with the help
of devoted volunteers.
Carnatic music is common in this region. The music

traditionally consist of three parts, the raga (melodic
mode) , tala (rhythmic order), and the bhava (feeling,
emotion). Along with Carnatic music, Mayilattam is
practiced in the temples here. The dance is performed
by women to revere Lord Subramanya and can
therefore be seen at Murugan/Karthikeya temples.
The name, Mayilattem translates to ‘dance of the

peacock’. The costume is meant to mimic a peacock
with the use of peacock feathers and a beak that can
open and close. The dance also imitates the graceful
movements of a peacock.
01

Clothing represents the culture & tradition of a state.
The women of Kanchipuram wear traditional sarees.
Here, sarees are available in a variety of fabrics like
silk, cotton, and chiffon. A full-length short blouse
and shawl, called Pavada or the half saree is worn by
young girls. Apart from the traditional attire, many
women can be seen wearing jeans as well as the
salwar-kameez.
Men are accustomed to wearing Tamil traditional

clothing like the veshti (a white cloth wrap worn along
the waist) for formal settings and lungi (coloured
rectangular cotton cloth for the lower body) paired
with shirts for everyday use. This attire is also
commonly paired with an Angavastram, which is a
piece of cloth draped over the shoulders. Nowadays
people wear this above a shirt or a T-shirt.
Accessories usually help highlight or complete

an outfit. Hindu men wear a Vibhuti with sandal
paste on their forehead. Along with gold jewellery,
ornaments made of silver, copper & brass are also
common. Women wear jewellery like chains, earrings,
necklaces, bangles, anklets, nettichutti (jewellery worn
on the forehead, especially by brides), etc. Women also
adorn their hair with flowers and apply kunkumam
(dry red powder) on their hands, forehead and feet.
(Srinivas 2016)
Image 15: Kanjivaram Saree

The craft

01
Image 16 Stack of Sarees at sri Venkataswara Saree Shop

Introduction To Kanjivaram Silk Sarees
The saree is a long piece of un-stiched, woven fabric that border. The body of the saree is usually the largest in
is draped over the body, similar to a robe. The garment terms of area. A saree should be draped in such a way
has been worn by women across the Indian subcontinent that the design of this region is emphasised.
for millennia.
The border refers to the area running lengthwise at the
Considering this long history, there are hundreds of ways edge of the saree. It is often structurally different from
of draping a saree (Varma and Maini, n.d.) Styles vary for the rest of the saree, adding weight and improving the
every occasion, originating from various regions across draping of the garment.
Southern Asia. One end of the saree is usually tied at the
waist and wrapped around the body in such a way that the The pallu is the end piece that is usually draped over the
other end rests over the shoulder or over the head like a shoulder or used to cover the head of the person wearing
hood. Most sarees range from 4.5 to 9 yards in length and the saree. It is also called pallav.
24 to 48 inches in breadth.
Traditionally, the pallu is designed to match the border
Historically, sarees have been handwoven with cotton and of the saree harmoniously, while still being unique. The
silk, but synthetic fibre sarees are commonly produced saree is designed keeping in mind the principles of unity,
today. In our times, the saree is usually worn with a fitted emphasis, rhythm and proportion. Many sarees also
blouse and a petticoat. However, this was not a common feature an extra length of fabric, which is ‌stitched into a
practice before the British Raj. A saree consists of three matching blouse for the saree.
main parts, namely; the pallu, the body (or field) and the
Border Body Pallu
Fig 3.1: Parts of a saree

Cultural Significance
Silk sarees are worn at important events, especially weddings
and the festivities. They are considered auspicious and are
often offered to Goddesses or presented to relatives during
special occasions.
The colours and designs of a silk saree also influence its function
depending on the culture of the region. Some silk sarees are
also passed down as heirlooms from one generation to the
next. Some popular silk sarees in India include Kanchipuram,
Banarasi, Pochampally, Mysore, Assam silk sarees etc.
Kanchipuram sarees can be identified from their wide and
contrasting borders. Temple and nature inspired motifs can be
found on these sarees. In recent years, even paintings of Raja
Ravi Varma have been woven into them.
Provenance
The Kanchipuram saree originated in the town of Kanchipuram
in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Kanchipuram silk weaving has been
practised for over 400 years and still remains popular today.
Over the years, the town has been ruled by numerous dynasties,
including Chola, Mughal, and British dynasties. Under King
Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty, the town
experienced its most significant growth. During this period,
the two major weaving communities of Andhra Pradesh, the
Devangas and Saligars, who were known for their weaving
skills, moved into the village of Kanchipuram.
Using their weaving skills, the Weavers created motifs inspired

by the architecture of temples. They included stunning designs
of figures they had seen in the temples around the village.
According to Hindu mythology, the Kanjeevaram silk weavers
are descendants of Sage Markanda, who was known as the
weaver of the Gods. He worshipped Lord Shiva and he is known
to have woven the first fabric from lotus fibre which came out
Lord Vishnu’s navel. Cotton fabric is said to be the favourite of
Lord Shiva, while silk is a favourite of Lord Vishnu. Therefore,
the Kanji saree weavers have woven both cotton and silk sarees
simultaneously.
Weaving with silk is relatively new but cotton has been woven
here since the time of the Pallavas. The East coast was known
for its cotton weaving. The ships would come upstream from
Mahabalipuram. Raja Raja Chola might have invited weavers
from Saurashtra to establish looms here. When Benaras was
attacked by Aurangzeb many silk weavers migrated South to
Image 17: Saree Pallu Kanchipuram and Coimbatore.

Techniques
Petni Korvai Technique
• The process of twisting the warp, moving • Korvai means in sync and is an ancient
the heddles and reed, then untwisting and technique that joins the thicker ply of
joining them again is the Petni technique. This zari borders to the body of the saree on a
technique is wherein the 'udal' or the body is Kanchipuram sari. Because the Zari border
joined with the pallu by creating a narrow strip interlocks at both ends of the sari, it’s also
of double fabric, within which the warp and known as “three shuttle” weaving. The
weft colours merge to form a new hue. designs are inspired by temple motifs and
carvings. When weaving a korvai saree, two
• Usually, heavy silk sarees with elaborate zari weavers sit at both weft ends of the loom to
borders and the end pieces are woven using throw the shuttle. Ply refers to the number
this Petni technique. Once the pallu weaving of strands twisted together to form a single
of the first saree is complete, the pallu of the thread. The most typical "ply" we see is one
second saree is woven and the warp is removed or two strands.
to join the new one so that the body of the • The border and the body of a korvai saree are
second saree is woven. woven separately and then joined later by
hand.
• The use of this technique results in the change in
colours extracted from leaves, barks and seeds. • Korvai saris are more expensive than plain
Weavers have been using the three-shuttle silks because they use a labour-intensive
weaving and interlocking weft to get this effect. procedure that demands delicate and skilled
To complete this with utmost perfection, the fingers. Although most Kanchipuram sarees
weaver takes upto two days, making it the one have contrasting colours between the body
of the most labour intensive processes used to and the border, nowadays it depends on the
weave a saree. needs of the customer.
• There are three types:
Plain: joined in a single line
Small temple border: triangular temple
Adai and Jala techniques border called muggu
Rekku Korvai: bigger temple spire motifs,
resembles the kewra or a “thazambu”
• The Adai and Jala were traditional techniques flower
for weaving intricate border designs. Each of the Thalamppu Rekku: is the name given to
techniques is used in different places. broad temple motifs. The Gopuram Rekku
• Jalais the name given to the technique of using refers to the temple motifs. The seepu
extra warp and weft for the intricate designs in rekku is a comb style pattern.
the saree border. It is commonly used in Varanasi Pitni: is the weave used to attach the pallu
(Banarasi) silk sarees. to the main body of the saree. It appears as
a single continuous weave.
• Kanchipuram is famous for adai technique,
mainly about the weaving designs in the border
where the cords are attached to the loom to lift
the warp threads and the weft yarn is woven

Types Of Sarees
Madisar is the name given to the saree that is worn by Brahmins. Unlike other
sarees, which are 5.5 metres long, this saree is 8.5 to 9 metres in length. The silk
madisaree unusually does not have intricate designs or patterns. It is woven in solid
colours with golden borders containing arumbu (flower bud) or temple motifs.
Mupaggam refers to a saree in which the the saree width is divided into three parts.
Arai Pagam is the name given to a saree whose width has been divided into two.
Patterns, Stripes and Checks

• Puliyam- Kottai Kattam directly means tamarind seeds. It is used
for two toned sarees that have patterned checks around an inch
in size.
• Muthu Kattam refers to tiny white squares which look like pearls.
The kattam is done in silk thread to provide contrast.
• Koorai Kattam is inspired by the checks woven in Koorainadu of
Tanjore village.
• Kottadi Kattam refers to zari checks woven into the body of the
saree
• Vazhaipoo Stripes are called aathi vazhai (plantain flowers)
• Thandavalam Stripes are inspired by parallel railway tracks
• Veldhari Stripes is derived from kolams. It consists of wavy lines
and dots woven into the warp
• Vaira Oosi means diamond needle and refers to thin lines running
parallel to the border.
• High court papli checks are a pattern inspired by the tiles on the
Madras High Court which contains black and white checks.
• “Palum Pazhamum” (milk and fruit) is traditionally woven in
red, yellow or green. It was popularised in 1961 when the movie
Palum Pazhamum with famous actors, Sivaji Ganesan and Saroja
Devi was released, although none of the leads wears the design.
(Mohan 2018)
• Kasa-Kasa (kattam) is a name derived from poppy seeds and
refers to small checks on the saree.
Image 18: Sarees being shown at Venkateswara Society Shop

Image 19 & 20 Relief work in Vardharaja Perumal Temple and
Ekambaranathar Temple respectively (top to bottom)

Designing The Saree
Fig 3.2: Design Process Flowchart
Firstly, each motif or design is made specifically for the customer needs based on the market sales that are in great
demand. Based on the saree's size and colour, motifs can be stylized.
1 - A rough sketch of the motif is illustrated in a paper. The color scheme and size of the motifs are planned at the
beginning. For example, if the border size is 5 inches or 2 inches, the motif is drawn accordingly. The motifs can be,
peacock, yaazhi, maanga, yaanai, etc. On the basis of the main motif, supporting motifs are drawn as well.
2 - After sketching out the final motifs, all the designs are drawn in the graph paper, either manual or computerized
(Swathi Textile Designer software commonly used). The finishing of the motif should be even in size and position
whether its done manually or digitally. For example, if the peacock motif has slimmer neck then the final motif should
have the same.
3 - After the motif is drawn, it goes to the punching machine where the cards with desired design are punched. The
card can hold 120, 240, 212, 256, 400, 480, 600, 720 and 1000 pixel worth of motifs. An electronic jacquard can also hold
a larger 2400-pixel design.
4- Afterwards, the technique of weaving is decided whether it is jala, adai, or jacquard. If its adai technique, the loom is
set according to the design being woven.
5 - The position of the motifs are decided whether it should be placed on the body, pallu or the border. Supporting
motifs are often placed over the main motifs on the border. Based on their size, main motifs and supporting motifs can
be differentiated.
6 - Zari thread is used depending upon the number of motifs in the saree. According to the customer's preferences;
tested zari, silk fast zari, and embossed silk threads are used.

Image 21, 22, 23 & 24 L TO R, Top to bottom: 1. Motif Designs, 2. Computerising the Design,
3. Mr B Krishnamurthy’s collection of motifs, 4. A designer computerising the design

Thinking process while designing the motifs The manufacture of silk saris involves the use of
technology. The conventional design procedure has
• Kanchipuram silk saree motifs are inspired been largely overhauled by the automated design
from the temples. Based on the customer method.
preference, designers illustrate the The motif’s image is first scanned, after which it is
traditional motifs in stylised version. If its traced and bitmap-filled. The image is finally written
customisable, according to the customer’s to the punch cards. The punch cards are now fed into
interpretation, designers visualize the idea the jacquard machine in the shape of a chain and the
and illustrate the motifs. weaving process begins. This automated procedure is
easy and efficient.
• Since Kanchipuram is famous for color
contrast between body and the border,
colours of the motifs are decided before they Petni and korvai technique, 5 or 4 grams of pure zari
draw in graph paper. thread, describes the original Kanchipuram saree.
Apart from the historical temples motifs, new designs
• Size and placements of each motifs is are used from raja ravi varma paintings, mughal
discussed before setting up the loom. motifs.
Elements of the Designs
The fundamental unit of a design is a motif. Some of in the prayers and the architectural wonders of the
the inspirations from which motifs are derived are, city. In the case of kanjivaram saree weaving, motifs
nature, or even socioeconomic, cultural or religious can be divided according to where they are found on
factors. a saree’ namely the border, body or pallu.
They are all very colourfully represented through More than the mere aesthetic appeal, motifs on
designs on various surfaces, which also adds on to the Kanjivaram sarees are symbols from the ethos of
beauty of it. Motifs have been a part of the fashion life. The genius is not just in the choice of motifs, but
scene in India, ever since the land was under the also in the way that these motifs are put together in
regime of kings. the saree that when seen overall forms a beautiful
ecosystem of floral, animal and geometrical designs.
The same can be seen in the legacy of kanjivaram
sarees. Motifs are extremely important to what makes It is important to understand the orgin of these
a kanjivaram saree its namesake. Kanjivaram’s motifs motifs to understand the reason behind their use.
are rooted in local contexts and artistic traditions. Since motifs always have a source of inspiration, they
They represent centuries of history in a simple form. have stories to tell, beliefs to share and legends to be
Weavers have found inspiration in the temples they passed down.
visited and the gods they worhipped, the flowers used

Image 25: Saree at Venkateswara Society Shop

Motifs
Life Forms
Motifs used in Kanchipuram sarees are not just for decorative purposes but have a lot of mythological/folklore connotations. Motifs
here have a twin role- aesthetic appeal and a reflection of symbolic meaning. Some traditional motifs serve a protective functions,
for instance, guarding the wearer from the evil eye. Some motifs reveal rich histories of patterns most of whose sources are beyond
textiles. Close resemblance to Tamil paintings, temple architecture, sculpture, dance, literature and so on. The rich ornamentation
of motifs as shown in the Kanchipuram temples, the land of a thousand temples, so, inspiration has been taken from the place itself-
unique temple motif- form of rows of large triangles woven into the fabric. Apart from using motifs on the body of the saree, there are
a number of geometric patterns that are also used to enhance the background to the motif embellishment. Some of them are, checks
(kattam), diagonal lines (vari), circular forms (buttis).
Annam (Hamsam)
• Beautiful swan which is celebrated by poets and
philosophers- recurring motif- drawn from the walls of
Kanchipuram temples.
• Annapakshi motifs which appeared in Gandharan and
Kushan sculptures which was later incorporated into
temple sculpture and Hindu iconography.
• This bird is a feature of decoration on the heroine of
Kalidasa’s epic Kumarasambhava wedding saree.
Iruthalaipakshi (2 headed eagle)

• Garuda-Dhvaja is the emblem of victory.
• Two headed eagles have been present in imagery for
millennia in various civilizations in the world.
• This particular motif is woven on body and pallu of saree.
• Motif takes on a regal splendour- woven in rich gold zari or
colored silk yarn.
Kili (parrot)
• Parrot has always played an important role in Tamil
culture- symbol of truth and transmission of teachings by
sages.
• According to ancient literature, Sage Suka and
Arugirinathan took form of a parrot to recite and record
some of the greatest shlokas. Parrot also adorns the favorite
goddesses of the south- Meenakshi and Andal. Motif is also
associated with God of Love- Kama.
• Not only the shape but also the distinctive green color of the
parrot- kilipachai- is also a favourite among Kanchipuram
sarees.

Mayil (peacock)
• Associated with royalty and regal pomp.
• Associated with worship of Lord Murugan- He is depicted on a
peacock vahana or vehicle.
• Yapenngala Vriti is a 12th century text that describes the city of
Kanchipuram as a peacock.
• Athiyur where the Varadharajaperumal Swamy temple is located
is referred to as the head of the peacock, while the Shaiva Kanchi
temple forms the body.
• Deeply rooted symbolism paved way for the famous Mayil Chakaram
motif in the Kanchipuram Saree.
Simham (lion)
• Vaikunta Perumal temple’s outer praharam has Pallava sculpted
lions on the Mandapam pillars. These are not mere adornments of
temple architecture but the sculptural and textual evidence reveals
that when the temple was consecrated (Kumbhabisheka), these
lions embodied the brilliant conquering power from Goddess Durga.
• The lion is an insignia in almost all civilizations and in textile design
of Tamilnadu it is associated with the mystical yaazhi. The lion is
used as a linear design in border and pallu of kanjivaram saree.
Yaazhi (part lion, part elephant or part horse)

• Popular motif guarding the corridors and entrance of most temples
in Tamilnadu.
• Ubiquitous in Tamil temple architecture and Kanchipuram saree.
• Potent motif of power greater than lion/elephant
• Vehicle of budhan (mercury) (one of the Navagrahas)
• Majestic gopurams of temples- row of lines specifically crafted for
depicting the Yaazhi (called Yaazhi varisai)
• In textiles- simha yaazhi, yaanai yaazhi, hamsa yaazhi.
Meen (fish)
• Potent- fertility symbols of tribal communities in India.
• Pandyas of Madurai used fish on their dynastic emblem
• Motif seen along borders called MeenPattu.
• Associated with vaishnavism.

Kuthirai (horse)
• Horses galloping across the border and pallu of a kanjivaram saree
form a stunning pictorial panel.
• Predominant feature of the mandapams of temples like Yaazhis
and also forms part of the Vana Sigaram- hunting scene woven on
the brocades
• Horse is also closely affliated with rural art
• Mannkuthirai of Ayyanar- part of rural landscape- weavers took
inspiration from this for a different form of the motif.
Maan (deer)
• Golden deer as described in Ramayana and is symbolic of innocence
and non violence
• Kanakavali’s signature logo is this maan, and is rare but beautiful
on the sumptuous silk.
• Also connected with iconography of Lord Shiva and vehicle of
Vayu, God of Wind.
Yaanai (elephant)
• Auspicious animal- traditionally associated with royalty and
depicted along with goddess of wealth Lakshmi.
• In temple architecture- row of elephants- as though holding up the
entire temple structure as a symbol of protective power. Similar is
seen on the saree border/pallu.
Kuyilkann & Mayilkann (cuckoo & peacock eyes)

• Supplementary design for borders
• Intricate and exquisite
• Diamond mesh designs adorn the pattu border in saris and veshtis
• Mayilkann veshti with Ganga Jamuna border in red and green is
worn by bridegrooms during weddings
• Mayilkann motif is heavier and slightly larger than the kuyilkann
which has a small central dot within the diamond pattern- a
favorite on sari borders.

Meen chethil kann
• Meen chethil kann means scale of the fish.
• The fish scale is small surface of the fish’s skin. It’s a
protective layer for the skin
• Inspired from the pattern of the fish’s scale.
Temple
AraiMaadam
• Meaning ‘half niche’, is the triangular niche seen in the walls of
the temples of Kanchipuram, meant for lighting diyas.
• arai maadam is seen in the border of the kanjeivaram saree and
the border is sough after in the tradition 9 yard saree, madisar;
ans dalso in the dhotis of grooms.
• the border looks the same from both sides wich makes it more
preferable.
Poo Chakram
• One of the oldest motifs in kanjivaram sarees.
• It can be spread across the body to create simple and stunning
design
• It represents the circle of life.
Paai Madi (Basket weave)

• Along with kanivaram saree, the motif is seen in cotton lungis
whicha re called payyadi lungis
• These lugis have been exported out to other south asian
countries in history
• It is a part of the ground fabric of the saree, and is rich in
depcting colour and contrast. (Mohan 2018)

Flora
Rudraksham
• Rudrakshas are the sacred beads of Lord Shiva
• The motif is generally found along the border and on the
body as buttis in a bigger size
• The rudraksha seed is obtained from rudraksha tree
(Elaeocarpus ganitrus) growing at the foothills of the
Himalayas - rudraksha translates into the tears of Lord
Shiva.
Seepu reku
• The striped seepu reku often occurs on pallus, yet its
tapering pattern distinguishes it as a variation of the
temple motif.
• Its evenly-spaced, slender lines resemble a comb or ‘seepu’
in Tamil.
Kodi Visiri (creeper)

• This pattern can be seen on horizontal beams in south
indian temples
• It is used in the borders or pallu
Thazampoo reku (kewra flower)

• Thazampoo reku is named after the sacred flower of the
screw pine, for it too is wide and sharp-edged.
• It is border motif, identified by its repeating geometric
triangular and often layered shape which resembles the
temple gopuram

Thuthiripoo (udhiri pookal)
• Thuthiripoo is a word derived from utharippu which means loose
flowers.
• This motif is used in between border compositions creating a sense
of delicacy and elegance.
Kamalam or Thamarai (Lotus)

• Lotus is associated with the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi, Saraswathi
and also with Brahma, the creator.
• A saree’s design is always adorned by the weavers individuality and
aesthetic.
• The eight petals signify new beginnings.
Mango (manga)
• Sthala Vruksham is the 3500 year old mango tree located at the
Ekambareswarar temple. It is said to produce four different
mangoes like the four vedas
• Inner details or standalone motif - used in border body and pallu
• Known as paisley - part of persian repertoire, mughal
• Stockier and more stylized
Malli Moggu (jasmine bud)

• Moggu is the Tamil word for a flower bud. It is a part of everyday
ritual like being used as an adorment ina womans hair and for
amking garlands for idols and marriages
• Jasmine is the flower used most commonly in tamil nadu and it is
often showed on the body of the saree.

Culture and Accessories
Paneer sombu
• Paneer sombu/ rose water pot with sweet sombu
(fennel) is an indian welcome culture.
• Mostly seen in indian weddings, conference meetings
or any family functions.
• The motif is inspired from the warm welcome culture
and designed as a pattern.
• Found in border of the saree.
Star
• The shape of the star is designed in various way.
• Mostly placed in the borders.
Thilakam
• Generally a mark on the forehead, often a red mark
which is worn by Indian women
• Found in border of the saree.
• Inspired from the shape of the mark on the forehead.
Rudranchal meen
• A combination of the meen motif anf the rudrakham
motif
• generally used for borders of sarees
Salangai ( bell anklet)

• Salangai is an ornament which is worn by Indian
women.
• Inspired from the shape of the tiny bells and mostly
found in the borders.

Box thuthirppu
• A thuthiripoo known as indian mallow which is
designed inside the box which is known as box
thuthiripoo.
• Mostly found in borders.
Kathir mokku
• It means the corn bud.
• Motifs are inspired from the shape of corn bud.
• Mostly found in body and borders of the saree.
Paisa
• A unit of a rupee in india
• Inspired from the shape and value of the paisa in old
times.
Bogudi
• A tiny triangle of consecutive designs that run across on
the border or pallu
• It’s inspiration is the shape of mokku
Vanki
• Vanki is a V - shaped ornament which is worn around
the arm.
• The Ornament is worn by Indian women during their
wedding ceremonies.
• Mostly found in saree borders.
• Weavers found the inspiration from the ornament and
designed it in different forms of motifs.

Tools Used For Weaving
Flying shuttle (nada) - It is used to insert yarns

for weaving. To make a variety of patterns,weft
threads are placed through the fly shuttle.
Traditional bamboo spool (Parivattam) -

Yarns from the hank are twisted
on a spool locally called “parivattam”.
Spinning wheel (Mararatinaam) -

IC is used to spin silk yam to pins. It helps
in turniny she yarn taost spoods onto shaft.
Pirns butta thirte - Yarns trom parivattam

wound to the plastic sticks are called pirns

Steel nails (kambi) - They are used
toweign down the tread co separate It.
Comb - It is used to hold the weft

in place while weaving.
Measuring tape- Plastic measuring tapes to determine final

measurements, but also use them to figure out what size is needed
for the final project.
Punch cards - The design is punched on the punch

cards. The cards are stacked into jacquard machine.
Design get scanned and traced, then at particular
time, moved to the punch cards.

Degumming
Fig 3.3: Dgumming and dyeing process flowchart
Degumming is the process of removing sericin or gum from the silk yarn before it is sent for dyeing. This step is crucial in the entire procedure
because it ensures that the yarn reacts well to the dyes.
Skipping this step generally results in the yarn’s colour being dull regardless of the amount of dye used and the dye also fading sooner. Colours
like arakku (maroon), kanchana brown, navy blue and many more will get a brighter effect after dyeing.
Raw Materials and Tools Process
• The raw materials used for this process include soap oil, 1 - Water is boiled at a high temperature so that
washing soda and water. The use of washing machines has the gum is removed from the silk when it’s dipped.
modernised the process.
2 - Washing Soda and soap oil are poured inside the
• According to the required amount of raw silk for body, pallu container and mixed well.
and blouse, the silk is dipped into the washing machine by
3 - Next, raw silk (weight depending on saree order)
mixing 100 gm of washing soda and 10 ml of soap oil per
is dipped three times repetitively into the water.
kilo of raw silk. Dipping of the raw silk is done three times
more times in the same water. This is done before dyeing to
prepare the raw silk to absorb the colors which are about
to be dyed.
• Colours like arakku (maroon), kanchana brown, navy blue
and many more will get a brighter effect after dyeing.
(“Degumming of silk” 2017)

Image 26: Silk during the dyeing process
Dyeing
Raw Materials and Tools
• During dyeing, steam is used instead of fire to reduce the for 1 kg. Similarly, Dt. Chrysophenine G H/C dye was
workload. The use of steam reduces a two-day process with available for Rs 1215 per kg from the same producers.
fire to half a day. At the dyeing unit, there is a separate
area for the furnace. The dyeing unit that we researched • Another producer of chemical dyes was Colourtex
had been using steam for dyeing for 3 years. Before this, Industries Pvt. Ltd. which is based out of Surat.
they used a firewood stove which took more time and also
needed a proper ventilation system in the unit. • For the first stage of dyeing, the dye and water are mixed
with washing soda and soap oil. 100 gm of washing soda
• Natural dyes are rare and dyers mostly use chemical dyes. and 10 ml of soap oil is used per kg of raw silk that is dyed.
The colours of a saree are divided according to pallu, body, According to the amount of raw silk, the container size for
and blouse and are dyed separately. 70-80 gms of the dyeing will differ.
required amount of dye is used per a saree for the main
body. For the blouse, around 20-30 gms of dye is used. • Usually, three kilos of raw silk is dyed in one batch.The
These are still often measured using traditional weighing final stages of dyeing use acetic acid and coconut oil. Large
scales. cans of 30KG net glacial acetic acid produced by Gujarat
Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals Limited were
• The chemical dyes are obtained from Mumbai and Surat. stored near the entrance of the building, a little away
They come in packets of 500g and 1kg. The price varies for from the steam. Since the liquid is highly flammable and
each colour. A dye named Acid Red 3BN Conc. by Chander corrosive it needs to be handled with care.
Dye Chem. Industries from Mumbai was priced at Rs 1030

L to R Image 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31- Silk sectioned for different colours in dyeing; Dyer sectioning raw silk; dyeing, Silk in dyeing couldron, Swatches for dyeing

Process
Before the silk goes into the dyeing process, the raw silk is dyers uses they use 1 kilo of color powder even though
dipped in cold water to get more lustrous and stiff raw silk. the 100 g of color powder is needed, because when there is
more water, more color dye has to be added.
1 - According to the amount of raw silk used, water is boiled
at the normal heating temperature like how one boils 5 - Next, silk yarn is dipped into the steamed container
water at home. Dyers adjust the boiling point in the furnace with the help of steel rods, where each dyer carries two
according to the need of heat applied for dyeing. rods each. Dyeing is done by two people.
2 - Next, any one of the basic five colours are first added to 6 - Dyers twist and turn the yarn while dipping them into
the container. The basic first colours are half white, lemon the water over ten times to get the silk dyed evenly. If it’s
yellow, mustard, and golden mustard. Dyers prefer to use not accurate, they repeat the process until the desired color
half white colour to get the purity of the hues. is achieved.
3 - 100 g of washing soda and 10 ml of soap oil is added to 7 - The dyed silk is dropped into the container consisting of
the container. normal water to remove any excess colour.
4 - The required color powder is added. Generally, they add 8 - It takes one day to dry the entire dyed yarn. Dyers
100g to 1 kg per dye. For example, if its body of the saree, usually dry them during the night until next day’s morning.
Colours and Dyeing
One of the best textile traditions is found in South India, where skilled craftsmen mix their talent with design, colour, and
weave features inspired by the surrounding’s mythical and cultural heritage. Adding on to that, in Tamil Nadu specially, using
colour to make a statement is part of our social consciousness. The weaver and the cloth he weaves have a unique relationship
because of the weaver’s calm sensitivity, which is steeped in tradition, ritual and religious fervour. As a significant place of
devotion, Kanchipuram’s traditional weavings always had a religious theme to them, reflecting prevailing cultural norms.
Colours have always been strongly tied with auspiciousness, symbolizing various social and religious variables, as we saw in the
first version of the Varna Sutra, especially when picking Kanjivaram sarees for weddings and important celebrations. Dyeing
makes it possible to bring about the choiciest colours and shades on silk leading to value addition of the silk materials. Silk
offers a wide colouration possibility covering almost the entire spectrum of colours and hues due to its ready acceptability for a
large range of dyestuffs. Some of the common shades of colours that are seen are: red (arakku), yellow (manjal), green (pachai),
blue (nila) and black (karuppu).
01

Image 32: A red kanjivaram saree with rudraksham borders
Colours Of Kanjivaram Sarees
Red (Raktha) and The Entire Palette

The colour red is the first colour humans mastered, fabricated,
reproduced and broke into different shades. It has held a certain
power over all the other colours. The real zari in a Kanjivaram saree
has a unique aspect to it, that being a red thread runs in a single strand
of zari. This is an auspicious addition as well as a depth of colour to the
weave. Arakku, is a distinctive colour lying between red and maroon
and it marks the transition of pink into a deep red. It is a shade that is
unique to Kanjivaram and an absolute favourite choice for the bridal
saree.
Kempu
ruby red of uncut gemstones which adorned
Thanjavur paintings and temple jewellery of
dancers.
Arakku
Largely preferred shade of red for bridal
sarees
Milagaipazham Red
Has the essence of glowing red of chillies which
makes the wearer of the saree stand out
Kumkuma Red
It is the vermillion colour of the powder
used for religious markings, mainly on the
forehead.

Thakkali Red
Vengayam
It is the fresh colour of ripened tomatoes
It is the pastel pink of Indian onions
with a slight tinge of orange.
Thamarai
It is the colour of the sacred lotus and it
Brick Red is revered for its colour since it is also an
Earthen brownish red colour of sengal, or ancient symbol with a divine connection
brick, made from semman, or red soiled to the Gods Vishnu, Bramha and goddesses
earth. Lakshmi and Saraswathi.
Chembaruthy Red Rani Pink

Colour of bright reddish orange flowers A very unique shade also referred to as
which are used in pujas and worship. shocking pink.
Pattu Roja Meenakshi

Colour of fragrant pink garden roses which Deep pink shot with blue
are used in bridal garlands
Paneer Roja
Baby pink of the scented rose which is used
to make rose water and food flavourings.

Image 33: Green saree border
Green (pachai) and the entire palette
Green is fondly known as the ‘colour of life’ and it comes alive in

a variety of shades on the lustrous Kanjivaram silks. It was one of
the essential colours of the ancient craft, at a time before synthetic
dyes came to Kanchipuram. Green has always been associated with
fertility and new life, evoking a sense of freshness and positivity.
Green is one of the most versatile colours, from the various shades
ranging from brilliant jewel tones to soft pastel hues. The various
nomenclature for the shades of green have been drawn from daily
life, food and culture.
Elakkai pachai
The light shade of green whose name is derived
from the cardamom pods which are of the same
shade of colour.
Ilai pachai
It is the vivid colour of chlorophyll found in
leaves.
Kili pachai
It refers to the vibrant parrot colour.
Manthulir
It is a stunning green-red shade best describing
the beauty of tender mango leaves and
symbolizes the onset of summer.
01
Pon Vandu Emerald Green
A yellowish green shade, it represents It is one of the colours among the Navaratnas
the iridescent golden glow of the golden and the green stone from which the name of the
beetle. shade is derived from is believed to belong to
the planet Mercury
Paasi Pachai
Alli Pachai
This is a raw and earthy shade of moss green
It is the symphony of white and green of
water lilies in a pond.
Bottle green
Refers to the rich colour of the dark green
colour seen in glass bottles.
Mayil Kazhuthu
This shade derives its name from the shimmering
blues and greens which can be found in the
peacock’s neck.

Blue (Nila) and the entire palette
Nila, or Blue is the colour of infinity and a representation of

vastness. Lord Vishnu is represented in a dark shade of blue which
characterizes most of His incarnations- the colour of the sky and the Sky blue
ocean on which he reclines. The Lord is referred to as the one with A delightfully bright blue shade, it is a celes-
skin the colour of dark blue rain clouds. India’s rich textile history tial colour resembling the sky at noon.
over indigo launched thousand fleets of the world to trade with us.
This is a colour spectrum that combines ancient spiritual

connotations with references to popular culture and a sense of the
contemporary as well.
Krishna Meghavarnam
This is a beautiful two toned shade of violet
MS blue: shot with arakku. It is the colour of dark rain
having derived its name from the legendary Car- clouds associated with Lord Krishna.
natic vocalist and Bharat Ratna M.S.Subbulaksh-
mi, this is a middle-sea-blue shade and it has
become a must have in every Kanjivaram saree
collection. Turquoise Blue
The name is derived from a gorgeous blue-
green gemstone. This shade has acquired
Ananda blue: significance as a sacred stone and has found
This is a vivid shade of sky blue and it is refer- its way into the saree colours also.
enced to Lord Krishna.
Sapphire Blue
Navy blue Also called ‘Neelam’ in Tamil, this shade
This is the very dark shade of blue and the highlights the love for gemstones particularly
name is derived from the uniforms worn by the Navaratna. This precious light blue colour
the British Royal Navy. The navy blue on the comes alive on the exquisite silken drape.
Kanjivaram silk is like the midnight sky, often
dotted with zari motifs like stars.
Copper Sulphate blue

Neelambari This is a distinctive shade of blue, which is
This is a dark blue-black hue which is seen as rich and vivid and it is widely used among
one of the darkest blue shades. Kanjivaram sarees.
Ink blue Kathiri Poo

A deep blue colour of the ink traditionally Having derived its name from ‘kathiri’, or egg-
used in fountain pens and it lends the silk a plant, it is a beautiful shade of purple
gorgeous glow.

December Poo
It is a distinctive purple tone and found its
place among Kanjivaram sarees and its name
is derived from the flower that blooms in the
winter months.
Vadamalli
It is the colloquial name for the globe am-
aranth flower. This is one of the favourite
shades of Kanjivaram saree connoisseurs.
Naval Pazham
The name of this shade is derived from the
crimson and purple hued berries of the ja-
mun fruit, which is indigenous to the Indian
subcontinent.
Image 34: Blue Saree border

Image 35: Yellow kanjivaram saree
Yellow (Manjal) and the entire palette
The intricate symbolism woven throughout the Kanjivaram saree which

is already aesthetically pleasing in and of itself, only serves to enhance
its beauty. Every woven pattern or motif, coupled with the colour of the
silk has meaning for both the weaver and the user, just as every mudra
or hand motion in the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam is a visual
representation of a word or concept. There are many implications
attached with the yellows and oranges of Kanjivaram saree.
Yellow as a colour is strongly entrenched into the culture and mentality

in India. Without turmeric or manjal, a substance which has medicinal
effects, no ritual in Hinduism is complete. The striking hues in this
palette are also drawn from fruits, flowers and flavours typical to a
South Indian kitchen. Some of the names given to yellow are, Pitha (the
hue yellow), Ranjani (that which adds colour), Varna Datri (that which
improves the complexion of the body) and Haridra (showing that it is
dear to Hari or Lord Krishna).
Srichurnam
An orange-yellow shade, it is the colour of the central
line of tilakam worn by the Vaishnavites, which is a
representation of the grace of Sri or Goddess Lakshmi.
Elumichai
A lemon yellow shade, it is a delicate citrus colour
which is elegant and lovely on silk.
Mambazham
Having derived its name from the mango fruit, this
shade is a Kanjivaram classic; this mambazham yellow
and mangai motif are pervasive to Kanjivaram sarees.
Kesari/Kumkumapoo
This is the golden orange colour of saffron that ap-
pears on the Indian flag and it is very lustrous on the
saree.

Pasu Manjal Black (karuppu) White and Gold; the
It is the tender turmeric colour, and apart from its
use in rituals, manjal is a key element especially
entire palette
during Pongal, the harvest festival of Tamil Nadu.
The history of colours that are seen in the Kanjivaram saree are
carved out of a lifelong fascination with South India’s traditions
and social norms. Ritual, spiritual and cultural customs offer
Sandhanam guidelines specifying colours to be worn for various significant
Colour of sandalwood, it always has an elegant look events and to mark different stages of life. In particular, shades
on Kanjivaram sarees. It also has a significant place- of black and white are symbolic of this.
ment in history.
Weavers of the Kanjivaram saree use black yarn more often
in the weft pattern of a saree, infusing the warp colour with a
darker hue. Black sarees are a rare colour to spot at traditional
weddings and occasions. In contrast, white is much more com-
Kanakambaram mon than the black colour. The Kanjivaram wedding saree in
A light orange shade, this shade has derived its name lustrous shades of white with golden zari takes on various hues
from the much-adored tropical flower which is strik- such as pearl, ivory and so on.
ing, but delicate.
Karuppu
Fanta Orange This is the basic black colour that takes on
Named after one of the most popular beverages in In- various shades categorized from masikkai
dia, this shade is quite distinctive. black to kanmai black, which refers to kohl.
Vendhayam: this is the double hued brownish yellow Some weavers even till date apply kohl onto
seeds of fenugreek which is one of the important in- new sarees before handing it over to the
gredients in South Indian cooking as well. clients.
Eiyam
Thaen This shade refers to the tin colours of the
The lustrous, dark amber shot shade of honey is a vessels used to prepare and serve food.
stunning colour on silk.
Cement grey
Gold
This shade is a sign of influence of the first
Fondly referred to as “goldu” by the weavers, it is the
cement factory in India in the early 1900s.
colour of zari in the saree and lustre of the silk is ac-
This cool and smoky shade of grey stands out
cented by the use of the same and therefore makes up
beautifully on sarees with contrast borders.
to be a key element in bridal sarees.

Image 36: Black kanjivaram silk saree
Yaanai
The name is derived from elephants, who are seen don-
ning the same colour and hence this shade is also called
Elephant Grey.
Muthu
Also called Pearl White, this lustrous white silk draws
inspiration from the colours of pearl. The most classic
combination on the saree is a pearl white body with an
arakku border.
Vennai
This refers to the golden white colour of freshly churned
butter
Sambal
This is also known as ash grey colour, and its tonality lies
halfway between black and white
Kumaran:
Also called off-white colour, it is a spectrum of whites that
includes cream, ivory and vanilla.

Warping
Fig 3.4: Warping and spinning flowchart
A bamboo stand that is 45 inches in height and 61 inch long, rope, large nail is hammered into the ground to fix the rope
and stand. There were holes on the road already made for this purpose, kanji (starch water)
Process
The warping is done in the streets, preferably early in the 2 - Rice water starch is coated on the yarns once they are laid
morning, to avoid sun bleaching the silk yarn's colour. To in straight rows. This is done to strengthen them and to reduce
complete the warping procedure, approximately 3 to 5 artisans the friction during weaving. Kanji is the name given to the
are required. The warp consists of a count of 5000 threads fermented rices starch water which they preserve for at least 5
together for a saree. Approximately 2500 is the thread count days before usage.
for weft.
3 - The warp threads are then beaten with a wooden stick to make
1 - This involves the preparation of the stand where the yarns the yarns stiff and to separate them without entanglements.
are separated and attached to both ends on a bamboo beam Another stick is used to separate them manually
and the knots which hold the threads together after the dyeing
process are removed.

Image 37, 38, 39, 40; L TO R 1. Warp thread being examined; 2 Warp threads being beaten by wood;
3 Warped yarn being bundled together; 4 marking the distance on warp threads and being tied together.

Spinning
Fig 3.5 Degumming and dyeing process flowchart
• Parivattam is the name of the traditional bamboo spool that is used to prevent tangling of the silk.
• Charkha (Mara-Ratinaam) - used to spin yarn onto spindles for the preparation of weft.
• Spindles - yarn from mara-rayinaam is moved into spindles. The shuttle is embedded with these spindles,
which are used for weaving.
• Pirns (butta theree) - is a small plastic rod onto which thread is wound for weaving.
Process
Initially, the silk yarn is spun onto the Parivattam. After this, the silk yarn is transferred onto the spindles
with the use of the spinning wheel. The shuttle is embedded with these spindles while weaving to weave the
weft. This whole process is practiced to avoid tangling of the yarn and make the weaving process simpler.
01
01

Image 41: Yarn being
prepared for weaving

Preparing Zari
Process
Zari is made up of red coloured silk yarn twisted with the silver
thread which is then dipped into the gold to get a pure gold zari
thread. In the tested zari, copper thread is coated with gold. Try
scratching the zari or pulling it with your fingers and gliding it
with your nails to see if the red coloured silk yarn appears, if it
doesn't, then it's a duplicate zari.
1 - Four steel rods are aligned separately to each other in a

horizontal way facing the zari maker.
2 - A bundle of Zari threads are untwisted by hands and

placed in each rod.
3 - Zari threads are released from the knot and expanded

from each thread to avoid the interconnections between
each other and entanglements. Fans and other potential
sources of disturbance are avoided so that the threads
don’t get twisted.
4 - The beginning of the thread is picked, a knot is tied

within the thread itself and then it is rolled onto the
bamboo spool repetitively until it’s filled. The zari threads
which are placed in the rods are adjusted as it is lifted up
and down while rolling onto the bamboo spool.
5 - To stabilise the metals in the gold and silver zari, it is

soaked in water to avoid breakage.
Image 42, 43: National Awardee Mr R Nageswaran, Demonstarting the Process of preparing zari for weaving;
Image 45: Tools used for preparing zari

Headles
Weaving Shuttle
Warp Beam
Parts of a Loom
Whip Roll
1. Warp Beam: This part of the loom holds the

warp threads, or the lengthwise yarns and it is
located at the back of the loom and is controlled
so that it releases yarns for weaving whenever
needed. Cloth Roller
2. Whip Roll: This is a guide roller and it directs

the warp threads on their way to the lease rods
and heddles.
3. Lease Rods: This is another guiding device for

the warp yarns. These are two wooden or glass
rods of sorts set between the whip rolls and
heddles.
Fig 3.6: Parts of a Loom
4. Heddles: A heddle is a wire with a hole in the Breast Beam
centre through which the warp yarn is threaded.
The number of heddles depends on number of
warp yarns in the fabric and the heddles are held the reed involves feeding the filling thread into
in two or more harnesses. position, and in order for this to be done it has to
move in a back and forth motion.
5. Harness: It is essentially a frame that holds the
heddles. The weave pattern is determined by the 8. Breast Beam: This bar is present at the front of
harness position, number of harnesses, and the the loom over which the fabric passes on its way
warp yarns which are controlled by each harness. to the fabric roller.
6. Bobbin & Shuttle: The filling thread is wound on 9. Fabric Roller: This is an essential part of the
a bobbin which sets into a shuttle. As the shuttle loom that is located at the front of the loom and
is passed back and forth, it releases thread from it holds the completed fabric.
the bobbin and so forms the filling fabric.
10. Temples: They divide at the edges of the cloth
7. Reed: Reed is a combination made up of steel which supports to maintain fixed dimension in
wire rods set vertically in a frame. The spaces width.
in between the wires are called splits and it is
kept parallel and as even as possible; this is the
first function of the reed. The other function of

Types of Looms
Looms are used to convert yarn into fabric. They hold the warp threads under tension so that the weft can be woven in between.
Handlooms can be classified as pit looms or frame looms.
Frame looms The Jacquard loom holes determine which groups of threads
The loom is made of panels or rods fitted together at right will be visible at a particular point in a design.The invention
angles to make a frame. of the Jacquard machine reduced the time required to make a
design and also decreased the number of errors being made by
Pit Loom weavers. The ‘draw boy’, a child who would aid in the process
The pit loom is a horizontal loom, which is controlled by of weaving, became unnecessary. This entire mechanism of
treadles (pedals). The four posts of the loom are shifted into the using interchangeable punch cards went on to inspire Charles
ground. The warp threads are controlled by the weaver’s feet Babbage to invent the world’s first computer, the Analytical
and the hands are used to throw the shuttle carrying the weft Engine.
threads. It can be classified as a throw shuttle or a fly shuttle
loom as well. Dobby
It is a type of floor loom in which the warp threads are controlled
Jacquard using a device called the dobby. In the loom every warp thread
Invented by Joseph Jacquard, The Jacquard machine acts as is connected to a single shaft using a device called a heddle or
an attachment to fabric looms. It has a chain of punch cards harness. Lifting the shaft gives the weaver many gaps to throw
that guide the design that needs to be woven in the textile. the shuttle in.

• The raw materials include silk, zari and. Silk is sourced from Bangalore and zari is obtained from Surat.
The pricing of the zari depends on the amount and quality of the gold required. The weaver that we
spoke to bought zari which is priced at Rs 12,000 in the market, but he also mentioned that actual zari
prices start from Rs 500 and go up to Rs 18,000. The zari that is sold at Rs 18,000 is generally bought by
government societies. Silk is currently sold at the price of Rs 7000 per kilogram. However, it was priced
at Rs 3000 per kg before the pandemic. The increase in price can be attributed to new rules brought in by
Reshamandi.
• Originally, bamboo reed and steel reed were used in such a way that each warp thread is separated through
the vertical slits. Weavers prefer to use bamboo reed instead of steel because steel rusts easily and is not
safe for weaving the saree.
• Sourcing of these raw materials is a smooth process. There are agencies located in Kanchipuram
maintaining all the imports and exports. In recent times, the status of the couriered products is also
shared via Whatsapp, which makes it even easier for weavers to track the orders.
• Raw materials are ‌stocked up when there is sufficient money in hand or are purchased in bulk when there
is good production of high quality silk. This ‌occurs in the summer season when production is high or
during April and May when good quality silk is produced.
• The raw materials required for each saree are calculated using a unit called paavu. One paavu is the
measure of 3 sarees, which comes up to 1kg, 50g of silk for the warp and 1200g of silk for the weft. The
weight of zari varies from design to design starting from 50 to 500g . Zari is tied to the prestige of the
family and each spends differently on the zari.
• Kaaikutchi was the hand stick tool used in older weaving techniques. New technology used by the weavers
is the electronic jacquard, which is only offered by the weaver’s society and not often available for private
weavers. The electronic jacquard costs between Rs 2,00,000-2,50,000. This is not affordable for most
weavers and the setting up of the machine also increases the cost. The overall set up cost for one machine
is around Rs 1,00,000 which involves several other craftsmen.

• For weavers who are based from their own homes, the profits earned would not cover
the cost of the electronic jacquard machine. Moreover, a normal hut house would not be
equipped with the space and technology to host such a machine. When transitioning for
the kaaikutchi to the electronic jacquard, weavers faced the issue of space and problems
servicing the machines. Servicing for the machines is done once every one or two years.
• Weavers use a basic gum filled with water and apply it on the saree, especially on zari
threads to obtain a lustrous and stiff look throughout the process of weaving. Traditionally,
the weavers used rice water on the saree but now they use gum.
• Shuttle (nada) - The shuttle is one of the important parts of a weaving machine because it
holds weft yarn. Weaver throws shuttle through the shed from one side to another creating
woven fabric. Measuring tape along with comb which is used to hold the weft firmly in place
for weaving are other tools required.
Image 46: Weaver weaving a saree

Image 47: Weaver weaving a saree, in frame- a jacquard loom

Process
The weaving process starts from The process of rolling the warped yarns into the weaver’s beam with
uniform tension is known as beaming. Passing the yarns through each heald eye in the respective shafts is
known as drafting. Passing the yarns through the reed/beater is known as denting.
Warp loading: Before beginning the weaving process, the loom is set up. After warping, the yarn is prepared
into warp sheets by being wound around an iron rod. Beaming is the action of converting the warp sheet
into a weaver's beam. The yarn strands flow through the reeds and hemp throughout this procedure. Each
silk strand is carefully sewn to the old warp threads to accomplish this. The joining process takes about 2-3
days to finish. The joining operation is typically carried out by women.
Fly shuttle pit looms are used for weaving on handlooms. The weaver weaves together the warp and weft
threads of silk. The shuttle moves through the openings created when the pedal is depressed, interlacing
the warp and weft threads. After the shuttle has been passed, the jacquard's dangling rope is tugged to
create the weave.
To the wooden beam in front of the weaver, the proton of the cloth is injured. The part of unwoven warp
that is purposefully left before and after the weaving of the sari is knotted for fringe after the weft has been
woven for 6 metres. The weaving is thus finished, the unwoven supports are removed with a tiny metal
blade, and the sari is folded in the customary way for marketing.
One sari takes over 4 to 5 days to complete. Ten saris' worth of warp are loaded into the loom at once. The
weaver can need one or two people to assist them as they work.

Market Study
The Craftspeople and Their Market

Market Research
Comparitive Study of RmKV

and Pachaiyappa’s
Sri Rm.K.Visvanatha Pillai founded the company in

the year 1924. RmKV is renowned for its innovation
in this traditional craft. The brand focuses on three
different aspects of the sarees, which is colour, design
& innovation and fabric. In terms of raw materials, a
majority of their silk yarns are sourced from districts
in Karnataka. From years of experience and practice,
the best quality silk yarn is found in the Chilkata and
Ramnagar districts. A team from RmKV is sent to
examine the materials and purchase the best of them.
As for Zari, they have a direct supplier from Surat.
RmKV sells both pure silk and blended silk sarees

although the pricing of the sarees are determined
according to the amount of zari and pure silk threads
used. The prices of the pure silk sarees start at Rs.6000
while the blended sarees which are generally silk mixed
with cotton or polyester, starts at Rs.3000. The prices of
the sarees of each category stay specified for nearly six
months to a year after which it may vary.
Pachaiyappa’s Silks is a 95 year old company, and is

run by the fourth generation of the founder’s family.
They have their own manufacturing unit in Sipcot,
Kanchipuram, and every type of saree is made using
their own looms and their weavers.
The pricing strategies of Pachaiyappa’s Silks varies from
saree to saree, depending on the type of the saree. Pure
silk sarees without pure zari starts from Rs.4000 while
pure silk sarees with pure zari starts from Rs.2,00,000.
Blended silk sarees prices start from Rs.1000. The
sarees also differ in terms of border variation, richness
quotient and so on. The sarees woven at their units
are also shipped internationally to countries like the
United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia and so on.
Both RmKV and Pachaiyappa’s Silks are leading saree
Image 48 & 49: Sarees at RmKV

brands in the market with their stores located
almost in all the similar cities and towns. What
sets them apart is the innovations that they
formulate in order to keep their customers
interested and coming back for more.
As far as RmKV is concerned, brocade design

and contrasting borders (indicative of
traditional Kanjivaram sarees) are common in
the saree designs. The time around the festival
of Navarathri is when they release all their
new collections. With regards to innovations
in the fabric, the brand makes lesser opacity
silk sarees. This was designed especially for
the younger demographics who prefer to wear
lighter, breathable sarees. RmKV has won
several national awards for their various design
experiments and innovations.
The brand’s most recognizable saree pieces

on this note would be the ‘Hamsa Damayanti’,
which depicts Raja Ravi Varma’s painting on
the pallu and stories from the artist’s life on
the border of the saree. RmKV also creates
custom designs on special requests. Similarly,
another strategy the store has implemented
is the readily available customized products
for weddings, sorted by religion. The colours
and motifs used differ depending on the
community. For instance, Jains prefer artificial
silk sarees, and Muslim wedding sarees avoid
animal motifs. There is also a large selection of
white sarees for Christian weddings.
Pachaiyappa’s Silks strategies and innovations

slightly differ from RmKV’s. Firstly, their
customer base is diverse in terms of economic
standard and includes various income stratas.
The brand, during the Covid-19 pandemic,
launched exclusive offers and rewards for
online shopping, which was the ongoing mode
of shopping then and it boosted peak sales.
They also use an impressive display of sarees
and explanation of the process from weaving to
the end product to impress customers as part of
Image 50: Sarees at Pachaiyappa’s

Image 51: Sarees at RmKV
their marketing strategy.
Modern sarees at Pachaiyappa’s Silks features a

modernized version of traditional motifs. These sarees
do not feature the common motifs such as mayil
(peacock), maanga (mango) motifs as people tend to
buy such sarees for casual use. Modern motifs differ
from the traditional ones in the aspect that the designs
are much more free flowing. Traditional motifs, such
as mayil, moggu, rudraksham and so on are seen in
muhurtam sarees. The classic colours of red, maroon,
yellow, green and blue are still in style and popular
but younger demographic of customers prefer sarees
with tinted colours. While the Samudrika silk and
Muhurtam silk line remains popular, the Vivaha Silk
saree has fallen out of style.
Some commonalities between both the brands would

be the choice of motifs and designs customized as
per requirements for festivals or communities for
weddings, and also the release of new varieties and
designs during peak sales seasons and festivals such
as Navaratri, Diwali, Pongal and so on. Overall, the
innovations formulated by each brand every year
during the peak seasons determine their turnover
that year and it his highly essential that the standard
operating procedures (SOPs) are followed to keep this
cycle running and stay at top of the market.

SWOT
Strengths Weaknesses
Trusted customers Time consuming to produce

Good product range Lack of advertising
Skilled artisans Poor packaging
History and used them as motifs Expensive
Different and unique style of making sarees Lack of coordination between government
Low capital investment bodies and artisans
Strong retail infrastructure Less interest in the younger generations of
Large market with potential for growth artisans
Opportunities Threats
Expansion in the product line Not being able to keep up with trends
Incoming tourist spot Regional market competition with cotton
Business opportunities through the online industry
market Emergence of new brands
Strategic partnerships with big brands Spread of power loom
Rich culture and history in terms of religion
and culture

Image 52: Mr V Krishnamurthy at his house
Artisan Database
Master Artisan
Mr V Krishnamurthy
Master Artisan, 4th generation.
Mr. V. Krishnamurthy was born and brought up

here in Kanchipuram along with four brothers.
He is currently a devoted husband and father
of two. He hails from a family of weavers, him
currently being the fourth generation weaver.
Originally an agricultural family, weavingbecame
a family an dhe also joined in at the age of 7, which
resulted in him recieving education only till class
2, due to the family’s needs and situation.
With over 38 years of experience in weaving,

Mr. V Krishnamurthy follows all the traditional
methods and designs involved in weaving, just
as he was initiated and taught in the beginning.
Being the master artisan, he has the freedom to
use newer designs and methods but he mostly
sticks on to the older, established ways since
he feels that is the way he can do justice to
his family legacy. One obstacle he faces whilst
doing so is that a lot of customers do not prefer
such traditional designs so he is compelled to
mix in some newer designs as per the popular
trends. To overcome this, he has come up with
a very interesting strategy that he claims works
excellently for him; he uses the older, traditional
designs with newer color combinations. He
credits the thinking behind such strategies to
the teachings from his grandfathers and other
family members. As a master artisan, through
this strategy, Mr. V.Krishnamurthy admits
that this helps create the variety and meet the
requirements and demands.
The sarees that are woven by him and his team

are sold directly to private saree shops. Mr. V.Krishnamurthy
along with his weavers take the sarees and visit the saree stores
the day or week before auspicious or festival days as that is
when people come to purchase for such occasions. The shops
he visits such as, Chennai, Kanchipuram and Coimbatore-
Nalli, RMKV, AS Babu Sah (Kanchi), Prakash (Kanchi), PSR
(Coimbatore) and so on, are his regulars and they know what
type of sarees he and his team brings, and they pick the best
out of them and sell.
As far as his team of weavers are concerned, a lot of them are

here since his fathers time; he is one of the youngest here
although he is a master artisan. It is probably because the
interest in this field has come down considerably generation
after generation. Even the weavers who taught him weaving
work with him. Depending on one’s involvement, they rise up
the ladder, that is why although there are weavers that are
much senior in age in comparison to him, Mr. V.Krishnamurthy
is the master artisan but only because of this involvement in
the process. The other older artisans remain weavers due to
various reasons like personal, family situations that hindered
them, or they simply did not put in the effort for this. Mr.
V.Krishnamurthy mainly says that more than effort or
involvement it is all blessing of God that also adds on to the
prosperity of the weaving trade.
Mr.V.Krishnamurthy wishes for his children to continue as 5th

generation weavers. Weaving has become such an important
thing in his family for generations. They get to see the happy
customers wearing their sarees and sending pictures, that
satisfaction is unbeatable. Since price of gold keeps varying,
that cost of gold zari varies but as weavers, the remuneration
they get always stays the same.
Mr.V.Krishnamurthy adds on that it is unfortunate for him

that his children want to go to a different field. Unlike him
they are getting educated really well which is extremely good
according to him, but they do not want to become weavers. His
wish is that the next generation takes this to the next level-
all over the country and even outside. His grandfather and
father sold locally, and he took his sales over to various cities
in Tamilnadu. Either his kids or people who work with him and
their next generation should continue weaving and take it to
the next level.
Image 53: Mr V Krishnamurthy working on warping

Weavers, Warpers and Dyers
(Under Master Artisan)
V. Shanmugam, 51 Tamilselvan. 31
DYER WEAVER
Contact -6382881460 Contact number - 8780064551

Pillayarpalayam Location- Pillaiyarpalayam
Experience- 34 years, Experience-15 years
former farmer for 4 years
V. Mohan, 61 S. Ravi, 55
DYER WARPER & WEAVER
Contact-9600474010 Contact-9382708976
Pillayarpalayam
Pillayarpalayam
Experience-47 years
Experience- 40 years
Manikandan, 32
DYER
Contact-8667749687
Pillayarpalayam
Experience- 18 years

Name Profession Contact Location Experince
Shankar M Weaver 9843383367 Pillayarpalayam 30 Years
V Mohan Dyer 9600474010 Pillayarpalayam 40 Years
Vasukai Weaver 9698649257 Sirukaveripakkam ---

(silk park )
D Selvan Weaver 9629357673 Sirukaveripakkam 35 Years

(silk park )
Poongodi Weaver 9677492473 Pillayarpalayam 32 Years
Nachaiyyi Weaver 9843383367 Sirukaveripakkam 26 Years

(silk park )

National Awardees
R. Geetha
R .Nageswaran
WEAVER, NATIONAL AWARD WINNER
WEAVER, MASTER CRAFTSMAN &
Contact-9952218220
NATIONAL AWARDEE (2005) Pillaiyarpalayam
Contact-9629436464 Experience- practicing since age of 8
Pillaiyarpalayam Asocciated with: Thiruvalluvar Society
Asocciated with: Arignar Anna Society

Contributors
Harshdeep Kaur Sneha Krishnan Meghana Karkada Suresh
Ashish Kumar Sudhiksha A Yashasavi Sinha
Sakthi Sree Raju Ranjan Ekansh Sukhla

Conclusion
An Indian woman’s wardrobe is incomplete without a very important possession- the evergreen
Kanjivaram Saree. Be it the most affluent citizens of the place to the simplest of households, a
wide variety of silk sarees in general are worn by women at all festivals and celebrations. The
Kanjivaram saree is known as the ‘Queen of Silks’ and is the preferred choice of saree to wear at
events that are markers of transition and growth and the beginning of a phase in human life and
its journey.
This fabric is an inherent part of several traditional and religious ceremonies. Kanjivaram
silks have created the main occupation for several in the city of Kanchipuram. Over decades,
Kanchipuram silk has been evolving in terms of design and pattern but hasn’t lost its charm.
Initially sold across the world only by merchants, today the real weavers have woken up to their
own cooperative societies to sell their woven Kanjivaram silk. The sheer magnitude of textures,
colours and designs of Kanjivaram silk sarees is incredible. These silk sarees are very well known
for their interwoven lace work and its lusture, which is the dexterity of the dyer and weaver in
bringing the lusture and design respectively.
The Kanjivaram Silks industry has managed to survive many highs and lows and has made its
presence felt internationally. However, the biggest challenges faced by it today are undertaking
modifications to suit changing customer preferences, use of modern technology and product
diversification.

Learnings
The level of skill, time, artistry and precision required to create one Kanjivaram saree is hu-
mongous. For us as designers in-the-making, having gotten the opportunity to visit the artisans
on-site and see each process involved in making a Kanjivaram saree in detail was a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity.
The various degrees and levels of artisans we met at every process, i.e., dyeing, warping, spin-
ning and weaving were so kind and patient enough to let us witness from start to end and took
time to explain what it is they were doing, although they were all working on a tight schedule.
From 30,000 feet a saree is just a six or a nine yard fabric, but using this opportunity we went
indepth and witnessed what kind of effort, time, thinking and creativity goes into making of a
single, stunning Kanjivaram saree. The city of Kanchipuram and its people welcomed us with
open arms and being immersed in the community introduced us to the lifestyle and culture of
the artisans. Generations of artisans have practiced the craft of silk saree weaving here, often
beginning early in their childhood. Walking through the age-old temples as the creators of the
Kanjivaram sarees have done for centuries, helped us see their inspiration to create motifs and
patterns.
Overall, through this Craft Cluster Initiative, it was very enlightening to see and learn the nuanc-
es behind each specific process from their point of view, which at the same time opened our eyes
to the hardships the artisans face day to day. More than anything, in the one week we spent in
Kanchipuram, we defenitely gained a huge sense of respect towards such talented artisans who
make the Queen of all Silks.

Annexure
Question Bank
Market Research
1. What is your business about?
2. Where do you get your supplies from?
3. When do you have more demand for your products?
4. How much labor and capital investment is there in your business?
5. Who is your main competition?
6. What are the challenges you faced?
7. What is the future growth of your business?
8. What is the marketing strategy used by you?
9. Which group of people are your main target customers?
10. What influences the price of the product?
11. How much of a business entity is shaping towards your goal set?
12. Do you market your product internationally or target a specific geographical location?
13. What is the size of your target market?
14. Who are your target customers?
15. What are the primary issues that your customers face?
16. How can your product or service help solve the issue for your customers?
17. Does your product perfectly fit into the current market?
18. What’s the volume of potential customers?
19. Have you set a good customer persona to understand your ideal target customers?
20. What are the key consumer trends?
21. How do you identify new target segments? And, how are these new segments different from the existing ones?
22. Who are your direct competitors? What are their strategies for attracting customers?
23. Who is your ideal customer?
24. What sets you apart from your competition?
25. What is the vision of your brand?
26. Who are your top customers?
27. Which product features are most valuable to you?
28. What improvements could you make to existing offerings to improve customer satisfaction and increase repeat sales and referrals?
29. What are the best ways and methods to reach your target audience?

30. Do you export products internationally? If so, where are you exporting it?
31. What is the method of export? (eg. through private, government etc.)
32. How involved are the weavers in the process of commissioning a saree?
33. How are the sarees transported?
34. How are the sarees stored and maintained before sale?
35. Are the sarees temperature sensitive?
Primary Research
1. Questions Bank (For Primary Research)

2. Pre-Production Process:
3. What raw materials are used? What is the method of preparing the raw material?
4. What are the local terms for the raw material?
5. Where do you buy/source these raw materials?
6. How much of these materials can be collected at one time?
7. What, if any, problems encountered in collecting these materials?
8. Describe the preparation for making the product in the work area.
9. What are the tools used? What is their local name?
10. Have new tools been introduced? If so, what was the old tool? How has the new tool changed production processes?
11. Who makes the tools? Can they be purchased from the local market and what is the present price?
12. How is the tool maintained and by who? How often?
13. Describe the preparations, if any done for the exercise
14. How much time is spent in each step?
15. How do they test that the material is now ready?
16. How do they store the prepared material?
17. Are there alternative materials?
Spinners
1. When did a weaver start the spinning process?
2. What are the tools required for spinning?
3. Where do you get your tools from?
4. What are the skills required for spinning?
5. What are the different stages of spinning?
6. How much time is consumed to complete the spinning process ?

7. What are the changes the spinning process had when through?
8. How much does the spinner take to make a saree?
9. What are the new machines which are introduced in the industry for spinning?
Dyers
1. How do you know if the silk has been properly degummed?

2. How long does it take to degum the silk?
3. What are the raw materials for degumming?
4. What are the local terms of the raw materials?
5. How do you buy, collect and store these materials?
6. How much of the material can be bought at once?
7. How big are the materials. What is the quantity of materials used for one batch?
8. How big are the degumming vessels?
9. What is the price of the materials used? Where do you get them from?
10. Where are the dyes bought? How much of the dye can be bought at a time? How is the price of the dye?
11. How are the dyes mixed?
12. What are the sources of the dyes?
13. Are the dyes natural or synthetic?
14. What are the tools used? How much do they cost?
15. What dye is used to make what colour?
16. How are the tools maintained?
17. How much dye is needed for dyeing one saree worth?
18. What is usual temperature of the water?
19. How much water does the whole process need?
20. When do you receive the pre-coloured threads from the government?
21. From where do the pre-dyed silk threads come from?
22. How much do they cost?
23. How is the silk stored?

Warpers
1. What are the tools used for warping? What is their local name?
2. Have new tools been introduced? If so, what was the old tool? How has the new tool changed production processes?
3. Who makes the tools? Can they be purchased from the local market and what is the present price?
4. How is the tool maintained and by who? How often?
5. When is it done in the morning?
6. Why is it done only in the morning?
7. What is the full sequence of events?
8. How many people are needed to carry out the process?
9. Is it gender specific?
10. Where is warping done? On the streets, inside, etc.
11. Since the sun harms the silk when is warping stopped for the day? (what time)
12. If it is a cloudy day, can warping be done throughout the day?
13. How are the warped threads transferred to the loom?
14. Is weaving done immediately after warping?
Related to Health
1. Does the profession cause any health problems?
2. Are you provided with any government aid for your treatment?
Artisan Lifestyle
1. How long has your family been in this business? How many generations? (TRY TO LOOK FOR 5-6TH GEN ARTISANS)
2. How many years of experience do you have?
3. Who taught you how to weave?
4. Did you always want to become a craftsman?
5. Are there any rituals or prayers that you follow before you do your work?
6. What does your daily routine look like?
7. How long do you usually work in a day?
8. Since how long have you been working as a craftsman?
9. How big is your family? Do they also practise the same craft?
10. How do you get to and fro from work (cycle, auto etc.)
11. Do you like to work alone or with someone?

12. What is the most stressful part of your job?
13. How do you keep up your energy while working? What kind of food do you have?
14. How much sleep do you get daily?
15. What is the most important practise to follow for an artisan to keep your skill up?
16. What are some mistakes you learned from to become a better craftsman?
17. Apart from weaving is there any other side business or job that you do for generating more income?
18. What are the things that you like to do in your leisure time?
19. How did Covid-19 affect your business?
20. Who/what inspires your design?
21. Do you take holidays during the weekend?
22. What are your thoughts about modern machinery? Do you appreciate it or do you prefer traditional methods?
23. What is the work that you are most proud of making?
24. Other Miscellaneous Questions
25. What happens to waste during saree production?
26. How to differentiate between powerloom and handloom sarees?
27. How to know if the saree is authentic?
Weavers
1. Are there any rituals or prayers that you follow before you do your work?
2. How many years of learning is required to become a weaver?
3. How is the practice of weaving taught to new weavers? Who usually teaches them?
4. How long does it usually take to weave a single saree?
5. What is the size and material of the tool?
6. How much do the tools cost?
7. How are the tools maintained? Who maintains them?
8. What is the sequence of weaving?
9. What are the new tools? (powerlooms)
10. What is the sequence in which the weaving is done?
11. How is the loom set up? How long does it take to set up one loom?
12. How big is the loom?
13. Who maintains the loom?
14. How much does one loom cost? Where does do the raw materials to make the loom come from?

Glossary
1. Aayiram Kaal Mandapam (aah.yi.ram kaa.ll man.da.pam) [Ta] - word meaning thousand stone pillars temple which is located in tiruchirapalli,
tamilnadu.
2. Appam (aap.pam) [Tal] - A type of pancake, made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk
3. Arai Pagam (ah.rai pa.gam) [Tal] - term for a saree whose width has been divided into two.
4. Devangas (dhe.vaa.ngas) [Ta] - Devanga ( Devala Maharishi) is a sub-caste in Hinduism. They were one of the weaving castes in India. They are
Prakrut Brahmins (meaning brahmins by birth). The majority of them are weavers of silk and cotton clothes.
5. Eiyam (eyi.yam) [Ta] -meaning a tin or the metal of kitchen vessels
6. Ekadashi (ey.gga.da.shi) [Ta] - refers to the 11th lunar day. The eleventh day corresponds to a precise phase of the waxing and waning moon. In
Sanskrit, Ekadashi means ‘Eleven’.
7. Elakkai (ey.lla.kkai) [Ta] - spice elachi
8. Elumichai (ey.lu.mi.cha.yi) [Ta] - fruit lemon
9. gopuram (go.pu.ram) [Ta] - A monumental tower at the entrance of a temple, especially in Southern India.
10. Idiyappam (idi.yaap.pam) [Ta] - meaning string hopper/rice noodles
11. Illai (il.lai) [Ta]- warp yarns.
12. Iruthalaipakshi (irru.tha.llai.paak.shi) [Ta]- two headed eagle
13. Jarigai (Ja.ri.ghai) [Ta]: Zari (Gold Thread used in during weaving kanjivaram silk)
14. Kaaikutchi (kaai.ku.tch.yi) [Ta] - hand stick tool
15. Kadappa kallu (ka.da.pah kal.lu) [Ta] - Black Limestone which is a tool used for the manual quality check of the zari thread.
16. Kambi arakku (kam.bi uh.rak.ku) [Ta] Rust red
17. Karuvattu Kuzhambu (ka.ru.va.ttu ku.llam.bu) [Ta] - dry fish curry/gravy in tamil
18. Kathiri Poo (ka.thiri poo) [Ta] -brinjal flower; It’s purple in colour (used yot describe shade of purple)
19. Kili (ki.lli) [Ta] - Parrot
20. Koorai Kattam (koo.rai kat.tam) [Ta] - checks woven in Koorainadu of Tanjore village.
21. Korvai (kohr.vai) [Ta]- defining- to compile, join or thread together
22. Kothu (koth.hu) [Ta] - shred Kottadi Kattam (kot.tadi kat.tam) [Ta] - zari checks woven into the body of the saree
23. Krambu (krah.mbu) [Ta] -spice clove

01
24. Kumaran (ku.ma.ran) [Ta]- the name used for a range of colours that includes cream, vanilla and ivory.
25. Kuthirai (ku.thee.rhai) [Ta]- Horse
26. Kutturavu sangam (koot.urah.vu sangh.am) [Ta]- term for Government society
27. Kuyilkann (ku.yi.il ka.nn) [Ta]- Cuckoo eyes
28. Kuzhambu (ku.llam.bu) [Ta]- Spicy gravy
29. Lakshadeepam butta (lak.sha.dee.pam bhut.tah) [Ta] - one lakh lamp motifs in body of the saree
30. Maan (maa.nn) [Ta] - deer
31. Maanga (maa.ngah) [Ta] - mango
32. Maligai moggu (mah.lli.ghai mog.ghu) [Ta] - Jasmine bud
33. Mambazham (mam.ba.llam) [Ta]- Mango fruit
34. Mayil (mah.yi.il) [Ta]- for peacock
35. Mayilkann (mah.yi.il ka.nn) [Ta] - peacock eyes
36. Mayil Kazhuthu (mah.yil ka.llu.thu) [Ta]- peacock’s neck
37. Meen (mee.nn) [Ta] - fish
38. MilagaiPazham (mi.la.ghai.pa.lam) [Ta]- Red chilli
39. Muthu (mu.th.hu) [Ta] - Pearl
40. Muttai kothu Parotta (mut.tayi pa.ro.tta)[Ta] - Egg shred roti
41. Naada (Naa.daa) [Ta]- Shuttle; A spindle-shaped device used to carry the weft through the warp
42. Naval Pazham (Naa.vah.l pah.lam) [Ta] also known as Nagapazham (na.ga.pah.lam)- Java plum or Indian blackberry
43. Nilambari (nee.lam.ba.ri) [Ta] - colour blue
44. Paalum Pazhamum (paa.llum pah.lam.um) [Ta] - milk and fruit
45. Paasi (paa.si) [Ta]- algae/moss
46. Paavu (Pah.vu) [Ta]: Warp
47. Pallu (Phal.lu); Thalapu (old name) (tha.lah.puh) [Ta]- loose end of the saree where tassels are tied. Commonly known as Mundhi (mun.dhee);
Mundhani (mun.dha.nyi)
48. Pannai (pann.ai) [Ta] - a pedal-like tool in loom where weavers operate them with their legs so that the double warp is divided to each other by
moving up and down.
49. pattu (pat.tu) [Ta] - Silk
50. Puliyankottai (pu.lli.yang.ko.tta.yi) [Ta]- Tamarind seeds

01
51. Puliyodarai (pu.li.yo.thah.rai) [Ta] - Tamarind rice
52. puttu (put.ttu) [Ta]- Steamed chamber of ground rice layered with coconut
53. Saligars (saa.li.gars) [Ta]- Saligars (along with devangas) were experts at weaving silk sarees and legend has it that they were descendants of
Sage Markanda, a master weaver who is believed to have woven tissue from lotus fibre.
54. Sambal (saam.bal) [Ta] - ash
55. Sandhanam (san.dha.nam) [Ta]- Sandalwood
56. Sapoori (Sa.poo.ri) [Ta]: Weft
57. Simham (sim.ham) [Ta]- Lion
58. Rudraksham (rudh.rak.sham) [Ta]- refers to a stonefruit, the dried stones of which are used as prayer beads by Hindus as well as by Buddhists.
59. Thakkali (thak.kha.lli) [Ta]- Tomato
60. Thari (Thah.rri) [Ta]- Loom
61. Thaaru kutchi (thah.rru ku.tch.yi) [Ta]- a plastic stick which carries weft thread placed inside the shuttle.
62. Thamarai (tha.ma.rai) [Ta] - lotus in
63. Thandavalam (than.da.va.lam) [Ta] - Rail
64. Thayir Sadam (thah.yir saa.dham) [Ta]- term for curd rice in tamil.
65. Thilagam (thi.la.gam)[Ta] - Tilak; It means “a mark on the forehead”.
66. Upma (upp.maa) [Ta] - thick porridge produced using dry broiled semolina with added flavors or vegetables).
67. Vadai (va.dai) [Ta] - a crispy and savory deep fried fritter snack.
68. Vadamalli (va.da.mal.li) [Ta]- term for globe amarnath/bachelor’s button
69. Valai Kappu (val.lai ka.ppu) [Ta]- baby shower ritual in Tamil Nadu
70. Vairam (vai.rum) [Ta] [vaira (vai. rah) as pechu mozhi (peh.chu mo.llyi) (spoken language)] Oosi (Ooh.syi) - Diamond needle
71. Vazhaipoo (vaa.llai poo) [Ta]- plantain flower/banana flower
72. Veldhari (vel.dha.ri) [Ta] - Stripes consists of wavy lines and dots woven into the warp.
73. Vengayam (ven.ga.yam) [Ta]- onion
74. Vennai (vhen.nhai) [Ta] - Butter
75. Veshti (vey.sh.ti) [Ta] - dhoti; A loose piece of clothing wrapped around the lower half of the body.
76. Vilakku (vi.lla.kku) [Ta]- lamp in tamil.
77. Vizhudhu (vi.llu.dhu) [Ta] - White Nylon thread which is connected to harness
78. Yaanai (yaa.nayi) [Ta] - term for elephant in tamil.

79. Yaazhi (yaa.lli) [Ta]- part lion, part elephant or part horse motif
80. Floor Loom [Eng] - a loom in which the harnesses are moved by treadles, leaving the weaver’s hands free to operate the shuttle. Also called: treadle loom.
81. Treadles
82. Sericulture [Eng] - a lever worked by the foot and imparting motion to a machine.
83. Nava Nari Kunjara - [Sans] - motif of an elephant composed of nine women. Krishna is usually depicted riding the elephant
84. Kandarpa Hasti - [Sans] - Kandarpa refers to the God of Love and Hasti means elephant - it is another name given to the motif of an elephant composed of nine
women
85. Mupaggamthe [Eng]- saree width is divided into three parts.
86. maratti mogu [Eng] -kapok buds
87. Krishna Meghavaram [Tel] - Violet
88. Parameswara Vinnanagaram (pa.ra.mey.sh.wa.ra vin.na.na.ga.ram) [Tel] -Thiru Parameswara Vinnagaram or Vaikunta Perumal Temple is a temple dedicated
to Vishnu, located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
89. Seemantham (see.man.tham) [Ta] -Seemantham is a ritual performed widely throughout Tamil Nadu and Kerala by Hindus in preparation for a woman’s first
delivery
90. Thazhambu [Ta]- pandanus ordifur flower/spice
91. Muggu [Ta] - A pattern or diagram (rangavalli) drawn with lines of flour or coloured powder. muttiyapumuggu a pattern made in seed pearl.
92. Muzham (mu.llam) [Ta] - a unit of measurement from the finger tip to elbow of hand.
93. Kanji (ka.nj.ji) [Ta] - boiled/soaked rice water
94. Muppagam saree [Ta] - A saree that is woven in three different parts
95. Angavastram [Sans]- An angvastra - plural, angavastram, is a shoulder cloth or stole worn by men in India, especially in Maharashtra and South India.
96. Pavadai (pa.va.da) [Ta] - bottom skirt
97. Parivattam (in spinning section) [Ta] - a cloth or headband
98. ragam (rah.ga) [Ta]- Melody/music
99. Thalam [Ta]- Rhythmic order
100. bhava (bha.va) [Ta] - feeling, emotion
101. vimanam (vi.ma.nam) [Ta] -aeroplane
102. Vegavathi (vey.ga.va.thi) [Tel]- a river flows from andrapradesh through kanjipuram

Bibliography
Kawlra, Aarti. “Kanchipuram Sari: Design for Auspiciousness.” Design Issues 21, no. 4 (2005): 54–67. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25224019.
n.d. YouTube. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://kanjeevaramtraditionalsarees.blogspot.com/2016/02/tools-and-raw-materials-used.html.
n.d. YouTube. Accessed June 9, 2022. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25224019.
n.d. YouTube. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.madhuradhwani.org/2021/11/06/confluence-of-traditions-carnatic-music-bharatanatyam-

and-the-kanjivaram-sari/.
“About – The Indian Saree Journal.” n.d. The Indian Saree Journal. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://indiansareejournal.blog/about/.
Baral, Bibhudutta. n.d. “Tools and Materials | Silk Weaving - Kanchipuram | D'Source Digital Online Learning Environment for Design:
Courses, Resources, Case Studies, Galleries, Videos.” D'source. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://www.dsource.in/resource/silk-weaving-
kanchipuram/tools-and-materials.
Elkan, Michael. 2013. “Traditional Costumes of Tamil Nadu for Men and Women.” Traditional Clothing India. http://traditionalclothingindia.
blogspot.com/2013/09/traditional-costumes-of-tamil-nadu-for.html.
“Festivals of Kanchipuram.” n.d. Tamilnadu Tourism. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.tamilnadutourism.com/kanchipuram/festivals.php.
“Food in Kancheepuram, Types of dishes in Kancheepuram.” n.d. Kancheepuram. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.kancheepuramonline.
in/city-guide/food-in-kancheepuram.
Ghose, Indrani. 2010. “Ekambaranathar Temple Kanchipuram UNESCO site Tamil Nadu.” i Share. https://isharethese.com/ekambaranathar-
temple-kanchipuram/.
“Kanchipuram.” n.d. Wikipedia. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchipuram.
“The Kanchipuram Saris | Weaves of India | Kanjeevaram Silk.” 2017. YouTube. https://youtu.be/us3faFG_GX8.
Mishra, Jitu, and Vijay S. Iyer. 2018. “Kanchipuram Murals – An Artistic Sojourn – VIRASAT – E – HIND FOUNDATION.” VIRASAT – E
– HIND FOUNDATION. https://blogvirasatehind.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/kanchipuram-murals-an-artistic-sojourn/.
Mohan, Sreemathy. 2018. “Motifs in Kanjivaram Sarees – The Indian Saree Journal.” The Indian Saree Journal. https://indiansareejournal.
blog/2018/05/13/motifs-in-kanjivaram-sarees/.
srinivas, pendem. 2016. “Tamil Nadu Traditional Costumes, Culture and Tradition of India.” India the Destiny. https://indiathedestiny.com/
india-society/costumes/tamil-nadu-traditional-costumes/.
“3 Kancheepuram weavers get awards.” 2015. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/3-kancheepuram-weavers-get-

awards/article7514373.ece.

“Traditional Dresses of Tamil Nadu.” n.d. Holidify. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://www.holidify.com/pages/tamil-nadu-dresses-286.html.
“20 Ways To Identify A Real Kanjivaram Saree.” n.d. Fullitejas. Accessed June 9, 2022. https://fullytejas.com/identify-a-real-kanjivaram-
saree/.
“Varna Sutra: Antar Anga - Checks & Stripes.” 2018. Kanakavalli. https://kanakavalli.com/blogs/kanakavalli-varna-sutra/varna-sutra-antar-
anga-checks-stripes.
Vazquez, James. 2021. “Origin and Making of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees - 2022 Guide.” Bel-India. https://www.bel-india.com/origin-and-
making-of-kanchipuram-silk-sarees/.
“The Weavers Of Kanchipuram.” 2020. National School of Journalism. https://www.nsoj.in/stories/the-weavers-of-kanchipuram.

Images and Description
Image 1: Silk being woven to make a saree

Image 2: Warp threads on a loom
Image 3: Sarees at Pachaiyappa Silks
Image 4: Silk on a Spindle
Image 5: Kanjivaram saree from Venkateswara society
Image 6: Entrance of Vardharaja Perumal Temple
Image 7: Ekambaranathar Temple
Image 8: Road to Ekambaranathar Temple
Image 9: Ekambareswarar Temple
Image 10: Kailasanathar Temple
Image 11: Vardharaja Temple
Image 12: Entrance of Kanchi Kudil Museum
Image 13: Procession in front Of Vardharaja Perumal Temple
Image 14: Procession In Vardharaja Perumal Temple
Image 15: Kanjivaram Saree
Image 16 Stack of Sarees at sri Venkataswara Saree Shop
Image 17: Saree Pallu
Image 18: Sarees being shown at Venkateswara Society
Image 19 and 20: Relief work in Vardharaja Perumal Temple and the Ekambaranathar Temple (Top to Bottom)
Image 21, 22, 23 & 24 L TO R, Top to bottom: 1. Motif Designs, 2. Computerising the Design, 3. Mr B Krishnamurthy’s collection of motifs, 4. A
designer computerising the design
Image 25: Saree at Venkateswara Society Shop
Image 26: Silk during the dyeing process
L to R Image 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31- Silk sectioned for different colours in dyeing; Dyer sectioning raw silk; dyeing, Silk in dyeing couldron, Swatches
for dyeing
Image 32: A red kanjivaram saree with rudraksham borders
Image 33: Green saree border
Image 34: Blue Saree border
Image 35: Yellow kanjivaram saree

Image 36: Black kanjivaram silk saree
Image 37, 38, 39, 40; L TO R 1. Warp thread being examined; 2 Warp threads being beaten by wood; 3 Warped yarn being bundled together; 4
marking the distance on warp threads and being tied together.
Image 41: Yarn being prepared for weaving
Image 42, 43: National Awardee Mr R Nageswaran, Demonstarting the Process of preparing zari for weaving;
Image 45: Tools used for preparing zari

Image 46: Weaver weaving a saree
Image 47: Weaver weaving a saree, in frame- a jacquard loom
Image 48 & 49: Sarees at RmKV
Image 50: Sarees at Pachaiyappa’s
Image 51: Sarees at RmKV
Image 52: Mr V Krishnamurthy at his house
Image 53: Mr V Krishnamurthy working on warping
Figures:
1. Fig 2.1: Chennai to Kanchipuram
2. Fig 2.2: Layout of Kanchi Kudil Museum
3. Fig 3.1: Parts of a saree
4. Fig 3.2: Design Process Flowchart
5. Fig 3.3: Dgumming and dyeing process flowchart
6. Fig 3.4 Warping and spinning flowchart
7. Fig 3.5 Degumming and dyeing process flowchart
8. Fig 3.6: Parts of a Loom


Selai Kathaigal: Craft Cluster Document

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Selai Kathaigal: Craft Cluster Document

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

National Insititute Of Fashion Technology, Chennai

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 1

Copyright© 2022 By NIFT, Chennai

Faculty Mentor: Ms Ashmita Mondal______________________________________________

2 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 3

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 5

6 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 7

8 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 9

• The lustre and sheen of silk is due to its internal structure of

Image 1: Silk being woven to make a saree

10 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Image 2: Warp threads on a loom

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 11

The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest locations

During the reign of Akbar, silk workshops filled with

Image 3: Sarees at Pachaiyappa Silks

12 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

MULBERRY SILK Muga

Also known as endi or errandi, Eri silk is obtained from

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 13

The sericulture industry plays an integral role in the produc-

Silk Saree Centers in India

Tamil Nadu Kanchipuram, Arani, Salem,

Karnataka Mysuru, Ilkal,

Uttar Pradesh Varanasi

Andhra Pradesh Dharmavaram, Uppada

West Bengal Murshidabad

Image 4: Silk on a Spindle

14 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

There are several methods of determining the authenticity

• By touch: Silk is a very smooth material. The presence of

Image 5: Kanjivaram saree from Venkateswara

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 15

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 17

18 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 19

• Kanchipuram is subdivided into two divisions – Big Kanchi,

• The city is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east,

• Kancheepuram city is at an elevation of 83.2 m above sea

• The region has fertile land for cultivation of paddy followed

Fig 2.1: Chennai to Kanchipuram

20 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

The Pallavas moved their capital South to Kanchipuram in the 6th

Aditya I, a medieval Chola king defeated the Pallavas and captured

Kanchipuram was ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire from 1361 until

The Chingleput district was divided into Kancheepuram and

Image 7: Ekambaranathar Temple

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 21

Kanchipuram, being one of the holiest cities of India,

• Vaikunta Perumal Temple

Famous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva are the Kailasanathar

Trilokyanatha Temple is a Digambara Jain temple built

However it should be noted that the temples of Kanchipuram

22 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

Deaprtment of Fashion Communication, NIFT Chennai 23

Spread over more than twenty

The southern temple tower is one of

Ekambareswarar means “Lord of

24 Selai Kathaigal, Craft Research Document, 2022

The ancient Kailasanathar temple was a trailblazer of Dravidian temple architecture.

Image 10: Kailasanathar Temple